Virginia Research Tips and Strategies: Difference between revisions

VisualWikitext

Revision as of 22:42, 25 September 2020

Virginia Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Record Types

Virginia Background

Cultural Groups

Local Research Resources

United States

Virginia

Research Tips and Strategies

Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page
The Virginia Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Virginia. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.

Virginia Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Virginia

Virginia Research Tips[edit | edit source]

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Virginia.

Birth information: Statewide registration of births began in June 1912 in Virginia. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
Finding Parents: Statewide registration of deaths began in June 1912 in Virginia. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Virginia death records
Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.

Virginia Record Finder[edit | edit source]

This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Virginia Record Finder.

1. What you are looking for:	2. Try these records first:	3. Other useful records
Birth information	Birth records Death records Obituaries Church records	Cemeteries Naturalization and Citizenship Bible records Military records
Marriage information	Marriage records Obituaries Bible records	Church records Probate records Military records
Death information	Death Records Cemeteries Obituaries	Probate Records Church Records Bible Records
Parents	Birth records Death records Obituaries Census Church records	Biography Genealogy
Maiden name	Marriage Records Obituaries Probate records	Church Records Military Records
Immigration date	Emigration and Immigration Naturalization and Citizenship Census	Obituaries Biography History
Naturalization	Naturalization and Citizenship Census Court Records	Voting Records Biography Periodicals
Physical description	Military Records Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906)	Biography History

Further Virginia Research[edit | edit source]

Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see Virginia Record Finder.
For online record collections, go to Virginia Online Genealogy Records.
For more research on Virginia, including research at the county level, visit the Virginia page on the Research Wiki.
Search all of the Virginia record collections at FamilySearch.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{VA-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
-| link1=[[Virginia, United States Genealogy|Virginia]]
+| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
-| link2=
+| link2=[[Virginia, United States Genealogy|Virginia]]
 | link3=
 | link4=
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 <center><font size = "4"><br>'''Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page'''</font></center><br>
 <center>''The Virginia Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Virginia. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.''</center><br>
-|}
+|}<br><br>
+[[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]
+=== Virginia Research Strategies  ===
-== Virginia Research Strategies  ==
 Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Virginia<br>
-===Finding Virginia Birth, Marriage or Death Records===
+*[[Virginia Online Genealogy Records|Virginia Online Genealogy Records]]
-*[[GuidedResearch:Virginia|Finding Virginia Births, Marriages, and Deaths using Guided Research]]
+*[[How to Find Virginia Birth Records|How to find Virginia Birth Records]]
+*[[How to Find Virginia Marriage Records|How to find Virginia Marriage Records]]
+*[[How to Find Virginia Death Records|How to find Virginia Death Records]]
-===Finding Virginia Records===
+=== Virginia Research Tips  ===
-*[[Virginia Record Finder]]
-===Virginia Statewide Databases===
+These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Virginia.
-*[[Virginia Online Genealogy Records]]
-===Virginia Research Process===
+*'''Birth information:''' Statewide registration of births began in June 1912 in Virginia. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other [[Substitute Records For United States Birth Information|substitute records]] to improve accuracy.
-*[[Step-by-Step Virginia Research, 1880-Present]]
+*'''Finding Parents:''' Statewide registration of deaths began in June 1912 in Virginia. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. [[How to Find United States Death Records|Search Virginia death records]]
-*[[Step-by-Step Virginia Research, 1850-1910]]
+*'''Look in all censuses:''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. [[United States Census Online|Search U.S. Censuses]].
-*[[Virginia Descendancy Research]]
-*[[How to Find Virginia Birth Records|How to Find Birth Records]]
-*[[How to Find Virginia Marriage Records|How to Find Marriage Records]]
-*[[How to Find Virginia Death Records|How to Find Death Records]]
-== Virginia Research Tips  ==
+[[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]
+=== Virginia Record Finder  ===
-These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Virginia:<br>
+This brief Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research. '''For a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Virginia Record Finder]].'''
-<br>
-'''Birth and Death information:'''<br>
-----
-*'''''Statewide registration:''''' The statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1912 and compliance date is unknown.<ref>''Virginia Research Outline.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1997, 33. (Accessed 20 Feb 2025). '''''Online at:''''' [http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/US/Virginia.pdf BYU University - Provo]</ref>
-*'''''County registration:''''' From 1853 to 1896, the state required the counties to record births and deaths. Registration of births and deaths was not required between 1896 and 14 June 1912, but the health departments of some cities kept birth and death records during that period.<ref>''Virginia Research Outline.'' Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve, Inc., Family History Department, 1997, 33. (Accessed 20 Feb 2025). '''''Online at:''''' [http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/US/Virginia.pdf BYU University - Provo]</ref>
-*'''''Access to records:''''' See [[Virginia Vital Records]] for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Virginia.
-<br>
-'''Substitute Records:'''
-----
-*'''''Secondary source:''''' Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
-*'''''Accuracy:''''' Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help verify information.
-*'''''List of substitute records:''''' See [[Virginia Substitute Records|Virginia Substitute Records]] for more information.
-<br>
-'''Finding Parents:'''
-----
-*'''''Death records:'''''  Early county records, in addition to later death certificates after 1912, asked for the deceased's birth and parents' information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
-*'''''Obituaries:''''' Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See [[Virginia Newspapers]] and [[Virginia Obituaries]] for more information.
-*'''''Church records:''''' Knowing the denomination of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See [[Virginia Church Records]] for more information.
-<br>
-'''Census Records:'''
-----
-*'''''Check all census years:''''' Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See [[Virginia Census|Virginia Census Records]] for more information.
-*'''''Clues to other records:''''' There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
-*'''''Finding families:''''' Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.
-== Further Virginia Research  ==
+{| width="70%" border="1"
-*[http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/US/Virginia.pdf Virginia Family History Library Research Outline]
+|-
-*[https://usgenwebsites.org/vagenweb/ VAGenWeb] - Virginia GenWeb Project
+| style="padding:10px"| '''1. What you are looking for:'''
-*[http://www.cyndislist.com/us/va/ Cyndi's List] - Virginia genealogy websites
+| style="padding:10px"| '''2. Try these records first:'''
-*[http://genealogytrails.com/vir/ Virginia Genealogy Trails] - Collection of transcribed data for the state of Virginia
+| style="padding:10px"|'''3. Other useful records'''
-*[http://www.raogk.org/Virginia-genealogy/ Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness] - State of Virginia Records Guide
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Birth information
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[How to Find Virginia Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Virginia Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Virginia Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Virginia Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]
+*[[Virginia Bible Records|Bible records]]
+*[[Virginia Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Marriage information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Virginia Marriage Records|Marriage records]]
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Virginia Bible Records|Bible records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Church Records|Church records]]
+*[[Virginia Probate Records|Probate records]]
+*[[Virginia Military Records|Military records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Death information
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Virginia Death Records|Death Records]]
+*[[Virginia Cemeteries|Cemeteries]]
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Probate Records|Probate Records]]
+*[[Virginia Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Virginia Bible Records|Bible Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|Parents
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Virginia Birth Records|Birth records]]
+*[[How to Find Virginia Death Records|Death records]]
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Virginia Census|Census]]
+*[[Virginia Church Records|Church records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Virginia Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Virginia, United States Genealogy|Genealogy]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Maiden name
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[How to Find Virginia Marriage Records|Marriage Records]]
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Virginia Probate Records|Probate records]]
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Virginia Church Records|Church Records]]
+*[[Virginia Military Records|Military Records]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Immigration date
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Emigration and Immigration|Emigration and Immigration]]
+*[[Virginia Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]
+*[[Virginia Census|Census]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Obituaries|Obituaries]]
+*[[Virginia Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Virginia History|History]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Naturalization
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]]
+*[[Virginia Census|Census]]
+*[[Virginia Court Records|Court Records]]
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Voting Records|Voting Records]]
+*[[Virginia Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Virginia Periodicals|Periodicals]]
+|-
+| style="padding:10px"|
+Physical description
+| style="padding:10px"|
+*[[Virginia Military Records|Military Records]]
+*[[Virginia Naturalization and Citizenship|Naturalization and Citizenship]] (after 1906)
+| style="padding:10px; vertical-align:top"|
+*[[Virginia Biography|Biography]]
+*[[Virginia History|History]]
+|}
-==References==
+=== Further Virginia Research  ===
-{{reflist}}
+*'''Remember, for a more complete Record Finder, covering additional research needs, see [[Virginia Record Finder]].'''
+*For online record collections, go to [[Virginia Online Genealogy Records|'''Virginia Online Genealogy Records.''']]
+*For more research on Virginia, including research at the county level, visit the [[Virginia, United States Genealogy|'''Virginia''']] page on the Research Wiki.
+*Search all of the [https://familysearch.org/search/collection/location/46?region=United%20States%20of%20America Virginia record collections] at FamilySearch.<br>
 [[Category:Virginia, United States]][[Category:United States Research Strategies]]
 [[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]]