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Bedford County, Virginia
Bedford County was probably named for John Russell, fourth duke of Bedford, who, as secretary for state for the southern department from 1748 to 1751, had general supervision of colonial affairs. It was formed from Lunenberg County in December 13, 1753. Parts of Albemarle County were added in 1754, and an additional part of Lunenberg County was added later. In 1782, Campbell County was formed for parts of Bedford County. Also in 1786, Franklin County was formed from Bedford County. Its area is 746 square miles, and the county seat is Bedford. According to the 2000 census, its population is 60,371.
Bedford County may have also been named for the Fourth Duke of Bedford, a British Government official. In 1839, the Town of Liberty (now the City of Bedford) was established. Originally an agricultural economy, Bedford's industrial development began in 1880, and since that time industrial growth has been consistent and often fostered by the involvement of local citizens. In the early 1980s, the city undertook renovation of its historic downtown district and became one of Virginia's first Main Street Cities
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Microfilm available for Bedford County at The Library of Virginia
- Virginia Historical Records
- Bedford County, Virginia Message Boards
- Bedford County, Virginia Genealogy Forum
- Tommy Markham's Genealogy & History Home Page
- Bedford County, Virginia Wikipedia article
- Bedford County, VA USGenweb
- The Virginia Family Group Sheet Project
- Bedford County, Virginia Family Books at Amazon.com
- Bedford County, Virginia History Books at Amazon.com
- Historical Newspapers from Virginia (1784 - 1922 ) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
Bedford County Court, Probate and Tax Records
See Also Virginia Court, Probate & Land Records, Tax Records and Marriage Records
Bedford County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1755, Land Records from 1754, Probate Records from 1754 and Court Records from 1754 and is located at the County Courthouse on P.O. Box 235, Bedford, VA 24523, Telephone: (540) 586-7632 .
Bedford County (VA) Treasurer has Tax Records and is located at 122 East Main Street, Suite 101, Bedford, VA 24523-2000; 540/586-7670.
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Court Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Bedford County Court Records.
- Order Bedford County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
- Bedford County Commissioner of the Revenue
Bedford County Real Estate Parcel Search - Online Databases for Bedford County Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850, Virginia County Records, Volume VI, Volume VII and Volume IX
- Bedford County, Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
Bedford County, VA Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records
See Also Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Virginia or Research In Vital Records
PLEASE READ FIRST!!! The information contained below is not guaranteed, as addresses and prices change frequently. It is recommended that you confirm the price and address by calling the vital records office before you place your order.
How to obtain copies of Bedford Co., Virginia vital records, such as Bedford Co birth certificates, Bedford Co death certificates, Bedford Co marriage licenses & Bedford Co divorce decrees.
Virginia Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Vital Statistics include the official recordation of marriage certificates, birth certificates, and death certificates. Bible records, cemetery records, and church records are private sources that may supplement the official records.
Bedford County Health Department, 600 Bedford Ave., Bedford, VA 24523; Phone: 540-586-7952; Fax: 540-586-7950
- Bedford Co Birth Certificate: available from June 1912 to present. Birth Certificates are issued or from the State office. Birth Certificates are public information 100 years after the date of the event
- Bedford Co Death Certificates: available from June 1912 to present. Death Certificates are issued or from the State office. Death Certificates are public information 50 years after the date of the event
- Bedford Co Marriage Certificate: available from 1853 to the present from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued or from the State office. Marriage Certificates are public information 50 years after the date of the event.
- Bedford Co Divorce Decrees: available from 1918 to the present from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued or from the State office. Divorce Decrees are public information 50 years after the date of the event.
Order Virginia Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Divorce Decree and Marriage Certificates from the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records online, by Mail, by Phone, Fax, On-Line, or Credit Card or In Person. Due to limited resources they are unable to conduct geneology searches. Contact the Library of Virginia for assistance at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/.
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Vital Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Bedford County Vital Records.
- Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research.
- Bedford County, Virginia Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Virginia Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers - lists of state vital statistics available on microfilm.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Virginia Birth and Marriage (Husband-Wife) Indexes - statewide indexes beginning in 1853 on microfilm.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Virginia County and City Records - contain local copies of vital statistics and marriage records prior to 1853 statewide recordation.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Virginia Death Certificates, 1912-1939- microfilm index to materials available for use in The Library of Virginia only.
- Virginia Death Records Indexing Project - partially completed cooperative project with the Virginia Genealogical Society; goal is to create a statewide index to the 1853-1896 locality death registers.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Early Virginia Marriage Records - Research Notes Number 26.
- Henley Marriage/Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers - personal name index to more than 51,000 marriage and obituary entries published between 1736 and 1982.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- Index to Virginia Marriage Records - a searchable database indexing marriage information from a variety of sources primarily covering the 1700's and 1800's.
- Marriage Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor- Richmond Enquirer (1804 - 1860) and the Richmond Visitor (1809 - 1810).
- Virginia Marriage Records
- Virginia Marriages before 1824
- Virginia Marriages to 1800
- Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850
- Virginia Marriages, 1851-1929
- Virginia Marriages, 1851-1929
- Virginia Vital Records
Bedford County Census Records
See Also Research In Census Records or Virginia Census Records
Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Bedford County, Virginia are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Bedford County are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Census Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Bedford County Census Records.
- Bedford County, VA Census Records at Archives.com
- Bedford County, Virginia Census Books at Amazon.com
- Census & Voter Lists
1790 Bedford County, VA Census Records (destroyed by British Army in August 1814)
- 1790 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1790 Census Extract Form
- 1790 Bedford County, Virginia Census - This is a census population of Bedford County as of 02 August 1790.
1800 Bedford County, VA Census Records (destroyed by British Army in August 1814)
- 1800 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1800 Census Extract Form
- 1800 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 04 August 1800.
1810 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1810 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1810 Census Extract Form
- 1810 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 06 August 1810.
1820 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1820 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1820 Census Extract Form
- 1820 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 07 August 1820.
1830 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1830 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1830 Census Extract Form
- 1830 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1830.
1840 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1840 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1840 Census Extract Form
- 1840 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1840.
1850 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1850 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1850 Census Extract Form
- 1850 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1850.
1860 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1860 U.S. Census Guide
- Download Free US 1860 Census Extract Form
- 1860 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1860. - Ancestry.com
1870 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1870 U.S. Census Guide
- 1870 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1870.
- Download Free US 1870 Census Extract Form
1880 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1880 U.S. Census Guide
- 1880 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1880. (free search index and print images)
- Download Free US 1880 Census Extract Form
1890 Bedford County, VA Census Records (destroyed by fire at the Commerce Dept on 10 January 1921)
- 1890 U.S. Census Guide
- 1890 Bedford County, Virginia Census. This is a census population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1890. While much of this census was lost in a fire, Ancestry has gathered records from that time period to create an 1890 Census Substitute.
- Download Free US 1890 Census Extract Form
1900 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1900 U.S. Census Guide
- 1900 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 June 1900.
- Download Free US 1900 Census Extract Form
1910 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1910 U.S. Census Guide
- 1910 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 15 April 1910.
- Download Free US 1910 Census Extract Form
1920 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1920 U.S. Census Guide
- 1920 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 January 1920.
- Download Free US 1920 Census Extract Form
1930 Bedford County, VA Census Records
- 1930 U.S. Census Guide
- 1930 Bedford County, Virginia Census - Census Population of Bedford County as of 01 April 1930.
- Download Free US 1930 Census Extract Form
Bedford County, VA Military Records
See Also Research In Military Records or Research In Colonial & United States Wars From Earliest to 1865
Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Military Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Bedford County Military Records.
- Virginia Military Dead Database - ongoing project indexing more than 700 sources and listing approximately 32,326 Virginians who have died in service.
- Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Virginia
- Southern Claims - Approved - Virginia
- Southern Claims - Barred and Disallowed from the State of Virginia
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Virginia
- Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia
- Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Virginia
- Bedford County, Virginia Military Books at Amazon.com
- Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.
Bedford County, VA Cemeteries & Graveyards
See Also Research In Cemetery Records
There are many churches and cemeteries in Bedford County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Bedford County Tombstone Transcription Project.
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Cemetery & Church Records. EMAIL US with websites containing Bedford County Cemetery & Church Records.
- Cemetery Records at Archives.com
- The Virginia Baptist Historical Society
- L. T. Christian Funeral Home Records Database - indexes the client files contained in the forty-one cubic feet of records covering the period 1912-1986.
- Virginia Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
- J. Henry Brown Monuments Inc., Order Book - a searchable database indexing tombstone inscriptions covering the period 1899-1907. Many of the individuals listed were born before Virginia began keeping vital statistics in 1853.
- Bedford County, Virginia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
- Gravestone, Tombstone, and Memorial Photo Collection from findagrave.com
Bedford County, VA Church & Bible Records
See Also Research In Church Records
Below is a list of online resources for Bedford County Church & Bible Records. EMAIL US with websites links to Bedford County Church & Bible Records Records.
