Dear Researchers of Virginia If you do much research of Virginia records, it doesn't take long to realize that a good many official records are among the *missing*. This means you have to be creative, or acknowledge in your research, that you MAY never know the answer. (So, if you speculate or presume, please label your speculation or presumption, PLEASE. Otherwise, cite your source.) A kind friend on the VA-Southside rootsweb cautioned me that the Library of Virginia indicates that LVA no longer calls the records of these counties with large gaps in their collections *burned counties*. Instead, they are called something like *Lost Records Localties.* Because NOT all the counties were burned. After receiving his e-mail, I went to the LVA website and found a listing for a finding aid of *Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records*. The print-out is six pages long. I printed out that finding adi as I am off soon--I hope--to a nearby seaside vacation town with an excellent genealogical library. (I printed out their catalog of books published by The Antient Press--97 of them!!! Some I have read, but others are just off the press! With guidance from my LVA printout, I will know that I have an obstacle in my research--and that I MUST not blame the library for not having the abstracted records which I so desire. One noted genealogist-lecturer-historian-editor from Utah says repeatedly in her lectures on Virginia: If researching in Virginia, research ALL the counties. Yes--indeed. When trying to sort out some males with a common-surname in the early Lunenburg Co. area, I was able to get a clue from one Lunenburg Co. deed that these *strange* fellows who lived near my common-surname ancestors, were from a different family--with roots in Richmond Co. [Northern Neck county--not the City of Richmond]. Whew!!! I could eliminate those folks from my bunch, many of whom went to colonial Granville Co., NC. You may save yourself lots of frustration if you get some guidance from the LVA finding aid: Lost Records Localities...... E.W.Wallace who has made LOTS of mistakes but keeps trying to learn!!! **************New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000002)