Virginia Research Guide

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Vital Records

• Virginia Office of Vital Records

FamilySearch.org has a variety of collections available for free online:

• Virginia, Births and Christenings, 1853-1917
• Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940
• Virginia, Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912

Records of specific counties include:

• Virginia, Orange County Marriage Records, 1757-1938
• Virginia, Surry County Marriage Records, 1735-1950

Resource Compilations

• US GenWeb - Virginia
• Virginia Memory a project of the Library of Virginia; specific collections include:
  
  • http://www.lva.lib.va.us VA Land Office Patents & Grants: Archives Indexes
    
  • Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants/Northern Neck Grants and Surveys
  • Abstracted from images of the Grants and Surveys Books (The books contain handwritten copies of the original documents). Where a survey is available, information from the survey and grant is combined, and the location of the survey or plat is noted.
• Historic Court Records - search window
• http://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/chancery/available Availability index of Chancery Records by county
• Hennings at Large A Collection of all the Laws of Virginia from the first session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619
• Tithables and Land Tax Rolls (some free and some subscription)
• Interactive maps of Virginia county formations
• Sources for 17th Century Virginia (PDF) compiled by S. Shames
• Central Rappahannock Heritage Center Repository for documents pertaining to the people and history and city of Fredericksburg, and the Virginia Commonwealth Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. A large number of records are available online but much more is available on site.

Genealogical & Historical Societies

• Virginia Genealogical Society
• Virginia Historical Society
• List of Virginia County Societies

Southwest Virginia

• Southwest Virginia Base Map
• Gaps and Valleys, Rivers and Mountains of Southwest Virginia
• Southwest Virginia Exploration Routes
• Southwest Virginia Early Routes
• Forts of Southwest Virginia 1774-1794

Northern Neck Virginia

• Northern Neck, Virginia Research Guide includes Northumberland, Westmoreland, Lancaster, Stafford, Richmond, King George, Essex and Old Rappahannock counties.
• Stafford, Virginia
• Northumberland, Virginia
• Westmoreland, Virginia
• Lancaster, Virginia
• Richmond, Virginia
• King George, Virginia
• Essex, Virginia
• Old Rappahannock, Virginia (extinct)

Historical Counties & Boundaries

• Family History 101 provides a record of county formation & discontinuation; also discussion of what is available or lost.

• The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries at the Newberry Library features an interactive map of the historical counties of Virginia.

• Prior to 1738 all that part of Virginia lying west of the Blue Ridge was included in the County of Orange. During the fall session of the 1738 State Legislature, the portion of Orange County west of the Blue Ridge Mountain range was divided into the Counties of Frederick and Augusta.

• Track county changes over the years. If you want to use it for any other state just change the va to the abreviation of another state.

Here is a partial list of the various sub-divisions of the territory referred to into counties, with the dates of formation and from whence the names of the counties were derived:

Culpeper, 1749, from Governor Thomas, Lord Culpeper
Hampshire, 1754, from Hampshire, England.
Botetourt, 1770, from Governor Botetourt.
Berkeley, 1772, from Governor Berkeley.
Dunmore, 1772, from Governor Dunmore, but name changed to Shenandoah in 1777.
Fincastle, 1772, from English country home of Governor Botetourt.
Montgomery, 1776, from General James Montgomery.
Washington, 1776, from General George Washington.
Kentucky, 1776, from Indian name, "Dark and Bloody Ground."
Fincastle, abolished in 1776.
Ohio, 1776, from Ohio River.
Monongalia, 1776, from Indian name.
Youghiogeny, 1776, from Indian name. This county was abolished when line between Virginia and Pennsylvania was settled.
Shenandoah, 1773, name Indian, from River Sherando, formerly Dunmore County; name changed in 1777.
Greenbrier, 1777, from many Greenbriers along the river.
Rockbridge, 1778, from Natural Bridge.
Rockingham, 1778, from English name.
Harrison, 1778, from Governor Benjamine Harrison, of Virginia.
Illinois, 1779, from Illinois Indians; this county passed from Virginia by her cession of the Northwest Territory.
Hardy, 1786, from Samuel Hardy, a member of Congress.
Russell, 1786, from General William Russell.
Randolph, 1787, from Edmund Randolph.
Pendleton, 1788, from Edmund Pendleton.
Kanawha, 1789, from Indian Tribe, Canawhays.
Wythe, 1790, from Judge George Wythe.
Bath, 1791, from English name.
Lee, 1792, from Governor Henry Lee, of Virginia.
Grayson, 1793, from William Grayson, a member of Congress.
Brooke, 1797, from Governor Robert Brooke.
Monroe, 1799, from Governor James Monroe.
Tazewell, 1799, from Mr. Tazewell, member House of Delegates from Norfolk County.
Wood, 1799, from Governor James Wood.
Jefferson, 1801, from Thomas Jefferson.
Mason, 1804, from Stevens Thompson Mason.
Giles, 1806, from Governor William B. Giles.
Cabell, 1809, from Governor William H. Cabell.
Scott, 1814, from General Winfield Scott.
Tyler, 1814, from Governor John Tyler.
Lewis, 1816, from Colonel Charles Lewis.
Preston, 1818, from Governor James P. Preston.
Nicholas, 1818, from Governor Wilson C. Nicholas.
Morgan, 1820, from General Daniel Morgan.
Pocahontas, 1821, from the Indian Princess.
Alleghaney, 1822, from name of mountain.
Logan, 1824, from Mingo chief.
Page, 1831, from Governor John Page.
Fayette, 1831, from General LaFayette.
Floyd, 1831, from Governor John Floyd.
Smyth, 1831, from General Alexander Smyth.
Jackson, 1831, from President Andrew Jackson.
Marshall, 1835, from Chief Justice John Marshall.
Braxton, 1836, from Carter Braxton.
Clarke, 1836, from General George Rodgers Clarke.
Warren, 1836, from General Warren.
Mercer, 1837, from General Hugh Mercer.
Roanoke, 1838, from Indian name "Much Wampum."
Pulaski, 1839, from Count Pulaski.
Carroll, 1842, from Charles Carroll, of Carrollton.
Marion, 1842, from General Francis Marion.
Wayne, 1842, from General Anthony Wayne.
Ritchie, 1843, from Thomas Ritchie.
Gilmer, 1843, from Governor Thomas W. Gilmer.
Barbour, 1843, from Governor James Barbour.
Taylor, 1844, from John Taylor, of Caroline.
Doddridge, 1845, from Philip Doddridge.
Wetzel, 1846, from Lewis Wetzel.
Highland, 1846, named from the High land.
Boone, 1847, from Daniel Boone.
Wirt, 1848, from William Wirt.
Hancock, 1848, from John Hancock.
Putnam, 1848, from Israel Putnam.
Wyoming, 1848, from Wyoming Indian Tribe.
Raleigh, 1850, from Sir Walter Raleigh.
Upshur, 1850, from Abel P. Upshur.
Craig, 1851, from Robert Craig, member of Congress from Montgomery County.
Pleasants, 1851, from Governor James Pleasants.
Calhoun, 1855, from John C. Calhoun.
Wise, 1855, from Governor Henry A.Wise.
Roane, 1856, from Judge Spencer Roane.
Clay, 1856, from Henry Clay.
Tucker, 1856, from Henry St. George Tucker.
McDowell, 1858, from Governor James McDowell.
Buchanan, 1858, from President James Buchanan.
Webster, 1860, from Daniel Webster.
Bland, 1861, from Theodoric Bland.
Mineral, 1866, from mineral deposits found in that territory.
Grant, 1866, from General U. S. Grant.
Lincoln, 1867, from President Abraham Lincoln.
Summers, 1871, from Judge Lewis Summers.
Dickenson, 1880, from Mr. Dickenson of that county.
Mingo, 1895, from Indian tribe of that name.

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