Virginia was the first English colony in what is now the United States. Many Americans can trace a portion of their ancestors back to Virginia. Unfortunately, during the past four centuries, many of its records were lost in wars and by fires and neglect. For family historians, Research in Virginia is a vital guide to those genealogical resources that are available.
The guidebook provides an overview Virginia’s history and jurisdictional changes. The author discusses the state’s major archives and libraries as well as repositories of major holdings pertinent to Virginia that reside beyond the state’s borders. Research in Virginia reviews where genealogists can find atlases, bible records, gazetteers, maps, and newspapers. Also covered are county, court, and land records; military, probate, and vital records; and much more.
Published by NGS, Research in Virginia, 3rd Edition, is one volume in the Research in the States series edited by Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGS. It is available for purchase in the NGS online store in both PDF and print versions.
Eric G. Grundset was Library Director for the DAR Library, Washington, DC, from 1983 to 2016. He is a fourteenth-generation native-born Virginian, and a genealogist, historian, lecturer, bibliographer, and transcriber of records. Eric’s specialty is Virginia research. He is the author of many books and articles on Virginia.