FRGS First Vice President Julie Cabitto told attendees how FamilySearch is organized in terms of how it collects and publishes the vast amounts of genealogical data available on its website. She also shared valuable tips on using FamilySearch efficiently and effectively and talked about some of FamilySearch’s successful projects, e.g., the recently completed indexing of Freedmen’s Bureau records. Julie, also is the assistant director at the LDS Family History Center in Fredericksburg,
Local Genealogical Resources
LVA Chancery Cause Records
Library of Virginia Archivists Joanne Porter and Callie Lou Freed presented information about the library’s holdings of Chancery Cause records and how they might be helpful in conducting research on Virginia counties where records have been forever lost. They also gave information about how to access additional genealogical resources available at the Library of Virginia, including the Burned Jurisdiction Database, The Virginia Heritage Project, the Out of the Box Blog and others.
DAR Library
DAR Librarian Elizabeth Ernest provided FRGS members with an extensive overview of the DAR’s holdings. The DAR is a non-profit volunteer women’s organization with over 180,000 members. The library holds extensive collections, categorized by subject: Print, Special Collections, and Digital Collections. Their GRS (Genealogical Research System) contains member applications and supporting documents. Much of this information is available online. Their GRC (Genealogical Records Committee) has over 20,000 volumes donated by state chapters. The DAR’s newest project is the Patiot Records Project, an ongoing volunteer effort to index names. Currently eight states have been completed. For much more information check their website… Continue Reading »
Another Anomaly in Fredericksburg, VA Marriages
I love genealogy research because I am always learning something. Three years ago we volunteered to digitize Fredericksburg marriages so the wealth of information on those documents would be available for genealogists tracing their ancestors in this part of the country. We learned as we went along that marriages taking place in this town were not just local folks, but for couples coming from the northern states and states to the west. This made sense since Quantico Military base is close by, but then we ran into the anomaly in 1939-1940 when we learned the northern states started to impose… Continue Reading »
Marriage Record Digitization Project
We came upon a curious blip in our project of digitizing marriages performed in Fredericksburg, VA. Between 1995 where we started back to 1940 the highest number of marriages per year was 335 in 1942. Until we hit 1940. The number of marriage licenses taken out in 1940 was 1,599; 1939 even higher with 1,771. We also noted the majority of licenses were given to out of state couples. Why? Possibly the war in Europe had some impact on couples. After some research we also found that mandatory premarital blood tests were being passed in the northern states. Virginia’s “Premarital Examination… Continue Reading »
African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia
African American cemeteries was recently notified about a new release on in central Virginia. It sounds like an interesting read for any genealogist. Lynn Rainville’s most recent book is Hidden History: African American Cemeteries in Central Virginia (University of Virginia Press) is now available. In addition to preserving African-American cemeteries for future generations, funerary traditions, gravestones, and cemetery landscapes illustrate past attitudes towards death and community. Because of the historical importance of mortuary landscapes, cemeteries provide a window into past family networks, gender relations, religious beliefs, and local neighborhoods. In this project we take an interdisciplinary approach, combing anthropological, archaeological, historical, oral historical,… Continue Reading »
May 2014 Update
Good news on Fredericksburg Marriage Licenses database. The 335 marriages of 1942 are now indexed. We have been told an arrangement has been made for the originals to be available at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center instead of being archived. As stated in the past, Virginia was and still is an easy place to get married. Consequently couples from all over the U.S. were married in Fredericksburg. At the Wednesday 11 June 2014 meeting, Julie Nielsen Cabitto will explain Virginia Chancery Records. Visit Julie on her Polish genealogy blog: http://sanetra-genhistory.blogspot.com or for Virginia history: http://juliecabitto-preservinghistoryrecords.blogspot.com – The June meeting will be the last of the season. Join us… Continue Reading »
Chancery Records
According to the Black’s Law Dictionary, Chancery is “Proceeding according to the forms of principles of equity.” Virginia is fortunate to have online through the Library of Virginia’s website, chancery court records back to the 1700s. Because chancery courts were deciding issues not necessarily to the letter of the law, but on equity and fairness, those court cases include estates, land disputes, divorce proceedings and business partnership issues. These records can hold a goldmine of information – for those who have Virginia ancestors. The Library of Virginia website is not the easiest to navigate. A hint is to use the… Continue Reading »
Virginia Marriage Records Index
Did you know that Fredericksburg (and Virginia) is a Gretna Green? Anyone can obtain a marriage license with adequate ID and the fee in hand. Couples from surrounding states, including New York and New England come to Fredericksburg to get married. Marriage licenses taken out in Fredericksburg, VA have special importance because of its locality near Quantico military base. Many military personnel came to Fredericksburg for their marriage license. As of the first of the year 2014, marriages from 1955 to present are available at the Fredericksburg Circuit Court.
Virginia Tax Records
This has been an exciting year for the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogical Society. There was record attendance at the September meeting to hear what Barbara Vines Little had to say about how Tax Records can be a goldmine of genealogical information. She warned to now use tax records as a census substitute, as you might miss important information. Barbara explained that the head or poll tax was placed on free white males above the age of sixteen, though this age range could vary to age 21. Since Virginia has few vital records before 1850, it does have tax lists from 1782 that… Continue Reading »
Virginiana Room
Wind down the spiral staircase to the lower level of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg and you will find a room full of Virginia genealogical research material. You will also find knowledgeable staff and volunteers to help you locate just what you are looking for. Some items of interest are: Local newspapers on microfilm, some as early as 1788; Indexes for Fredericksburg newspapers through 1928; Obituary indexes from 1788 to present; Sanborn Insurance maps; cabinets filled with information on historic houses and the people who lived in them; military information, especially Civil War resources; cemetery… Continue Reading »
Fredericksburg City Directories
With the exception of a few years, the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. has Fredericksburg City Directories for the years 1965 through 1997. Lookups from Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness can be requested through the society’s email FRGSVA@gmail.com.