Virginia, Historical Society Papers - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains images from the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, Virginia. The collection includes bible records, genealogy papers, and miscellaneous records. The records cover the years 1607 to 2007.

The Virginia Historical Society was founded in 1831. Their mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret the Commonwealth’s history, to link the past with the present and inspire future generations.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Historical Society Papers
 * Name and gender of ancestor
 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place
 * Marriage date and place
 * Spouse's name and gender
 * Names of parents
 * Names of children, their spouses and their children's full name

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:
 * The place where the event occurred
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the bride and groom

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as more recent records
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes created by local genealogical and historical societies
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Virginia.
 * Virginia Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.