When were birth and death registers implemented? April 11, 1853. Sort of. There were laws regarding the recording of such events as early as the 1600s. Practice unfortunately did not always follow suit. Use the Research Links tab to access a site that goes into greater detail about Virginia’s death index.
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2.
Did you know? In 1752 in North America, the month of September only had 19 days. Use the Research Links tab and click on the link for Julian/Gregorian Calendar Change link to read the full article and find out why. A very important bit of information for researchers of eighteenth century dated documents. Something to remember when calculating those birth and death dates! Go to the Research Links tab for access to more information.
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3.
When reading or transcribing old court documents, Clerks of Court names can be difficult because of the signature style and the sometimes very oddly spelled names. Most localities have their clerks listed that served since the formation of the county, city or town. The clerks for Augusta County Circuit Court of Virginia since 1745 can be found using the Research Links tab.
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4.
The word cemetery is taken from the Greek word Koimeterion, which is the word for ‘sleeping place.’ The word implies that the land has been set aside as a burial ground.
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5.
When was the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia first viewed by someone other than Native Americans? Arguably, it was in August 1670, by a German named John Lederer, a full 46 years before Governor Spotswood and the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe crossed through Swift Run Gap into what is now Rockingham County, Virginia. There are a number of websites with further information about Lederer. The Virginia Germans by Klaus Wust (University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1984) is an excellent book on the early German Presence in Virginia and includes research on John Lederer.
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6.
When researching early and mid 1800s articles discussing roads and road improvements, the term McAdamize is sometimes seen, and can be found spelled various ways. But what does that term mean? It came from a Scottish gentleman named John Loudon McAdam, born in 1757, a pioneer in road construction and road improvement. His methods are still used in many places in one form or another and is the basic engineering for designing most modern highways. An internet search of McAdamized roads will furnish a plethora of information on the subject for those interested.
