Virginia Genealogy Trails welcomes you to Amherst County Genealogy and History Volunteers Dedicated to Free Genealogy This Site is Available for Adoption! Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers. We're looking for folks who share our dedication to putting data online and are interested in helping this website become a useful research tool. If you would like to join our group and become the host of this county, please visit our Volunteer Page and contact Kim. (A desire to transcribe data and basic webpage skills are necessary) We regret that we have no time to perform personal research for anybody. All data we come across will be added to this site, so please keep checking back here. If you would like to be notified of when our Virginia sites are updated, Subscribe to our Mailing Lists. Virginia is covered on the Northeast States List County Information By the late 1600's English explorers and traders traveled up the James River into this area. Early trading posts formed between 1710 and 1720. 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. In 1761, Amherst County was formed from the southern half of Albemarle County. The original county seat had been in Cabelsville, now Colleen, in what would later become Nelson County. The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst who commanded the British forces that successfully secured Canada from the French.Jeffrey Amherst was named Governor of Virginia, although he never came to the colony. In 1806 the county assumed its present proportions when Nelson County was formed from its northern half. At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst. The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since. Amherst County was formed in 1761 from the southern half of Albemarle County. 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. The original county seat had been in Cabelsville, now Colleen in what would later become Nelson County. The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst who commanded the British forces that successfully secured Canada from the French. In 1806 the county assumed its present proportions when Nelson County was formed from its northern half. At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst. The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since. Native Americans were the first humans to populate the area. They hunted and fished mainly along the countless rivers and streams in the county. With the establishment of the Virginia Colony in 1607, English emigrants arrived in North America. By the late 1600s English explorers and traders traveled up the James River to this area. Early trading posts formed between 1710 and 1720. 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. In the early days, the major crop raised in Amherst County was tobacco. Apple orchards were part of mixed farming that replaced tobacco, especially in the late 19th century. Timber, mining and milling were also important industries. The introduction of the railroad in the late 19th century greatly influenced the county's growth. Town - Amherst Unincorporated City/Towns - Madison Heights - Sweet Briar National Protected Areas Blue Ridge Parkway - George Washington National Forest Online Data Biographies Births Cemeteries Census Church Histories / Records County Records Death Records Family Bibles County History Marriages Military Miscellaneous Data Newspaper Data Obituaries School Records Wills/Probate Records Website updates: Nov 2012 1782 Personal Property Tax List William Harris Crawford Biography Samuel Jordan Cabell Biography Oct 2012 Childs/Davis Marriage Hackwich/Rucker Marriage Mays/Massie Marriage Mays/Nash Marriage Taber/Wills Marriage 1890 Veteran's Census - Elon District Jun 2012 Elizabeth B. Hutcheson Obituary John Hutcherson Obituary Alexander Nelson Jones Obituary May 2012 Clarence Beard Obituary Apr 2012 3 Moore Marriages Mrs. Mannie K. Dearborn Obituary R. H. Drummon Obituary William Smith Obituary Paul P. Smoot Obituary 1890 Veterans Census - No Township Provided 1890 Veterans Census - Pedlar Township World War II Honor List Mar 2012 Edward A Palmer Biography Jan 2012 Elder Thomas Jefferson Campbell Biography Copyright © Genealogy Trails All data on this website is Copyright by Genealogy Trails with full rights reserved for original submitters.