AncestorSpy

     We found the records so you can FIND ANCESTORS!

NOW available!

    
Family Tree Maker 2008
Enjoy to do lists & interactive maps and much, much, more!!!

Virginia Area Key to Genealogical Records

Introduction

     One of the necessary tasks for all family history researcher is to learn about the history and the records for the States and Counties where their ancestors lived. My mother called this developing an "Area Key". In other words you need to know the territory. This page represents what I have located for an Area Key for Virginia so far.
     Area Keys need to contain a little history, how the area began to be settled and organized, beginning dates of counties and parent counties, maps,  a list of towns, information about the state records including when various types of records such as vital records began to be kept, a list of repositories such as archives, libraries, and internet sources that contain records, publications and databases for the state and how we can gain access to them, and other statewide collections such as for church organizations and lineage societies.
     If you have ancestors in Virginia, you would be wise to make this make this Area Key one of your favorites so you can come back often. I hope you will find these pages helpful in locating your ancestors.
     Sincerely, Donna K. Clark

Virginia Statewide Genealogy Publications Virginia became a state in 1788. Virginia became a state in 1788.

Virginia Biography

1500s-1600s Early Immigrants to Virginia from the 1500s and 1600s - online at Ancestry.com

Biographies: Virginia Biographical Encyclopedia (20,000 biographies) - online at Ancestry.com

Biographies: Virginia Biography, from Encyclopedia of Virginia Biographies Volume I-II - online at Ancestry.com

Biographies: Virginia, Prominent Families, Vol. 1-4 - online at Ancestry.com

pub. 2000  Virginia Volume 6, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography - CD by Heritage Books

Virginia Business

1606-1624  Records of the Virginia Company of London, Volume I-IV - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Census

The following census links at Ancestry.com take you to the page where you can enter your ancestor's name and search for that ancestor. To search the original census page by page, scroll down to the bottom, click on the desired state, then county, and then township.

1800 - The 1800 U.S. census for Virginia was lost.

1810 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1820 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1830 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1840 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioner Census, 1841 - online at Ancestry.com

1850 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1850 U.S. Slave Schedules - online at Ancestry.com

1850-1880 U.S. Mortality Schedules - online at Ancestry.com

1860 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1860 U.S. Slave Schedules - online at Ancestry.com

1870 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1880 U. S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1890 U.S. Veteran Schedules - online at Ancestry.com

1900 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1910 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1920 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

1930 U.S. Census - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Church

Church: Virginia Old Churches, Vol. 1 - online at Ancestry.com

Church: Virginia Old Churches, Vol. 2 - online at Ancestry.com

An apology for African Methodism - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Colonial

Colonial: Virginia Colonial Records - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Genealogies

1864-1908  Valentine Papers (Virginia), Vol. 1-4, 1864-1908 - online at Ancestry.com

pub. 1908 Virginia Heraldica - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Heraldry

Heraldry: Virginia Heraldica (early Virginia families) - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia History

1625-1685  Virginia, Volume 5 (Virginia Carolorum 1625-1685, by Niell) - CD by Heritage Books

History by Green: Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia - online at Ancestry.com

pub. 1909  HB: Virginia Volume 5 (includes "Manors of Virginia in Colonial Times by Edith Tunis Sale") - CD by Heritage Books

Virginia Immigration

1587-1699  Early Immigrants to Virginia from the 1500s and 1600s - online at Ancestry.com

1623-1666  Virginia Immigrants, 1623-66 - online at Ancestry.com

Immigrants: Virginia County Records, Volume X (Early Immigrants to Virginia) - online at Ancestry.com

1700  Virginia Huguenot Refugees, 1700 (passenger lists) - online at Ancestry.com

1820-1829 Atlantic Ports, Gulf Coasts, and Great Lakes Passenger Lists, Roll 2: 1820-1873 (Passengers arrived the East Rover port in 1830) - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Indexes

Surname Index: Virginia County Records Surname Index - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Land

1864-1918  U.S. County Land Ownership Atlases, c. 1864-1918 - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Libraries

WORLD-WIDE www.FamilySearch.org - free index online by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints      The largest collection of genealogy records is in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their web site includes a free index to an online database currently called the Ancestral File and other major collections including the 1880 US Census and the 1881 United Kingdom Census.     The web site also contains an online catalog to their massive genealogy collection. Local, state, and country records have been gathered throughout the world. Individual lists of U.S. statewide records can be viewed online including one for Virginia. If the record has been microfilmed it can be rented and viewed at a Family History Center near you. Hours and addresses are available on the Find a Family History Center Near You web page. Access is open to everyone.

WORLD-WIDE Virginia State Database - online at Ancestry.com      Ancestry.com began gathering, indexing, and placing genealogical records on the internet in the 1990's. Their collection not includes thousands of genealogical records and publications. Compared to how much they have and what you pay, the cost is reasonable. It is a great pleasure to find your ancestors in their databases. And now with their Free Family Tree that you can establish on their site, their search engine can and will Search Billions of Names at Ancestry.com. All you have to do is enter a few names and a few dates and your on your way to discovering your ancestors. It is so easy, it is just plain fun.

Virginia Maps

1895 U.S. Atlas (Virginia map) - free online

2000 Virginia State Map Collection - free online at geology.com      This page shows county outlines, elevations, rivers with names, a political map showing 15 county names, and a road map with the numbers of major highways.

Virginia Military

Military: Virginia County Records, Volume VI (Early Settlers in VA & Revolutionary Soldiers) - online at Ancestry.com

Military: Virginia County Records, Volume VII (Early Settlers; Revolutionary Soldiers & Pensioners) - online at Ancestry.com

Military: Virginia County Records, Volume IX (Early Settlers in VA & Revolutionary Soldiers) - online at Ancestry.com

Early to 1776  Virginia Colonial Soldiers - online at Ancestry.com

1651-1776  Virginia Colonial Militia, 1651-1776 - online at Ancestry.com

1776  Virginia Soldiers of 1776, Vol. 1 - online at Ancestry.com

1776-1783 Virginia / West Virginia Revolutionary War Records, Volumes 1-6, by Patrick G. Wardell - CD  by Heritage Books

1776-1783  Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War - online at Ancestry.com

1776-1783  Virginia Navy in the Revolution - online at Ancestry.com

1776-1783  Virginia Revolutionary War Records - online at Ancestry.com

1776-1783 Virginia Half Pay and Other Related Revolutionary War Pension Application, Virginia Soldiers A-M: Soldiers with surnames: Adams through Muzzy - CD by Heritage Books

1776-1783 Virginia Half Pay and Other Related Revolutionary War Pension Application, Virginia Soldiers N-Z: Soldiers with surnames: Adams through Muzzy - CD by Heritage Books

1776-1783 Virginia Half Pay and Other Related Revolutionary War Pension Application, Virginia Soldiers A-Z: Sailors with surnames: Applewaithe through Wilson - CD by Heritage Books

1917-1918  World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Can search by given name, even middle name) - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Occupation

1623-1800  Virginia Apprentices, 1623-1800 - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Periodicals

Pub. 1963-1997 Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly (Volumes 1-35) - online at Ancestry.com

CD pub. 1994 The Virginia Genealogist, Volumes 1-27 - CD  by Heritage Books

Virginia School

School: Virginia County Records, Volume X (Seigneuries and Seigneurs recorded in the College of Arms) - online at Ancestry.com

Virginia Tax

1782-1787 Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-1787 by Augusta B. Fothergill and John Mark Naugle - CD by Ancestor Publishers

Virginia Vital Records

1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850 - online at Ancestry.com

1660-1896   Virginia Vital Records: Deaths 1660-1896 (Selected Counties) - CD by Ancestry

1670-1929 Virginia Vital Records: Marriages 1670-1929 - online at Ancestry.com

1728-1850 Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia Marriage Index - CD by Ancestry

1740-1850  Virginia Marriages, 1740-1850 - online at Ancestry.com

to 1800  Virginia Marriages to 1800 - online at Ancestry.com

to 1824  Virginia Marriages before 1824 - online at Ancestry.com

1937-present United States Social Security Death Index - free online at RootsWeb

 A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X   Y    Z   

                        A

Alexandria, Arlington, Virginia, USA

                        B

Bristol City, Virginia, USA
Brookneal, Campbell, Virginia, USA

                        C

Covington, Alleghany, Virginia, USA

                        D

Danville, Pittsylvania, Virginia, USA

                        H

Hopewell, Virginia USA (Independent city)

Ivy, Albemarle, Virginia, USA

                        J

Jamestown, James City, Virginia, USA

                        M

Martinsville, Virginia, USA (Independent City)

                        N

Newport News, Virginia, USA (Independent city)

                        P

Portsmouth, Virginia, USA (Independent city)

                        S

Smithfield, Isle of Wight, Virginia, USA
Staunton, Augusta, Virginia, USA
Staunton, Virginia (Independent City established Jan. 16, 1908)

Top