Genealogy and Family History – The UncommonWealth

Archives

“Who is the mother of said Catherine”: Finding Families in Virginia Untold

This past summer, I was asked to present at the Lemon Project Summer Sankofa Genealogy Workshop held at William & Mary’s Swem Library. As I…

Lydia NeurothNovember 12, 2025

Archives

Freed From the Archives: The Life of Emanuel Jones of Surry

In January 2025, Mr. Thomas Baxter reached out to Virginia Untold Project Manager Lydia Neuroth to share about research he had conducted on an enslaved…

Guest ContributorJune 25, 2025

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Picturing Family

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in Broadside, the magazine of the Library of Virginia, Issue No. 1, 2024. Whether displayed on household…

Dale NeighborsJune 11, 2025

Archives Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

A Shoeshine Box of Memories

Editor's Note: This blog came about as staff members explored some of the old gift catalogs in our collection. We know that during the holiday…

Cara GriggsDecember 23, 2024

Archives

Finding Connections in African American Genealogy: The Bressie Family of Norfolk County

The Library of Virginia, like many similar institutions, has seen a large uptick in genealogical researchers interested in tracing their lines to Black families before…

Kevin ShupeJuly 15, 2024

Archives Digital Projects

World War II Separation Notices: Marines Collection and Future

The World War II Separation Notices: U.S. Marine Corps collection is now up on From the Page for indexing! This collection debuted this past September…

Lauren CaravatiNovember 8, 2023

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

In Search of Family: The Story of Luversa Jones

Genealogical research always starts with a name. And questions. The Library of Virginia’s comprehensive genealogical resources – online data bases, microfiche, archival documents, and more…

Lee Ann TimreckAugust 2, 2023

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

Uncovering the Source: Waddy Family Genealogical Notes, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1914

Among my work projects, I correct Optical Character Recognition (OCR) newspaper text for the Virginia Chronicle website. One of the features of the Sunday editions…

Nathan VerillaApril 3, 2023

Archives

“In the way that all slaves were married”: The Legal Legacy of Unjust Laws

To what lengths would you go to prove your identity if you had no documentation? One formerly enslaved woman was able to do so 150…

Tracy HarterAugust 11, 2021

Archives The Stacks

Random Reference: What Happened to Uncle Harry?

The best thing about being a reference archivist is that every time you pick up the phone you have no idea what the question will…

Dawn TinnellJune 7, 2021

Archives Digital Projects

Wanted: Volunteers to Index Virginia Vital Records!

The Library of Virginia houses an extensive collection of vital records, including birth and death records, 1853-1896, and marriage records, 1853-1935. Genealogists and family historians…

Paige NealMay 24, 2021

Digital Projects

“She was, before her marriage, an accomplished teacher.”

Sometimes after a long day of looking at archival documents on my computer screen, I go home and relax by looking at archival documents on…

Jessi BennettMarch 24, 2021

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

Dear Santa: Using Library Collections to Explore a Life Well-Lived

Every year, as the air turns cold and memories of Thanksgiving turkey fade away, children begin the age-old tradition of penning a letter to Santa…

Vince BrooksDecember 23, 2020

Archives

Alien Lands: Land Ownership and Inheritance Laws for Immigrants in Virginia

“Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a colony of aliens who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of Anglify…

Vince BrooksNovember 18, 2020

Archives

Misspellings and Misnomers in the Archives: The Case of Simon Kratzer

T he Virginia Land Office patents and grants comprise an invaluable grouping of original landownership records for the Commonwealth. The Library of Virginia has indexed…

Amanda MorrellJanuary 29, 2020