Halifax

Names of Families in Halifax County, Virginia Genealogy, Wills, Estates, Marriages

Halifax County was formed in 1721 from the southern part of Prince George County to begin on the south side of the Roanoke River “at the place where the line lately run for ascertaining the uncontroverted bounds of this colony toward North Carolina intersects the said River Roanoke and to be bounded by the direction of the Governor with consent of council so as to include the Southern pass.” The reference to the line “lately run” is to the famous survey line made by Colonel William Byrd II. Major William Mayo, John Irvine and others. In 1752 Halifax County was cut off from Lunenburg County. Researchers could also search the records in Lunenburg, Brunswick and Prince George Counties.

Interesting Halifax County Estates

In Virginia, the inventory of an estate usually followed the last will and testament and contained interesting facts concerning the life of the deceased person. The inventory of the estate of Francis Lawson in August of 1785 revealed that his primary crop was tobacco and at the time of his death was indebted to John Lawson for 2 gallons of rum, the building of a tobacco house, carrying tobacco to Petersburgh, 14 yds of osnaburg and other fabrics. John Lawson was paid four times, twice with 23 hogsheads of tobacco and twice with 21 hogsheads of tobacco. A hogshead is a large cask of tobacco or liquid, such as wine, ale or cider.

The tobacco hogshead was a large wooden barrel used in British and American colonial times to transport and store tobacco. It measured some 48 inches by 30 inches in diameter and weighed about 1,000 pounds when fully packed. Tobacco grew well in Virginia, was used as money (locally and abroad) since the first settlers arrived in Jamestown. At the death of Thomas Haskins, he had eight children, one of whom was a daughter who married to Miles Finney. Thus, Finney, as the husband of Fanny, was bequeathed a tract of land land in Mecklenburg County which adjoined Blue Stone Creek. Of further interest is the fact that he mentioned the land of his deceased brother, Creed Haskins. This last will and testament provides another county to research for the Haskins (Mecklenburg) families and one can get an idea of where this land was located by studying local maps.

Contrastly, when one, Thomas Lawson died iin 1788 , the inventory of his estate revealed that he was in possession of 32 head of sheep, 7 hogs, and 14 hens. His widow, Hannah Lawson, received her dower a year later.

Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin

Halifax County was formed in 1752 from Lunenburg County; also it borders Edgecombe County, North Carolina which should be taken into serious consideration while researching the old records. The Northampton County, Virginia records should also be researched in connection with Halifax ancestors.

Marriages

1753-1800
1773 to 1854

Wills and Estates 1753 to 1772

Wills and Estates 1773 to 1782

Images of Wills and Estates 1783 to 1792

Images of Wills 1792 to 1797

Images of Wills 1798-1804

Miscellaneous Wills

Bostick, Charles, LWT dated 1781.
Bostick, John, LWT dated 1795.
Bostick, Moses, LWT dated 1786.
Clark, John, LWT (transcript).
Coleman, Henry, LWT, 1837 (transcript).
Coles, Isaac, LWT, 1810 (transcript).
Hampton, Elkanah, LWT, 1813 (transcript).
Harrison, John, LWT, 1761 (transcript).
Ligon, John, 1779 (transcript).
Ligon, Joseph, deceased, 1786 Estate.
Logan, David, LWT, 1813 (transcript).
Medley, James, LWT, 1805 (transcript).
Nance, William, LWT, 1801 (transcript).
Parker, Obadiah, LWT (transcript).
Taylor, James (image) (1768).
Wade, Andrew, LWT, 1766 (transcript).
Wade, Richard, LWT (transcript).
Wade, Robert, LWT (transcript).
Watlington, Armstead, LWT, 1803 (transcript).

Abstracts of Estates 1767-1772

Indexes to Probate Records

Wills and Estates 1753 to 1772
Wills and Estates 1773 to 1782
Wills and Estates 1783 to 1792
Wills, Inventories, Deeds 1792-1797
Wills, Inventories, Deeds 1798-1804

Powers of Attorney

1752-1811 from deed books 1-22

Traced genealogies and family histories of Halifax County available to Members !

Abbott	Adams	Barksdale
Baynham	Carrington	Easley
Edmunds	Faulkner	Flournoy
French	Irby	Hodges
Hudson	Jeffries	Medley
Wade	Watkins