Hello Listers, Apologies for cross-posting. From my limited reading of banking history in Virginia, the Farmers' Bank of VA began in 1812 and went out of business after the Civil War . I looked at John J. Knox, "A History of Banking in the United States"; Allan G. Gruchy, "Supervision and Control of Virginia State Banks"; George T. Starnes, "Sixty Years of Branch Banking in Virginia" & T. Harry Gatton, "Banking in Virginia". That seemed to be all the Library of Congress had to offer. I have looked at the records of the bank housed at the Virginia Historical Society--the domestic records, didn't go into the box marked Foreign. Records of officers' meetings, some loans, etc., no lists of shareholders. I have an ancestor, Martha ALLEN, who willed (1846, Chesterfield Co., VA) bank stock in the Farmers' Bank of Virginia (Richmond branch) to her son, James Lawrence TOWNLEY (3 shares) and her daughter, Hypatia ALLEN WILSON (2 shares) Apparently she only owned 5 shares. Her estate also consisted of land & household furniture & goods as well as a gold watch which was inherited by her son. My questions to the list: Would a woman of the early to mid-19th century purchase bank stock or is it more likely she got it from either a husband or her father? Would there be any kind of record of the shareholders' names either when shares were purchased or redeemed? I do not know her father's or husband's name. I have no proof of her marital status in 1846, always "assumed" she was a widow, however I've never found a marriage to either a Mr. TOWNLEY or a Mr. ALLEN. Perhaps she was single, or divorced. She gave her consent for Hypatia (1819-1869) to marry George N. WILSON in 1837 in Henrico Co. Suggestions for further reading and/or research would be appreciated. Regards, Marigay Holloway Copyright Cataloger Library of Congress Washington, DC email: [log in to unmask] Disclaimer: this email in no way reflects the policy of the Library of Congress. To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html