Dear cousins, friends and fellow researchers, My cousin, Anne Gaulding from Lunenburg, sent me the following information on DISTRICTS. I hope it will assist someone beside myself. She gave me permission to share with you all. Fondly, Margaret Lunenburg County is divided into 7 land districts. They are Lewiston, Rehoboth, Pleasant Grove, Plymouth, Browns Store, Lockleven, and Columbian Grove. Lewiston extends through the center of the county, south to north. . Rehoboth is in the southwest corner of the county. Pleasant Grove is in the north west corner of the county. Plymouth is in the north central part. The town of Victoria is in this district. Browns Store is in the north east corner. The town of Kenbridge is in this district. Lockleven is in the south east corner and Columbian Grove is in the south central part of the county

Margaret, Thank you for pointing this out to us. I've had a thrilling tour of the site this morning. This is exciting. Brownie

Greetings, Larry here. >From a pamphlet I have from the Virginia State Library and Archives, Archives and Records Division, Research Notes, Number 2, It states: "A law requiring the Systematic Statewide recording of births and deaths was passed by the Virginia General Assembly on April 11, 1853. The law required every commissioner of revenue to make an annual registration of births and deaths in his district at the time personal property subject to taxation was ascertained. The commissioner was to record births and deaths that occurred prior to December 31 of the preceding year and return the record to the clerk of the court by June 1. Information was obtained from heads of family, Physicians, or Coroners, and the law imposed penalties for failing to furnish or collect the information. The Clerk of Court in each locality was directed to enter the information supplied by the commissioner into registers and prepare an alphabetical index to each record. A copy of each register was forwarded to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts. The law went into effect on July 1, 1853, and continued until 1896 when an economy-consious legislature repealed the recording provisions. Birth and Death registers in the Virginia State Library and Archives are copies of these records made by local clerks from the lists compiled by the commissioner and forwarded to the Auditor of Public Accounts. The Auditor was directed to turn the lists over to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in 1918 and the registers were later transferred to the Archives. The records are an indispensable source for the most basic of biographical facts about earlier generations of Virginians. WHAT THE RECORDS SHOW Information found on birth and death registers changed little between 1853 and 1896. For births, the registers have headings for the date of birth; name of child, if named; color (if "colored," whether slave or free); sex; whether born dead or alive; the place of birth; the name of the father or owner; the fathers occupation; the fathers residence (the county or locality in the county); the mother's name in full; how many infants at this birth (whether this was a multiple birth); deformities or any circumstances of interest; the name of the person giving the information, and the relation of the informant to the person born. Death registers record the name of the deceased; race; sex; name of the owner;, if a slave; date of death; place of death; place of death; name of the disease or cause of death; age (years, months, days); the name of the parents of the deceased; where born; occupation; consort of, or unmarried; name of the person giving the information; and a description of the informant (weather a physician, consort, head of family, or friend). It is not unusual to find some of the information missing from the records. If an infant had not been named at the time of birth or death, the entry would record only the surname or note "Smith Infant." Only the month appears for the date of birth or death in some instances. On the death registers, the names of parents of the deceased are frequently omitted or unreliable since the person giving the information may not have known. Caused of death are frequently not known. When John Doublin reported the death of his friend Charles Beasley in Lancaster County in November 1896, the only information given was that Beasley was 120 years old and had died from "old age." An index to birth records between 1853 and 1896 is available on microfilm in the Archives. The index is arranged in ten-year periods alphabetically by Surname (i.e. names A through Z for the years 1853 through 1869). The index lists the name of the child, the names of the father and mother, the date of birth, the county in which the birth was recorded, and the page number of the birth register for the year of the birth. After locating an entry in the index, the researcher should find the county register for the year and examine the appropriate page for the record. There is also an index to births of slaves for the years 1853 through 1865. The index is arranged alphabetically by the name of the owner, overseer, employer, or informant. The name of the slave, name of the mother, date of birth, county of birth, and page number are listed. There is no index to death records for the period of 1853 through 1896. Some county court clerks prepared indexes to births and deaths for this period Microfilm copies of the indexes may be available among the county court records in the Archives collection. Examine the guides to county court records in the Archives to determine if indexes are available". End of quote. ================================================= LARRY NOTE: There are Birth and Death Vital Statistics available via ILL from the Library of Virginia. The info is on 35 mm film. These are registers, not indexes. Birth Vital Statistics are available on: Film # 34, for the years 1853 to 1881. Film # 35 covers 1881 to 1885 Film # 57 covers 1878 to 1896 Films # 34 & 57 cover 1853 to 1896 The war years, 1869 and 1895 are missing. Death Vital Statistics are on: Film # 13 covering 1853 to 1890. Film # 14 covers 1890 to 1896. Some years are missing. =========================================================== When I have time I will post some of the info available from the LDS. Good hunting, Larry

The North Carolina counties of Rockingham and Caswell border Pittsylvania County, Virginia. Many families migrated from Pittsylvania County in Virginia to the counties in North Carolina..All three counties are located in the Piedmont area just at the tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains > >

I've been researching a doctor (my g-g-grandfather) who had practiced as a dentist in Charleston, WV from about 1860 until he died in 1908. Now, I've just learned that his father was also a doctor (or possibly a dentist), but to my knowledge, he never moved any further west than the Southside counties in VA. So now, my research on physicians takes on a new light. I've never researched VA for any medical/dental historical information. My g-g-g-grandfather, Dr. James H. Gregory (1806-1847), was listed as a doctor in his wedding announcement of 17 Nov 1830 and also in two family Bibles I've found him listed in. I'm only guessing that he might be a dentist, because I know for a fact that his son, Dr. James W. Gregory (1836-1908), was a dentist and did not go to college but learned the profession (apprenticed) from someone else who may or may not have been his family. He had a brother-in-law who did attend two colleges of dentistry and I had always thought that was where he apprenticed was with his brother-in-law, but now that I know his father was a Dr., I'm wondering if maybe he learned the profession from his father, instead of his brother-in-law. Though I have to admit it seems a little unlikely as Dr. J.H. died July 1847 and his son, J.W., would have only been 11 years old at the time, as he was born in April 1836. But it is still possible, I guess. I'm wondering if anyone might know where I could find information like: What were the medical colleges in the area around the early 1800s? Were there any dental colleges then? Is there a state medical/dental board that might have been in exsistance back then that I might be able to write to to find any evidence of licensure? (Although I know licensure wasn't required until the early 1900s.) Do any of the local historical societies or museums have any collections or data on early doctors/dentists? Are there any city directories that were in existance back then that would have doctors/dentists listed? Any other help would be appreciated. -- Cara (Gregory) Showers Anchorage, Alaska cara@dcdesign.com

October 5 and 6 The Virginia Genealogical Society will present "Spotlight on Your Family", featuring Helen Leary, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, at the Virginia Beach Central Library, 4100 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach. Co-sponsored by the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society, the conference will also include two lectures especially for beginning researchers by Dorothy Boyd-Rush and Chuck Novak. Cost is $30.00 for members of VGS or VBGS, $35.00 for non-members and includes a box lunch. Registration after 19 September, Members $35.00; non-members $40.00. Further inquiries or for registration, write to Virginia Genealogical Society Fall Conference, 5001 W. Broad ST, Suite 115, Richmond, VA 23230-3023. Inquiries may also be addressed to MarieMMurphy@aol.com.

The Virginia Historical Inventory The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the availability of the Virginia Historical Inventory Digital Project, funded in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 1997. The Virginia Historical Inventory (VHI) is a collection of detailed reports, photographs, and maps, documenting the architectural, cultural, and family histories of thousands of 18th- and 19th-century buildings in communities across Virginia. Workers for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) project documented, assessed, and photographed early structures (many of which do not survive today), creating a pictorial and textual prism through which architects, genealogists, economists, social historians, journalists, researchers, and the general public can study a unique record of Virginia's past. The collection consists of more than 19,300 survey reports (consisting of approximately 70,000 pages), more than 6,200 photographs, and 103 annotated county and city maps. The project was created in the late 1930s by the Virginia Writers' Project, a branch of the federally funded Works Progress Administration (WPA). Using a standard format, the field-workers for the VHI prepared survey reports on each structure, with extensive details taken from onsite investigation, research in court records and other local resources, and personal interviews with county residents. The reports include such information as descriptions of the buildings and their surroundings, the history of the building, chronological lists of owners, architectural features, and historical significance. For most buildings, field-workers completed a standardized "architectural description" form, giving extensive architectural details such as size, type of building material, weatherboarding, cornices, shutters, porch, and entryway, and on interior features such as the stairway, basement, and styles of doors, layout, and other distinctive features. Field-workers often added pencil or pen-and-ink sketches to their reports. In addition, they often included photographs of the buildings they documented. Unlike the more well-known Historic American Buildings Survey, which documents prominent historical structures, the VHI was specifically charged with describing the vernacular architecture and history of everyday buildings: homes, workplaces, churches, and public buildings. This aspect of the project makes the existence of photographs that much more valuable (and poignant): many of these structures no longer exist, and the VHI photographs may be the only extant visual records of them. VHI writers did not restrict their reports to structures, however. There are also reports on cemeteries (often including detailed tombstone information), antiques, historical events, and personages, as well as transcriptions of land grants, wills, deeds, diaries, and correspondence. The Virginia Writers' Project office in Richmond took the further step of annotating county and city maps, primarily ones published by the Virginia Department of Transportation in 1936, by adding numbers in red ink indicating the locations of documented structures, with the map number stamped on the corresponding report. To accomplish the online presentation of the VHI, the DLP has digitized from microfilm all of the survey reports, scanned from the original prints all of the photographs, and prepared full-level cataloging records for each of the reports and photographs. In cooperation with VTLS, Inc., the Library has also developed an interactive digital interface for the maps. Finally, the DLP has collected together within one interface links to all the material available for a specific report. The VHI digital project makes it possible for a user to search the survey report database, view the image of the report, then retrieve the corresponding map and the photograph. Or, the researcher may search the interface to find a specific geographical location, and then review the specific survey report for that site. Or, a researcher may search the photographs and retrieve the corresponding survey report and map to provide a context for each image. An additional feature makes it possible for a researcher to choose a particular locality, then view the locations and reports for categories of structures, such as churches, dwellings, taverns, school buildings, cemeteries, commercial buildings, bridges, and historic sites. The URL for the Library of Virginia is http://www.lva.lib.va.us and the VHI resource is available on the Digital Library Program Home Page. For more information contact Elizabeth Roderick, Director, Digital Library Program, The Library of Virginia eroderick@lva.lib.va.us -- Elizabeth Roderick email (eroderick@lva.lib.va.us) Director, Digital Library Program email (eroderic@iglou.com) The Library of Virginia phone (804) 692-3761 800 E. Broad Street fax (804) 692-3771 Richmond, VA 23219 ***************************************************** http://www.lva.lib.va.us The LVA Digital Library Program *****************************************************

The earliest birth records for Charlotte Co. seems to be 1860-1896, then there is a gap, and they start up again around 1911 or 1912. Federal law by then. These early births are on ancestry.com. If you are not a member, I'd be glad to look in them for you. It was not required to register births, and I think (without being positive) that births were registered if a doctor participated in the delivery. So people who just had their babies at home without doctors might not be there. Susan Jones

Greetings to all! Does anyone know when Charlotte County first started recording births? Many Thanks, Kimberly A. GriffinGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

Kathy, The list below was copied from the RootsWeb mail list site: VA-SOUTHSIDE-L Topic: the Virginia Counties of Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Charlotte, Dinwiddie, Franklin, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Isle of Wight, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottway, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Prince George, Southampton, Surry and Sussex, and the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Danville, Suffolk, Emporia, South Boston, Franklin and Martinsville Jeff Smith Fairfax, VA wawbrey wrote: > > What counties are included in the VA Southside discussion? > Kathy Awbrey > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F11HB

Linda and all of the Hamner People, While lurking around the web one day, I found this bit called the "Hamner Papers" at [not two line url] < http://searches1.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/archives/va/mecklenburg/misc/nthamner.t xt> which had the following: "5. Henry2 Hamner eldest son of James and Sarah Hamner, was born in Lunenburg County, VA, in 1759. He married Sarah Decker, 26 December 1781, in Mecklenburg County. Sarah was born 6 July 1760 in Virginia. About 1800, the family moved to Mercer County, Kentucky, where Henry Hamner died 2 January 1844." My Decker clan was from Mecklenburg co., KY. The Ancestors were Hendrik "Henry" Decker and Ann Coleman. Since I have found nothing to indicate that there was any other Decker family in the area, Sarah would be a likely choice as a daughter of Henry and Anne. Does anyone know who this Sarah is? Scott Pittman

I very much suspect that your man was a janitor/handyman at the courthouse, cleaning, washing windows, cutting grass and doing minor repairs, and that he was paid from those funds resultring from the general levy on county properties (today we would call that money "the general fund"; that, rather than from the income produced by the courts, any public schools, the sheriff or funds (very few) which might come from the colony/state. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Smith" <jeffm.smith@verizon.net> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 6:26 PM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] [Fwd: "Laying off" taxes] > Very timely question from Cookie and answer by Paul. I was looking at > the three following entries just last night. Would I be correct to say > that my JAMES PACE had property, or something, that was subject to the > county tax in these three instances, but the tax was not actually > charged to him (possibly absorbed by the county itself) because of > services that he rendered to the county? > > Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 12 > 06 October 1732. County levy JAMES PACE for taking care of the court > house. > > Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 76 > 06 December 1734. County Levy JAMES PACE for looking after the > courthouse. > > Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 116 > 05 December 1735. County levy among those paid JAMES PACE. Also paid > for > looking after the courthouse & prison. > > Thanks in advance, > > Jeff Smith > Fairfax, VA > > > Linda wrote: > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > > Subject: {not a subscriber} "Laying off" taxes > > Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 07:48:28 -0700 > > From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> > > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > Cookie asked: "...> Another question you might be able to > > answer..... > > > > > > Lunenburg Order Book 2, p 139 February Court 1748/49 > > > 8 Feb 1748/9 - Court for laying the County Levy > > > To whom granted William Bowen Junr > > > by whom granted Rob H Dyer > > > date of cert 19 Nov 1748 > > > quitrnts Tob[acc]o 140 > > > > > > This was just one of many entries for various people recorded > > similarly. The > > > page was actually set up in columns rather than across as I have > > it. There > > > was a whole list of people with info entered under the same > > columns. There > > > was nothing further at the beginning to help explain it - just the > > date and > > > Court for laying the County Levy" > > > > Ms. Cookie; You have found a record and list of landowners whose > > taxes ("levys" "levies") were "layd off to and recognized by the > > county as having been the obligation of someone else. Such > > situations arose when by reason of leases, land contracts, > > mortgages, and other legal devices, the taxes should be paid by a > > third party and not by the record owner, i.e., by lessees, renters, > > coteanants, heirs, etc. We still use the expression in a critical > > or blaming fashion when we say that as to some duty, "Jones laid the > > blame off on Smith." > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > > VAGenWeb > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb > > > > ============================== > > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > Hosted by Rootsweb http://www.rootsweb.com > > > ============================== > Create a FREE family website at MyFamily.com! > http://www.myfamily.com/banner.asp?ID=RWLIST2 >

Very timely question from Cookie and answer by Paul. I was looking at the three following entries just last night. Would I be correct to say that my JAMES PACE had property, or something, that was subject to the county tax in these three instances, but the tax was not actually charged to him (possibly absorbed by the county itself) because of services that he rendered to the county? Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 12 06 October 1732. County levy JAMES PACE for taking care of the court house. Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 76 06 December 1734. County Levy JAMES PACE for looking after the courthouse. Brunswick County, Virginia, Court Orders, page 116 05 December 1735. County levy among those paid JAMES PACE. Also paid for looking after the courthouse & prison. Thanks in advance, Jeff Smith Fairfax, VA Linda wrote: > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: {not a subscriber} "Laying off" taxes > Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2001 07:48:28 -0700 > From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > > Cookie asked: "...> Another question you might be able to > answer..... > > > > Lunenburg Order Book 2, p 139 February Court 1748/49 > > 8 Feb 1748/9 - Court for laying the County Levy > > To whom granted William Bowen Junr > > by whom granted Rob H Dyer > > date of cert 19 Nov 1748 > > quitrnts Tob[acc]o 140 > > > > This was just one of many entries for various people recorded > similarly. The > > page was actually set up in columns rather than across as I have > it. There > > was a whole list of people with info entered under the same > columns. There > > was nothing further at the beginning to help explain it - just the > date and > > Court for laying the County Levy" > > Ms. Cookie; You have found a record and list of landowners whose > taxes ("levys" "levies") were "layd off to and recognized by the > county as having been the obligation of someone else. Such > situations arose when by reason of leases, land contracts, > mortgages, and other legal devices, the taxes should be paid by a > third party and not by the record owner, i.e., by lessees, renters, > coteanants, heirs, etc. We still use the expression in a critical > or blaming fashion when we say that as to some duty, "Jones laid the > blame off on Smith." > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > VAGenWeb > http://www.rootsweb.com/~vagenweb > > ============================== > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com

In my research of my EASTHAM family I have a group of deeds with these phrases. I've looked but haven't found an explanation elsewhere. This list is so helpful, can someone explain this please? "is lawfully and rightfully seised in his own Right of a good sure Perfect Absolute and Indefeasible Estate of Inheritance in fee simple" and "have Good Rightfull power and Lawfull Authority to sell and convey the same" Judi

Should also have said that your man is the seller and has xferred all to HIS buyer. Paul ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Drake" <martee@citlink.net> To: <RB5522@aol.com>; <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 5:46 PM Subject: Re: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] "Estate of Inheritance" > This is simply old language meaning that the seller has conveyed to > the buyer ALL the rights which by law he may/can transfer in that > property. More words = more fee for early lawyers, I sometimes > think. :) :) > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <RB5522@aol.com> > To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 4:48 PM > Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] "Estate of Inheritance" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In my research of my EASTHAM family I have a group of deeds with > these > > phrases. I've looked but haven't found an explanation > elsewhere. This > > list is so helpful, can someone explain this please? > > > > "is lawfully and rightfully seised in his own Right of a good sure > Perfect > > Absolute and Indefeasible Estate of Inheritance in fee simple" > and "have > > Good Rightfull power and Lawfull Authority to sell and convey the > same" > > > > Judi > > > > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > > > > ============================== > > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the > #1 > > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > > > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F1 > 1HB > > >

This is simply old language meaning that the seller has conveyed to the buyer ALL the rights which by law he may/can transfer in that property. More words = more fee for early lawyers, I sometimes think. :) :) ----- Original Message ----- From: <RB5522@aol.com> To: <VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 4:48 PM Subject: [VA-SOUTHSIDE-L] "Estate of Inheritance" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In my research of my EASTHAM family I have a group of deeds with these > phrases. I've looked but haven't found an explanation elsewhere. This > list is so helpful, can someone explain this please? > > "is lawfully and rightfully seised in his own Right of a good sure Perfect > Absolute and Indefeasible Estate of Inheritance in fee simple" and "have > Good Rightfull power and Lawfull Authority to sell and convey the same" > > Judi > > > ==== VA-SOUTHSIDE Mailing List ==== > USGenWeb Archives Census Project > http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/census/ > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry.com for a FREE 14-Day Trial and enjoy access to the #1 > Source for Family History Online. Go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/subscribe/subscribetrial1y.asp?sourcecode=F1 1HB >

What counties are included in the VA Southside discussion? Kathy Awbrey

unsubscribe please

I was asked just now what I meant when I said that legal dictionaries are "very general in nature." An example will serve: Look up the word "genealogist" in any high quality, unabridged dictionary of English. It will be apparent that what we all do is MUCH more than there explained. So too with a legal dictionary; the definitions almost never reveal the full content and meaning of the terms. Still though, as said, such dictionaries are a good starting place for answers.

E. W. Wallace wrote: > Does anyone know whether a legal dictionary is on the internet? Try this - Bouvier Law Dictionary, 1856: http://www.constitution.org/bouv/bouvier.htm Ann -- Ann Avery Hunter Richmond, Virginia mailto:annh@erols.com