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Introduction

Researching by Surname

Ancestral Gen-Sites

Researching by Location

Gen Tool-Kit

Website Resources

Image Gallery

Contact Information

     Amherst County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. Its county seat is Amherst . The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst, known as the "Conqueror of Canada". Jeffrey Amherst was named Governor of Virginia, although he never came to the colony.

Amherst County was formed in 1761, from the southern half of Albemarle County.  By 1730, many new families moved into the land currently known as Amherst County drawn by the desire for land and the good tobacco-growing soil.  The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since.

Counties adjacent to Amherst are: Rockbridge County, Virginia – northwest; Nelson County, Virginia – northeast; Appomattox County, Virginia – southeast; Campbell County, Virginia – south; Lynchburg, Virginia – south; and Bedford County, Virginia – southwest.    

Researching by surname

The following are names of persons, found within our databases,

as having been either born, married or died in this location.

To find out more about each surname listed above click on the corresponding Link.

McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied families

Joseph C. Scruggs;   Jane Childress;   George Martin;   Susanna Carter;   John Scruggs, II;   Mildred Eades;   Samuel Scott Scruggs, Sr.;   John Scruggs, I;   William Scruggs;   John Scruggs ; 

 Sally Jopling;   Nancy C. Scruggs

Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart and allied families

Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied families

Click on this link to find out more about each surname listed above as well as other surnames found within our three family databases.

This link will also lead you to surname resources at Rootsweb, and information about the world-wide distribution of a surname.

Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different searches  using tips or "tricks"

that will likely improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about  this  or  any  other  Surname. 

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of any surname.  You can get greater

detail for any of the maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

ancestral gen-sites

Family History Notes

Map of the County

Gen-Site Profiles

Family history notes

      The first white settler in the Rockfish Valley, then in Goochland County, was James Wood who settled far up the Rockfish Valley near Wintergreen around 1737.  By 1740 additional pioneers began to arrive and established themselves near Myndus on the Muddy Creek. 

      It is believed that by the 1750’s John Scruggs had moved on up the James River to its juncture with the Rockfish River and had settled along the Rockfish possibly upon the recommendation of his associate William Mayo.  As to the validity of this assumption a court record of 1746/47, as well as other previous land transactions, connects John Scruggs with a William Mayo.  It is noted that William Mayo was the surveyor of lands in present day Nelson County and property owner along the South Fork of the Rockfish River.   

      With regard to further proof that this Scruggs family settled in the area of the Rockfish River we know that Susanna (Carter) Scruggs died in Amherst County in 1798, and the Rockfish Valley lay in Amherst County until 1807 when it became a part of Nelson County.  It is also known that Samuel Scott Scruggs was residing in Amherst County upon his enlistment into an infantry company in 1777.   There are two listings in the 1783 Amherst County Tax Lists for John Scruggs.  This may be John Scruggs husband of Susanna Carter Scruggs and John Carter Scruggs their son.  In addition, on the same page, Samuel Scott Scruggs is also listed.  As such one can readily understand that all three of these Scruggs men were living in close proximity to each other.  As previously stated it is most probable that the Scruggs family lived in that part of Amherst County where the Rockfish River is located.

        Samuel Scott Scruggs Samuel was born, 1757, in that part of Albemarle County that is located in present day Nelson County, Virginia.   After returning from the war he married Jane Childress sometime around 1782.  To this union seven known offspring were produced between 1783 and 1808.   Samuel settled, with his wife Jane, on a farm at the juncture of Rockfish Creek and Dutch Creek, then in Amherst, after 1807 in Nelson County, Virginia and remained there until he died in 1830. 

      Joseph C. Scruggs, son of Samuel Scott and Jane (Childress) Scruggs, was born 1794 in Amherst County most likely at the family home at Rockfish.  In 1824 he married Francis Parks Shepard.  As a result of this union he inherited several large properties from his father-in-law Anthony Shepard.  Joseph and Francis removed from the Rockfish Valley to nearby Fluvanna County around 1830 and settled a piece of the inherited property located on the Middle Fork of the Cunningham Creek. 

Map of the county

The in the map designates the location of the seat of government for this county.   designate seats of government in adjacent counties.   A shows the location of identified ancestral Gen-Site(s). 

from the keyboard you can increase or decrease the zoom value in 10% increments.

To zoom , press  and the   button. To zoom , press  and the   button.  To restore the zoom to 100%, press  and the  button.

Gen-site profiles

Amherst;   Samuel S. Scruggs Home-site;   Rockfish River

Amherst

LOCATION:  Country: United States;   State:Virginia;   County:Amherst; 

Coordinates/Map: 37.576944, -79.050556; 

NAME / DESCRIPTION:  Amherst is the county seat of Amherst County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,251 at the 2000 census. The Town of Amherst was originally known as "The Oaks" and "Seven Oaks" and started as a stage station on the Charlottesville‑Lynchburg road.  Amherst has been the county seat of Amherst County since Nelson County was partitioned from Amherst County in 1807.  The original courthouse was built in 1809 on two acres of land purchased "from a Mr. Coleman for ten shillings".  The original courthouse was torn down 1872 and the present courthouse was built "from homemade brick of Amherst County clay".  All Amherst County records have been stored in the courthouse since 1761 when Amherst‑Nelson counties were divided from Albemarle County.

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE: 

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):   Town of Amherst, Virginia Town Facts

Samuel S. Scruggs Home-site 

LOCATION:  Country: United States;   State:Virginia;   County:Amherst;  Coordinates/Map: 37.801N; 78.756W; 

NAME / DESCRIPTION:  Location of the Samuel Scott Scruggs, Sr., homestead from c. 1783 to 1807 when it fell into Amherst County.  This place is now located in Nelson County near Rockfish.

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE:  see Family History Notes

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):  

Rockfish River

LOCATION:  Country: United States;   State:Virginia;   County:Amherst; 

Coordinates/Map: 37.7329, -78.6452; 

NAME / DESCRIPTION:  The Rockfish River is a 28.7-mile-long (46.2 km)^[1] tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.  The Rockfish River is formed in Nelson County, Virginia, by the confluence of its North and South Forks at 37°54′13″N 78°49′58″W / 37.9036°N 78.8327°W / 37.9036; -78.8327 (Rockfish River source)), both of which rise in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It flows generally southeastwardly through northern Nelson County; in its lower course the river is used to define the boundary between Nelson and Albemarle counties. It enters the James River from the northwest on the common boundary of the two counties, about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Scottsville.

ANCESTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GEN-SITE:  see Family History Notes

INTERNET WEB LINK(S):   "Rockfish River". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey

populated places

Gazetteer of Places

 in This County

Changes of County Boundaries

Link to State-Wide Resources

Where in the World

are My Ancestors?

gazetteer

The list below will assist in your research regarding the matching of your ancestor’s birth, marriage, death dates and the place(s) within this locality at which these events may have occurred.

Profiles for 70 cities, towns and other populated places in Amherst County Virginia

Map of Amherst County Virginia

Amherst County Physical, Cultural & Historic Features

Amherst County ZIP Codes | Area Codes

Amherst County Land - Property, Farms & Ranches

Amherst County, Virginia, United States

Details | Resources | Cities | Cemeteries |

Links To Populated Places Within This County

Town - Amherst

Unincorporated communities -

1 Town, 72 Unincorporated Places (u.p.) (Unincorporated Place (u.p.) is assumed unless noted)

Find Physical Features* Within This County

* includes but not limited to Cemeteries, Churches, Locales, Schools,

Military Installations;  Populated Places, Post Offices, Streams, and Trails

County boundary changes

     Conducting genealogical research in the United States requires an understanding of county boundaries.  As the population grew more counties were created to meet the public’s need for localized governments.  This phenomena was common in all states during the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries.  As such you must be sure that you are not looking for records in the wrong county or state. 

     The web-site for the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project provides interactive maps for all states. This Atlas is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, and people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like Land Records, Probate Records, Court Records, Tax Records, and Vital Records that document birth, death, and marriage.   Listed below are the boundary changes for this county, the dates they occurred, as well as the government statute that decreed the change.  To see actual changes in a mapping format follow this link to the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project .

Map of 1761 - 1807 County Boundaries

01 May 1761 - AMHERST created from ALBEMARLE.

31 Jan 1770 - Islands in the Fluvanna [James] River were assigned to AMHERST [location unknown, not mapped].

01 Jun 1808 - AMHERST lost to creation of NELSON. (Shepherd, 3:378-379)

State-Wide Resources

For more information about the U.S. State in which this county is located  click  on  these  LINKS:

Where in the world

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important as their names. The LINK

to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and other helpful  resources  that will assist you in discovering Ancestral Locations. 

gen tool-kit

Our “Gen-Tool Kit” has been primarily designed for those researchers who may be traveling to this location to perform on-site studies of their family history, or to just visit some of the interesting historical sites located in the area.  It can be very satisfying to mix research with sightseeing at historical and scenic spots.  Such activity not only gives you an understanding of the land but a needed break from intense research sessions.  When visiting an ancestral county for genealogical research we’ve found that the three most important places to visit are the county courthouse; the county library; and the county historical and/or genealogical societies.  It is also good to plan ahead by contacting any site you intend visiting in order to ascertain where it is and when it will be open.  This is especially true with regard to historical and genealogical societies.  We hope that the following information will provide you with a better idea of what resources are available, within this county, to the family historian.

Cemeteries

County History

Libraries, Museums

& Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 County Records

Societies

(History & Genealogical)

Cemeteries

·        Amherst County Transcription & Photo Project

·        Amherst County Cemeteries

·        Amherst County Cemetery List

·        Amherst County Cemetery Registration

·        Amherst County, VA Cemeteries

·        The Political Graveyard

History

Your LINK to the Historical Places and Districts in AMHERST County

·        Amherst County

·        Amherst County Bibliography

·        Amherst County Historical Markers

·        The development of a local history museum for Amherst County, Virginia 1974

·        Amherst County Biography Bibliography

·        Amherst County GEDCOM Index

·        Amherst GEDCOM Index

·        Genealogies--Virginia--Amherst County

·        Primitive Baptist Churches

Libaries, Museums, Archives

·        Amherst County Libraries 

·        Family History Library Holdings 

·        A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm  Amherst Co.

·        PERiodical Source Index Search  Amherst Co.

·         Amherst County Public Library. [web site ]  [online catalog]

·         Madison Heights Branch Library. [web site ]  [online catalog]

Maps and Gazetteers

·        Amherst County – 1895

·        Amherst County Gazetteer

·        Amherst County Post Offices

·        Amherst County Post Offices  1846

·        Amherst County Topo Maps and Aerial Photos

·        Quad List of Amherst, Virginia

·        Quad List of Madison Heights, Virginia

·        Quad List of Monroe, Virginia

·        Quad List of New Glasgow, Virginia

·       Tiger Map Server Browser 

County Records

Amherst County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1763, Land Records from 1761, Probate Records from 1761 and Court Records from 1761 and is located at the County Courthouse on 100 E Street, Amherst, VA 24521, (804) 929-9321.

·        Amherst Co. Census Records

·        Amherst County Federal Census Index

·        Amherst County Index to Census Records

·        1810 Census

·        1810 Federal Census  Amherst County

·        1850 Federal Census  Amherst County

·        Census Search – 1880 - Amherst County

·        Amherst County on Reel 2434 – 1930 U.S. Census

·        Episcopal Diocese of SW Virginia 

·        Livingston's Law Register, 1851  Amherst Co.

·        Amherst County Abstracts of Virginia Wills 

·        List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 

·        Amherst County, Virginia  World War II Casualties

·        Amherst County Public Records Links     

·        Amherst County Records 

·        Amherst County  - Newspaper Abstracts    

·        Chronicling America  Amherst County

·        Bulletin of Sweet Briar College: Survey of Amherst County, Virginia 

·        1782 Personal – Tax List

·        Amherst County Marriages     

·        Amherst County Vital Records     

·        Death Records Indexing Project  includes Amherst Co., 1854-1896

·        Some Early Virginia & North Carolina Marriages  includes Amherst Co VA Marriages, thru 1850

·        U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 

Societies

·        Amherst County Museum & Historical Society

·        Local Historical Societies in Virginia

·        Virginia Genealogical Society

·        Virginia Genealogy Societies

·        Virginia Historical Society Web Site

·         Central Virginia Genealogical Association 

resources

This search engine may

provide you with additional

information to assist with

your research about this topic.

General Resources

Locality Specific Resources

FREE Records

and Databases

Our Genealogy Reference Library

General Resources

·        GenealogyLinks.net

·        Family History 101

·        The USGenWeb Project

·        United States Research Wiki – Family Search

·        Kindred Trails.com

·        Genealogy Trails History Group

·        Family Search,  USA IGI Batches, Localities

·        Birth & Marriage Records Indexes for USA

·        Record Search - Family Search.org

·        Genealogy.com: Resources by county

·        Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

·        Genealogy Forum: U.S. States

·        Rootsweb.com – U.S. Message Boards

·        Cyndi's List – United States Index

·        USGenWeb Archives

·        Data Base Collections at Ancestry.com$

·        MyGenealogist.com

·        Access Genealogy

·        Histopolis.com – Collaborative Genealogy and History

·        DistantCousin.com - archive of genealogy records

·        Searchable Death Indexes & Records

·        Census Finder –Free Census and other Records

·           Locality Specific Resources

·        Amherst County Genealogy Links

·        Amherst County (Family History 101.com)

·        Amherst County USGenWeb

·        Amherst County Research Wiki

·        Kindred Trails.com – Amherst County

·        Genealogy Trails History Group – Amherst Co.

·        Amherst County, Genealogy Forum

·        Rootsweb Message Board – Amherst County

·        Cyndi's List - U.S. – Virginia - Localities

·        USGenWeb Archives – Amherst County

·        Virginia Data Collection - Ancestry.com $

·        MyGenealogist.com – Amherst County

Free Records & Databases

All of the records and databases we’ve collected are FREE and can be accessed and searched online without having to pay for a subscription.   We have divided our collected into 14 record types as follows: Biographical; Birth; Cemetery; Census & City Directories; Church; Court; Death; Immigration & Naturalization; Land; Marriage; Military; Newspapers; Occupational; and Tax Records.    We try not to list any sites that have only a few records for the purpose of getting you to a website that will charge a fee to actually see the record beyond just a name.  

This Link will take you to our

collections of FREE Records.  

Genealogy Reference Library

The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books.   Here you may find books about the history and records of this county and other places such as towns and churches.  The collection also contains research works about military units and personnel during America’s wars, in addition too resource texts about the ethnic and religious groups who may have settled in this locality.

This Link will take you to

our collections of reference books.  

Gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a variety of localities.  Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of our ancestors past lives.

A grove of Poplar Trees in Amherst County, Virginia

Use this LINK to see the picture

gallery  that pertains to this location.

Use the power of Google™ to find more interesting images about this topic. A Click on this button will link you to the Google Images Search page.   Enter  the

topic you are searching in the box and click “Search Images”. At the “Images” display page you will see the image, as well as the website to which it is linked.

Contact information

Email

Snail mail:

Fred
889 Dante Ct.
Mantua, NJ 08051

USA

Email

Pony Express:

Tom
6484 Riverstone Dr

Sooke, BC V9Z 0Y7

Canada