CENSUS RECORDS

Federal census enumerations exist from 1810, and were taken every ten years. They are currently available through 1920, except for the destroyed census of 1890. The 1810 census is incomplete for many counties in the state, but has been reconstructed from tax lists and can be found in published format in most genealogical repositories. The 1790 and 1800 censuses were destroyed or lost, except for the 1800 enumerations of Accomack and Louisa counties. Tax lists from 1787 offer a substitute for the missing 1790 census.

Two early censuses of Virginia have survived intact; only statistical abstracts remain of other censuses conducted. The first census is dated 16 February 1624 and is a list of the names of persons living in Virginia and the names of those who died since April 1623. The colony conducted a second census in January and February 1625. Another census was conducted in 1634, but is apparently lost. The best transcription of the 1625 Musters is in Virginia F. Meyer and John Frederick Dorman, Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607–1625, 3d ed. (Richmond: Order of First Families of Virginia, 1987).

Virginia Research Sources

Swem, Earl Gregg. Virginia Historical Index. 1934–36. Reprint. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1965).

"A Guide to the Counties of Virginia," published serially in volumes 3–25 of The Virginia Genealogist. Falmouth, VA: John Frederick Dorman, 1957–.

Clay, Robert Young. Virginia Genealogical Resources. Detroit: Detroit Society of Genealogical Research, 1980.

Jester, Annie Lash. Some Peculiarities of Genealogical Research in Virginia: Colonial. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1969.
Livingston, Virginia Pope. Some Peculiarities of Genealogical Research in Virginia: Post Revolutionary. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1969.

Archives, Libraries, Societies, and Other Resources

Library of Virginia
800 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Tel: 804-692-3500 (Main)
  804-692-3777 (Library Reference)
  804-692-3600 (Records Management)
Fax: 804-692-3556
  804-692-3603 (Records Management)
Births and Deaths 1853-1896.
Marriages before 1936.

Virginia Genealogical Society
5001 West Broad Street, Suite 115
Richmond, VA 23230-3023
Tel: 804-285-8954
http://www.vgs.org/

Lower DelMarVa Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 3602
Salisbury, MD 21802-3602
Tel: 410-742-3501
  410-546-0314
http://bay.intercom.net/ldgs/index.html

Virginia Historical Society
428 North Boulevard
P.O. Box 7311
Richmond, VA 23221-0311
Tel: 804-358-4901
  804-342-9658 (Membership)
E-mail: kelly_winters@vahistorical.org
http://www.vahistorical.org

Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society/Museum
Kerr Place
69 Market Street
P.O. Box 193
Onancock, VA 23417
Tel: 757-787-8012

Genealogy and History of the Eastern Shore (GHOTES)
http://www.esva.net/ghotes/

Virginia GenWeb Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb/

VIVA - Virtual Library of Virginia
http://www.viva.lib.va.us/

Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters
http://tyner.simplenet.com/PLANTERS.HTM

Valley of the Shadow (Civil War)
http://jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU/vshadow2/contents.html

Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8794