Some Eastern NC Research Links

by Sara Whitford | Nov 10, 2010 | 0 comments

Regional Research Databases

NCGenWeb – Features links to counties across North Carolina, each offering unique information and archives materials on their specific county. Post queries, find answers, search through marriage, census, wills, court, estate records and more.

The Kellenberger Room – (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) The Kellenberger Room at Craven Regional Library is the genealogy and regional history research room at the New Bern Library. Under the direction of Victor T. Jones, the Kellenberger Room has an extensive collection of family histories, Bible records, microfilm/microfiche, and thousands of books full of all sorts of genealogical data (Birth, Marriage, Death, Wills, Probate, Estates, Apprenticeships, Guardians, Court, Bastardy Bonds, Military Records & much more). There is also an extensive online collection that will help anyone with roots in eastern North Carolina, particularly in the area around Craven County.

Coastal Carolina Indian Center – If you have Indian ancestry from eastern North Carolina, or you’ve heard you may, then this is a site you’ll want to visit. The Research Databases are chock-full of information on everything from archaeology and history to genealogy.

Eastern North Carolina Digital Library – This site, created and maintained by East Carolina University, features a wonderful collection of very old, out-of-print books relating to the state of North Carolina. Some are pure history, others fiction, some particularly useful for genealogists. There are hundreds of books worth browsing on the site, but to give you an idea of what’s available, we recommend:

Abstracts of North Carolina Wills – North Carolina Secretary of State (1910)
North Carolina Wills and Inventories – Grimes, J. Bryan (John Bryan), (1912)
Recollections of Newbern Fifty Years Ago… – Miller, Stephen Franks (1874) This one has lots of biographical sketches of New Bern residents of the 1820s.
Morehead City Centennial Jubilee Book – (1957) This year is the Sesquicentennial (150 year) celebration of Morehead City!
The Commonwealth of Onslow: A History – Brown, Joseph Parsons, (1960) This one has lots of biographical sketches of Onslow county residents from its earliest days.
Colonial Bath – Bonner, Lottie Hale (1939)
Sketches of Pitt County: A brief history of the county, 1704-1910 – King, Henry T. (1911)

County Genealogical Societies

NEUSE/PAMLICO REGION

CRYSTAL COAST REGION

Carteret County Historical Society
Heritage Genealogical Society (Jones, Lenoir & Greene Counties)
Coastal Genealogical Society (Onslow County – No website)P.O. Box 1421 Swansboro, NC 28584

National & International Research Databases

Ancestry.com – This subscription-based website will offer you access into millions of historical records collections from not only eastern North Carolina, but around the world. If you cannot access Ancestry.com at your local library, then a subscription to this site is a must if you’re serious about filling in the blanks of your family tree.

FamilySearch.org – This site has come a very long way over the years. Used to, this LDS site was mostly just for folks to build free family trees and connect with others who have recorded similar ancestors, but today, this site’s greatest asset is its massive collection of scanned genealogical records, including census records, marriage licenses, military records, court minutes, and more.

Rootsweb.com – Although relying on family tree information from the Rootsweb WorldTree probably isn’t a good idea, it is a wonderful place to search if you’re looking for information on specific ancestors that someone may have already done extensive work on. One of the most useful features of Rootsweb are the Message Boards focused on specific areas or surnames.