Records that survive
These are the record series the Library of Virginia has on microfilm for Cumberland County, with the earliest and latest years filmed. A span can include gaps; it doesn't mean every year in between survives.
Land and deeds
- Deed Book1749–1903
- General Index to Deeds1749–1975
- Index to Plat Book1808–1972
- Plat Book1808–1972
- Land Tax Book1883–1900
- Release Deed Book1884–1944
Wills
- General Index to Wills1749–1975
- Will Book1749–1924
- Circuit Court Will Book1820–1887
Estates and guardianships
- Guardians' Accounts1769–1887
Marriages, births and deaths
- Abstracts of Marriage Bonds1749–1853
- Marriage Bonds1749–1866
- Marriage Licenses1848–1912
- Marriage Register1850–1975
- Register of Births1853–1872
- Register of Deaths1853–1885
- General Index to Marriages1854–1975
Court orders and minutes
- Order Book1749–1904
- Chancery Order Book1831–1917
- Common Law Order Book1831–1907
- Index to Minute Book1844–1890
- Minute Book1896–1902
- General Index to Chancery Causes1950–1975
Military and pensions
- Muster Rolls1814–1815
- Order Book1814
- Record Book1857–1912
Bonds and oaths
- Bond Book1850–1904
- Officials' Bond Book1879–1905
- Commissioners' Bond Book1899–1931
- General Index to Bond Book1903–1920
County government and the poor
- School Board Minute Book1872–1898
- Board of Supervisors' Minute Book1971–1975
See every volume and reel number at the Library of Virginia
Source: Library of Virginia, County and City Records on Microfilm. Reels marked for interlibrary loan can be borrowed through your local library.
Where to find the records
- Cumberland County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the circuit court clerk's office, and any online record search the county offers.
- The circuit court clerk's office
Virginia's deed, will and marriage books are usually kept by the clerk of the circuit court for the county or city, though many older records have been moved to the Library of Virginia. Call before you visit; hours and access to older volumes vary.
- Library of Virginia: Cumberland County records on microfilmfree
Every filmed volume with its years and reel number. Use the reels in Richmond; many can be borrowed through interlibrary loan.
- Library of Virginia: Chancery Records Indexfree
Search equity court suits by name. They're rich in family detail: estate divisions, heirs and land disputes. Many localities' suits are scanned and free to view.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Virginia, Cumberland" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Goochland County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Goochland County
Later formed partly from Cumberland County: Powhatan County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1749, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Start with the deed and will books: they name relatives, neighbors and land. Then try the court order books, which mention almost everyone in the county sooner or later, as witnesses, jurors, road workers or parties to a suit.