Guilford County Genealogy Records

Guilford County was created on December 5, 1770 from Orange and Rowan counties and named for Francis North, the First Earl of Guilford. The county seat is Greensboro. Guilford County played a central role in the American Revolution, most notably at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781. Genealogy records here stretch back to the early 1770s, with land deeds from 1771, court records from 1774, and probate files from the same era. The county's Quaker heritage and African American community records add depth that few other North Carolina counties can match.

Guilford County Register of Deeds

The Guilford County Register of Deeds is located at 201 West Market Street in Greensboro. This office holds marriage records from 1865, land deeds from 1771, and birth and death certificates from 1913. The office also maintains slave deeds, military discharge records, and other historical documents that are crucial for genealogy research in the Piedmont Triad region.

Slave deeds are available through the Register of Deeds. These documents record the sale, gift, or transfer of enslaved persons and typically name the buyer, seller, and the enslaved individual. They are among the few records that name enslaved people in official county documents before 1865. Researchers tracing African American families in Guilford County should request access to these records, as they can provide names, ages, and family groupings that do not appear in other sources.

Guilford County Vital Records

Birth and death records in Guilford County begin in 1913 with statewide registration. Before that year, vital events were not systematically recorded by the county. The Greensboro Public Library holds a collection of marriage and death records from 1771 to 1899, which fills a major gap in the official record. These pre-registration records were compiled from church registers, newspaper notices, and other sources.

Marriage records at the Register of Deeds begin in 1865. Earlier marriages are documented through bonds and licenses found at the North Carolina State Archives. The post-1865 records are more detailed, including names, ages, birthplaces, and parents. For statewide searches and certified copies of vital records, contact the North Carolina Vital Records office in Raleigh.

Note: The Greensboro Library's marriage and death records from 1771 to 1899 are an exceptional resource. They cover a period when no official vital records were kept in Guilford County.

Greensboro Library NC Collection

The Greensboro Public Library North Carolina Collection is one of the strongest genealogy resources in the Piedmont region. The collection holds newspapers on microfilm from 1824, providing obituaries, marriage notices, and local news that document Guilford County families over nearly two centuries. Newspaper research is especially valuable for the period before official vital records began.

The library also maintains family files, cemetery surveys, church histories, and published genealogies specific to Guilford County. Microfilm readers are available for census records, tax lists, and other government documents. The staff can guide researchers to the most relevant materials. For visitors from out of town, the library is located in downtown Greensboro and is accessible during regular hours.

Beyond the printed materials, the library provides access to online genealogy databases. These include newspaper archives, census indexes, and military records. The combination of local materials and digital tools makes the Greensboro Library an essential stop for anyone researching Guilford County genealogy.

Quaker Records in Guilford County

Guilford County has deep Quaker roots. The Society of Friends established meetings in the area in the mid-1700s, and their detailed record-keeping practices created a rich genealogy resource. Quaker monthly meeting records include births, marriages, deaths, and disownments. These records often predate any county records and provide coverage that the civil government did not offer.

New Garden Meeting, founded in 1751, is among the oldest Quaker meetings in the state. Its records are held at the Friends Historical Collection at Guilford College in Greensboro. Other meetings in the county, including Deep River and Springfield, also maintained registers that survive to the present. Quaker records are especially precise about dates and family relationships, making them a preferred source for genealogists. The Guilford County Genealogical Society can help researchers access these collections.

African American Genealogy Records

Guilford County holds significant records for African American genealogy research. The North Carolina State Archives maintains records of slaves and free persons of color from 1781 to 1864 that originate from Guilford County. These documents include court petitions, apprenticeship records, and lists of free Black residents who registered with the county.

After 1865, African American families appear in marriage records, census returns, and deed books. The Freedmen's Bureau records for the Greensboro area document labor contracts, marriages, and other transactions from the Reconstruction era. Church records from African American congregations in Guilford County also document births, marriages, and deaths. These churches kept registers that serve as vital records for a community that was often excluded from or underrepresented in official government documents.

Land and Court Records

Land records in Guilford County begin in 1771. The earliest deeds document the transfer of property among the first generation of settlers in the area. Many of these settlers came from Pennsylvania and Virginia, drawn south along the Great Wagon Road. Deed records name buyers, sellers, and witnesses, and they describe property boundaries using natural landmarks and the names of adjoining owners.

Court records date from 1774. The Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions handled civil, criminal, and administrative business until 1868. Minutes from these sessions name individuals involved in disputes, road orders, apprenticeships, and other county matters. The Superior Court replaced the older system after 1868 and continues to operate from the Greensboro courthouse. Probate records from 1774 include wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files. The NCGenWeb Guilford County page links to transcriptions and indexes of many of these records.

• Deed books from 1771 at the Register of Deeds
• Court minutes from 1774 at the Clerk of Superior Court
• Probate records including wills and inventories from 1774
• Slave deeds at the Register of Deeds
• Tax lists and jury rolls from the colonial period

Genealogy Research Guidance

Guilford County was formed from Orange and Rowan counties in 1770. Researchers tracing families before that date should check records in both parent counties. Orange County records are especially important for the eastern part of Guilford, while Rowan County covers the western portion. Several daughter counties were later carved from Guilford, including Randolph and Rockingham, so families may appear in those records without having relocated.

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781 is a landmark event in the county's history. Military records, pension applications, and service records from the Revolutionary War can provide genealogy details for families who lived in Guilford County during that period. The National Archives and the Daughters of the American Revolution have compiled many of these records and made them accessible to researchers.

Greensboro grew into a major industrial center in the 1800s and 1900s. City directories, manufacturing records, and church registers from this period add context to the standard genealogy sources. The county's diverse population, including Quaker, German, Scotch-Irish, and African American communities, means that multiple record sets may be needed to fully document a family's history in Guilford County.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Guilford County. Orange and Rowan are the parent counties, and their records contain pre-1770 genealogy information for families in the Guilford County area.