Virginia Historical Index

A comprehensive index to several publications concerning Virginia history and genealogy, compiled under the direction of Dr. Earl Gregg Swem (1870-1965). Includes:


 * The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, volumes 1-38 (1893-1930)
 * William and Mary College Quarterly Magazine first series, volumes 1-27 (1892-1919)
 * William and Mary College Quarterly Magazine second series, volumes 1-10 (1921-1930)
 * Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, volumes 1-10 (1919-1929)
 * Virginia Historical Register and Literary Advertiser, volumes 1-6 (1848-1853)
 * The Lower Norfolk County Virginia Antiquary, volumes 1-5 (1895-1906)
 * Hening's Statutes at Large, volumes 1-13 (1619-1792)
 * Calendar of Virginia State Papers, volumes 1-11 (1652-1869).

Print versions of the index (either two-volume or four-volume versions) are available in the reference section of a number of public libraries (OCLC #1723949).

The index has been digitized and can be searched using public computers at the Earl Gregg Swem library at the College of William and Mary. Entries in the index are referenced by volume number, abbreviation of publication title, and page number, for example, "Nicholas, Wilson Cary 11V295" or "Cape Henry 7T22." Digital versions of some articles are linked directly to index entries. Some may be available through Google Books, Internet Archive, JSTOR or HathiTrust Digital Library.

The database is a subset of Paratext LLC's "19th Century Masterfile", an academic research database available at many university libraries. The 19th Century Masterfile includes both the Virginia Historical Index (early 1600's through 1930) and Poole's Index to Periodical Literature (1802-1906).

For more information about the Virginia Historical Index, see "Using the Virginia Historical Index (Swem) at the Library of Virginia ", a research guide on the Library of Virginia website.