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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 Handsom (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 Handsom. 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.

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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

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 west contained birth and death records; the county to the south 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.

Handsom is located in Southampton County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Southampton County: Hertford (NC), Northampton (NC), Franklin, Greensville, Suffolk City, Surry & Sussex.

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

  • Southampton County     (The home county of Handsom)
  • Emporia City
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Emporia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • White City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for White City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Emporia City
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to White City
      • From Handsom to White City
  • Franklin City
  • Greensville County
  • Isle of Wight County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Carrsville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Walters
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Windsor
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Zuni
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Raynor
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Raynor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raynor
      • Raynor is located in Isle of Wight County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Raynor
      • From Handsom to Raynor
    • Magnet
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Magnet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnet
      • Magnet is located in Isle of Wight County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Magnet
      • From Handsom to Magnet
  • Suffolk City
  • Surry County
  • Sussex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Yale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Wakefield
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wakefield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wakefield
      • Wakefield is located in Sussex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 805 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wakefield <2>
    • Henry
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Sussex
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Grizzard
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Waverly
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waverly have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
      • Waverly is located in Sussex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,905 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waverly <2>
    • Stony Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stony Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Creek
      • Stony Creek is located in Sussex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 173 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stony Creek <2>
  • Bertie County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Aulander
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aulander have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aulander
      • Aulander is located in Bertie County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 763 people
    • Powellsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powellsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellsville
      • Powellsville is located in Bertie County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 239 people
  • Gates County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Reynoldson
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Reynoldson. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reynoldson
      • Reynoldson is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Reynoldson
      • From Handsom to Reynoldson
    • Eure
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eure have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eure
      • Eure is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eure <2>
    • Gates
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Roduco
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roduco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roduco
      • Roduco is located in Gates County (NC)
    • White Oak
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Willeyton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Willeyton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willeyton
      • Willeyton is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Willeyton
      • From Handsom to Willeyton
    • Gatesville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gatesville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gatesville
      • Gatesville is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 290 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gatesville <2>
    • Corapeake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corapeake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corapeake
      • Corapeake is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Corapeake <2>
    • Savage
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Savage have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savage
      • Savage is located in Gates County (NC)
    • Holly Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Sunbury
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunbury have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunbury
      • Sunbury is located in Gates County (NC)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sunbury <2>
    • Mitchells Fork
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Muddy Cross
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Hertford County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Como
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Como have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Como
      • Como is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 82 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Como <2>
    • Barretts Crossroads
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Murfreesboro
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murfreesboro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murfreesboro
      • Murfreesboro is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,868 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Murfreesboro <2>
    • Tuscarora Beach
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Winton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Tunis
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tunis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunis
      • Tunis is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tunis
      • From Handsom to Tunis
    • Cofield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cofield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cofield
      • Cofield is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 363 people
    • South Tunis
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Tunis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Tunis
      • South Tunis is located in Hertford County (NC)
    • Menola
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Ahoskie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Poor Town
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poor Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poor Town
      • Poor Town is located in Hertford County (NC)
    • Earleys
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Harrellsville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrellsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrellsville
      • Harrellsville is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 95 people
  • Northampton County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Handsom, with the one closest to Handsom listed first.
    • Severn
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Severn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Severn
      • Severn is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 238 people
    • Pendleton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pendleton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendleton
      • Pendleton is located in Northampton County (NC)
    • Conway
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
      • Conway is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 721 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Conway <2>
    • Margarettsville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Margarettsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Margarettsville
      • Margarettsville is located in Northampton County (NC)
    • Potecasi
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Potecasi. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potecasi
      • Potecasi is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Potecasi
      • From Handsom to Potecasi
    • Woodland
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland
      • Woodland is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 701 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodland <2>
    • Lasker
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lasker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lasker
      • Lasker is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 106 people
    • Seaboard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seaboard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seaboard
      • Seaboard is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 541 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seaboard <2>
    • Eagletown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eagletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagletown
      • Eagletown is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eagletown
      • From Handsom to Eagletown
    • Jackson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson
      • Jackson is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 452 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jackson <2>
    • Pleasant Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Rich Square
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rich Square have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rich Square
      • Rich Square is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 834 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rich Square <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Handsom ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Handsom.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Handsom had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Delaware
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delaware have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaware
    • Delaware is located in Southampton County
  • Newsoms
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Courtland
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Isaac
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Isaac have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isaac
    • Isaac is located in Southampton County
  • Franklin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • South Quay
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Quay have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Quay
    • South Quay is located in Suffolk City
  • Lees Mill
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lees Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lees Mill
    • Lees Mill is located in Isle of Wight County
  • Como
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Como have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Como
    • Como is located in Hertford County (NC)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 82 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Como <2>
  • Riddicksville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riddicksville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riddicksville
    • Riddicksville is located in Hertford County (NC)
  • Pope
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pope have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pope
    • Pope is located in Southampton County
  • Boykins
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Capron
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Dort
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dort have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dort
      • Dort is located in Gates County (NC)
    • Cleopus
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cleopus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleopus
      • Cleopus is located in Suffolk City
    • Elwood
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwood
      • Elwood is located in Suffolk City

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

Newspapers Published in Handsom ...

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 14 newspapers that have been published in the area around Handsom.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Handsom, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Handsom.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 Handsom:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Handsom. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Southampton County: www.southamptoncounty.org/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>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 Handsom, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Handsom) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Handsom. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.6424, Longitude: -77.0307    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025