Central Virginia Heritage, Summer 2025 v.39, no.3 now available!

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Robert Jefferson: Possible Immigrant Ancestor of President Thomas Jefferson

Very little is known about immigrant Robert Jefferson. His name has lain silent in the records of time until recently when a small nugget of information connected him to founding father President Thomas Jefferson. For two hundred years, biographers have evaluated the limited evidence available to discover where the Jefferson ancestors came from. Today, with DNA testing and computerized databases, a possible link across the ocean has been found.

Robert Jefferson arrived in America sometime before 1639, the year Justinian Cooper claimed him for a headright. The term “headright” refers to a common method of distributing land in the early colonial period after the Virginia Company established a ruling that fifty acres of land would be awarded to anyone who paid passage to America for themselves or another person. Because headrights could be sold, it is impossible to know how Cooper obtained his headright. Since more than 75 percent of Virginia settlers in the 1600s were indentured servants, it is most likely Robert arrived as one….

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To see the rest of this article, CVGA members should go to “Members Only” on the menu bar above, and choose “Central Virginia Heritage — Current Issue.” (Note: You have to be logged in to this website in order to see “Members Only.”)

If you have trouble logging in to the site to download your copy, please contact me at the webmaster link at the bottom of this page.

For those who are not members of CVGA, we offer the opportunity to purchase a printed copy of each issue. The Summer 2025 issue is available from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Central-Virginia-Heritage-Summer-2025/dp/B0FNX4SFC6/ for $7.50. Click on the Amazon.com link above or search for “Central Virginia Heritage” on Amazon.com.

Contents of the Summer 2025 issue:

  • Robert Jefferson: Possible Immigrant Ancestor of President Thomas Jefferson, by Lynn Scott
  • Marriage Announcements in the Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.) January-March 1897
  • List of Slaves Left by the British in York and Gloucester, Virginia, 1781 (Virginia Gazette)
  • How to File a FOIA Request for Genealogy Records, by Diane Haddad
  • 1773 Contract and Addenda between Phillip Mazzei and Antonio & Maria Giannini, transcribed by Rosanna Bencoach

May 10, 2025 CVGA Meeting

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Our meeting this Saturday, May 10, 2025, will be a field trip to the Jefferson Library at Monticello.  The meeting will start at 10 am with a tour of the library.  If you would like to do research after the tour, the library will be open until 1 pm for you to do research.

The library is located at  1329 Kenwood Farm, VA-53, Charlottesville, VA 22902.  If you need directions, please go to the website at https://www.monticello.org/research-education/for-scholars/jefferson-library/ and click on directions. Please park in the parking lot and walk up the slight hill.  The library will be directly in front of you.

California Digital Newspaper Collection in Peril!

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Here’s an article about the California Digital Newspaper Collection. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

https://jweekly.com/2025/04/23/our-digital-archive-could-disappear-because-of-state-budget-cuts/

Why should we care?

As genealogists, we know that newspapers are a vital link in the historical research that we do. Even if you are not from California, your state almost assuredly provides a digital historical newspaper service. Under the current U.S. economic conditions, any of the digital newspaper collections could be stopped because most of them are supported by grants to major libraries which maintain the collections. (In Virginia, the collection is VirginiaChronicle.com maintained by the Library of Virginia.) The best thing is that the collections are available to the public at no charge to the researcher.

What can you do about it?

1. Support your libraries!
2. Assist with donations.
3. Write to your state and federal legislators encouraging them to continue to support libraries and the products libraries offer to us, the public.
4. Make noise.

Finally, I’m going to add an excerpt from a memo from Brian K. Geiger, the Director of Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research, at University of California, Riverside.

If I don’t raise at least $300,000 by June 30, the end of the fiscal year, we will almost certainly have to cease operations.

I’m writing to ask you to help us save the CDNC. We have created a page to collect donations: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/61710/donations/

Please give if you can. The future of the CDNC depends on it.

Thank you for your support,
Brian—
Director, Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research, UC Riverside

 

 

 

 

 

Central Virginia Heritage, Spring 2025, now available

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Marriage Announcements in the Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.),
April-June 1897

Apr. 12—Marriage to Prevent Elopement.  May Sickman, the 18-year-old daughter of Mrs. Rosa Stoakes of Berkley near Norfolk, was married Tuesday night to a young steamboat fireman named John Wood, 23 years of age, at Virginia street, Berkley. The ceremony was performed by Rev. R. M. Chandler, of Chestnut M. E. Church. The marriage was the result of a very short courtship. Mrs. Stoakes consented to her young daughter’s marriage to prevent her from eloping. It is said that the couple will go to Philadelphia to reside. …

To see the rest of this article, CVGA members should go to “Members Only” on the menu bar above, and choose “Central Virginia Heritage — Current Issue.” (Note: You have to be logged in to this website in order to see “Members Only.”)

If you have trouble logging in to the site to download your copy, please contact me at the webmaster link at the bottom of this page.

For those who are not members of CVGA, we offer the opportunity to purchase a printed copy of each issue. The Spring 2025 issue is available from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F48PR9FL/ for $7.50. Click on the Amazon.com link above or search for “Central Virginia Heritage” on Amazon.com.

Contents of the Spring 2025 issue:

  • Two Dr. Charles M. Stewards, by Brendan Wolfe
  • A DNA test revealed the CEO is my half brother…and he’s freaking out, by Alison Green
  • Genealogy-Themed Fiction, by Jean L. Cooper
  • Will of Robert Walker of Edge Hill, Amherst County, Virginia, 1824
  • Edge Hill
  • Marriage Announcements in the Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.) April-June 1897
  • Your Own Geographical Dictionary
  • Case Studies: Researching Enslaved Ancestors, by Shamele Jordon
  • Ambler Family of Virginia, by Jean L. Cooper
  • The Handwriting of James Steptoe, by George Baxter

Thinking About Deleting Your 23andMe Data? Here’s Why It Matters

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There’s an interesting article by Bryan McKenzie in UVA Today (3-28-2025). Here’s an excerpt:

“… Virginia is one of the states that has consumer information protection laws. Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act took effect Jan. 1, 2023, giving consumers the right to have inaccuracies corrected, obtain copies of the information a company holds about the customer, and opt out of advertising or profiling based on their information or the sale of their information.

“It also allows consumers to require companies to delete personal data, whether the consumer provided it or the company collected it.

“Here’s how to delete data on the 23andMe website:

  1. Log into your account and go to “settings.”
  2. Scroll to “23andMe data” and click “view.”
  3. Scroll to “delete data” and click on “permanently delete data.”
  4. Confirm your deletion request.

“Although that process will delete most personal information, to delete your DNA test sample from 23andMe records requires additional action: Log into your account, go to settings and then to preferences and follow the prompts. …”

https://news.virginia.edu/content/thinking-about-deleting-your-23andme-data-heres-why-it-matters?utm_source=DailyReport&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

 

 

23andMe Files for Bankruptcy: What Genealogists Need to Know

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Here’s a useful article about what is going on with the 23andme chapter 11.

23andMe Files for Bankruptcy: What Genealogists Need to Know

On Sunday, March 23, 23andMe–one of the world’s largest consumer genetic testing companies–announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company also revealed that its CEO and co-founder, Anne Wojcicki, has stepped down and it appears that she is positioning herself as a potential buyer.

According to its official statement, 23andMe has initiated voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings and intends to continue operating as usual throughout the process. If approved by the bankruptcy court, 23andMe will seek to sell all of its assets in an effort to restructure. …

 

 

Meeting Update March 8, 2025

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We were going to have a zoom meeting this month but since RootsTech started today, March 6, and runs through Saturday, March 8,  please check out all of the free webinars (79 Friday and 60 Saturday) that are available pretty much any time of the day or night.  RootsTech is the largest genealogical conference held worldwide.  There are webinars available on numerous subjects ranging from beginner genealogy to artificial intelligence for genealogy.

Here is the website for RootsTech which is provided by FamilySearch.
Please take this opportunity to choose a genealogy subject that you want to know more about and take a free webinar or two or as many as your time allows.  If you watch a webinar that you would like to discuss at a future CVGA meeting, please email and let us know.
There will not be a meeting at the church or by zoom on March 8.

January 11, 2025 CVGA Meeting Cancelled

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Good morning,

We had planned a hybrid (Zoom and in person) meeting for this Saturday, January 11, 2025.  Marilyn Kolezar, a CVGA member, was going to do a presentation on Hungarian research.  However, due to the weather forecast for snow Friday night into Saturday morning, we are going to cancel the meeting for Saturday, January 11.
If Marilyn is available, the presentation will be rescheduled to February 8 at the church beginning at 10 am. Further information will be posted on the CVGA website.
Linda Gore
Vice President
CVGA

 

 

 

 

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Indenture between Bathurst Randolph and Allen Cocke of the first part, and Richard Cocke of the second part, Sept. 21, 1801, Fluvanna County, Virginia

This Indenture made the 21st of Sept. one thousand eight hundred and one. Between Bathurst Randolph of the County of Amelia, and Allen Cocke of the County of Surry of the one part, and Richard Cocke of the County of Fluvanna of the other part. Witnesseth:

That the said Richard Cocke for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar in hand paid, doth give in trust to the said Bathurst Randolph and Allen Cocke, their Heirs, Executors or Administrators forever, all his, the said Richard Cocke’s, estate consisting of three thousand acres of land (be there more or less lying on James River and bounded by the Lands of David Ross, John H. Cocke, Richard Omohundro, Benjamin Kidd and Matthew Wells, one improved lot in the Town of Columbia, formerly the property of James Qualls, one unimproved lot in New Canton, twenty four Slaves (Viz., Frank, Big Will, Champion, little Will, Ben, Stephen, John, Ben, Daniell, Frank, Flemming, Betty, Yarmen, Elery, Charlotte, Jinny, Sally, Fillace [Phyllis?], and Bob, of stud horse known by the name of Alfred, two horses, Wildfire and the flaxin mane mare, which I had of Doct. Price, four cows, on the 22 day of September one thousand eight hundred and one; and the said Bathurst Randolph and Allen Cocke doth Covenant and agree to and with the said Richard Cocke, that they will manage to the best of their skill and judgement the above mentioned estate for the Interest of the said Richd. Cocke, his heirs &c. …

To see the rest of this article, CVGA members should go to “Members Only” on the menu bar above, and choose “Central Virginia Heritage — Current Issue.” (Note: You have to be logged in to this website in order to see “Members Only.”)

If you have trouble logging in to the site to download your copy, please contact me at the webmaster link at the bottom of this page.

For those who are not members of CVGA, we offer the opportunity to purchase a printed copy of each issue. The Winter 2025 issue is available from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DS9RDXTD?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520 for $7.50. Click on the Amazon.com link above or search for “Central Virginia Heritage” on Amazon.com.

Contents of the Winter 2025 issue:

  • An indenture between Bathurst Randolph and Richard Cocke of Fluvanna County
  • Renovation of the Farmington Ice House
  • Albemarle Dissenters Petition
  • Martin Dawson’s Will
  • Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS)
  • Marriage Announcements in the Daily Progress (Charlottesville, Va.) August-December 1896
  • New Year’s Message from Susan Lindsay, President of CVGA.

If you have any articles you’d like to share with CVGA members, please send an email to the editor, eleanordew at gmail dot com — The Editor.