Records in this office include birth and death certificates from in 1913, and marriage licenses indexed from 1870. (Richmond County marriage bonds from 1779 to 1870 were placed in the N.C. Archives several years ago. Copies of these bonds are not available at the Register's office.)  Marriage licenses prior to July of 1979 were indexed only in the husband's name. Since that date they have been indexed in both husband's name and the wife's maiden name.

Military discharges are recorded in the office since around 1920. Not all soldiers recorded their discharges.  Also maintained are maps, incorporation of corporations, partnerships, and liens on personal property.

Deeds for the purchase and sale of lands are recorded since the inception of the county in 1779. (Deeds often provide valuable genealogical info.)

In essence, do not count on finding many records before 1865.  Poor storage, lack of demand, and Sherman, took care of the oldest documents.  The office does not have sufficient staff to do involved research, but that they will attempt to answer a simple request if provided with a S.A.S.E. The cost of each page copied is 35 cents.



Superior Court

Clerk Superior Court has divorce from 1913, Probate from 1782.

Mrs. Cathy Wilson
Richmond County Clerk of Court
PO Box 724,
Rockingham, NC 28380

The Clerk's office is in the Richmond County Court House located on East Franklin Street in Rockingham, N.C.  The principal items that most genealogists would be interested in located in the Clerk's office are wills that have been recorded from the formation of the county in 1779 to current date.

The clerk's office will try to answer simple queries about wills. Any query should provide the name of the deceased as well as the year of death. If the exact year of death is not known, then the inquirer should furnish an approximate time frame of the death.  Requests should be sent with a self-addressed-stamped-envelope.  Photocopies are $1.00 for the 1st page, and 25 cents for each additional page.

Cathy Wilson is the elected Clerk of Superior Court.  The Office of Clerk of Superior Court is supposed to maintain all records regarding court cases, i.e., litigation (divorces, personal injury suits (non-existent before the 1950's), foreclosures of land for nonpayment of debt, boundary line disputes, special proceedings to sell or divide land or land in estates, etc., records of wills and estates, liens, etc.  Unfortunately, the records are somewhat in disarray.  Matters much older than the 1970 files are difficult to find.

Address and phone numbers:
Clerk of Superior Court
Richmond County Courthouse
114 E. Franklin St.
Rockingham, NC 28379

Main (910) 997-9100
Civil (910) 997-9102
Criminal (910) 997-9101
Child Support (910) 997-9103
Fax (910) 997-9126



Libraries

Thomas H. Leath Memorial Library
412 East Franklin Street, Rockingham NC 28379.
Tel 910-895-6337.
Contains a search room with microfilm and books of historical and genealogical interest.



Organizations

Richmond County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1763
Rockingham, NC 28380-1763
Dues are $20 / year 

The Official Site of the Richmond County Historical Society



Other

Records not found in Richmond County may be found in Raleigh:
North Carolina Vital Records
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1903
(919) 733-3000
Fax: (919) 733-1511

Additional information: North Carolina Vital Records

USEFUL WEBPAGES:


State Archives General Information

North Carolina Vital Records/ALL Birth Certificates and Post-1955 Death Certificates

North Carolina Center for Health Statistics - birth, death, marriage records

Noth Carolina History and Information for help with homework and school projects



Return to Richmond Co. Home Page