Eric G. Grundset to Present at NGS 2021 Live!

Virginia’s Anglican/Episcopal Church Parishes and Their Surviving Records

Eric G. Grundset, MLS

Session: NGS2104–LV–07 DATE & TIME: Thursday, 20 May, 12:15 p.m.

Eric Grundset began researching his family ancestry in the late 1970s when he “inherited” the work of a great-aunt from Richmond, Virginia. As such, it’s understandable he has a special interest and understanding of Virginia records.

Church records are an often overlooked (sometimes avoided) resource in genealogy. It can be difficult to identify an ancestor’s religious affiliation, locate the appropriate records, and then gain access to them. It need not be so, however, and time spent locating and accessing these records is often richly rewarded.

From 1619 until the end of the American Revolution, the Church of England (Anglican/Episcopal) was the official state religion in Virginia. Colonial Anglican parishes did not just provide guidance for eternal salvation. They also performed important social-welfare services in the earthly existence of their members and played a major role in their social lives. Their records are essential genealogical sources.

Knowing where and what records survive can make the research task much easier. Many early Anglican parish registers were lost but those surviving along with extant vestry books are well documented. Many of the colonial registers and vestry books have been published with indexes, fewer of the later ones have been. Not all transcriptions in these publications are accurate, however, and sometimes information was omitted. It’s important to consult the original record when it survives.

BIO: Eric G. Grundset, MLS, is a former director of the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. Recognized as a Virginia expert, he has lectured since 1980 at numerous NGS, FGS, VGS, and other conferences. Author of numerous articles in genealogical publications, Eric enjoys seeking out and transcribing unusual Virginia records. He has edited volumes on Virginia record abstracts, atlases, and many of the American Revolution source guides published by the DAR. He is the author of Research in Virginia (3rd ed.), the NGS Research in the States guide to Virginia research.

For Further Study: NGS 2021 On Demand Lectures by Eric G. Grundset, MLS (available mid-June)
• East of the Blue Ridge: Roads, Their Development, and Their Effect on Family Migrations Session: NGS2104-MIG-02
• 404 Years of Sources: Virginia’s General Assembly, Governors, and the Records They Created Session: NGS2104-VIR-04
• Little Maps of the Land: Surveys and Surveyors’ Records in Virginia Genealogical Research Session: NGS2104-VIR-05

To learn more about the NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference’s week-long events, 17-21 May, visit the conference and download a copy of the program brochure.

The Virtual NGS 2021 On-Demand! Viewing Starts 15 June

This lecture series is available to view from home on your computer or mobile device and offers you the opportunity to develop exceptional genealogy skills with a highly comprehensive set of on-demand webinars from NGS’s expert conference speakers. On-Demand! packages of audio-visual lectures are now available for purchase.

Select from the 20 or 40 On-Demand! lecture packages with over 85 sessions to choose from. Watch starting 15 June 2021 through 31 December 2021. Both packages come with access to two full days of NGS 2021 Live! from 19-20 May 2021, the virtual conference syllabus, and 20+ sponsored bonus sessions. Plus, view the sessions from NGS 2021 Live! and any sessions you did not choose from the breakouts (nine more) beginning 15 June. All sessions will be closed captioned.