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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 Willis Wharf (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 Willis Wharf. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Willis Wharf is located in Northampton County.

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

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

  • Northampton County     (The home county of Willis Wharf)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willis Wharf, with the one closest to Willis Wharf listed first.
    • Exmore
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Exmore is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exmore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,362 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exmore <1>
    • Nassawadox
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Wardtown
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Wardtown is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wardtown
    • Marionville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Marionville is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marionville
    • Birdsnest
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Sheps End
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Sheps End is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheps End
    • Jamesville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jamesville is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamesville
    • Pleasant Cove Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Pleasant Cove Village is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Cove Village
    • Bridgetown
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Bridgetown is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgetown
    • Machipongo
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Eastville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Pat Town
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Pat Town is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pat Town
    • Cheriton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Accomack County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willis Wharf, with the one closest to Willis Wharf listed first.
    • Belle Haven
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Savage Town
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Savage Town is located in Accomack County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savage Town
    • Cats Bridge
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Cats Bridge is located in Accomack County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cats Bridge
    • Painter
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Keller
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Locust Mount
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Locust Mount is located in Accomack County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Mount
    • Wachapreague
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Melfa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Crockett Town
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Crockett Town is located in Accomack County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crockett Town
    • Locustville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Onancock
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Onley
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Tasley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Lancaster County
    • Westland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Westland is located in Lancaster County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westland
  • Mathews County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willis Wharf, with the one closest to Willis Wharf listed first.
    • Diggs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Onemo
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Onemo is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onemo
    • Peary
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Peary is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peary
    • New Point
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Beaverlett
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Beaverlett is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaverlett
    • Mathews
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Ruff
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Ruff is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruff
    • Susan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Susan is located in Mathews County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Susan
  • Middlesex County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Willis Wharf, with the one closest to Willis Wharf listed first.
    • Stingray Point
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Stingray Point is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stingray Point
    • Sandy Bottom ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Sandy Bottom is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Bottom
    • Amburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Amburg is located in Middlesex County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amburg

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

Cemeteries Near Willis Wharf ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Willis Wharf.

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 Willis Wharf - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Phillips Place Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Belle Haven Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • McLane Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Pungoteague Community Church Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Major Doughty Gravesite
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Martin/Hatton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin/Hatton
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Martin/Hatton is located outside and to the west of Melfa.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2258639 <2>
  • Allen Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Holland Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Joynes Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Mt. Holly Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Fairlawn Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Fairview Lawn Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Lawn Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Fairview Lawn Cemetery is located outside and to the southeast of Onancock.
  • Continue List   (60 more) ...
    • Onancock Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Whitehead Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Edge Hill Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)

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.<3>

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

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

  • Exmore
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Exmore is located in Northampton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exmore
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,362 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exmore <1>
  • Hadlock
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Hadlock is located in Northampton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hadlock
  • Belle Haven
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Nassawadox
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Franktown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mappsburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Mappsburg is located in Accomack County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mappsburg
  • Davis Wharf
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Davis Wharf is located in Accomack County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Wharf
  • Wardtown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Wardtown is located in Northampton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wardtown
  • Marionville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Marionville is located in Northampton County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marionville
  • Painter
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Craddockville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Craddockville is located in Accomack County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craddockville
  • Birdsnest
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Jamesville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jamesville is located in Northampton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamesville
    • Nandua
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Nandua is located in Accomack County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nandua
    • Pungoteague
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in Willis Wharf ...

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 17 newspapers that have been published in the area around Willis Wharf.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Willis Wharf, there are papers which were published within 21 miles [33.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Willis Wharf.

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 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 Willis Wharf:

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>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.
<3>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 Willis Wharf, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Willis Wharf) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.