Burned-records research
A practical guide to record loss, surviving copies, county catalogs, and careful search logs.
These links lead to external repositories. Their catalogs, access conditions, and holdings may change. A catalog entry or index helps locate a source; it is not a substitute for examining the record itself.
Library of Virginia
Explore state archival collections and research resources, including photographs, newspapers, and local records.
County & city records
Check record series and microfilm holdings by locality. Establish the jurisdiction for the event you are researching.
Chancery records
Search the Library of Virginia’s index, then identify the case and consult available original images or repository copies.
Historic American Buildings Survey
Begin with the King William courthouse survey record for photographs, measured drawings, and accompanying documentation.
Capture a complete citation
Creator; record or item title; event or record date; collection or series; volume and page or image; repository; stable URL; date accessed. Note whether you used an original, a copy, an index, or a transcription.
Keep three things separate
- What the record says: a faithful transcription or precise summary.
- What you infer: your interpretation and the reasoning behind it.
- What remains open: missing records, alternatives, and conflicting evidence.
Use the project’s evidence labels →