The following is a list of resources I have used to perform my genealogy research. I strongly suggest you contact all facilities to obtain current information before visiting.
You and your family are the best place to start your genealogy research. First, write down everything you know about all your family members. Use photo albums and other memorabilia in your possession to enhance your list. Next, talk to you parents, grandparents and other relatives to supplement the information you have gathered. Check with other families to see if anyone has already started researching the family tree. Also, talk to people in the communities in which you family members lived. They may be very knowledgeable of your family members and have many stories to share.
Respect people's privacy and understand that not everyone in your family may share your enthusiasm for learning the family history. Don't discount any information as too small or insignificant. Sometimes an off-hand comment or statement may lead to a wealth of information.If a discovery does not seem important at them time.Do not throw the information away.Instead file it in a safe location where it can be retrieved at a later time.
Read books and articles to become family with the correct methods for performing genealogy research. I highly recommend Black Roots: A Beginners Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree by Tony Burroughs.This book is an excellent reference for both beginner and experienced family historians. It describes methods and research techniques for performing research and uses case histories involving Burroughs’s family history as examples.
Ancestry.com is an online subscription-base genealogy website that provides access to numerous databases. I have found the following databases to be an invaluable asset to my genealogy research and worth subscription price alone:
US Federal Census Records from 1790-1930
Birth, Marriage and Death Records including the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
Military Records including WWI (1917-1918) & WWI (1942) Draft Registration Cards
Directories such as US Public Records Index, as well as, Phone and Address Directories
In addition to the database that I frequently use, the site also has:
Court Land and Probate Records
Family Trees
Historical Newspapers
Immigration Records
and much much more
Ancestry.com has been one of the most valuable resources to my genealogy research. If you prefer not to subscribe to the site, check with your local library. Many libraries provide access to the site in.
The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center, Inc is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving histories of Fredericksburg and the Virginia Commonwealth Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford. I have used the Center many times to obtain copies of deeds and marriage licenses. The volunteer staff is very friendly and extremely helpful. They will assist you with your research but will not perform the research for you. Visit their website and click on Collections to see a complete list of available items. They can also be reached by email or phone: (540) 373-3704.
The Central Rappahannock Regional Library Headquarters has a Virginiana Room that is dedicated to the history of Virginia but it concentrates on the materials for the following areas: Caroline, Fredericksburg, King George, Orange, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland Counties and the Northern Neck. I use the library to obtain copies of obituaries from the Free Lance Star newspaper.
The history point page of their website contains a list of materials available at the library. The list is by no means definitive because the library is constantly scanning materials every day to include on the site.
Visit their website or contact the Branch Manager,Margaret Beattie, by email or phone (540) 372-1144 for more information.
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The Caroline County Courthouse has deed and marriage license information after 1899.
Courthouse Lane & Main Street P.O. Box 309 Bowling Green, VA. 22427
Visit their website or contact the Clerk of Court, Ray S. Campbell, by email or phone 804.633.5800 for more information.
Go to Top Beth performs Virginia genealogy records research at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, VA. For a nominal fee, she will research various genealogy related records and send you a copy of the requested documents (if found). She is not a professional genealogist. I have requested copies of death certificates from her on several occasions and was very pleased with her service. Please visit her website for a list of records she will search and the procedure for submitting your request or contact her via email.
Go to Top The Fort A.P. Hill Environmental Office contains many documents on the families that lived in the area before the creation of AP Hill. Many of these documents can me located on the A.P. Hill Military Reservation page of my website. Contact the Cultural Resource Manager at (804) 633-8255 for more information.