Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. Sometimes these must be searched in person. Some important genealogical collections for Virginia research are described below.

Manuscript Collections

Virginia Colonial Records Project. This project includes 14,704 surveys of Virginia-related material in archives of Great Britain, Ireland, and France and 963 microfilm reels of original documents. The database index lists 500,000 personal names and ship names. The Library of Virginia has put the index on the Internet. They also have interlibrary loan of the films of original documents.

For a list of the sources, see:

A Key to Survey Reports and Microfilm of the Virginia Colonial Records Project. Richmond: Virginia State Library and Archives, 1990. (FHL book 975.5 H23k; computer number 196700.)

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Genealogical Collection. This collection consists of transcripts of Bible records, cemetery records, church records, marriage records, death records, obituaries, and wills. It was microfilmed in 1971 at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., and is available on 44 films at the Family History Library. The volumes are generally arranged by county and many have individual indexes. These are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under Daughters of the American Revolution (Virginia).

Ardery Collection, ca. 1750-1970. This is a set of volumes and files that contain information gathered by Julia Hoge Spencer Ardery from the 1920s to the 1960s on Virginia and Kentucky families. The information was extracted from newspaper accounts, family newsletters, family Bibles, military records, historical journals, and vital records. The collection is indexed, but most of the volumes and files are in several alphabetical series.

The original collection is at the Margaret I. King Library (University of Kentucky, Special Collections and Archives, 110 King Library North, Lexington, KY 40506-0039; Telephone: 606-257-8611; Fax: 606-257-8379). The Family History Library has a copy of part of the collection on 81 films microfilmed in 1970 beginning with film 831459 (computer number 49418). The King Library has additional files (not microfilmed) on more than 100 families. A list of the family surnames was published by the Kentucky Genealogical Society in:

Cumulative Index to Bluegrass Roots, 1973-1984. Winter 1984: 149-52. (FHL book 976.9 B2b index; computer number 431069.)

Genealogical Notes (Collection). This is a collection of typewritten and handwritten genealogical manuscripts by many different researchers. They were filmed at the Library of Virginia (FHL films 029883-89; computer number 385950). The manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by surname. The records of each family are also listed in the Surname Search of the Family History Library Catalog.

Published Collections, Indexes, and Guides

Some helpful indexes to many published accounts of families are in the books by Stuart Brown, Robert Stewart, Earl Swem (see below), and P. G. Wardell (see the “Biography” section of this outline). Useful published sources include:

Fleet, Beverley. Virginia Colonial Abstracts. 34 vols. in 3. 1937-1949. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1988. (FHL book 975.5 N2fb 1988; computer number 476842; some volumes are on microfilms: see Virginia Colonial Abstracts in the Author/Title Catalog.) Includes court, land, probate, vital, tax, and militia records with indexes.

Hart, Lyndon H., III, comp. A Guide to Genealogical Notes and Charts in the Archives Branch, Virginia State Library. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1983. (FHL book 975.5 D23ha; computer number 398428.) Inventories 1,000 files by family name.

Swem, Earl Gregg. Virginia Historical Index. 2 vols. in 4. 1934-1936. Reprint, Gloucester, Mass.: Peter Smith, 1965. (FHL book 975.5 H22s; films 485948-49; computer number 217155; fiche 6046961; computer number 216024.) This lists many genealogies that were published in periodicals.

Stewart, Robert Armistead. Index to Printed Virginia Genealogies. 1930. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co, 1970. (FHL book 975.5 D22s 1970; computer number 60758; 1965 ed. on film 962558 item 2 or fiche 6019375; computer number 60657.) This book indexes about 650 Virginia family and local histories published before 1930.

Brown, Stuart E., Jr. Virginia Genealogies: A Trial List of Printed Books and Pamphlets. 2 vols. Berryville, Va.: Virginia Book, 1967, 1980. (FHL book 975.5 D23b; computer number 65409.) These volumes reproduce card catalogs of about 3,000 family and local histories listed in books and periodicals published before 1980. This is a supplement to Robert Armistead Stewart's book (see above).

Pecquet du Bellet, Louise. Some Prominent Virginia Families. 4 vols. 1907. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1976. (Vols. 1, 3, 4 on FHL film 1036136, vol. 2 on film 844907; fiche 6046974; computer number 404467.) Includes more than 100 early families. Based on published histories, biographies, and periodicals. Indexed in Vera Meek Wimberly, Index [to] Some Prominent Virginia Families . . . (Conroe, Tex.: Montgomery County Genealogical & Historical Society, 1980; FHL book 975.5 D2p index; computer number 572939).

Genealogies of Virginia Families: From Tyler's Quarterly. . . . 4 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1981. (FHL book 975.5 D2gvf; computer number 138509.) Alphabetical (by author's surname) reprints of hundreds of articles.

Genealogies of Virginia Families: From the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 5 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1981. (FHL book 975.5 D2gv; computer number 89831.) Alphabetical (by author's surname) reprints of hundreds of articles.

Genealogies of Virginia Families: From the William and Mary College Quarterly . . . 5 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1982. (FHL book 975.5 D2gvw; computer number 61435.) Alphabetical (by author's surname) reprints of hundreds of articles.

Jester, Annie Lash, and Martha Woodruff Hiden. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3rd ed. 1956. Reprint, n.l.: Order of the First Families of Virginia, 1607-1624/5, 1987. (FHL book 975.5 H2j 1987; computer number 482087.) In addition to listing early settlers, this book has detailed genealogical information on their descendants to 1700.

Wardell, Patrick G. Virginians & West Virginians, 1670-1870. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1986. (FHL book 975 D2wp; computer number 417523.) This includes genealogical information abstracted from History of Virginia (see the “History” section of this outline).

Rider, Fremont, ed. American Genealogical- Biographical Index. Vols. 1-186+. Middletown, Conn.: Godfrey Memorial Library, 1952-. (FHL book 973 D22am ser. 2; on 31 FHL films beginning with 1698167; computer number 49554.) An earlier version of 48 volumes was published as The American Genealogical Index, 1942-1951. Over 4 million brief citations (name, date, and source) to manuscripts, periodicals, and books. The earlier version had reference to 350 sources that have been included in the second version. The second version has consulted an additional 500 sources. Emphasis is on eastern states.

To help interpret citations and locate the original sources, use the colored pages in some volumes or use the book:

Clark, Patricia L., and Dorothy Huntsman, eds. Key Title Index to the American Genealogical-Biographical Index: Register of Family History Library Call Numbers. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. (FHL book 973 D22am index; film 1698167 item 4; fiche 6088377; computer number 491052.) Shows sources that are at the Family History Library and their call numbers.

Many genealogies have also been published in periodicals (see the “Periodicals” section of this outline).

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