Blackwater Regional Library

Genealogy

Blackwater Regional Library offers hundreds of valuable genealogy resources to its patrons. Highlights include passenger lists, court records, marriage records, church and cemetery records, will and deed indexes, and war registers. We also hold many books tracing local family lineage.

The library also offers access to two powerful genealogy databases:

ANCESTRY – LIBRARY EDITION
Find your roots! This collection assembles every extant U.S. federal census, banking and military records, genealogies, local histories, primary source materials, and genealogical and local history serials. Ancestry Library Edition can only be accessed within a BRL branch.

Black Life in America:
The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media.

Heritage Hub Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1824 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7. (Library card required to access from home)

Heritage Quest Online (at the library) (from home)
One of the most valuable services available today for anyone researching ancestry in the United States. The company is best known for its collection of the U.S. Federal Census records from 1790 through 1930.

Heritage Quest Online can be accessed within a BRL branch or from home. Click the appropriate link above. If you are accessing from home, you will need to enter your library card number to login to the database.

Local Histories: 

  • B. A. Chapman Collection – Research notes, of Blanche Adams Chapman, compiled to complete her published works: “Abstracts of Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight, 1647-1800,” published 1938; “Marriages of Isle of Wight, 1628- 1800,” published 1933; “Marriages of Southampton County,” published 1948; “Wills and Administrations of Elizabeth City County, 1688-1800,” published in 1941; “Surry County Records, 1652-1672,” and “Wills and Administrations of Surry County, Virginia, 1671- 1730.”  (Library volunteers are working diligently to add records to this collection as time allows. We appreciate your patience.)

Web Resources:

Local Historical Societies

Historical Newspapers Online

General Genealogy Resources

  • Mission

    Our purpose is to
    provide online and print resources,
    access to innovative technologies 
    and a skilled staff to patrons
    in our service area.

  • Contact Us

    info@blackwaterlib.org

    Slow internet connection?
    click here to search the catalog

  • Who We Serve

    Blackwater Regional Library
    serves the communities of:
    Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry
    and Sussex Counties 
    and the City of Franklin

This site is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is managed by the The Library of Virginia Library Development and Networking Division.