The incidents recently cited of discoveries of useful records in county courthouses is a good reminder that valuable documents continue to come to light in courthouses and in other places, too. There is absolutely no substitute for personal research in the original records. Only a tiny fraction of archival and manuscript materials that are now known to exist are represented in any form on the Internet, and I doubt that even a large percentage will ever be available or be available in time for anybody but out distant descendants to consult online. Brent Tarter The Library of Virginia [log in to unmask] Please visit the Library of Virginia's Web site at http://www.lva.virginia.gov To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html