Petersburg (Independent City), Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Petersburg (Independent City)

Parent County
1850--Petersburg was created 16 March 1850 from Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield Counties.

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Petersburg Personal Property Tax List, 1800-1833," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Petersburg Register of Free Negroes, 1794-1819," Free African Americans.com.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Petersburg Register of Free Negroes, 1819-1833," Free African Americans.com.

Church of England (Anglican, Protestant Episcopal)
Blandford Church served Petersburg's residents.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Intercepted Letters Relating to America 1777-1811," The Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Fall 2000):184-200; Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring 2001):53-74. [Overseas correspondence of residents of Petersburg with the following surnames: King, Mare, Neveu, Schvarts, Scott.]
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Petersburgh [Petersburg] proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 50 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Petersburg.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Petersburg for European settlers included:


 * Appomattox River
 * Occaneechi Path pre-historic
 * King's Highway about 1704
 * Fall Line Road or Southern Road about 1735
 * Secondary Coast Road late 1730s

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Dinwiddie County, Petersburg on page 130.]

Newspapers

 * Daily Index-Appeal (Petersburg,Virginia) Digital version at World Vital Records ($) click here for years 1885-1886, 1887 and click here for years 1900, 1903-1904. See also Newspaper Archive ($)
 * Daily Progress, The (Petersburg,Virginia). Digital version at World Vital Records ($) for years 1904-1905, 1906, 1909-1910. See also Newspaper Archive ($).
 * Evening Progress, The (Petersburg,Virginia). Digital version at World Vital Records ($) for 1920 only. See also Newspaper Archive ($).

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Petersburg silversmiths.]

Probate
London Courts


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

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [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 . [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Petersburg is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1790, 1799] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Petersburg, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1790] Indexed images of the 1790 Land Tax List of Petersburg, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800-1833] Heinegg, Paul. "Petersburg Personal Property Tax List, 1800-1833," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Petersburg is included in Vol. 1.]

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Blandford Church and Cemetery Marker, The Historical Marker Database
 * Blandford Church Marker, The Historical Marker Database