Archives – Page 31 – The UncommonWealth

Archives

Over There and Over Here: Virginia, World War I, and the Records of the War History Commission

Editor’s note: This post was adapted from a talk given by Roger Christman, state records archivist. A hundred years ago, on 6 April 1917, the…

Claire RadcliffeApril 5, 2017

Archives

Ibby Jane Smith: U.S. Pensioner

Ibby Jane Smith was born in January 1864 in Northampton County, Virginia, the daughter of Leah Smith, also called Leah Jacob, and Seth Smith, also…

Louise JonesMarch 29, 2017

Archives

A Few of Our Favorite Things: Even More Letterhead in the Archive

Editor's note: As promised in a previous post, here’s another look at some of the plethora of letterheads and stationery found in our archives. The…

Vince BrooksMarch 15, 2017

Archives

"To the land of their fathers": Emancipation and the Virginia Colonization Board

The American Colonization Society was founded in 1817 to promote the voluntary return of free African Americans in the United States to Africa. In 1822,…

Paige NealMarch 8, 2017

Archives Conservation The Stacks

Virginia’s CCRP Program Provides Preservation Grants

The Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP) Grant Review Board met on 18 January 2017 at the Library of Virginia to consider records preservation grant requests…

Greg CrawfordMarch 1, 2017

Archives

“Down in the shadow of the penitentiary:” the Closing of the Virginia Penitentiary

On Friday, 24 February, a new historical highway marker will be unveiled at the site of the former Virginia Penitentiary at the intersection of Belvidere…

Roger ChristmanFebruary 22, 2017

Archives

Virginia Untold: Petitions to Remain

As told in an earlier blog, James Dunlop of Petersburg emancipated his slave, John Brown, in April 1822 through a deed of manumission. One would…

Greg CrawfordFebruary 15, 2017

Archives

It’s A Virginia Thing: Helping One Native Colleague at a Time

Back in 2010 when I was processing the Nelson County chancery suits, I found a remarkable genealogical chart of the prominent Carter family. From that…

Callie FreedFebruary 8, 2017

Archives

Mug Shot Monday: Michael Bertone, No. 18654 and No. 21579

This is the latest entry in a series of posts highlighting inmate photographs in the records of the Virginia Penitentiary. Michael Bertone, the subject of this…

Roger ChristmanFebruary 6, 2017

Archives

York County’s Forgotten Founder

York County, originally named Charles River County for King Charles I, was one of the eight Virginia shires (counties) first enumerated in 1634. A document…

Callie FreedJanuary 25, 2017

Archives Conservation The Stacks

Court Records Preservation Pioneers: Martha Woodroof Hiden

The naming of the local history and genealogy reading room at Newport News Public Library after Martha Woodroof Hiden is well deserved. Born in Orange…

Eddie WoodwardJanuary 18, 2017

Archives

A Last Resort: Madison County Reenslavement Petitions

In 1856, the General Assembly decided that free African Americans could petition their county or city court to be enslaved. These individuals had to be…

Cara GriggsJanuary 11, 2017

Archives

Mug Shot Monday: Willie Williams, No. 17280

This is the latest entry in a series of posts highlighting inmate photographs in the records of the Virginia Penitentiary. Willie Williams’, the subject of this week’s post,…

Roger ChristmanJanuary 9, 2017

Archives Conservation The Stacks

Westmoreland County Cohabitation Registers Now Online

Last summer, the Westmoreland County Circuit Court Clerk Gwynne Chatham contacted the Library of Virginia concerning old marriage records that staff discovered in her office.…

Greg CrawfordJanuary 4, 2017

Archives

Here We Go A-Caroling

The Out of the Box bloggers will be taking a break for the holidays, but we’ll be back in the new year! In the meantime,…

Claire RadcliffeDecember 21, 2016