Lost Records Localities: Counties and Cities with Missing Records

A distant cousin of mine, Gail Vass, pointed out a resource that I had never seen before. It is called the Lost Records Localities Database and it is housed at the Libray of Virginia. Per their description...

"This database consists of entries for a wide variety of court records found as part of chancery and other locality records-processing projects. The entries are for surviving records from localities, most of whose records are no longer extant. The original record is photocopied. The copies are filed together in an artificial collection—the Lost Records Localities Collection—and are readily accessed through the manuscript room at the Library of Virginia. Please check periodically as this is an ongoing project."

In short, any record that they find from a "burned" county gets added to this collection. For example, say someone bought land in Hanover County and later sold it to someone in Mecklenburg County. The purchaser in Mecklenburg may have been involved in a court case where the Hanover deed was presented and copied. That copy still exists and is therefore added to the Lost Records database. It is search-able online but the actual records have to be viewed at the Library.

In case your were wondering, the burned counties in question are:

• Albemarle
  
• Appomattox
• Buckingham
• Caroline
• Charles City
• Culpeper
  
• Dinwiddie
• Elizabeth City
• Gloucester
• Hanover
• Henrico
• Henrico / City of Richmond
• James City County / Williamsburg
• King and Queen
• King George
  
• King William
• Mathews
• Nansemond
• New Kent
• Nottoway
• Prince George
• Prince William
• Richmond City
  
• Richmond County
• Rockingham
  
• Stafford
• Warwick
  

For example, I checked for Brock documents in Hanover County and found the following:

Locality	Names	Record Type	Dates
Hanover County	King, Mary, etc. to John P. Brock	Deed	1799
Hanover County	Priddy, Robert and wife Nancy to John C. Brock	Deed	1823

I am very interested in the King-Brock deed as John P. Brock is my ancestor and his wife was rumored to be a King. This might be the proof that I need to make that connection. I plan on making a trip to the archives tomorrow so I will look up the actual document and let you know what I learn about the collection.

You can check out the online database here: Lost Records Localities Database

New Genealogical and Historical Society Link Section

I have added a new section to the right-hand site of the site, toward the bottom. There is now a list of all the genealogical and historical societies that I know of for Virginia. There is one big catch...their website has to be current and maintained. There are other societies out there that have websites but they have not been updated since like 2001. I am only including sites that are well-maintained by the society or group. What good is a calendar of events from 2005 anyway? If they do not take the time to update, I am not going to take the time to include them here.

Below is the list as it stands today. If you would like to suggest another site for inclusion, please do as I would love to add them. I am sure there are other, great sites out there that I missed but this is a good start.

• Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society
• Carroll County Genealogy Club
• Central Virginia Genealogical Association
• Chesterfield Historical Society
• Clarke County Historical Association
• Culpeper Genealogical Society
• Fairfax Genealogical Society
• Farmville - Prince Edward Historical Society
• Franklin County Historical Society
• Great Falls Historical Society
• Hanover County Historical Society
• Harrisonburg - Rockingham Historical Society
• Highland Historical Society
• Historic Buckingham, Inc.
• Historic Dumfries Virginia, Inc.
• Historic Prince William
• Historical Society of Washington, County, Virginia
• History Museum of Western Virginia
• Jamestowne Society
• Lower Delmarva Genealogical Society
• Norfolf County (Chesapeake) Historical Society
• Shenandoah Valley Genealogical Society
• South Central Virginia Genealogical Society, Inc.
• Southside Virginia Genealogical Society
• Surry County, Virginia Historical Society
• Tidewater Genealogical Society
• Virginia Beach Genealogical Society
• Virginia Genealogical Society
• Virginia Historical Society
• Winchester - Frederick County Historical Society

Descendants of William Edward Lawson, Sr. of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, 1886-1954

Descendants of William Edward Lawson, Sr.

Generation No. 1
1. WILLIAM EDWARD 4 LAWSON, SR. (WILLIAM R. 3, BENJAMIN THOMAS 2, WILLIAM 1) was born November 16, 1886 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, and died June 13, 1954 in Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He married JENNIE HASKINS COLEMAN December 23, 1906 in Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, daughter of JOHN COLEMAN and MALISSA JEFFRIES. She was born July 27, 1887 in Charlotte County, Virginia, and died October 16, 1980 in Richmond, Virginia.

Notes for WILLIAM EDWARD LAWSON, SR.:
Eddie was of medium height and slender build with blue eyes and light brown hair. He worked as both a farmer and liveryman. My dad remembers watching his grandfather curry mules. The Lawsons spent most of their lives in Chase City but moved to Marshall, Virginia, following a job as a guard on their prison chain gang. This move was short lived and the family returned to Chase City.

Eddie would go to Canada in the winter to pick tobacco. My dad remembers getting him from the bus station upon returning home. Eddie would come off the bus so drunk that he could not stand. My grandmother would beat him all the way home, throw him into bed and make him sleep it off for a few days.

More About WILLIAM EDWARD LAWSON, SR.:
Burial: June 15, 1954, Woodland Cemetery, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Cause of Death: sudden coronary occlusion

Notes for JENNIE HASKINS COLEMAN:
Pawpaw never smoke, drank nor wore a bathing suit and she once had thirteen teeth pulled by a veterinarian, with no anesthesia. She was a petite woman, less than five feet tall and weighed less than one hundred pounds. She had a sweet disposition and loved her family dearly.

More About JENNIE HASKINS COLEMAN:
Burial: October 18, 1980, Woodland Cemetery, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Cause of Death: respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema

More About WILLIAM LAWSON and JENNIE COLEMAN:
Marriage: December 23, 1906, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia

Children of WILLIAM LAWSON and JENNIE COLEMAN are:
i. PEARL MALISSA5 LAWSON, b. October 7, 1907, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia; d. June 23, 1992, Richmond, Virginia; m. JOHN WALTER LETT, SR., February 28, 1928, Richmond, Virginia; b. November 21, 1907, Baskerville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia; d. May 18, 1951, Richmond, Virginia.

Notes for PEARL MALISSA LAWSON:
Pearl learned the shoe repair trade from her husband but abandoned the business after his death. She worked the lunch counter at Woolworth’s and spent a few years with the family restaurant, "Lett's Lunch." Pearl was proud of her tight-knit family, being devoted to each child and grandchild. She cooked Sunday brunch every week, consisting of her hamburger soup and snaps with potatoes. Pearl loved Atlantic City's slot machines and the sound of Wayne Newton. She was plagued with heart problems but died following a massive stroke.

More About PEARL MALISSA LAWSON:
Burial: June 26, 1992, Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: respiratory arrest, right cerebral infarction
Medical Information: arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus

Notes for JOHN WALTER LETT, SR.:
Walter followed the shoe repair business from Virginia to Maryland with his brother Marvin. Upon returning to Virginia, Walter opened "Lett's Shoe Repairing" stores in Richmond and Sandston. He played poker at the News Leader Club and watched baseball at Parker Field. He was a hard worker but tight with money and affection. My father recalls going to baseball games with Walter but having to sit in the car while his dad went inside. In the end, a toothache proved to be the sign of an inoperable cancer that ravaged Walter’s body.

More About JOHN WALTER LETT, SR.:
Burial: May 20, 1951, Oakwood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia
Cause of Death: carcinoma of lungs, metastasis to brain

More About JOHN LETT and PEARL LAWSON:
Marriage: February 28, 1928, Richmond, Virginia

ii. WILLIAM EDWARD LAWSON, JR., b. October 19, 1915, Virginia; d. August 19, 1968, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia; m. PRIVATE.

Notes for WILLIAM EDWARD LAWSON, JR.:
Ed served during World War II and made his living as a machinist in Chase City, Virginia. I currently possess his scrapbook from the war but plan on returning it to his wife and children.

More About WILLIAM EDWARD LAWSON, JR.:
Burial: August 21, 1968, Woodland Cemetery, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia

iii. HUNTER THOMAS LAWSON, b. August 22, 1924, Virginia; d. October 26, 1951, South Boston, Halifax County, Virginia; m. PRIVATE.

Notes for HUNTER THOMAS LAWSON:
Tony served during World War II. After the war, he and his wife had been fighting one evening. She left so he and a buddy went after her when his fatal accident occurred. Tony was riding in the car as it travelled three miles north of Chase City on Route 49. After the collision, the driver pushed Tony's body into the driver's seat to avoid blame for the accident.

Tony was taken to South Boston and treated at the local hospital. Doctors decided that his leg had to be amputated and prepared for surgery. Tony went into the operating room but died on the table, before having his leg removed. My grandmother recalls seeing the dead wagon outside of the hospital before the surgery. Perhaps the doctors did not think he was going to make it from the start.

Tony's mother was crushed by her son's death and never got over it. She would walk to the cemetery every day to visit his grave and kept the beer can that Tony was holding during the accident in her steamer trunk. In his memory, my grandmother gave me the middle name of Thomas and I have his mother's trunk (although the beer can is missing). I also have Tony's scrapbook that he made during the war.

More About HUNTER THOMAS LAWSON:
Burial: Woodland Cemetery, Chase City, Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Cause of Death: automobile accident