Rockingham County Genealogy
- Formed 1785
- Parent county / earlier Guilford
- County seat Wentworth
- Neighbors caswell, alamance, guilford, forsyth, stokes
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
- Formation 1785 from Guilford — search parents for earlier events.
- Seat: Wentworth · Library: Rockingham County Public Library.
- Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.
In-depth topics
Towns & communities
Rockingham County was formed in 1785 from Guilford. The county seat is Wentworth. Neighboring counties include caswell, alamance, guilford, forsyth, stokes.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 91,928. Its county seat is Wentworth.
The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County. It was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, British Prime Minister from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782.
The county served as the location for the Searcy & Moore gun factory, which was located at Hogans Creek, a small village located some 20 miles northwest of Greensboro. The firm supplied weapons – dubbed "N.C. Rifles" – to the Confederate States of America forces during the Civil War. Owned by Alexander M. Searcy and Dr. J. S. Moore, the manufactory assembled some 100 rifles for the Rebel forces in 1862–1863.
Source: Wikipedia.
Rockingham County Genealogy Resources
Rockingham County Historical Society
P.O. Box 84
Wentworth, NC 27375
VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 2272
Danville, VA 24541
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Rockingham County Government
Rockingham County Government - official site
Rockingham County Register of Deeds - (Online Search)
Rockingham County Courthouse
1086 NC 65, Suite 99, Wentworth, NC 27375
Phone: (336) 342-8820 Fax: (336) 342-6209
Rockingham Public Library
Eden Library
598 S. Pierce Street
Eden, NC 27288
336-623-3168 (Phone)
336-623-1171 (Fax)
Connie Whitt, Branch Manager
Mon/Thu 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tue/Wed/Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Closed on Sundays
Two meeting rooms
Computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
Children's room and teen corner
Color copier and fax service
Wireless internet access
Madison Library
140 E. Murphy Street
Madison, NC 27025
336-548-6553 (Phone)
336-548-2010 (Fax)
Amy Newnam, Assistant Library Director and Branch Manager
Tue 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thu 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
Linda Vernon Genealogy Room
Computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
Children's area and teen corner
Color copier and fax service
Wireless internet access
Mayodan Library
101 N. 10th Avenue
Mayodan, NC 27027
336-548-6951 (Phone)
336-548-2015 (Fax)
Amy Newnam, Assistant Library Director and Branch Manager
Mon 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Wed 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays
Meeting room
Computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
Weekly story times for children
Occasional computer classes
Children's area and teen corner
Color copier and fax service
Wireless internet access
Outreach Department
527 Boone Road
Eden, NC 27288
336-627-3729 (Phone)
336-623-1258 (Fax)
Calvert Mason, Department Head
Bookmobile service to outlying county schools
Bookmobile service to outlying areas of the county
Delivery service to homebound individuals
Delivery service to nursing homes and assisted living facilities
Bookmobile Schedule
Bethany School, 3rd Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Community Baptist School. 1st Friday, 10:00 a.m.-Noon (site closed during the summer)
Arbor Ridge, 4th Tuesday, 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Farrar's Store, 3rd Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
Governmental Center, 4th Monday, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Huntsville Nutrition Center, 3rd Wednesday, 11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Lincoln Elementary School, 4th Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (site closed during the summer)
Madison-Mayodan Nutrition Center, 3rd Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Madison Presbyterian Church, 3rd Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
McCollum's Hardware, 1st Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Rhema Christian Academy, 3rd Tuesday, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (site closed during the summer)
Rockingham Community College Senior Center, 3rd Tuesday, 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Ruffin, 1st Friday, 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Scott Commons, 3rd Thursday, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
Wentworth Presbyterian Church, 4th Monday, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Williamsburg School, 2nd Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. during the summer)
Reidsville Library
204 W. Morehead Street
Reidsville, NC 27320
336-349-8476 (Phone)
336-342-4824 (Fax)
Calvert Smith, Branch Manager
Mon/Thu 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tue/Wed/Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Closed on Sundays
Three meeting rooms
Computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
Weekly story times for children
Occasional computer classes
Children's area and teen corner
Color copier and fax service
Wireless internet access
Stoneville Library
201 E. Main Street
Stoneville, NC 27048
336-573-9040 (Phone)
336-573-2774 (Fax)
Amy Newnam, Assistant Library Director and Branch Manager
Mon/Wed Noon-5 p.m.
Tue 1 p.m.-6 p.m.
Thu 1 p.m.-8 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Closed Saturdays and Sundays
Meeting space is available in the adjacent Vera Holland Community Center
Computers with internet access and Microsoft Office
Weekly story times for children
Children's area and teen corner
Color copier and fax service
Wireless internet access
Cities and Towns
- * Eden
- * Madison
- * Mayodan
- * Reidsville
- * Stoneville
- * Wentworth
- Wentworth (County Seat)
- Eden
- Reidsville
- Madison
- Mayodan
- Stoneville
Townships:
Huntsville
Eden
Madison
Mayodan
Stoneville
Shiloh
Bethany
Reidsville
Ruffin
Monroeton
Wentworth
Census
- 1790 Federal Census Index
- 1790 Federal Census Transcription
- 1790 Federal Census Images
- 1800 Federal Census Images
- 1800 Federal Census Transcription - Extract
- 1810 Federal Census Images
- 1820 Federal Census Images
- 1820 Federal Census Transcription - Extract
- 1830 Federal Census Images
- 1840 Federal Census Images
- 1850 Federal Census Index
- 1910 Federal Census Transcription - Enumeration District 151.
Cemeteries
- USGS listing of cemeteries in Rockingham County
- Cemetery Transcriptions
- Rockingham County Cemetery Census
Query Forums
News related to Rockingham County, NC
History notes
Rockingham County (formed 1785; seat Wentworth) is a Virginia-border Piedmont county with textile and tobacco towns (Eden, Reidsville). Border searches into Virginia often complete families that seem to “vanish.”
Local history & events
- Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page announces retirement after nearly three decades in office - Yahoo
- Genealogy Corner: A lover’s plea to the court - The Daily Reflector
- Rockingham County man wins $5 million from Greensboro lottery ticket - Yahoo
- N.C. Supreme Court to Hear Rockingham Rezoning Appeal - Hoodline
- Frances Pettigrew Obituary (1946 - 2026) - Greensboro, NC - Danville and Rockingham County - Legacy obituary
- Danville woman wanted in Rockingham County on drug charges | News - Chatham Star-Tribune
Research tools
Record availability matrix
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules available for NC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county for each decade. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1800– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1785– | Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1785– | Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church coverage varies by denomination and survival; check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Title survival varies widely. Search local weeklies plus larger regional papers; use Chronicling America and the State Library of North Carolina and DigitalNC. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries and church books. |
| Court records | partial | 1785– | Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1785, search parent jurisdiction: Guilford. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts. |
Newspapers
Cemeteries & burial research
- Rockingham County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules are foundational for Rockingham County household reconstruction. Collect every decade, note neighbors (FAN club), and track the county name as it existed that year—especially across formation and split boundaries.
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Rockingham County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.
Cemeteries (legacy notes)
Cemetery surveys for Rockingham County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, churchyards, and family plots. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial—pair markers with obituaries and church books.
Courthouse & contacts
The county seat is Wentworth. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Rockingham County Public Library