Book Description

Rowan County was formed in 1753 from Anson County. Initially Rowan included the entire northwestern sector of North Carolina, with no clear western boundary, but its size was reduced as a number of counties were split off. The first big excision was to create Surry County in 1771. Burke and Wilkes counties were formed from the western parts of Rowan and Surry in 1777 and 1778, respectively; leaving a smaller Rowan County that comprised present-day Rowan, Iredell (formed 1788), Davidson (1822), and Davie (1836). Surry, Burke and Wilkes subsequently fragmented further as well. Depending on where your ancestors lived, you may want to look at records for some of these later counties also. This unique compilation of marriage records taken from original microfilms housed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family History Center in Salt Lake City, Utah contains close to 6,000 marriages in Rowan County between 1762 and 1850. Marriages are listed alphabetically by groom and includes the grooms last name, wifes maiden name, and date of marriage. The microfilm number is provided so the original record may be consulted for additional information. A separate spousal index aids in reverse researching where only the name of the spouse is known. Highly recommended if you have ancestors in this area during this time period.