Virginia family histories can provide useful leads when you are tracing an ancestor’s family, home, or connections across generations. This free lookup searches Virginia Family Histories #1, a collection of published genealogy material. Enter one ancestor’s name and any details that may help identify the right person.
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What this index covers
This collection brings together Virginia family histories from the five-volume Genealogies of Virginia Families series drawn from The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. The articles concern families from different parts of Virginia and draw on material published in that journal.
Published family histories can suggest connections among people who appear separately in wills, deeds, church records, and other documents. However, an article’s conclusions still need to be checked against its evidence. Coverage varies by family, place, and period; this index does not include every Virginia resident.
How to use a possible match
Begin with the most recent Virginia ancestor you have documented. Include the county, an approximate birth or marriage date, and a known relative in Helpful Information. These clues are especially useful when several people share a name.
Treat a match in Virginia family histories as a starting point for further research. Read the surrounding article, record its source citations, and compare each proposed relationship with the records you already have. A surname match alone does not establish a connection.
Also check whether a cited county changed its boundaries during your ancestor’s lifetime. Keep your notes tied to the place and date recorded in the source. If an article lacks evidence for a relationship, record that uncertainty while you seek additional documents.
Please read the free lookup guidelines before submitting. Requests are for an index search for one ancestor.
Research source
Publisher’s guide to Genealogies of Virginia Families
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