Virginia Tax Records Newly Available
Gloucester County, Virginia is considered a “burned county” with major genealogical record loss. So the presentation of a bound copy of Gloucester County Tax Accounts, 1770-1771 to Circuit Judge John E. DeHardit in 1966 was a genealogy event. The bound copy is a photostat of the original now in the Library of Virginia in Richmond. The original record was in the possession of Miss Sally Perrin, Gloucester. And the copy was made available through the Joseph Bryan Memorial Branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities in memory of Olita Landry Mcakubin, Jr.
This ledger, covering the years 1770 and 1771, has been newly transcribed, indexed, and restored–gaps and missing segments reconstructed by L. Roane Hunt, and published in 2011 by the Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia, 5780 T.C. Walker Road, Gloucester VA 23061. An appendix includes the 1704/05 Quit Rent Roll for Gloucester as transcribed by Polly Cary Mason in 1946.
L. Roane Hunt and the Gloucester Genealogical Society of Virginia have also provided us with a new edition (2011) of the 1782-1791 tax records–Volume 1 of a series of books that will provide both personal property and land tax rolls through 1870. Volume 1 includes the first ten years when Gloucester County included Mathews County as Kingston Parish. As each additional segment is completed, the entries will be posted on the Gloucester Society website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vaggsv/index.htm and published in book form.
Author Hunt indicates that Gloucester County’s surviving records include these tax rolls, court minutes, and land surveys. So we can hope that when the tax records project is completed, he and his group will provide indexed transcripts of the land surveys as well. These significant records also include substantial gaps with damaged and missing pages. They were microfilmed in 1947 and 1977 by the Family History Library from originals and photostats at the Library of Virginia and at the courthouse in Gloucester. Some records were made by Circuit Court clerks.
Here is the description from the Classic Family History Library Catalog:
General index, v. 1 1690-1937 (Indexes surveyors’ books, v. 1-5, 1817-1937. Includes lists of surveyors, 1690-1907, and oyster ground surveys as recorded in clerk’s office, v. 1-3.) – FHL US/CAN Film [ 1928558 Item 3 ]; Surveyor’s book, v. A 1733-1810 (Vol. A is a photostat copy and is not in the general index) Surveyor’s book, v. 1 1817-1852 (Vol 1 is a photostat copy) – FHL US/CAN Film [ 31638 Items 1-2 ]; Surveyor’s books, v. 4-5 1900-1937 – FHL US/CAN Film [ 1928558 Items 1-2 ]
Clerk’s plat books, v. 10-11 1976-1977 – FHL US/CAN Film [ 1928559 Items 1-2 ]. Used with permission.
Using the land tax rolls and the surveys together, genealogists can re-build the property holdings of much of Gloucester County. So we are especially grateful to the Gloucester Genealogical Society and its members for funding these projects. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS These tax records are available for loan on microfilm through the Library of Virginia, Richmond VA and the Family History Library, Salt Lake City UT. The original pages are housed in the Archive Room of the Gloucester Museum of History, Gloucester VA by appointment.
PPS If you have Gloucester County ancestors, you will want your own copies of these new transcripts and indexes. Remember that your investment will help to fund more such publications!