WHAT'S NEW IN RELIC
May 2005
The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center for Genealogy and Local History
Prince William Public Library System
Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109.
703-792-4540 www.pwcgov.org/library <http://www.pwcgov.org/library>
Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> .
To read the latest lists of new materials in RELIC (through the end of
April) click on
http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=040034001060002048
<http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=040034001060002048>
UPCOMING PROGRAMS - NOW TAKING REGISTRATIONS
Following are upcoming programs at Bull Run Regional Library related to
local history and genealogy. Sign language interpretation of library
programs is available if requested three weeks in advance.
Saturday May 14 - RELIC After Dark
Tuesday May 24 - Evaluating Estate Inventories
The Genealogy Doctor is In - Thursdays, May 5, May 19, June 2, June 16.
(For details, see below.)
Also in this issue:
Delving Into RELIC: Tracing Land Titles (Part 1)
Saturday, May 14, 7-11 p.m.
GALA EVENT "RELIC AFTER DARK"
Space is still available at "RELIC After Dark," but prompt registration
is requested to allow us to calculate the amount of food, drink, and
seating needed for the event.
Virginia State Archivist Conley L. Edwards will be the featured speaker
at this exceptional event set for Saturday, May 14, at Bull Run Regional
Library in Manassas. "An exciting evening of food, drink, fun and
history," the evening's activities will highlight and benefit the Ruth
E. Lloyd Information Center (RELIC), Prince William Public Library
System's special collection for genealogy and local history. Proceeds
from the event will be used to upgrade the archival lighting needed to
protect the collection.
It opens at 7 p.m. with a mixer featuring hors d'oeuvres and assorted
beverages, including wine and beer.
At 8 p.m., Library Director Dick Murphy and Don Wilson, head of RELIC,
will give introductory remarks. Mr. Edward's presentation, beginning at
8:30, is entitled "The Place of History in Our Communities." Dessert
and coffee will be served and door prizes awarded at 9:30.
Throughout the evening, until 11 p.m., the library's resources
(including RELIC's staff and volunteers) will be available for those
interested in family or historical research. This includes, for this
night only, free printing from internet stations, electronic databases
and microfilm reader printers.
Mr. Edwards has served with the State Archives in Richmond
since 1974 and has headed the department for the past nine years. His
education includes a master's degree in American history from the
University of Richmond. His writings on historical and genealogical
topics have appeared in a variety of state and regional publication,
including Civil War Times, Illustrated; William and Mary Quarterly; and
The Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. As State Archivist he serves as the
Chairman of the Virginia Board for Geographic Names. He serves as the
coordinator for the State Historical Records Advisory Board, having been
appointed by Governors Allen, Gilmore, and Warner to that position. He
is currently a member of the board of directors of the Council of State
Historical Records Coordinators. He is also Director of the Archival
and Information Services Division, Library of Virginia.
Admission to this special event is $25 per person. Dressy
casual attire is suggested. Registrations may be addressed to RELIC,
Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109.
Checks should be made out to "PWPLS." Additional tax-deductible
contributions to support RELIC will also be accepted.
Named for Library founder Ruth E. Lloyd, the department is
open daily, the same hours as Bull Run Regional Library. Books,
microfilm, special electronic databases, and high-speed internet access,
with staff assistance, are among the resources that RELIC provides. For
further information, please call us at 703-792-4540.
Funding for this program is provided by the Friends of Central and Bull
Run Libraries
Tuesday, May 24, 7:30 p.m.
ANALYZING ESTATE INVENTORIES
FOR GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Of genealogical records found at the courthouse, estate
inventories are among the most underrated. Probate cases may include
inventories, appraisals and sale bills. They describe the contents of a
deceased ancestor's household (such as slaves, furniture, tools,
livestock, clothing, and books). These items can furnish evidence of
the occupations, living standard, and relationships of a household, as
well as the appearance of their house. Local researcher Charlotte Cain
will explain how a thorough examination of estate inventories can
provide important clues to your family history.
The program is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, from 7:30 to
8:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Library. This is the monthly Genealogy
Resources Users Group program, sponsored by RELIC and the Friends of the
Central and Bull Run Libraries.
Early registration is requested. To register for this free program,
email us at [log in to unmask] Or you may stop by the library at 8051
Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109, or call RELIC at (703) 792-4540.
The Genealogy Doctor Is In
Schedule a private, 30-minute visit with RELIC's Don Wilson to start
your research or discuss and analyze an historical or genealogical
problem that has stumped you. First and Third Thursdays of each month,
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon.
(Upcoming available dates: May 5 and 19, June 2 and 16. Choice of
times: 10:00, 10:45, 11:30 a.m.)
Call RELIC at 703-792-4540 for a free appointment.
DELVING INTO RELIC
By Don Wilson, Virginiana Librarian
TRACING LAND TITLES: PART 1
The RELIC staff are often called upon to help patrons trace the history
of a tract of land, or find where a particular parcel is located in
Prince William County. Here are some of the tools at our disposal:
Current Prince William real estate information is available free online.
(Please note, Prince William's internet services allow searching by
location -- address, parcel number, etc. -- but not by owner's name.
They do not include the Cities of Manassas or Manassas Park.)
County Mapper is at
http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=040031000120001312
Property assessment information can be found at
http://www4.pwcgov.org/realestate/LandRover.asp
Properties in the City of Manassas can be searched (by name or address)
at http://gisweb.ci.manassas.va.us/gis/map_default1.htm
I don't find any online service for Manassas Park real estate data. The
Treasurer's office maintains real estate tax records. See
http://www.cityofmanassaspark.us/Public_Documents/ManassasParkVA_Treasur
er/index.
Digital images of Prince William County deeds since 1918, are available
by subscription from the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
($300 per quarter, prorated to $3.34 per day.) This includes properties
located in Prince William, and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Public access stations are available at the County Judicial Center in
Manassas. This database is searchable by name or document (book and
page number). Most deeds include a reference to the previous
transaction. Just plug in the book/page reference to find its image.
For further details see http://www.pwcgov.org/docLibrary/PDF/001038.pdf.
We have real estate tax maps since 1971 (and aerial photographs for 1937
and 1971-80), which show location and/or property boundaries. All three
jurisdictions are included. Annual real estate assessment information
is on microfiche 1983-2002, and on CD-ROM since 2002. We can search it
by name, property address, or tax map ID.
City directories for Manassas (1951, 1960-1983, 2001) and for
Quantico-Triangle-Dumfries-Woodbridge-Occoquan (1963-1980) identify each
head of household and identify resident owners. We have a collection of
countywide telephone directories, including 1941 and 1958/9, and nearly
complete since 1966. They don't prove ownership, but may help establish
who was living at a particular address.
The time period 1869-1918 is difficult for us, because we have no direct
access to those deeds. For that period, researchers will need to
contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court and check book indexes available
there. See http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=040017.
But RELIC has several resources that sometimes will transcend that
period:
* A post-1918 deed may refer to a much earlier conveyance.
* W. H. Brown's map of Prince William County (1901) shows the
location of each farmhouse, with name of resident or owner.
* Historic Site Files may include an ownership history going back
to the Civil War.
* Archaeological studies of recently developed properties may
include a chain of title.
* We have microfilm of land tax lists for the County for most
years between 1782 and 1892. Property transfers are described with
acreage and location.
* A local family history may include abstracts of deeds.
* A microfilm index to deeds covers the period 1732-1887.
We have copies of all surviving land records for the period before 1869.
The key word, though, is "surviving." The Clerk's Office was looted and
vandalized during the Civil War. Fifteen deed books recorded prior to
1865 have disappeared, and a number of other books have missing or
mutilated pages. Part 2 will describe how we overcome that dilemma.
(To be continued.)
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