Richmond (Independent City), Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Goochland County, Virginia ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.

Description
The City of Richmond is located in the Central portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named after a suburb of London, England.

Courthouse
For additional records, see Henrico County.

Parent County
1782--Richmond was created in 1782 from Henrico County.

Record Loss
1865.During the evacuation of Richmond at the end of the American Civil War a circuit court judge led efforts to save State Courthouse records for Henrico County and Richmond Independent City from the 3 April 1865 fire. Papers of all pending suits and many order books were preserved, but deeds, and wills were a total loss, as were records of the Superior Court, and Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery.

Some Circuit Court order books and most Hustings Court records still exist.

Research Guides

 * "Genealogical Research in Richmond, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan.-Feb. 1983):1; Vol. 9, No. 2 (Mar.-Apr. 1983):1-2. Available at ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.
 * "Genealogical Research in Richmond, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Jul.-Aug. 1989):1-2; Vol. 15, No. 5 (Sep.-Oct. 1989):1-2. Available at ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Richmond City Personal Property Tax List, 1787-1819," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of City of Richmond.
 * 1853 Richmond and Its Slave Market presents visuals of auction houses and slave jails, created by the Digital Scholarship Lab, University of Richmond.

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) First Baptist Church, City of Richmond, Va. (1780). A centennial history was published in 1880. It is available online.
 * 2) Leigh Street, Richmond, Va. (1854). A centennial history was published in 1954:.
 * 3) Tabernacle, Richmond, Va. (1891). A centennial history was published in 1991:.

Richmond fell within the bounds of the Dover Association.

Catholic

 * Wight, Willard E. "War Letters of the Bishop of Richmond," [Catholic Bishop] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Jul. 1959):259-270. Available at JSTOR ($).

Church of England

 * Newton, Blake T. "The Monumental Church of Richmond [City] and the Northern Neck Personages Connected With Its History," Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine, Vol. 12 (1962).

Jewish

 * Joel, Joseph and Myron Berman. "My Recollections and Experiences of Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., 1884-1892," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Jul. 1979):344-356. Available at JSTOR ($).

Unitarian-Universalist

 * Gibson, George H. "The Unitarian-Universalist Church of Richmond," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 74, No. 3 (Jul. 1966):321-335. Available at JSTOR ($).

Criminal Records

 * Saunders, Robert M. "Crime and Punishment in Early National America: Richmond, Virginia, 1784-1820," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 86, No. 1 (Jan. 1978):33-44. Available at JSTOR ($).

Chancery Court

 * Library of Virginia maintains Richmond City chancery records for the years 1830-1918. Access to the original records can be gained by identifying the local case file number. Contact Archives Research Services for assistance in determining the local case file number.

Directories

 * 1856 - The Richmond Directory and Business Advertiser for 1856 at Don's List - free.
 * 1889-1890 - Chataigne's Richmond City Directory, 1889-1890. Richmond, VA: Chataigne Co, 1890. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1889 - Chataigne's Manchester Directory, 1889. Richmond, VA: Chataigne Co., 1890. Available at Ancestry ($).

Genealogy

 * [Cooper] Shockley, Martin Staples. "Priscilla Cooper in the Richmond Theatre," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 67, No. 2 (Apr. 1959), 180-185. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Joel] Joel, Joseph and Myron Berman. "My Recollections and Experiences of Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., 1884-1892," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 87, No. 3 (Jul. 1979):344-356. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Mordecai] Weddell, Alexander Wilbourne. "Samuel Mordecai: Chronicler of Richmond 1786-1865," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 53, No. 4 (Oct. 1945):265-287. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Newman] Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at ; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Genealogy of the Newman Family, 1618-1900," see Table of Contents; discusses Newmans of Richmond.]
 * [Page] Page, Richard Channing Moore. Genealogy of the Page Family in Virginia. Also a Condensed Account of the Nelson, Walker, Pendleton and Randolph Families, With References to the Bland, Burwell, Byrd, Carter, Cary, Duke, Gilmer, Harrison, Rives, Thornton, Wellford, Washington, and Other Distinguished Families in Virginia. New York: Press of the Publishers' Printing Co., 1893. Available at ; digital version at Google Books.
 * [Page] Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. Page Family Records in Virginia Counties. 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 1982-2006. [Richmond 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. [Richmond 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 Richmond with the following surnames: Gairdner, Mitchell, and Selden.]

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 105 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Richmond (some may have lived in Richmond County).

Local Histories

 * Richmond, its people and its story, Internet Archives

Military
The Virginia Confederate Soldiers' Home a.k.a. Lee Camp Soldiers' Home in Richmond serviced many veterans between the 1880s and 1940s. US Military Old Soldiers Home Records identifies several types of records concerning these individuals.

Revolutionary War

 * "Arnold's Expedition to Richmond, Virginia, 1781," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul. 1932):187-190. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "Benedict Arnold in Richmond, January, 1781: His Proposal concerning Prize Goods: With Historical Introduction by George Green Shackelford," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 60, No. 4 (Oct. 1952):591-599. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * 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, Henrico County, City of Richmond on page 131.]

War of 1812

 * "Richmond During the War of 1812," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Apr. 1900):406-418. Available at JSTOR ($).

Civil War
Civil War service men from Richmond served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their area. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed with many men from Richmond.


 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Artillery (Confederate). Company C (2nd) (Henrico Artillery aka Courtney Artillery), Company D (Richmond Howitzers)
 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Williams Rifles) (Confederate) Company A (Richmond Grays), Company B (Richmond City Guard), Company C (Montgomery Guard), Company D (Old Dominion Guard), Company G (Capt. William H. Gordon's Co.), Company H (Richmond Grays No. 2), Company I (Capt. William O. Taylor's Co.), Company K (Virginia Rifles)
 * -2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Companies C and D
 * - 10th Battalion, Virginia Heavy Artillery (Allen's) (Confederate). Company A (Metropolitan Guards).
 * - 12th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company G (Richmond Grays).
 * - 23rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (Richmond Sharpshooters).
 * - 44th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Richmond Zouaves).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * Virginia, Civil War
 * Virginia, Civil War

Civil War Battles
The following Civil War battles were fought in Henrico County.


 * May 31-June 1, 1862 = Seven Pines, also known as Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station
 * June 25, 1862 = Oak Grove, also known as French’s Field or King’s School House
 * June 27-28, 1862 = Garnett’s &amp; Golding’s Farms
 * June 29, 1862 = Savage's Station
 * June 30, 1862 = Glendale/White Oak Swamp, also known as Nelson’s Farm, Frayser’s Farm, Charles City Crossroads, White Oak Swamp, New Market Road, or Riddell's Shop
 * July 1, 1862 = Malvern Hill, also known as Poindexter's Farm
 * May 11, 1864 = Yellow Tavern
 * July 27-29, 1864 = Deep Bottom I, also known as Darbytown, Strawberry Plains, New Market Road, Gravel Hill
 * August 13-20, 1864 = Deep Bottom II, also known as New Market Road, Fussell’s Mill, Bailey’s Creek, Charles City Road, or White’s Tavern
 * September 29-30, 1864 = Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights, also known as Combats at New Market Heights, Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer; Laurel Hill
 * October 7, 1864 = Darbytown &amp; New Market Roads, also known as Johnson’s Farm or Fourmile Creek
 * October 13, 1864 = Darbytown Road, also known as Alms House
 * October 27-28, 1864 = Fair Oaks &amp; Darbytown Road, also known as Second Fair Oaks


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

From The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography:


 * Chesson, Michael B. "Harlots or Heroines? A New Look at the Richmond Bread Riot," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 92, No. 2 (Apr. 1984):131-175. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Hoslett, Schuyler Dean. "The Richmond Daily Press on British Intervention in the Civil War: A Brief Summary," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jan. 1940):79-83. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Moore, John Hammond. "Richmond Area Residents and the Southern Claims Commission, 1871-1880," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 91, No. 3 (Jul. 1983):285-295. Available at JSTOR($).
 * Rachal, William M.E. "The Occupation of Richmond, April 1865: The Memorandum of Events of Colonel Christopher Q.," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Apr. 1965):189-198. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Shackelford, George Green. "From the Society's Collections: Attorneys Andrew of Boston and Green of Richmond Consider the John Brown Raid," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Jan. 1952):89-114. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Spencer, Warren F. "A French View of the Fall of Richmond: Alfred Paul's Report to Drouyn De Lhuys, April 11, 1865," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Apr. 1965):178-188. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Stuart, Meriwether. "Of Spies and Borrowed Names: The Identity of Union Operatives in Richmond Known as 'The Phillipses' Discovered," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 89, No. 3 (Jul. 1981):308-327. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "The Evacuation of Richmond," [Civil War] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Jul. 1933):215-222. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Wight, Willard E. "War Letters of the Bishop of Richmond," [Catholic Bishop] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 67, No. 3 (Jul. 1959):259-270. Available at JSTOR ($).

Minorities

 * O'Brien, John T. "Reconstruction in Richmond: White Restoration and Black Protest, April-June 1865," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 89, No. 3 (Jul. 1981):259-281. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Watkinson, James D. "William Washington Browne and the True Reformers of Richmond, Virginia," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 97, No. 3, "A Sense of Their Own Power": Black Virginians, 1619-1989 (Jul. 1989):375-398. Available at JSTOR ($).

Newspapers

 * 1736-1780 - Virginia Gazette, index and images online at Colonial Williamsburg.
 * 1736-1803 - Database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers, see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia.
 * 1786-1825 - "List of Obituaries: From Richmond, Virginia Newspapers," [1786-1825] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul. 1912):282-291; Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct. 1912):364-371. Available at JSTOR - free.
 * 1795-1807 - Richmond and Manchester Advertiser at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1797-1816 - Virginia Argus (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1801-1804 - The Examiner (Richmond, Va.) at Google News - free.
 * 1804-1838 - Virginia State Library. Index to Obituary Notices in the Richmond Enquirer from May 9, 1804, through 1828, and the Richmond Whig from January, 1824, through 1838. Richmond, VA, USA: Virginia State Library, 1923. digital version at Ancestry ($). Available at  (2 copies).
 * 1804-1876 - Enquirer (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1809-1819 - Virginia Patriot (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1816-1820 - Richmond Commercial Compiler (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1824-1874 - Richmond Whig (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1833-1882 - Richmond Daily Whig (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1852-1884 - The Daily Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1854-1870 - Richmond Enquirer (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1860-1865 - Richmond Daily Dispatch 1860-1865 - free.
 * 1861-1866 - Richmond Examiner (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1884-1903 - Richmond Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1885-1900 - Richmond Planet (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1886-1889 - The Daily Times (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1886- - The Labor Herald (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1889-1910 - Richmond Planet (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1890-1903 - The Times (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1893-1899 - The Jewish South (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1900 - Reformer (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1903-1913 - The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) at Chronicling America - free.
 * 1903-1958 - Richmond Times Dispatch at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1940s-1985 - Index to Richmond Times Dispatch and Richmond News Leader at Library of Virginia - free. Surnames indexed alphabetically under Biography.
 * 1985-present - GoogleNews has the Richmond Times - Dispatch on-line. The images start with 1985 and continue to the present. It is not a complete list, but it is worth your time. It is free to use and view the newspaper but you cannot print or copy the image.
 * 1985-present - Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).

Obituaries

 * "List of Obituaries: From Richmond, Virginia Newspapers," [1786-1825] The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Jul. 1912):282-291; Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct. 1912):364-371. Available at JSTOR ($).

Occupations

 * Berry, Thomas S. "The Rise of Flour Milling in Richmond," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 78, No. 4 (Oct. 1970):387-408. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Richmond silversmiths.]
 * Shockley, Martin Staples. "The Proprietors of Richmond's New Theatre of 1819," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Jul. 1939):302-308. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Shockley, Martin Staples. "The Richmond Theatre, 1780-1790," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 60, No. 3 (Jul. 1952):421-436. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Spencer, Warren F. "French Tobacco in Richmond during the Civil War," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 71, No. 2 (Apr., 1963), pp. 185-202
 * "The Burning of the Richmond Theatre, 1811," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Jul. 1943):297-300. Available at JSTOR ($).

Periodicals

 * Morrison, Alfred J. "The Virginia Literary and Evangelical Magazine, Richmond, 1818-1828," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Apr. 1911):266-272. JSTOR - free.

Private Papers

 * [Green] Green, Thomas and Joanne L. Gatewood. "Richmond during the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830: An Extract from the Diary of Thomas Green, October 1, 1829, to January 31, 1830," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 84, No. 3 (Jul. 1976):287-332. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * [Robinson] "Letters of Moncure Robinson to His Father, John Robinson, of Richmond, Va., Clerk of Henrico Court," The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1928):71-95; Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1928):143-156. Available at JSTOR ($).

Probate

 * Probate records for the city of Richmond are located at the Richmond Circuit Court, 400 N. 9th St, 23219. Easily accessed, paid ($1/hr) parking is located on Clay St, between 8th and 9th. Security measures are in place and no electronics are allowed in the building. Probate and land records indexes are accessible thru an internal database system in Room 101, immediately after the main entrance on the right, 1st floor.

Schools

 * "College Notices in 1806: From the Richmond Enquirer," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Jul. 1911):19. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Daniel, W. Harrison. "The Genesis of Richmond College, 1843-1860," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 83, No. 2 (Apr. 1975):131-149. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Griffin, Barbara J. "Thomas Ritchie and the Founding of the Richmond Lancasterian School," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 86, No. 4 (Oct. 1978):447-460. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Pratt, Robert A. "A Promise Unfulfilled: School Desegregation in Richmond, Virginia, 1956-1986," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 99, No. 4 (Oct. 1991):415-448. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * "Some References to Colleges and Schools in Richmond, Va. Newspapers," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul. 1914):288-296. Available at JSTOR ($).

Slavery

 * "Negroes in Richmond in 1864," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Jul. 1938):193-200. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * Stuart, Meriwether. "Colonel Ulric Dahlgren and Richmond's Union Underground: April 1864," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 72, No. 2 (Apr. 1964):152-204. Available at JSTOR ($).

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. Richmond is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1787-1834] Richmond Personal Property Tax Lists 1787-1834 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * [1787-1819] Heinegg, Paul. "Richmond City Personal Property Tax List, 1787-1819," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1791, 1800] Images of the 1791 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Richmond, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.
 * [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. Richmond is included in Vol. 1.]

Vital Records

 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
 * 1851-1853 - Virginia Marriages 1851-1853 (Ancestry) ($).

Societies and Libraries

 * The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Websites

 * Richmond City Genealogy (Virginia Genealogy)
 * Richmond City Genealogy (Virginia Genealogy)