Gloucester County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Gloucester County

Parent County
1651--Gloucester County was created in 1651 from York County. County seat: Gloucester

Neighboring Counties

 * James City
 * King and Queen
 * Mathews
 * Middlesex
 * York

Research Guides

 * A Guide to Gloucester County, Virginia Historical Manuscripts, 1651-1865, Archives Division, Virginia State Library, Richmond, September 1976. Available at FHL.

African American

 * Johnson, Martha C. Black Families of Elizabeth City Co., VA, 1800-1990: Research of Families of Callis, Davis, Simpson, Radcliff, Originating from Gloucester Co., Mathews Co., York and James Counties and Elizabeth Co., Hampton, Virginia. 1985?. Available at FHL.


 * Smith, Gloria L. Solemn Ceremonies: Index of Civil War Marriages, Virginia: Marriage Records of African-American Families of Gloucester County, Virginia Area: From Record Group 105 Received at Camp Hamilton, Virginia. Tucson, Arizona: G.L. Smith, 1990. Available at FHL.

Cemeteries

 * Cemeteries of Lower Gloucester County, Virginia, by Harry R. Jordan. Available at FHL.


 * Epitaphs of Gloucester and Mathews Counties in Tidewater Virginia through 1865, 1959, The Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia. Available at FHL.


 * More Cemeteries of Gloucester County, Virginia, by Harry R. Jordan.


 * Tyler, Lyon G. "Old Tombstones in Gloucester County," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Apr. 1894):219-229; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jul. 1894):28-43; Vol. 3, No. 2 (Oct. 1894):115-120; Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jan. 1895):182-189; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Apr. 1895):253-255. Available at JSTOR ($). [Alternate title: "Inscriptions on Old Tombs in Gloucester Co., Virginia."]

Census

 * James, Edward Wilson. "Census Gloucester County, 1782-83, Free and Slave, Gloucester County," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Jul. 1904):14-16; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Oct. 1904):185-187; Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jan. 1905):269-271; Vol. 12, No. 4 (Apr. 1905):414-416. Available at JSTOR ($).

Church Records

 * A Guide to Church Records in the Library of Virginia

Anglican / Church of England / Episcopal Church

 * A Guide to Episcopal Church in Virginia, by Edith F. Axelson, Iberian Publishing Company, Athens, Georgia, ISBN 0-935931-45-7.


 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Gloucester County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul. 1939):325-346; Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct. 1939). Available at JSTOR ($).


 * Abingdon Parish


 * The Register of Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia, 1677-1780, Compiled by Robert W. Robins, Honford House, Arlington, Virginia, (c)1981, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 80-85448


 * Abingdon Church: A Chronology of its History, 1650-1970. (c)1972, Gloucester County, Virginia.


 * Kingston Parish


 * Kingston Parish Register, Gloucester and Mathews Counties, Virginia, 1749-1827, by Emma R. Matheny and Helen K. Yates. Reprinted 2004.


 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Kingston Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. 1940):261-264. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * The Vestry Book of Kingston Parish, Mathews County, Virginia (until May 1, 1791, Gloucester County), 1679-1796. Transcribed, annotated, and indexed by C.G. Chamberlayne. Originally published Richmond, Virginia, 1929. ISBN 0-8063-4842-9; available at FHL; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and BYU Family History Archives.


 * Petsworth Parish


 * The Vestry Book of Petsworth Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia, 1677-1793, by Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne. Digital version at Google Books (full-view).


 * Ware Parish


 * The World of Ware Parish in Gloucester County, Virginia, by Spotswood Hunnicutt Jones, The Dietz Press, Richmond, Virginia, (1991). ISBN 0-87517-063-3. Library of Congress Number: 91-91176

Baptist Church

 * Dover Association


 * The Baptists of Virginia, 1699-1926, by Garnett Ryland, The Virginia Baptist Board of Missions and Education, Richmond, Virginia, 1955


 * A Chronicle of Christian Heritage, Dover Baptist Association: 1783-1983. by William L. Lumpkin. Skipworth Press, Inc. Richmond, Virginia. (c) 1983, ISBN 0-931804-11-6


 * A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia, by Robert B. Simple. Revised and extended by Rev. G. W. Beale, Pitt and Dickinson, Publishers, Richmond, Virginia, 1894.

Methodist Church

 * Gloucester County, Virginia, Methodist Records, by Michael Pollock, New Papyrus Publishing, Athens, Georgia, (c)2007.

Court
Chancery Court


 * Indexed images of Gloucester County, Virginia Chancery Records 1866-1931 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. In addition to finding a direct ancestor’s surname listed, and watching to see if more recent publications make additions and corrections to earlier works, this list is also useful for determining if genealogists have published accounts, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, for any members of an ancestor’s “FAN Club” [Family, Associates, and Neighbors]. Checking publications about those individuals can lead you to new information about your own ancestry. Be mindful that compiled genealogies may contain errors.

General


 * Robins, Sally Nelson. History of Gloucester County, Virginia, and Its Families. Richmond, Virginia: West, Johnston &amp; Co., 1893. Reviewed in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Apr. 1894):477-481. Review available at JSTOR ($). Also reviewed in The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jan. 1894):216. Review available at JSTOR ($).

Bibliography


 * [Andrews] Andrews, Andrew Jackson. A Sketch of the Boyhood Days of Andrew J. Andrews of Gloucester County, Virginia, and His Experience as a Soldier in the Late War Between the States. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1990. Available at FHL.
 * [Bernard] Reed, Paul C. "The Royal Descent of the Bernard, Corderoy, and Ironmonger Families of Virginia through the Seymour Family," The American Genealogist, Vol. 73, No. 3 (Jul. 1998):181-192; Vol. 73, No. 4 (Oct. 1998):294-311.
 * [Booker] Booker, J. Motley. A Booker Family of Virginia: Gloucester and Essex Counties and the Northern Neck, with Some of the Descendants and Related Families. Heathsville, Virginia: The Northumberland County Historical Society, 1994. Available at FHL.
 * [Booker] von Schilling, Jean Marshall. Booker: Descendants of Captain Richard Booker of Abingdon Parish, Gloucester County, Virginia. 1996. Available at FHL.
 * [Bryan] Dorman, John Frederick. The Bryan and Stewart Families, Descendants of John Randolph Bryan of "Eagle Point", Gloucester County, Virginia: And His Wife, Elizabeth Tucker Coalter, and of John Stewart of "Brook Hill", Henrico County, Virginia, and His Wife, Mary Amanda Williamson. 1969. Available at FHL.
 * [Burwell] "Elegy on the Death of Lewis Burwell, Esq., of Gloucester, Written in April, 1779," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Jan. 1907):20-21. Available at FHL.
 * [Cooke] Stubbs, William Carter and Elizabeth Saunders Blair. Descendants of Mordecai Cooke of "Mordecai's Mount", Gloucester Co., Va., 1650, and Thomas Booth of Ware Neck, Gloucester Co., Va., 1685. New Orleans, Louisiana: n.p., 1923. Available at FHL [2 copies at FHL]; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [Corderoy] See Bernard.
 * [Dunston] Altemus, William Hollowell and Sarah Levenia Dunston Altemus. The Dunston Family of Gloucester County, Virginia. MSS., microfilmed in 1982, available at FHL.
 * [Garnett] Garnett, Douglas Acree. Garnett Family, Ancestors &amp; Descendants of Joseph B. Garnett Sr. (1849-1931): Involving Gloucester, Essex, Caroline and King &amp; Queen Counties, Virginia. Chesterfield, Virginia: D. Garnett, 2000. Available at FHL; digital book at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Garnett] Pearce, Charlotte Allyne Garnett. You Must Give Something Back: Some Descendants of John Garnett, Gloucester County, Virginia. Abilene, Texas: H.V. Chapman &amp; Sons, 2000. Available at FHL.
 * [Hall] Hall, Janet Dapson. The Hall Family: From Gloucester County, Virginia to Champaign County, Ohio. West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania: Infinity Pub., 2009. Available at FHL.
 * [Hayes] Hatfield, Melinde. Hayes and Allied Families of Gloucester County, Virginia: The Descendants of William Hayes and Elizabeth Foster. Eugene, Oregon: M. Hatfield, 1981. Available at FHL; digital book at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Hogg] Ironmonger, Elizabeth Hogg. Hogg Family of York and Gloucester Counties, Va. Seaford, Virginia: Ironmonger, 1968. Available at FHL.
 * [Hogg] Hogge, Shirley S. The Genealogy of Shirley S. Hogg(e) and the Stubblefields of Gloucester County, Virginia. Melbourne, Florida: S.S. Hogge, 1994. Available at FHL.
 * [Hundley] Chatham, Anne Bassett Stanley and Karen Kampsula Clifford. Tidewater Families of the New World &amp; Their Westward Migrations: Case Studies in Southern States Research: Ancestors of Chatham, Gwyn, Armfield, Gray, Stanley, Walker, Bassett &amp; Hundley Families. Austin, Texas: Historical, 1996. Available at FHL.
 * [Ironmonger] See Bernard.
 * [Lewis] Harris, Malcolm H. "John Lewis (1594-1657) of Monmouthshire, England, and Gloucester and New Kent Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Apr. 1948):195-205. Available at FHL.
 * [Lewis] Lewis, Stanford Bacon. Descendants of John Lewis (b.1692, d.1754) Married 1718 to Frances Fielding, "Warner Hall," Gloucester County, Virginia. Arlington, Virginia: Lewis Family Foundation, [1990?]. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [Lewis] Moses, Grace McLean. The Welsh Lineage of John Lewis, 1592-1657: Emigrant to Gloucester, Virginia. Baltimore, Maryland: Clearfield, 1993. Available at FHL.
 * [Rich] Jacobus, Donald Lines. "The House of Rich," The American Genealogist, Vol. 21 (1944):234-238. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors($).
 * [Roane] Selden, Jefferson Sinclair. Charles Roane the Immigrant and His Wife Frances Roane: The First of the Name in Virginia Settled in Gloucester County, Virginia in 1664. Hampton, Virginia: Jefferson Sinclair Selden, 1983. Available at FHL.
 * [Stubblefield] See Hogg.
 * [Stubbs] Stubbs, William Carter. The Descendants of John Stubbs of Cappahosic, Gloucester County, Virginia, 1652. New Orleans: American Printing, 1902. Available at FHL; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Throckmorton] Sitherwood, Frances Grimes. Throckmorton Family History: Being the Record of the Throckmortons in the United States of America, with Cognate Branches; Emigrant Ancestors Located at Salem, Massachusetts, 1630, and in Gloucester County, Virginia, 1660. Bloomington, Illinois: n.p., 1929. Available at FHL.
 * [Wiatt] Wiatt, Alexander Lloyd. The Wiatt Family of Virginia: The Descendants of John Wiatt, Jr. (1732-1805) of Gloucester County, Virginia; with Notes on the Field, Carter, Todd, Ball, Montague and Jones Families. [Newport News, Virginia: A. L. Wiatt], 1980. Available at FHL.
 * [Willis] See also Rich.
 * [Willis] Potter, Maud. The Willises of Virginia: A Genealogical Account of the Descendants of Colonel Francis Willis of Gloucester County, Virginia, Colonel Henry Willis of Fredericksburg and William Willis of Southside Crany Creek. Mars Hill, North Carolina: n.p., 1964. Available at FHL.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Abingdon Parish, Ware Parish, and Gloucester County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]


 * [http://www.immigrantservants.com/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Gloucester&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Gloucester County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.
 * [http://www.immigrantservants.com/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Gloucester&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Gloucester County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Patents


 * Mason, Polly Cary. Records of Colonial Gloucester County Virginia. 2 vols. 1946-1948; reprint, Baltimore: Clearfield, 2003. Original edition and 1965 reprintavailable at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes land patent abstracts, 1704/05 rent roll, Gloucester County tax lists 1770-1782, Mathews County tax lists 1774-1791, burgesses, council, and court, county officials, etc.]

Local Histories

 * A Guide to Gloucester County, Virginia Historical Manuscripts, 1651-1865. Compiled by Charles A, Bodie and William H. Steriner. Archives Divisionn, Virginia State Library, Richmond, Virginia, September 1976. Available at FHL.


 * Gray, Mary Wiatt. Gloucester County, Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Cottrell &amp; Cooke Inc., 1936. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). Reviewed by M.W. Hiden in The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan. 1938):135-136. Review available at JSTOR ($).


 * Mason, Polly Cary. "The Story of Elmington: Gloucester County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 55, No. 3 (Jul. 1947):247-258. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * "...past is prologue", Gloucester County, Virginia, A publication of Gloucester County and The Gloucester Historical and Bicentennial Committee, (c)1973, Library of Congress Card Catalog Number 73-87-914. Reviewed by William M.E. Rachal in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 83, No. 2 (Apr. 1975):214. Review available at JSTOR ($).


 * Sinclair, Caroline Baytop. Gloucester's Past in Pictures. Reviewed by David C. Holly in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 100, No. 3, The Home Front and Beyond: Virginians in the World War 2 Era (Jul. 1992):462-463. Review available at JSTOR ($).


 * Six Periods in the History of Gloucester County. DeHardit Press.


 * Swem, E.G. "Views of Yorktown and Gloucester Town, 1755," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 54, No. 2 (Apr. 1946):99-105. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * With Reverence for the Past: Gloucester County, Virginia. by Martha W. McCarthney, The Dietz Press, Richmond, Virginia.(c)2001.ISBN 0-9710690-0-X. Reviewed by Emily Salmon in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 109, No. 4 (2001):419-420. Review available at JSTOR ($).

Military

 * Colonial Militia


 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Gloucester County militia officers and/or soldiers; see place name index.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Gloucester County militia officers; see place name index.]


 * French and Indian War


 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Gloucester County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch [French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War] with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Gloucester County, see p. 82.]


 * Revolutionary War


 * Clayton, Jasper. "Officers Appointed by the Gloucester Co. (Va.) Committee of Safety in 1775," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Oct. 1906):123-124. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * Hatch, Charles E. "Gloucester Point in the Siege of Yorktown 1781," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Apr. 1940):265-284. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * The Governors' Island, Gwynn's Island, Virginia, During the Revolution. By Peter Jennings Wrike.(c) 1993, The Gwynn's Island Museum, Gwynn, Virginia. ISBN 1-883911-00-1 (pbk.). ISBN 1-883911-01-X (cloth).


 * Revolutionary War - Gloucester District Battlion


 * A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774-1787, Compiled by E. M. Sanchez-Saavedra, Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland, ISBN 1-58549-652-9.


 * Civil War


 * Andrews, Andrew Jackson. A Sketch of the Boyhood Days of Andrew J. Andrews of Gloucester County, Virginia, and His Experience as a Soldier in the Late War Between the States. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1990. Available at FHL.


 * Gloucester County In The Civil War, by Ludwell Lee Montague, The DeHardit Press, Gloucester, Virginia. Reviewed by Ludwell H. Johnson III in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 74, No. 4 (Oct. 1966):497-498. Review available at JSTOR ($).


 * Reminiscences, Confederate Soldiers of Gloucester County, Virginia and Other matter pertaining to local history during the War betweeen the States, 1861-1865, written by notable Richmond and Gloucester women of the Confederancy. Collected and compiled by Nellie Shackleford Smith.


 * 26th Virginia Infantry, by Alex L. Wiatt, (c)1984, H. E. Howard, Inc.

Newspapers

 * Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette(1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburgwebsite. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Officials

 * Mason, Polly Cary. Records of Colonial Gloucester County Virginia. 2 vols. 1946-1948; reprint, Baltimore: Clearfield, 2003. Original edition and 1965 reprintavailable at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes land patent abstracts, 1704/05 rent roll, Gloucester County tax lists 1770-1782, Mathews County tax lists 1774-1791, burgesses, council, and court, county officials, etc.]

Private Papers

 * "Family Account of Mrs. Lucy Ann Page, Dec'd, Late of Gloucester County, Virginia," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Apr. 1903):251-260. Available at JSTOR ($).

Probate

 * Local Court


 * King, George H.S. "Will of Robert Singleton of Gloucester County," [1725] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 64, No. 1 (Jan. 1956):103-104. Available at JSTOR ($).


 * London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Abingdon Parish, Ware Parish and Gloucester County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Schools

 * Bagby, George F. "William G. Price and the Gloucester Agricultural and Industrial School," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 108, No. 1 (2000):45-84. Available at JSTOR ($).

Taxation

 * At first glance, researchers might conclude that Virginia tax lists contain very little family history data, though one soon learns that valuable genealogical conclusions can be drawn from these records, nicknamed "annual censuses," such as: relationships, approximate years of birth, socio-economic status, identification of neighbors, the ability to distinguish between persons of the same name, evidence of land inheritance, years of migration, and years of death.


 * Virginia began enumerating residents' payments of personal property and land taxes in 1782. These two types of taxation were recorded in separate registers. Personal property tax lists include more names than land tax lists, because they caught more of the population. The Family History Library has an excellent microfilm collection of personal property tax lists from 1782 (or the year the county was organized) well into the late nineteenth century for most counties, but only scattered land tax lists. Microfilm collections at The Library of Virginia include land tax lists for all counties and independent cities for the years 1782 through 1978, as well as personal property tax lists for the years 1782 through 1930 (and every fifth year thereafter). Taxes were not collected in 1808.


 * Some tax records are available online or in print, though published abstracts often omit useful details found only in the original sources. Statewide indexes can help genealogists identify specific counties where surnames occurred in the past, providing starting points for research.


 * [1704] "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at FHL; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). [Gloucester County appears in 32:281-287, 338-343.]
 * [1704/05, 1770-1782] Mason, Polly Cary. Records of Colonial Gloucester County Virginia. 2 vols. 1946-1948; reprint, Baltimore: Clearfield, 2003. Original edition and 1965 reprintavailable at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes land patent abstracts, 1704/05 rent roll, Gloucester County tax lists 1770-1782, Mathews County tax lists 1774-1791, burgesses, council, and court, county officials, etc.]
 * [1770-1771, 1774-1775] Woodson, Robert F. and Isobel B. Woodson. Virginia Tithables from Burned Record Counties: Buckingham, 1773-1774; Gloucester, 1770-1771, 1774-1775; Hanover, 1763 and 1770; James City, 1768-1769; Stafford, 1768 and 1773. Richmond, Virginia: I.B. Woodson, 1970. Available at FHL. ISBN 0-89308-306-2.
 * [1774-1775] Billups, John R. Tithables, 1774-1775, of Kingston Parish, also Billups' Accounts, 1787-1842. MSS., Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; also available at FHL. [Kingston Parish was located in Gloucester County at the time, but later fell within the bounds of Mathews County.]
 * [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Gloucester County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1789, 1799] Indexed images of the 1789 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Gloucester County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1790, 1800] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1800 Land Tax Lists of Gloucester County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1794] James, Edward Wilson. "Carriage Owners, Gloucester County, 1784," [or 1794] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Jan. 1906):313-314. Available at JSTOR ($). [Abstracted from 1794 Personal Property Tax Lists.]
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Gloucester County is included in Vol. 3.]

Vital Records

 * Death


 * Hunt, L. Roane and Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia. Death Records of Gloucester County, Virginia, 1865-1890: Special Project of the Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia. Gloucester, Virginia: Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia, 2000. Available at FHL.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog