RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Virginia >> Southampton County >> Watkins Corner >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Virginia

The Commemorative Quarter for Virginia





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 Watkins Corner (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 Watkins Corner. 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 Watkins Corner ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

  • A typical abbreviation for Watkins Corner: Watkins Cor. (or less commonly used: Watkins Crn.)
  • While the name of this community is Watkins Corner, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Watkins Corner may originally have been Watkin's Corner.

    Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Watkins Corner might be written as Watkin Corner.

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.

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.

Watkins Corner 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 Watkins Corner. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Watkins Corner:

  • Southampton County     (The home county of Watkins Corner)
  • Emporia City
    • White City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Franklin City
  • Greensville County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Claresville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Jarratt
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
  • Isle of Wight County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Carrsville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Walters
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Windsor
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Zuni
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Raynor
      (22 miles [35.4 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.<4>
      • 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 Watkins Corner to Raynor
    • Magnet
      (26 miles [41.8 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.<4>
      • 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 Watkins Corner to Magnet
    • Smithfield
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smithfield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithfield
      • Smithfield is located in Isle of Wight County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 8,615 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Smithfield <3>
  • Suffolk City
  • Surry County
  • Sussex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Wakefield
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wakefield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Yale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Sussex
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Henry
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Grizzard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Waverly
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waverly have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Stony Creek
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stony Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
  • Bertie County (NC)
    • Powellsville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Powellsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Reynoldson
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Gates
      (16 miles [25.7 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.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roduco
      • Roduco is located in Gates County (NC)
    • Willeyton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Eure
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eure have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • White Oak
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Gatesville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gatesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Corapeake
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corapeake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Holly Grove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Savage
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Savage have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savage
      • Savage is located in Gates County (NC)
    • Sunbury
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunbury have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Acorn Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Muddy Cross
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Hertford County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Como
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Como have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Barretts Crossroads
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Murfreesboro
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Murfreesboro have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Tuscarora Beach
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Winton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Tunis
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • 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.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunis
      • Tunis is located in Hertford County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tunis
      • From Watkins Corner to Tunis
    • Cofield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cofield have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Tunis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Tunis
      • South Tunis is located in Hertford County (NC)
    • Menola
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Ahoskie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Poor Town
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Poor Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poor Town
      • Poor Town is located in Hertford County (NC)
    • 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.<2> 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
    • Earleys
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Northampton County (NC)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner listed first.
    • Severn
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Severn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pendleton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pendleton
      • Pendleton is located in Northampton County (NC)
    • Conway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Margarettsville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Margarettsville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Margarettsville
      • Margarettsville is located in Northampton County (NC)
    • Potecasi
      (25 miles [40.2 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.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potecasi
      • Potecasi is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Potecasi
      • From Watkins Corner to Potecasi
    • Woodland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Lasker
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lasker have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seaboard have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>
    • Eagletown
      (30 miles [48.3 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.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagletown
      • Eagletown is located in Northampton County (NC)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eagletown
      • From Watkins Corner to Eagletown
    • Jackson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jackson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>

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

Cemeteries Near Watkins Corner ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Watkins Corner.

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 Watkins Corner covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Watkins Corner, with the one closest to Watkins Corner 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.<6>

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

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

  • Delaware
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delaware have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaware
    • Delaware is located in Southampton County
  • Isaac
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Isaac have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Isaac
    • Isaac is located in Southampton County
  • Handsom
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Franklin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Lees Mill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lees Mill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lees Mill
    • Lees Mill is located in Isle of Wight County
  • Courtland
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • South Quay
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Quay have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Quay
    • South Quay is located in Suffolk City
  • Newsoms
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Elwood
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwood
    • Elwood is located in Suffolk City
  • Carrsville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Riddicksville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riddicksville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riddicksville
    • Riddicksville is located in Hertford County (NC)
  • Cleopus
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cleopus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleopus
    • Cleopus is located in Suffolk City
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Vicksville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vicksville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vicksville
      • Vicksville is located in Southampton County
    • Pope
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pope have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pope
      • Pope is located in Southampton County
    • Como
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Como have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <3>

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

Newspapers Published in Watkins Corner ...

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 Watkins Corner.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Watkins Corner, there are papers which were published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<7>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Watkins Corner.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Watkins Corner:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Watkins Corner. 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>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>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 Watkins Corner, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<7>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Watkins Corner) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Watkins Corner. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.6672, Longitude: -76.9826    









 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 31 Mar 2025