Dear Researcher of Hanover Co., particularly those who do NOT live in Virginia Wouldn't you know that most of the pre-Civil War records of Hanover Co. are missing--reported to have burned in Richmond at the end of the Civil War [or your particular name for that bloody war] in what is called the *Evacuation Fire*? The roots of my father's family are in Hanover county in the 1730s, and I try to find every piece of information I can about that time period in Hanover Co.--including looking at the adjoining counties. A couple of suggestions: A wonderful genealogist/publisher in Missouri many years ago abstracted or transcribed and published the remaining Hanover Co. court records (wills, deeds, etc) of the 1730s. Keep reading Also, she published many abstracts of Louisa Co., VA, which was formed 1742 from Hanover Co., and, fortunately for me--and perhaps you, too--there are records of some Hanover Co. families in those early records of Louisa Co. Therefore, these are almost companion books--Hanover and Louisa Co. records. Furthermore, for genealogical publications, these booklets [paperback] are inexpensive. My copies are filed in my file cabinet rather than in my bookcase, as they need protecting. Here is Mrs. Davis's website-- _http://www.angelfire.com/va3/redavis/_ (http://www.angelfire.com/va3/redavis/) In my local large metropolitan library some years ago, I found a book in which the author had abstracted ALL the Virginia land patents/grants [yes, there is a difference in these terms] for Hanover Co. Nowadays, a researcher does not necessarily need these published records, as these land patent abstracts have been digitized on the Library of Virginia Website. (However, books are still my friend--because they are portable and they are indexed, generally.) Charles P. Blunt, author Land patents and grants of Hanover County, Virginia (1721-1800) / compiled by Charles P. Blunt IV. The library catalog entry indicates it was published in 1980. It is unlikely it is still in print. Perhaps a library or two in Virginia has a copy. But, whatever one does--start with your immediate family--and interview them. Perhaps someone has something stashed away which he/she has not been sharing because NO ONE has ever asked. And it pays to be inquisitive. Had not my aunt been inquisitive about some old letters in a trunk at her grandfather's former home, which trunk she and a cousin had discovered when they were searching for an insurance policy because of a death in the family, we would never KNOW about the colonial Hanover Co. origins of our common-named family. We had to work backwards from a county in Kentucky which was mentioned in an old letter, skip down to Arkansas and up to Illinois, where the grandfather had relatives, skip around in Mississippi, where he operated a tavern for a number of years, etc. Sometimes you have to take a gamble--in this Kentucky county, there is an ancestor who has the first name of my grandfather. Is there a connection? Don't know. Write for the rejected Rev War pension record anyway. And so on. These hunches, which seemed to pay off, got me back to colonial Granville Co., NC, where many early residents had Hanover Co. origins, and so on. (Did your people go to North Carolina? Maybe???) You know how the generations multiply?? So do the pieces of paper which you photocopy and then you have to buy file cabinets, and so on. Best of luck to all you Hanover reseachers!! E.W.Wallace

I would like to add that the records in Cavaliers and Pioneers have been of the most value to me - and the Virginia road records! Wonderful! The road records are on-line. Diane Subject: [VAHANOVE] Early Records of Hanover Co., VA - Publications Dear Researcher of Hanover Co., particularly those who do NOT live in Virginia Wouldn't you know that most of the pre-Civil War records of Hanover Co. are missing--reported to have burned in Richmond at the end of the Civil War [or your particular name for that bloody war] in what is called the *Evacuation Fire*? The roots of my father's family are in Hanover county in the 1730s, and I try to find every piece of information I can about that time period in Hanover Co.--including looking at the adjoining counties. A couple of suggestions: A wonderful genealogist/publisher in Missouri many years ago abstracted or transcribed and published the remaining Hanover Co. court records (wills, deeds, etc) of the 1730s. Keep reading Also, she published many abstracts of Louisa Co., VA, which was formed 1742 from Hanover Co., and, fortunately for me--and perhaps you, too--there are records of some Hanover Co. families in those early records of Louisa Co. Therefore, these are almost companion books--Hanover and Louisa Co. records. Furthermore, for genealogical publications, these booklets [paperback] are inexpensive. My copies are filed in my file cabinet rather than in my bookcase, as they need protecting. Here is Mrs. Davis's website-- _http://www.angelfire.com/va3/redavis/_ (http://www.angelfire.com/va3/redavis/) In my local large metropolitan library some years ago, I found a book in which the author had abstracted ALL the Virginia land patents/grants [yes, there is a difference in these terms] for Hanover Co. Nowadays, a researcher does not necessarily need these published records, as these land patent abstracts have been digitized on the Library of Virginia Website. (However, books are still my friend--because they are portable and they are indexed, generally.) Charles P. Blunt, author Land patents and grants of Hanover County, Virginia (1721-1800) / compiled by Charles P. Blunt IV. The library catalog entry indicates it was published in 1980. It is unlikely it is still in print. Perhaps a library or two in Virginia has a copy. But, whatever one does--start with your immediate family--and interview them. Perhaps someone has something stashed away which he/she has not been sharing because NO ONE has ever asked. And it pays to be inquisitive. Had not my aunt been inquisitive about some old letters in a trunk at her grandfather's former home, which trunk she and a cousin had discovered when they were searching for an insurance policy because of a death in the family, we would never KNOW about the colonial Hanover Co. origins of our common-named family. We had to work backwards from a county in Kentucky which was mentioned in an old letter, skip down to Arkansas and up to Illinois, where the grandfather had relatives, skip around in Mississippi, where he operated a tavern for a number of years, etc. Sometimes you have to take a gamble--in this Kentucky county, there is an ancestor who has the first name of my grandfather. Is there a connection? Don't know. Write for the rejected Rev War pension record anyway. And so on. These hunches, which seemed to pay off, got me back to colonial Granville Co., NC, where many early residents had Hanover Co. origins, and so on. (Did your people go to North Carolina? Maybe???) You know how the generations multiply?? So do the pieces of paper which you photocopy and then you have to buy file cabinets, and so on. Best of luck to all you Hanover reseachers!! E.W.Wallace ==== VAHANOVE Mailing List ==== NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.5/321 - Release Date: 4/21/2006