An excellent list of early Virginians is in:

True, Ransom B., ed. Biographical Dictionary of Early Virginia, 1607-1660. Richmond, Va.: Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, 1982. (On 22 FHL fiche 6332718; computer number 408307.) Includes more than 100,000 entries with references to 30,000 people who are mentioned in wills, deeds, court orders, histories, and Virginia Company records. A supplemental Guide (FHL book 975.5 D3bd 1985; film 1750757 item 21; computer number 408307) contains an explanation of the dictionary and a listing of the sources with their codes.

You can also request information from the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, 2300 East Grace Street, Richmond, VA 23223.

An index to biographical sketches in several hundred local histories and genealogies is:

Wardell, P.G. Timesaving Aid to Virginia-West Virginia Ancestors: A Genealogical Index of Surnames from Published Sources. 2 vols. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing, 1985. (FHL book 975 D22w; computer number 441173.)

Other important biographical sources are:

Brock, Robert Alonzo. Virginia and Virginians. Richmond and Toledo: H. H. Hardesty, 1888. (FHL film 897042 items 2-3; computer number 162843.) An index is on FHL fiche 6048346-47; computer number 162843. Lists five to ten prominent citizens from each county with early governors and generals.

Foote, William Henry. Sketches of Virginia: Historical and Biographical. 2 vols. Philadelphia: William S. Martien, 1850-56. (FHL book 975.5 H2f; vol. 1 on film 1000631; vol. 2 on film 1598334 item 27, computer number 607193; computer number 217423.) Presbyterian history, ministers, and families. Volume one is indexed in An Index to Sketches of Virginia: Historical and Biographical by William Henry Foot (Richmond, Va.: The Library, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, 1966; FHL book 975.5 H2f index; computer number 444752).

Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. 5 vols. New York: Lewis Historical Pub., 1915. (FHL book 975.5 D3tl; film 1000632; computer number 216730.) Includes multi-generation family histories.

The Family History Library also has:

French, S. Bassett. Biographical Sketches [of Virginia]. Richmond, Va.: Virginia State Library, 1949? (FHL films 029664-67; computer number 401294.) Contains brief handwritten sketches of persons born from the 1700s to 1800s, sometimes with birth and death dates.

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