Many genealogy researchers can trace their early ancestors back through one of the colonial states. Virginia, as one of the original thirteen colonies, was inhabited by Europeans as early as 1607. It is a state that hosted landing parties of immigrants on its shores. Groups of settlers and explorers moved inland from the tidewater area and traversed the mountain and valley paths and roads.
In addition to your Virginia genealogy research efforts on well known sites such as Ancestry.com, GenealogyBank.com, or Archives.com, it can be very beneficial to explore Virginia based repositories.
I’m sharing some of my favorite website addresses to help you in your family history search for your Virginia ancestors.
The Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219 Phone: 804.692.3500
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/time.htm – This address on The Library of Virginia website contains a chart that shows different time periods in Virginia history and correlated sources for Virginia research.
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/bibguides.htm – Contains links to research guides, research notes, and bibliography lists.
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/opac/lonnabout.htm – Great information about Virginia Land Office Patents and Northern Neck Patents and Surveys and other Virginia Land Grants.
The University of Virginia Library, PO Box 400113, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4113
Phone: 434. 924.3021 library@virginia.edu
http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/genealogy/virginia – Provides list of links of various research resources in Virginia including family histories, bibliographies, Virginia history, general and military records, as well as map references.
Earl Gregg Swem Library at The College of William and Mary, 1 Landrum Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8794.
http://guides.swem.wm.edu/genealogy – This link directs to web pages providing details of genealogical resources available at the library.
Virginia Historical Society, 428 North Boulevard, Richmond, VA 23220 | Mail: P.O. Box 7311, Richmond, VA 23221-0311 | Phone: 804.358.4901
http://www.vahistorical.org/research/main.htm – Searching the collections of the Virginia Historical Society may turn up clues to your Virginia past.
USGenWeb Archives Project for Virginia – County Indexes
http://www.usgwarchives.org/va/vafiles2.htm – Provides a chart with links to information on various Virginia counties, cities, and “defunct Virginia counties”. These defunct counties are counties that were once in Virginia, but now are in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Hope you can find the missing clues that you need in your ancestor hunt! To speak with one of our professional genealogists about help with your Virginia genealogy research contact us.
