Virginia Family Histories #4, 1600s-1800s

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If you have ancestors from the Old Dominion, this resource is a goldmine. This index pulls together seventeen volumes focused on Virginia genealogies and family histories, covering the 1600s through the 1800s. That’s over two centuries of rich detail on approximately 212,000 individuals—names that might just include your own family.

What makes this collection especially valuable is the variety of sources it draws from. You’ll find family histories compiled by earlier researchers, which often include stories, lineages, and heirlooms passed down through generations. There are also vestry books, which can be surprisingly revealing. In early Virginia, vestry records weren’t just about church matters—they also covered local governance, poor relief, road maintenance, and land disputes, giving you glimpses into your ancestor’s civic life and community responsibilities.

Vital records are here too: births, marriages, deaths—though many of these were recorded before statewide registration, so collections like this often fill in gaps where official records don’t exist. Then, there are historical accounts of Virginia’s colonization, with details about the founding of counties, migration patterns, and daily life in early America. If your ancestors helped shape early Virginia—whether they were landowners, soldiers, enslaved individuals, or immigrants starting anew—you might catch a thread of their story in these pages.

For those newer to Virginia research, a few tips:

Start with known names and work backward. Many Virginia surnames are well-documented due to the early settlement of the region.
Don’t skip the footnotes. Older family histories often include hand-written notations, Bible records, or correspondence with descendants that never made it into official archives.
Cross-reference county histories. If you know where your ancestors lived, match the county formation dates with their lifespan—many counties split over time, and your family’s records may be stored under an earlier name.
Look for allied families. In Virginia, it was common for families to intermarry and move together. Finding a neighbor’s will or land record can often lead to your own ancestor’s name showing up in the witness list or land transfer.

These records are a joy to explore, especially when you’re after more than just dates. You’ll find character, context, and sometimes even full narratives of family triumphs and tragedies. This is the kind of research that turns a name on a chart into a real person—and makes your family history come alive.

So, if you’re tracing roots that run deep into Virginia’s red clay, this collection is a great place to start. Who knows? You might uncover a Revolutionary War soldier, a colonial farmer, or even one of the earliest Jamestown settlers.

Books Included: