Carol McGinnis, author of Virginia Genealogy Sources & Resources, states very clearly in her introduction:
“this [book] is not a ‘how-to’ guide…this volume is not on the strategies of Virginia research…this book does not list every source in the state; that would be impossible for a book this size. But it should contain enough material to help genealogists get well on their way in their research.”
The author may not be much for self aggrandizement, but she has a talent for understatement. Granted, taken literally, it would be impossible to include “every” source in one book. However, at 498 pages, McGinnis definitely understates the value of her book and just how much it contains. Just look at the table of contents (listed below) and imagine stuffing nearly 500 pages of information between all those chapter titles and subsection headings.
Virginia Genealogy thoroughly breaks down each type of records available, provides an explanation as to the type of records, some history is given where appropriate and the book provides as much detail as possible about the location of records and years covered. For example, under “Counties and Their Records,” the author provides a brief history for each county, when different records began and other useful information about accessing county records. Another example of the author’s thoroughness can be found under “Land Transfers from the Government to Private Ownership.” A clear and informative explanation on this issue includes fully defining the different methods used for government land transfers; including, Headrights, Treasury Right, Military Right, Orders of the Council, Northern Neck Proprietary, and Warrants and Surveys.
First published in 1993, with the most recent paperback printing in 2008, Virginia Genealogy Sources & Resources continues to be a wealth of information and a popular tome among those with Virginian ancestors and for genealogy libraries.
Introduction
Charts
1: “In the Beginning”
- Virginia’s Land
- Virginia’s People
- Virginia’s History
- Historical Highlights
2: To and From Virginia: Immigration and Migration
- Factors Prompting Immigration
- Types of Settlers
- Factors Influencing Migration
- Migration Patterns
- Records that Give Clues to Immigration and Migration
3: Vital Records
- Marriages
- Births
- Deaths
- Divorces
4: Alternative Sources for Vital Records
- Bible Records
- Diaries
- Information from Others
- Church and Synagogue Records
- Cemetery Records
- Newspapers
- Military and Military-Related Records
- Family Histories and Genealogies
- County and Regional Histories
- Periodicals and Indexes
5: Census Records and Their Substitutes
- Census Records
- Census Indexes
- Special Schedules
- Special Censuses
- Census Substitutes
- Tax Lists
- Election Records
- Contested Election Files
- Legislative Petitions
- City Directories
- ‘A Short Census of Virginia’
6: Land and Court Records
- Land
- Land Transfers from the Government to Private Owners
- Land Office
- Land Transactions Between Individuals
- Entailed Land
- Land Disputes
- Locations of Land Records
- Land Processioning
- Maps
- Virginia’s Court System
- Types of Court Records
- Probate Records
- A Word About Women
7: Digging Deeper
- Manuscript Collections
- Business Records
- Insurance Records
- Fraternal Organizations
- Schools and Universities
- Legislative Records
- Life in Virginia
- Records in England
- Records in Scotland
- Adoption
8: The People of Virginia
- English
- Germans
- Poles
- Huguenots
- Africans
- Italians
- Jews
- Scots-Irish
- Scots
- Irish
9: African-American Research in Virginia
- The First Africans in Virginia
- Slavery’s Growth
- Freedmen in Virginia
- The Challenges of African-American Research
- Sources from African-American Research
10: Counties and Their Records
- County Records
- Former Virginia Counties
- Records in Individual Counties
11: Cities and Their Records
- History of the Independent City
- City Recordss
- Records in Individual Cities
12: Genealogical Collections
- Collections in Individual Counties and Cities
13: Historical and Genealogical Societies
- Societies in Individual Counties and Cities
14: A Bibliography of Virginia Sources
Part I: General, Statewide and Regional Materials
- Bibliographies, Finding Aides, Indexes and Guides to Research
- State and Regional Histories
- Jamestown Booklets
- County/City Development
- Migration and Immigration
- Bible Records
- Census Abstracts, Indexes and Substitutes
- Compilations and Abstracts
- Biographies and Genealogies
- Churches and Their Records
- Military Records
- Court and Legislative Records
- Land and Related Records
- Newspapers
- Businesses and Institutions
- African-American Genealogy
- The Germanna Record
- Other Ethnic Groups
- English and Scottish Records Relating to Virginians
- Historical and Genealogical Societies
- Fraternal Organizations
Part II: Individual County and City Sources
Index
Addendum
To Order you copy of Virginia Genealogy Sources and Resources, please visit Family Roots Publishing; Item #: GPC3526.