Orange County, VA Sources

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Orange County, Virginia

A collection of sources & records regarding the formation and earliest residents of Orange County, Virginia.

Genesis of Orange:
1654--New Kent from York
1656--Old Rappahannock from Lancaster
1692--Old Rappahannock ceases to exist and becomes Richmond & Essex
1691--King and Queen from New Kent
1701--King William taken from King and Queen
1720--Spotsylvania formed from Essex, King William, & King and Queen
1734--ORANGE taken from Spotsylvania
1738--Augusta and Frederick took all of Orange north and west of the Blue Ridge.
1748--Culpeper was formed from Orange
1838--Greene taken from Orange

Wills:

• [1] Orange Co. Will Book 1. (1734-1743)

• [2] Orange County Will Book 2. (1744-1777)

• [3] Orange Co. Will Book 3. (1778-1801)

• [4] Culpeper Will Book A. (1749-1770)

• [5]Orange County Deed Books & indexes.

Secondary sources for Orange County, VA genealogy

• [6] A History of Orange County, Virginia, from its formation in 1734 (o.s.) to the end of reconstruction in 1870 by Scott, William Wallace. Richmond, Va., E. Waddey co., 1907. MAPS HERE

• [7] Pamunkey neighbors of Orange County, Virginia : transcriptions from the original files of county courts in Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri of wills, deeds, order books & marriages as well as some family lines : Lindsay, Mills, Mountague, Stevens and related families and neighbors by Sparacio, Ruth; Sparacio, Sam. Baltimore : Gateway Press ; McLean, Va., 1985. Borrow for 1 hour from Archive.org

• [8] Genealogies and sketches of some old families who have taken prominent part in the development of Virginia and Kentucky especially, and later of many other states of this Union by Van Meter, Benjamin Franklin. Louisville, J.P. Morton and company, 1901. Col. John Lewis' family, van Meter family, Cunningham's, Harness'..etc

Research Notes

• Inventory of Henry Webster ordered 25 June 1804. Orange Co Will Book 4 p. 103 & 104. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99PX-XQQ8?i=364&cat=378071

• 23 Aug 1738. Indenture from Samuel Hensley of St. George Parish in Spotsylvania to James Taylor of aforesaid county, planter, 360 a. in Orange Co. St Mark's Parish. £12. 10sh. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BK-L7BM-N?i=545&cat=370458
• 27 June 1745. Indenture from Henry Pickett of Augusta to William Henslee of St. Thomas Parish, Orange Co., 200 a. part of 400 a. patent granted to Thomas Zachary & James Finney. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BJ-VG6K?i=48&cat=370458
• 16 Nov 1761. Indenture George & Sarah Hensley of St. George, Spots. lease to Robert Shore, Bricklayer of Norfolk, 200 a. in Orange Co. £20. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-S5ZK?i=127&cat=370458
• 1774 Oct 14. Indenture, Cleavland & Elizabeth Coffey of Albemarle to William Henlsey of Orange Co. 54 acres near Piney Mountains. Witnessed by John Snell. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-F3NS-S?i=102&cat=283051
• 1791 April 14, Indenture, Robert Miller, ext. of Dr. Matthew Hambleton, to William Hensley of Orange Co. 19 3/4 acres near Piney Mountains bounded by C. Coffey. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-F3N9-Y?i=107&cat=283051
• 1791 April 14. Indenture, William & Mary Hensley of Orange Co. to John Jarvis of Albemarle Co. 23 acres near Piney Mountains. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-F3NQ-S?i=114&cat=283051
• 1796 Feb 27. Indenture, Mary Hensley, widow of __ Hensley, formerly Mary Crookshanks, widow of Alexander Crookshanks of Spotsylvania to Fontaine Maury her dower in lots at Fredericksburg for sum of $50. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKH-73B9-M?i=410&cat=406429