Category Archives: Certification

Tuesday’s Tip: What To Do When You Start Researching A New Place

Every state and county handled vitals and other legal documents differently.

The state of Virginia in its infinite wisdom decided NOT to record births when my great great grandfather Charlton Wallace was born and also not to record deaths when he died.  His parents are still my brick wall.

The Ancestry.com Wiki has put the entire contents of two books online that will help you understand what was recorded when:

The Red Book specifically will help you figure out what was available when.  I do a lot research in Virginia.  If I click on Virginia Family History on the Red Book main wiki page, I see information about the state.

If I click on Virginia Vital Records I see an overview of the what was recorded and when.  It helps to know birth certificates were recorded in 1824 and that you need to prove a birth date some other way.

You can also drill down to the county level.

And all of this is free.  You don’t need to be an Ancestry.com subscriber.

Sorting Saturday: A Research Plan for the Samuel J Campbell Deed

This is more of a mental sorting, rather than a physical sorting.  Sometimes it’s hard to find a blog queue that fits what you want to write about!

So, I published the documents and the transcription for the Samuel J Campbell to William A Anderson deed.   On to the research plan.

What do I know?

  1. The land was originally conveyed to Samuel Campbell by W N Pendelton and his wife on October 22, 1870 and was recorded in Book SS, p. 328.
  2. Samuel then conveyed the land to J B Dorman and Chas A Davidson by deed on March 12, 1872 and that can be found in Book MM, p. 155.
  3. James B Dorman and Chas A Davidson  pursuant to a decree in a Chancery Cause from April 10, 1873, offered the sale at public auction on June 11, 1873.
  4. William A Anderson was the highest bidder and purchased the land for $1000 and this appears from a decree pronounced on September 15, 1873.
  5. Another decree pronounced on March 11, 1878 that Samuel and his wife granted with general warranty to William A Anderson this particular six acres. This land that was located on the north side “Fair Grounds” road near Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. The land was also adjacent to the lands of John Miller.
  6. M L Cambpell, the wife of Samuel J Campbell submit a dowery release. 1

What Next?

  1. Who was Samuel J Campbell and his wife M L Campbell?
  2. Who was W N Pendelton?
  3. Who was William A Anderson?
  4. I need to obtain the following:
    1. The deed from Book SS, p. 328 which is from W N Pendelton to Samuel J Campbell
    2. The deed from Book MM, p. 155 where Samuel conveys the land to J B Dorman and Chas A Davidson.
    3. The chancery cause from September 15, 1873
    4. The chancery cause or decree from March 11, 1878

Footnote

1. Rockbridge County, Virginia, Deeds, Q: 212-216, Samuel J Campbell to William A Anderson, 19 March 1878, County Courthouse, Rockbridge.