Petersburg (Independent City), Virginia Genealogy

Description
The City of Petersburg is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Originally named Peter's Point around 1675, the city was renamed to Petersburgh in 1733 with a spelling change later on.

Courthouse


For additional records, see Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield counties.

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

African American

 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of the City of Petersburg.
 * 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.

Cemeteries
Additional Information: Research suggests - Petersburg's cemeteries were segregated by race and by religion. In 1815, the Petersburg Beneficial Society of Free Men of Color was established to support its free black members in times of sickness and death.


 * Blandford Cemetery: The oldest marked grave dates back to 1702. Is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.  Blandford Cemetery History
 * Brith Achim and Rod of Sholom Cemeteries: Are burial places of Jewish individuals, Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives
 * Fairgrounds Post Hospital Cemetery: There are approximately 1700 Confederate graves in the cemetery.
 * Peoples Memorial Cemetery: First lots purchased in 1840. Peoples Cemetery, also known as Providence Cemetery, incorporates the second Beneficial Society lot. In 1985, this African- American cemetery was deeded over to the City of Petersburg.  In 2008 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Baptist

 * 1827-1906 at FamilySearch — index

Church of England
Blandford Church served Petersburg's residents.

Court
Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search Petersburg City chancery records for the years 1787-1960. Digital images are available for the years 1787-1912. Indexed and original records available through 1960 - see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability.

Genealogy

 * Duncan Dobson, Mary Ann Duncan. Duncan Research Files of Mary Ann (Duncan) Dobson. MSS. 1975-1999. Includes Dinwiddie County and Petersburg Duncan families.
 * Page Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. Page Family Records in Virginia Counties. 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 1982-2006. (Petersburg appears in Vol. 2 Part 4)
 * Page Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. The Page Family in Virginia Personal Property Taxes (1782-1850). 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 2002. (Petersburg appears in Vol. 2)

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
 * 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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Dinwiddie County, Petersburg on page 130.

Civil War
Since the city of Petersburg was created 1850, Civil War records for the men of this area usually will be found in the city records rather than the county records.

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Petersburg.
 * June 9, 1864 - Petersburg I, also known as Old Men and Young Boys.
 * June 15-18, 1864 - Petersburg II, also known as the Assault on Petersburg.
 * June 21-24, 1864 - Jerusalem Plank Road, also known as First Battle of Weldon Railroad.
 * July 30, 1864 - Crater, also known as The Mine.
 * March 25, 1865 - Fort Stedman.
 * April 2, 1865 - Petersburg III.
 * Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.

Newspapers

 * 1797-1877 Petersburg Newspaper Index (1797-1877) index only.
 * 1814-1815 Petersburg Daily Courier (Petersburg, Virginia) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1817 American Star (Petersburg, Virginia) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1882-1887, 1900 Daily Index-Appeal (Petersburg, Virginia) at Newspaper Archive ($)
 * 1900 National Pilot (Petersburg, Virginia) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1904-1910 Daily Progress, The (Petersburg, Virginia) at Newspaper Archive ($).
 * 1920 Evening Progress, The (Petersburg, Virginia) at Newspaper Archive ($).
 * 2001-present Progress-Index (Petersburg, Virginia) at Genealogy Bank ($).

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

 * 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

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 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & 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.
 * 1787/1788-1850 Personal property tax lists, 1787/1788-1850.  - images.
 * 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.
 * 1851-1917, 1930 Land books, 1851-1917, 1930.  - images.

Vital Records

 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)

Birth

 * 1853-1896 - Petersburg Birth Index 1853-1896. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Marriage

 * 1784-1910 Petersburg Marriage Index 1784-1910. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry ($) — index

Death

 * 1853-1896 - Petersburg Death Index 1853-1896. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Voter Records

 * 1902-1970 at FamilySearch, index

Websites

 * Blandford Church and Cemetery Marker, The Historical Marker Database
 * Blandford Church Marker, The Historical Marker Database