Lancaster County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Lancaster County



Parent County
1652--Lancaster County was created in 1652 from Northumberland and York Counties. County seat: Lancaster

Neighboring Counties

 * Essex
 * Middlesex
 * Northumberland
 * Richmond

African American

 * Burkett, Brigitte. Lancaster County Virginia, Register of Free Negroes 1803-1860. Richmond, Virginia: B. Burkett, 1999.
 * Cowling, Dorothy Norris C. Historical Notes on the Life and Achievements of Blacks in Lancaster County and the State of Virginia (1619-1974). 1991. A Study Sponsored by the Lancaster County African American Historical Society.
 * Jett, Carolyn. Runaway Slaves (Servants), Lancaster County, Virginia, 1736-1775. Lancaster, Virginia: Mary Ball Washington Museum, 2000.
 * Sutton, Karen Elizabeth. Black, Red and Revolutionary: Free African Americans of Lancaster and Northumberland Counties, Virginia, in the Era of the American Revolution. University of Maryland, 1997.
 * Van Riemsdijk, Tatiana. "His Slaves or Hers? Customary Claims, a Planter Marriage, and a Community Verdict in Lancaster County, 1793," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 113, No. 1 (2005):46-79. Available at JSTOR ($).

Cemeteries

 * Heiger, Herman J. "Blakey Graveyard, Lancaster County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1970):136. Available at New England Ancestors ($).

Census

 * 1850 Census of Lancaster County, Virginia. The Mary Ball Memorial Museum and Library, Inc., 1968. Reviewed in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1969):88. Review available at New England Ancestors ($).

Church
Baptist


 * Norris, Robert O. "History of Lebanon Baptist Church Lancaster County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 9 (1959).

Church of England


 * Dawe, Louise Belote. "Christ Church, Lancaster County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 18 (1968).
 * Herndon, Richard T. "The Restoration of Historic Christ Church," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 24 (1974).
 * "John Carter, Robert Carter and Historic Christ Church," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 52 (2002).
 * Mason, George Carrington. "The Colonial Churches of Northumberland and Lancaster Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 54, No. 2 (Apr. 1946):137-151; Vol. 54, No. 3 (Jul. 1946):233-243. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Peirce, Elizabeth Combs. "Saint Marys White Chapell, Parish Church of Saint Marys White Chapell Parish, Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 5 (1955).
 * Rawley, Heath J. "Glebe Lands on Carter's Creek Lancaster County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 15 (1965).
 * "The Early Churches of Northern Neck (Beulah Hinton Marsh)--Aquia Church in Stafford County, Christ Church Lancaster County, Farnham Church in Richmond County, Lamb's Creek Church in King George County, St. Mary's White Chapel in Lancaster County, St. Paul's Church in King George County, Yeocomico Church in Westmoreland County--Baptist Churches of White Marsh in Lancaster, Morattico Baptist, Nomini in Westmoreland, Farnham in Richmond, Hanover Baptist in King George," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 2 (1952).
 * Woolverton, John F. "Address Commemorating The 300th Anniversary of St. Mary's White Chapel, Lancaster County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 19 (1969).

Presbyterian


 * "An Order Prohibiting the Erection of a Presybterian Church in Lancaster County in 1759 titled 'Lancaster County, Virginia Court Records, Deed Book 15, p. 321,'" Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 13 (1963).
 * Gordon, James. "Journal of Col. James Gordon, of Lancaster County, Va.," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Oct. 1902):98-112. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Peirce, Elizabeth C. "Col. James Gordon's Presbyterian Meeting House - Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 17 (1967).

Court
General


 * Peirce, Elizabeth Combs. "Courthouses of Lancaster County, 1656-1950," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 1 (1951).
 * Simmons. "Decades of Court History in Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 34 (1984).

Chancery Court


 * Indexed images of Lancaster County, Virginia Chancery Records 1722-1936 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.

County Court


 * Peirce, Elizabeth C. "Lancaster County Order Book Fifteen July 1770-1778: Ten Selected Entries," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 9 (1959).
 * "Rules of Lancaster Court in 1671," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Apr. 1897):264. Available at JSTOR ($).

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.

Bibliography


 * [Ball] See also Williamson.
 * [Ball] Kirk, Henry Ivens (b. 1861). Descendants of William Ball of Millenbeck, Lancaster Co., Va. MSS, Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore. Available at FHL.
 * [Ball] Mann, Nina Tracy. "William Ball of Lancaster," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 24 (1974).
 * [Ball] Mann, Nina Tracy. "William Ball of Millenbeck," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 25 (1975).
 * [Ball] Lennon, Rachael M. "A Proposed English Ancestry for Henry Ball (circa 1676-1735) of Middlesex County, Virginia," The American Genealogist, Vol. 78, No. 3 (Jul. 2003):165-172; Vol. 78, No. 4 (Oct. 2003):265-273.
 * [Bell] The Rev. John Bell of Lancaster Co., VA. MSS., available at FHL.
 * [Blakemore] Blakemore, John A. Known Descendants of Edward Blakemore, Junior, of Lancaster County, Virginia. Abingdon, Virginia: n.p., 1963. Available at FHL.
 * [Brumley] Carlson, Gladys. The Brumley Family: Daniel Brumley and His Son Samuel Brumley, Ship Carpenter of St. Mary's Whitechapel, Lancaster County, Virginia; Some of Their Descendants Through Thirteen Generations, 1681-1984. Pensacola, Florida: G. Carlson, 1984. Available at FHL.
 * [Carter] See also Dale.
 * [Carter] Miller, Joseph Lyon. The Descendants of Capt. Thomas Carter of "Barford", Lancaster County, Virginia: With Genealogical Notes of Many of the Allied Families. Thomas, West Virginia: n.p., 1912. Available at FHL. [11 distinct WorldCat listings]
 * [Carter] "Capt. Thomas Carter, Jr., of 'Barford' Lancaster County, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Apr. 1935):153-154. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Carter] Hartshorn, Edwin Simpson. The Genealogy of Certain Descendants of John Carter of Corotoman, Lancaster County, Va. n.p.: E.S. Hartshorn, 1949. Available at FHL.
 * [Carter] Bemiss, Samuel M. "Colonel Robert (King) Carter of Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 3 (1953).
 * [Carter] Warner, Charles Willard Hoskins. Thomas Carter II of Corotoman, Lancaster County, Virginia: His Ancestry and Descendants, and Sketches on Certain Families with Whom Carter Descendants Have Married: Garnett, Roy, Hoskins and Byrd. Williamsburg, Virginia: Virginia Gazette, 1958. Available at FHL. [3 distinct WorldCat listings]
 * [Carter] Berkely, Edmund. "Robert Carter - Colonial 'King,'" Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 12 (1962).
 * [Carter] Warner, Charles W. H. "The Early Carters of Corotoman," [Thomas Carter Family of Lancaster County] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 20 (1970).
 * [Carter] Smith, Cora Taylor Younger. The Reverend Daniel Taylor, Senior, of Virginia, People and Places, Here and There, with Facts and Memories: West (De La Warr), Taylor, Gregory, Littlepage, Carter (Lancaster- Nansemond), Waller, Skipwith, Croshaw, Mills, Dale, Younger, Osborne, Thweatt, Stone, Smith, Bibliography (James Taylor), Charlemagne, "Adam and Eve." Danville, Virginia: McCain Printing, 1981. Available at FHL.
 * [Carter] Warner. "Barford Plantation and the Thomas Carters," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 37 (1987).
 * [Carter] Elliott. "Capt Thomas Carter of 'Barford' Lancaster County of Virginia, A Second View," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 37 (1987).
 * [Carter] Ward, Charles Martin. "A Refutation of the Alleged Royal Ancestry of Katherine (Dale) Carter, Wife of Thomas Carter of Lancaster County, Virginia," The American Genealogist, Vol. 75, No. 1 (Jan. 2000):27-29.
 * [Chowning] "Chownings of Middlesex, Lancaster &amp; Beyond," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 56 (2006).
 * [Currie] Lohrenz. "An Analysis of the Life and Career of the Reverend David Currie, Lancaster County, Virginia 1743-1791," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 50 (2000).
 * [Dale] See also Carter.
 * [Dale] "Major Edward Dale: Lancaster County, Virginia, 1655-1694," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jan. 1909):196-202. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Dale] Miller, Joseph Lyon and Charles W.H. Warner. "Major Edward Dale, Lancaster County, Virginia 1655-1694," [includes information about Capt. Thomas Carter II] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 24 (1974).
 * [Denny] Hirtzel, Richard D. Denny Families in Early Northumberland County and Lancaster County, Virginia. Pleasant Grove, Utah: R.D. Hirtzel, 1999. Available at FHL.
 * [Downing] "Judge Samuel Downing of 'Edgeley,' Lancaster County, Virginia," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 1 (1951).
 * [Garten] Garten, Burton Lee. An Indiana Branch of the Elijah Garten Family: The James Garten Line. MSS., available at FHL.
 * [Gordon] Gordon, Armistead Churchill. Colonel James Gordon of Lancaster (1714-1768): Read at the Presentation by His Descendants to the County of Lancaster, Virginia, of a Portrait of Col. James Gordon, July 21, 1913. Staunton, Virginia: n.p., 1913. Available at FHL.
 * [Gordon] Jones, Christine Adams. Col. James Gordon, Merchant of Lancaster County, Virginia. Lancaster, Virginia: Mary Ball Washington Museum &amp; Library, 1983.
 * [Heale] See Rogers.
 * [McCarty] "Thaddeus McCarty, Clerk of Lancaster County 1778-1787," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 51 (2001).
 * [Meador] Meador, Victor P. Our Meador Families in Colonial America: As Found in the Records of Isle of Wight, Lancaster, (Old) Rappahannock, Richmond, Essex and Caroline Counties, Virginia. Independence, Missouri: V.P. Meador, 1983. Available at FHL. [2 distinct WorldCat listings]
 * [Montague] Montague, George William. History and Genealogy of the Montague Family of America: Descended from Richard Montague of Hadley, Mass., and Peter Montague of Lancaster Co., Va., with Genealogical Notes of Other Families by Name of Montague. Amherst, Massachusetts: J. E. Williams, 1886. Available at FHL. [4 distinct WorldCat listings]
 * [Montague] Montague, George William. History and Genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and Lancaster Counties, Virginia, and His Descendants, 1621-1894. Amherst, Massachusetts: Carpenter &amp; Morehouse, 1894. Available at FHL; digital book at BYU Family History Archives. [4 distinct WorldCat listings]
 * [Montague] Moore, Mrs. Gay Montague. "Peter Montague, Burgess From Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 5 (1955).
 * [Potter] Hunt, John G. "English Origins and Clues" [Potter and Robinson, Virginia], The American Genealogist, Vol. 36 (1960):121-122. Available at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [Reviere] Bryant, William C. Riviere-Riveer-Revere, A Lancaster County, Virginia Line and Riviere-Reviere-Revere-Revier Collateral Lines. Williamsburg, Virginia: W.C. Bryant, 2009.
 * [Robertson] Booker, Motley and Norman R. Tingle. "Andrew Robertson - Pioneer Physician of Lancaster County, Virginia," [Andrew Robertson, b. 1716 in Inverness, Scotland] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 22 (1972).
 * [Robinson] See Potter.
 * [Rogers] Hudson, Carlton Lee. "Ellen Rogers, Wife of George Heale of Lancaster County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1967):21-29. Available at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [Taylor] "The Taylor Family of Northumberland and Lancaster Counties, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Apr. 1927):211-218; Vol. 36, No. 4 (Oct. 1928):388-389. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Williamson] "Williamson Family Records - Lancaster County, Old Rapphannock County - Margaret Williamson Family, wife of William Ball II," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 16 (1966).

Historic Residences

 * McKenney. "Morattico Plantation--Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 38 (1988).
 * Wharton, James. "The Lost Settlement of Queenstown, Plow Turns Up Early Trace of Early Port," [Lancaster County] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 10 (1960).

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Lancaster City and Lancaster County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * "Colonial Convicts of the Northern Neck," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 52 (2002).
 * Jett, Carolyn. Runaway Slaves (Servants), Lancaster County, Virginia, 1736-1775. Lancaster, Virginia: Mary Ball Washington Museum, 2000.
 * [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=Lancaster&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 Lancaster County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.
 * Ljungstedt, Milnor. "Items from Southern Records" [Showing Family and Trade Connections with Northern Colonies and the Home Countries], The American Genealogist, Vol. 15 (1938):95-104. Available at New England Ancestors ($). [Lancaster Co., VA record surnames: Burgess, Chauncey, Cosens, Davenport, Eustace, Hambleton, Hayward, Hayworth, Howard, Jauncey, Marshal, Smyth.]

Local Histories

 * "Lancaster County History; An Antient Planter," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 51 (2001).
 * Norris, Robert O. "Some Unusual Happenings in the Colonial Life of Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 8 (1958).

Military
Colonial Militia


 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Lancaster County militia officers and/or soldiers; see place name index.]
 * "Colonial Militia, Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 12 (1962).
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Lancaster 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 Lancaster County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War


 * Gentry, Daphne. "Return of Recruits Raised in Lancaster County, 1781," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1979):173-174. Available at New England Ancestors ($).
 * Nottingham, Stratton. Revolutionary Soldiers and Sailors from Lancaster County, Virginia: Muster Rolls and Pay Rolls of the Ninety-second Regiment of Virginia Militia, Lancaster County, 1812. Onancock, Virginia: S. Nottingham, 1930. Available at FHL.
 * O'Dell, Jeffrey M. "The War of Independence and the Northern Neck of Virginia," [Chapter VI, Lancaster County, Justices, Captains] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 21 (1971).
 * Sutton, Karen Elizabeth. Black, Red and Revolutionary: Free African Americans of Lancaster and Northumberland Counties, Virginia, in the Era of the American Revolution. University of Maryland, 1997.

Civil War


 * Sherrill, Sandra P. and Ladies Memorial Association. The Confederate Memorial of Lancaster County, Virginia, Erected in 1872 by the Ladies Memorial Society. 199-?. Available at FHL.

World Wars


 * Lowery, Margaret Palmer. "John Chowning Gresham: The Northern Neck's First Medal of Honor Winner," [of Plainview, Lancaster County] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 20 (1970).

Native American

 * Philips, John. "Indian Affairs in Lancaster County," [1653] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jan. 1896):177-179. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "The Treaty of Lancaster, 1744," [Indian] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Oct. 1905):141-142. Available at JSTOR ($).

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.

Occupations

 * Booker, Motley and Norman R. Tingle. "Andrew Robertson - Pioneer Physician of Lancaster County, Virginia," [Andrew Robertson, b. 1716 in Inverness, Scotland] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 22 (1972).
 * Peirce, Alice Clark. "Members of the House of Burgesses of Lancaster County, Including Members of Conventions of 1773-1776," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 12 (1962).
 * Sadtler, Otis K. "Post Offices in Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 2 (1952).
 * Tyler, Lyon G. "Burgesses of Lancaster County," [1651-1740] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Apr. 1897):260-261. Available at JSTOR ($).

Petitions

 * "Miscellaneous Legislative Petitions From The Counties of Westmoreland, Richmond, Northumberland and Lancaster," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 10 (1960).
 * Kreiser, Barnette. "Lancaster County Court Independency Oath," [1776] Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 26 (1976).

Private Papers

 * [Currie] "Letter from John Currie of 'Verville,' Lancaster County, To His Mother (Civil War, not dated)," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 9 (1959).
 * [Currie] Dawe, Louise Belote. "'Your Affectionate Son John,' Some letters from John Currie to his family at Verville, Lancaster County, Virginia 1862-1865," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 19 (1969).
 * [Derby] "A Letter Written by Miss Hattie Derby, Age 19, Neice of the Rev. Henry Derby, Rector of Christ Church Parish, Lancaster County, Virginia To a Cousin Living in Sussex County, Virginia, dated Lancaster C. H., Dec. 21st, 1881," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 9 (1959).
 * [Gordon] Gordon, James. "Journal of Col. James Gordon, of Lancaster County, Va.," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Oct. 1902):98-112. Available at JSTOR ($).

Probate
Local Court


 * Watts, Dorothy C and William H. Watts. Index to Ida J. Lee's Abstracts of Lancaster County Virginia Wills 1653-1800. Albuquerque, New Mexico: D.C. Watts and W.H. Watts, 1987.

London Courts


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

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Lancaster County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):273-275. Available at New England Ancestors ($).

Schools

 * Dobyns, Louise Towles. "Early Public Education in Lancaster County," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 24 (1974).

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.


 * Jones, Christine Adams and Donna Helmuth. Early Lancaster County Tithables 1652-1720.
 * "Tithables of Lancaster County, Va., 1654," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Oct. 1897):158-169; Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jan. 1898):249-260; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Apr. 1898):429-434. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "Tithable Persons in the Parishes of Christ Church and St. Mary's White Chapel, 1701," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 16 (1966).
 * "Tithables in Lancaster Co., 1716," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Oct. 1912):106-112. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Lancaster County, Virginia Tithables, 1745-1798. Original records, Lancaster County Courthouse, Lancaster, Virginia; also available on microfilm at FHL.
 * Indexed images of the 1786 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Lancaster County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * Indexed images of the 1789 and 1797 Land Tax Lists of Lancaster County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * 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. Lancaster County is included in Vol. 3.]

Vital Records
Marriage


 * Headley, Robert K. Married Well and Often; Marriages of the Northern Neck 1649-1800. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2003.
 * "Lancaster County Marriages," [1790s] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jan. 1910):176-178. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "Marriage Bonds in Lancaster County," [1710s-1790s] The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Oct. 1897):103-108; Vol. 12, No. 2 (Oct. 1903):96-103; Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jan. 1904):175-183. Available at JSTOR ($).

Research Guides

 * Kreiser, Barnette. "The Restoration of Early Lancaster County Records," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 27 (1977).

Societies and Libraries

 * Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library
 * The Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society

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
 * "Northern Neck," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Neck.