The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is January 2025)
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Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.
Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:
- FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
- Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
- Researching Ancestors in Asylums
What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?
- Poorhouse
- Poor Farm
- Orphanage
- Orphan Train
- Mental Hospital
- Workhouse
- Almshouse
- Institutional School
- Sanitarium
- Asylums
- Correctional institutions
Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.
Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
North Carolina Free Online Institutional Records
- Alamance County, 1870 Poor House Census Records
- Alamance County, 1880 Poor House Census Records
- Alexander County, Record of Accounts for Indigent Children, 1913-1946
- Alexander County, Minutes of the Board of Wardens of the Poor, 1847-1868
- Anson County, Indigent Orphan Accounts, 1909-1948
- Anson County, Record of Lunacy, 1899-1968
- Ashe County, Warden of the Poor, 1832-1855
- Beaufort County, Orphan’s Books, 1807-1868; Index, 1800-1868, 1800-1868
- Beaufort County, Wardens of the Poor Minutes, 1839-1868
- Bladen County, Lunacy Records, 1895-1955
- Burke County, Broughton Hospital Cemetery
- Camden County, Orphans Accounts, 1800-1809
- Camden County, Orphans’ Accounts, 1800-1809
- Caswell County, Indigent Orphans Accounts, 1905-1936
- Caswell County, Lunacy Docket, 1899-1963
- Chatham County, Poor House Book, 1871-1884
- Chatham County, Poor House Cemetery
- Chatham County, Poor House Cemetery
- Cherokee County, Poor Records, 1843-1868
- Chowan County, Orphan Court Records, 1766-1774
- Chowan County, Orphans’ Court Docket, 1767-1775
- Cleveland County, Minutes of Wardens of the Poor Court, 1847-1868
- Craven County, Warden of the Poor, Minutes, 1837-1871
- Craven County, Wardens of the Poor 1803-1861
- Currituck County, Poor Records, 1803-1862
- Davidson County, Miscellaneous Records, 1822-1946
- Davie County, Wardens of the Poor, Financial Accounts, 1839-1854
- Duplin County, Miscellaneous Records, 1754-1947
- Duplin County, Wardens of the Poor, St. Gabriel’s Parish Wardens’ Records, 1799-1817
- Durham County, County Home (Poor House) Cemetery
- Edgecombe County, Indigent Children Records of Payments made to them, 1900-1957
- Forsyth County, Miscellaneous Index, 1849-1968
- Franklin County, Orphans Accounts, Widows Settlements, 1787-1796, 1814
- Franklin County, Inquisition of Lunacy, 1900-1964
- Gaston County, Miscellaneous Records, 1847-1910
- Gates County, Miscellaneous Records, 1780-1912
- Graham County, Miscellaneous Records, 1836-1940
- Granville County, Granville County Convict Camp, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Granville County, Lunacy Records, 1798-1913
- Harnett County, Harnett County Convict Camp, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Hoke County, 1940 Census List of Names of Nurses at the Negro Division of the State Sanatorium
- Hyde County, Minutes of the Wardens of the Poor, 1837-1868
- Hyde County, Orphans’ Book Docket, 1756-1762
- Hyde County, Record of Lunacy 1899-1968
- Johnston County, Court Records, 1764-1930
- Jones County, Indigent Orphans Accounts and a Record of Pensions, 1908-1933
- Lee County, Accounts of Indigent Orphans, 1909-1930
- Lincoln County, General Index; Special Proceedings, Orders and Decrees, Adoptions, Lunacy Proceedings, etc.
- Lincoln County, Poor Records, 1764-1868
- Martin County, Indigent Orphans Accounts, 1907-1934
- Mecklenburg County, Apprentice Bonds, #1-151, 1871-1920
- Mecklenburg County, County Home or Poor House Cemetery
- Montgomery County, Warden of the Poor, Commissioners Minutes, 1831-1869
- Morgan County, Broughton Hospital Cemetery
- Nash County, Accounts of Indigent Orphans
- Northampton County, Orphans Estates, 1781-1802; Land Entries, 1778-1795
- Northampton County, Wardens of the Poor, St. George’s Parish Warden’s Records, 1773-1814
- Orange County, County Home Burial Ground
- Orange County, County Poor House Cemetery
- Orange County, Poor Records, 1842-1868
- Pasquotank County, Orphans’ Accounts, 1787-1829
- Pasquotank County, Orphans’ Court Minutes, 1757-1785; Deeds, 1759-1762; Apprenticeship indentures, 1823, 1757-1823
- Perquimans County, Orphans Docket, 1806-1870
- Perquimans County, Poor Records, 1878-1934
- Polk County, Inquisition of Lunacy, 1907-1945
- Randolph County, Account of Indigent Orphans, 1904-1958
- Randolph County, Miscellaneous Records, 1780-1922
- Richmond County, County Homes for the Poor and Infirmed Burial and Death Records
- Rowan County, Wardens of the Poor, 1818-1908
- Rowan County, Index to Special Proceedings, Orders and Decrees, Adoptions and Lunacy Proceedings for Plaintiffs and Defendants, 1938-1962
- Rutherford County Home, Inmate Register, 1914-1961
- Sampson County, Poor Law Records, 1785-1824
- Stanly County, Wardens of the Poor, Minutes, 1849-1873
- Stokes County, Lunacy Records, 1794-1931
- Surry County, Indigent Orphans Accounts, 1907-1937
- Surry County, Lunacy Inquisition Records, 1899-1963
- Surry County, Minutes, Wardens of the Poor, 1852-1877
- Tyrrell County, Record of Inquisition of Lunacy, 1900-1941
- United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Hospital and Medical Records, 1865-1872
- Wake County, Central Prison Cemetery
- Wake County, Dorothea Dix Hospital Cemetery
- Wake County, Dorothea Dix Hospital or State Hospital Cemetery
- Wake County, Poor Records, 1872-1894
- Washington County, Plymouth Convict Camp, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Wayne County, Cherry Hospital Cemetery
- Wayne County, Lunacy Records, 1899-1965
- Wayne County, Wardens of the Poor Minutes, 1819-1838
- Wayne County, Wardens of the Poor, Minutes and Accounts, 1819-1841
- Wilkes County, Indigent Orphans Accounts, 1913-1935
- Wilkes County, Orphans’ Bond, 1778 – 1801
- Wilson County, Wilson County Stockade, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Wilson County, Lunacy Docket, 1956-1960
- Yadkin County, Poorhouse Graveyard
- Yancey County, County Poor House Cemetery
- Yancey County, Jacks Creek Poorhouse Cemetery
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!