Fellow Virginia Researchers: At a bookstore I ran across a wonderful three volume set of books,also available in libraries published in 1997 that I highly recommend to all of you who are stuck in the early 1800s in VA counties that have many abstracts in 1600s or 1700s and then nothing. Also it is the only source I have found that covers land records systematically across many counties later than the 1790s. It is entitled: 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer), abstracted by Roger G. Ward, Iberian Publishing Company, Athens, Georgia. Beginning 1782 the state of Virginia, according to the introduction, required the tax commissioner in each district to record a list of the names of persons owning land or town lots, the quantity of land owned and its value and the amount of tax owed. By 1813, a brief geographic description (town, road, stream, etc) was added, and in 1814 the distance and direction from the courthouse was recorded. For the counties covered, it also notes whether the individual is a resident of another county. I have complete copies of the lists (which are alphabetized!) for Powhatan, Amelia and Prince George County. For Chesterfield I have the A's through Cunliff. For the City of Petersburg I have only A through Byrne. I would be happy to do lookups for any of you on these counties. If you have a very common last name, please give me first name(s) that you expect may be your family. Janet (Baugh) Hunter... Still searching for Archibald Bolling Baugh, who I have confirmed did own land on the James River in Powhatan in 1815...So..what was he doing in Prince George in 1820 and Amelia in 1830 (grin).