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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Gloucester (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Gloucester. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Name Variations for Gloucester ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

In past government published Postal Guides, Gloucester was referred to as Gloucester Courthouse.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Gloucester. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Gloucester.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Gloucester is located in Gloucester County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Virginia's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Gloucester County: James City, King and Queen, Middlesex & York.

Below are the counties that are near Gloucester. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Gloucester:

  • Gloucester County     (The home county of Gloucester)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Gloucester Courthouse
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Gloucester Courthouse is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gloucester Courthouse
    • Money
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Money is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Money
    • Ark
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Ark is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ark
    • Roanes
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Roanes is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanes
    • Belroi
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Belroi is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belroi
    • White Marsh
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • North
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Country Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Country Village is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Village
    • Ordinary
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Clay Bank
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Clay Bank is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Bank
    • York View
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • York View is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York View
    • Adner
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Adner is located in Gloucester County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adner
  • Charles City County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Ruthville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Ruthville is located in Charles City County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruthville
    • Charles City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Essex County
    • Bowlers Wharf
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Bowlers Wharf is located in Essex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowlers Wharf
  • Hampton City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Newgate Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Newgate Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newgate Village
    • Aberdeen Gardens
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Aberdeen Gardens is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen Gardens
    • Chapel Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Chapel Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapel Village
    • Greenwood Farms
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Greenwood Farms is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood Farms
    • Pine Chapel Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Pine Chapel Village is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Chapel Village
    • Hampton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Buckroe Beach
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Buckroe Beach is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckroe Beach
    • Phoebus
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Phoebus is located in Hampton City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phoebus
  • Isle of Wight County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Rushmere
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Rushmere is located in Isle of Wight County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushmere
    • Rescue
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Rescue is located in Isle of Wight County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rescue
    • Smithfield
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • James City County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Norge
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jamestown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • King and Queen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Plain View
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Plain View is located in King and Queen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plain View
    • Mattaponi
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • King and Queen Court House
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Contra
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Contra is located in King and Queen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Contra
    • Cumnor
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Cumnor is located in King and Queen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumnor
  • King William County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • West Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Romancoke
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Romancoke is located in King William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romancoke
    • Lanesville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Lanesville is located in King William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanesville
  • Lancaster County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Millenbeck
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Millenbeck is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millenbeck
    • Weems
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Weems is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weems
    • White Stone
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Irvington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Westland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Westland is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westland
    • Ottoman
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Ottoman is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottoman
    • Ocran
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Ocran is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocran
    • Kilmarnock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Merry Point
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Merry Point is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merry Point
    • Monaskon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Monaskon is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monaskon
    • Griffins Landing
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Griffins Landing is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griffins Landing
    • Richtown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Richtown is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richtown
  • Mathews County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Cardinal
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Cardinal is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardinal
    • Beaverlett
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Beaverlett is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaverlett
    • Mathews
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Ruff
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Ruff is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruff
    • Susan
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Susan is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Susan
    • Onemo
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Onemo is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onemo
    • Peary
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Peary is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peary
    • Diggs
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • New Point
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Middlesex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Grafton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Grafton is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton
    • Hartfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Harmony Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Harmony Village is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Village
    • Wilton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Wilton is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilton
    • Locust Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Saluda
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Amburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Amburg is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amburg
    • Sandy Bottom ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Sandy Bottom is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Bottom
    • Urbanna
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Stingray Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Stingray Point is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stingray Point
    • Remlik
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Nesting
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Nesting is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nesting
  • New Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Plum Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Plum Point is located in New Kent County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plum Point
    • New Kent
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Newport News City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Lee Hall
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Lee Hall is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee Hall
    • Red Hill Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Red Hill Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill Village
    • Newport News
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Bernard Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Bernard Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bernard Village
    • Hilton Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Hilton Village is located in Newport News City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton Village
  • Northampton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Cherrystone
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Cherrystone is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherrystone
    • Cape Charles
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Northumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Lynhams
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Lynhams is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynhams
    • Remo
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Remo is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remo
    • Lara
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Lara is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lara
    • Fleeton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Fleeton is located in Northumberland County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleeton
  • Poquoson City
    • Poquoson
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Richmond County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Simonson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Simonson is located in Richmond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simonson
    • Downings
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Downings is located in Richmond County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Downings
  • Surry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Homewood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Homewood is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homewood
    • Scotland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Scotland is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotland
    • Surry
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Beachland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Beachland is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beachland
    • Claremont
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Claremont is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claremont
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 335 people
    • Itata
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Itata is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Itata
    • Spring Grove
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Spring Grove is located in Surry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Grove
  • Williamsburg City
    • Williamsburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • York County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.
    • Oaktree
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Oaktree is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oaktree
    • Barlows Corner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Barlows Corner is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barlows Corner
    • Lackey
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Lackey is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lackey
    • Yorktown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Charles Corner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Charles Corner is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charles Corner
    • Rochambeau Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Rochambeau Village is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rochambeau Village
    • Dare
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Dare is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dare
    • Yorkville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Yorkville is located in York County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkville

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Gloucester, see our County-by-County Page for Gloucester.

Cemeteries Near Gloucester ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Gloucester.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Gloucester - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Gloucester covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.

  • Newington Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Ware Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Old Bellamy Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • St. Pauls Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Pole Bridge Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Abingdon Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Sinclair Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Rosewell Memorial Garden
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Providence Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Emmaus Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Gloucester Field Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (176 more) ...
    • Sibley Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Locust Grove Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Old Groves Memorial Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<2>

While we didn't find Gloucester in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Gloucester.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Gloucester, with the one closest to Gloucester listed first.

  • Gloucester Courthouse
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Gloucester Courthouse is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gloucester Courthouse
  • Roanes
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Roanes is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanes
  • Ware Neck
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Ware Neck is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ware Neck
  • Ark
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Ark is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ark
  • White Marsh
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Sassafras
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Sassafras is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sassafras
  • Clay Bank
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Clay Bank is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Bank
  • Ordinary
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • New Upton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • New Upton is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Upton
  • Woods Crossroads
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Woods Crossroads is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woods Crossroads
  • Allmondsville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Allmondsville is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allmondsville
  • Freeport
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Freeport is located in Gloucester County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Bohannon
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Bohannon is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bohannon
    • Cobbs Creek
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Plain View
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Plain View is located in King and Queen County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plain View

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Gloucester. See our List of 1890's Communities around Gloucester.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Gloucester ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 19 newspapers that have been published in the area around Gloucester.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Gloucester. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Gloucester and those printed in the larger area surrounding Gloucester.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<3> of Gloucester.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Gloucester:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Gloucester, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Gloucester) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.