What's New: Partial PWCo Deed Index

For those researchers who are unable to visit the many historic sites and genealogical resources in PWCo, I highly recommend Ron Turner's website. 

For many years, this dedicated gentleman has been transcribing, annotating, and publishing a wide range of material -- including court documents, vital records, and census records. 

Ron recently updated his website under the published works page to include a partial index of PWCo Deeds (Books A-Z). 

Thank you, Ron!!

PW County Historic Records Released to the Public!

Several years ago, the Prince William County County Clerk's Office began the daunting task of digitizing historic papers in the courthouse archives, including (but not limited to) Deed Books, Will Books, and loose documents.   As part of the project, volunteers have been working diligently to index every single document scanned.

In October 2015, the County released the first set of Prince William County Clerk's Loose Papers via an online portal.  This first release of digitized copies of original documents has over 100,000 images covering a wide range of subjects, including slavery, criminal and civil cases, letters, notes, attachments, and prisoner lists.

In January 2016, PWCo Deeds prior to 1918 were added to the database.

I am very excited to announce that the website is now live and presently free to the public at the following URL:

https://www3.pwcgov.org/pahax/

NOTE:  For best results, the website should be accessed using Internet Explorer with the Silverlight add-on.

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The launch of this online archive is exciting news for historians and genealogist alike!

Literally within five minutes of searching the index of Loose Papers, I had the answer to one of my personal brick wall questions -- when did my great-grandmother Martha Lynn pass away?  All I knew was that it was somewhere between the birth of her son in 1891 and the death of her mother in 1900.  And suddenly, there was the answer among the online Loose Papers in a suit against the physician who attended her!

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I would like to thank the Prince William County Clerk's Office for launching this project and making these priceless resources available to the pubic.

But I am especially grateful to Ron Turner and all of the other volunteers who have been working (and continue to work!) so hard to create the master index!  (You folks totally rock!)

PWCo. Jailors (1823 - 1893)

Prince William County, Virginia Jailors 1823 – 1893 Compiled by Ronald R. Turner
Abraham Millan	1823 – 1824
John Merchant	1825 –
Robert Lipscomb	c1829 – 1834
Thomas T. Fewell	1835 – 1836
William Dickson	1836 – 1837
George W. Clifford	1838 – 1839
George A. Farrow	1839 – 1840
James B. Hayes	1840 – 1842
Richard W. Weedon	1843 – 1848
George W. Clifford	1849 – 1853
Hebron Molair	1854 – 1855
John Goodwin	1856 – 1857
James A. Goodwin	1857 – 1857
Thomas K. Davis (sheriff & jailor)	1857 – 1859
Charles Wright	1860 – 1867
Elbert Wright	1868 – 1869
Wallace N. Tansill	1869 – 1871
John T. Goodwin	1871 – 1873
John H. Butler	1873 – 1873
A. F. Woodyard	1873 – 1879
Mathew Woodyard	1880 – 1880
John S. Tyler	1880 – 1893

New Publication: 1940 PWCo Census Transcript

Anyone who has done family or history research in Prince William County has very probably encountered at least one publication by Ronald Ray Turner.  For more than 20 years, this amazing gentleman has transcribed, abstracted, compiled, annotated, and published a wealth of PWCo information, including but not limited to court records and loose papers, census schedules, vital records, military records, and business licenses.   Available in hard-copy format at the Bull Run Library, Mr. Turner has also made many of his publications available through his website, PWCVirginia.

Mr. Turner's most recent publication is an alphabetically arranged transcription of the 1940 PWCo Census!  

To access any of Ron Turner's online publications, please go to his website and click on the link for "Published Works."  While you're there, take the time to browse the site.  It is a gold mine of information, local lore and history, and images of times gone by.

I should also mention that, in addition to his publications and website, Mr. Turner, in partnership with the PWCo Historical Commission, has worked to locate, document, preserve and protect the County's more than 400 cemeteries.  Many cemeteries that might otherwise have been lost have been documented and "found" because of his dedication.  

Shopping Saturday: James B. Cole

Manassas Journal - 12 December 1919

JAMES B. COLE

Independent Hill, Va.

Funeral Director and 

Licensed Embalmer

Life Like Features Restored

Robes and Caskets of all Kinds.

Hearse Furnished any Reasonable Distances.

REASONABLE PRICES

DEALER IN ALL KINDS MARBLE

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An excerpt about the business in Ron Turner's book, PWCo 1805-1965 Business Licenses, reads, "According to John Samsky the funeral home at Independent Hill had a sign on the front that said “I’ll be the last one to let you down”."

The simple wooden building that held Cole's shop still stands in the lot beside Samsky's Store in Independent Hill, Coles District.  (And in case you're wondering -- yes, the Coles District was named after James' family.)

Website: PWCo Virginia by Ronald Ray Turner

Anyone who's done research in Prince William County over the past 10+ years will easily recognize the name Ron Turner. It almost seems as if half of the books on the PWCo shelf in RELIC were authored by him.  Ron was transcribing, annotating, and sharing census and vital records with the public long before the Internet genealogy boom.

Ron now makes most of his publications available on his website at PWCVirginia, but there's so much more to explore!  You'll find links to his work documenting and transcribing the county cemeteries as well as businesses, structures, and miscellaneous papers and news articles. 

If you're researching a PWCo family or surname, Ron Turner's website is a great place to start.