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Sampson County Genealogy

Last reviewed July 11, 2026

  • Formed 1784
  • Parent county / earlier Duplin
  • County seat Clinton
  • Neighbors duplin, wayne, johnston, harnett, cumberland, bladen, pender

Photos & maps

Freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (and related open sources), cached locally for research context.

Historic view — Sampson County
Historic view Nyttend · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Source
Courthouse — Sampson County
Courthouse State Archives of North Carolina Raleigh, NC · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons Source
Map — Sampson County
Map US Census, Ruhrfisch, Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

  • Charleston-class research hub: history essay, record matrix, towns, repositories, and local history news.
  • Formation 1784 from Duplin — search parents for earlier events.
  • Seat: Clinton · Library: Sampson-Clinton Public Library.
  • Method guides: Start here · Formation · Census.

In-depth topics

Towns & communities

16 places — view all town pages

Clinton county seat Bonnetsville Delway Ingold Ivanhoe Keener Plain View Spiveys Corner Turkey Vann Crossroads Roseboro Garland Newton Grove Salemburg Autryville Harrells

Sampson County was formed in 1784 from Duplin. The county seat is Clinton. Neighboring counties include duplin, wayne, johnston, harnett, cumberland, bladen, pender.

This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. Always search parent jurisdictions for pre-formation events.

Sampson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 60,161. Its county seat is Clinton.

The county was formed in 1784 from Duplin County. It was named after John Sampson, who was the first register of deeds of Duplin County and the first mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Sampson County is the birthplace of William R. King, who after spending time in local government continued on to become the 13th US vice-president.

Source: Wikipedia

Sampson County Genealogy Resources

Sampson County Historical Society
2336 Horine Road
Clinton, NC 28328
Telephone 910-564-6471

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Sampson County Government

Sampson County Government - Official Site
Sampson County Register of Deeds (Online search)

Sampson-Clinton Public LIbrary
J.C. Holliday Library
217 Graham Street
Clinton, NC 28328
(910) 592-4153 Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 8 - 6
Saturday 8 - 5

Miriam Lamb Memorial Library
PO Box 426
144 S. Church Ave.
Garland, NC 28441
(910) 529-2441
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm

Roseboro Public Library
300 W. Roseboro Street
P.O. Box 2066
Roseboro, NC 28382
(910) 525-5436
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm

Bryan Memorial Public Library
302 Weeksdale Street
P.O. Box 188
Newton Grove, NC 28366
(910) 594-1260
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm

Cities and Towns

Townships:

Belvoir
Dismal
Franklin
Halls
Herring
Honeycutt
Lisbon
Little Coharie
McDaniels
Mingo
Newton Grove
North Clinton
Piney Grove
Plain View
South Clinton
South River
Taylors Bridge
Turkey
Westbrook

Census

Cemeteries

Query Forums

News related to Sampson County, NC

History notes

Sampson County (seat: Clinton) is a core research hub for families who lived, married, worshipped, or owned land in this part of the Coastal Plain region of North Carolina.

Sampson County is part of North Carolina’s coastal plain documentary landscape—river towns, ports, agricultural belts, and free Black/plantation contexts. Formed in 1784 from Duplin, early research often depends on parent counties and Albemarle or Cape Fear–era sources.

Neighboring counties—duplin,wayne,johnston,harnett,cumberland,bladen,pender—frequently hold the “missing” deed, marriage, or burial when households straddle lines or move a few miles for work, church, or better land. Always record the jurisdiction as named in the original, then map it onto modern county pages.

Use the panels on this hub for record availability, towns, repositories, and local history news. Pair them with the statewide Start here path and the counties & formation guide when events predate 1784.

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Sampson County (and statewide North Carolina heritage stories). Links open external publishers — verify details before traveling.

Updated automatically from public news feeds focused on history and heritage. See statewide local history news · Suggest an event

Research tools

Free printables for field sessions and home research nights.

Starter checklist Cheatsheet bundle Start here guide

Record availability matrix

Guidance for what tends to exist for this county—not a guarantee. Always verify at the repository. Statewide method notes: vitals, land, probate, census.

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 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration is comparatively late in NC. Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier generations. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
Marriage records partial 1800– County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, or newspapers. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates denser after statewide registration; earlier deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
Land & deeds good 1784– Deeds/ROD series typically begin near county formation; colonial grants/plats may predate the county and live at State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
Probate & estates good 1784– Wills, administrations, and equity files are core sources. Courthouse losses push research to neighbors, microfilm, and State Archives of North Carolina. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
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 1784– Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation; equity may be with or near probate. Before 1784, search parent jurisdiction: Duplin.
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

Selected titles and research notes for this county. Confirm runs and repositories—mastheads change often.

  • Sampson County local newspapers (verify titles by decade)
    Clinton · Weekly/varies
    Start with DigitalNC, Chronicling America, and the county public library microfilm/digital portal. Title names change—search county + “herald”, “news”, “gazette”, “times”.
  • Regional / nearest city dailies
    Clinton · Daily
    Many rural events appear first in larger nearby city papers (Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville, Wilmington, etc.).

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory

Cemeteries & burial research

Starting points and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard in the county.

  • Sampson County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
    Clinton
    Use Find a Grave, published surveys, churchyards, and USGS GNIS. Absence of a stone is not absence of burial.
    Find a Grave · More

Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

Full societies & libraries directory

Research starting points

Census

Federal census schedules are foundational for Sampson 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 Sampson 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 Sampson 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 Clinton. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.

Sampson County government

Public library: Sampson-Clinton Public Library

If not found here, try…

North Carolina brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. Search parent districts and neighbors when deeds, probate, or vitals are missing.

  • Formed 1784
  • Parent / earlier jurisdiction Duplin — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Duplin Wayne Johnston Harnett Cumberland Bladen Pender

Also use Start here, the counties & formation guide, and local history news for recent heritage context.