Top 5 Strategies for Researching Early Kentucky and Virginia Families

Gail Jackson Miller, CG
Jun 12, 2025
778 views
CC
Free
Free through June 18, 2025
Want to watch the full webinar?
Join now to access all 2,428 webinars and unlock all features.

Content

Play. Playing.
Welcome
1m 50s
Play. Playing.
Speaker's Introduction
1m 35s
Play. Playing.
Introduction
2m 26s
Play. Playing.
Strong Starting Point
4m 11s
Play. Playing.
Jurisdiction
17m 31s
Play. Playing.
Tax Lists
8m 08s
Play. Playing.
Follow the Land
23m 08s
Play. Playing.
Church and Court Records
14m 44s
Play. Playing.
Announcements / prizes
2m 57s
Play. Playing.
Questions / answers
7m 44s

About this webinar

Researching early families in Kentucky and Virginia can be particularly challenging. Every location has multiple people of the same name making even surviving records difficult to sort. There are few available birth and death records and other records may be difficult to locate or non-existent. Learn effective strategies for researching that difficult early Kentucky or Virginia family.

Discount code: kentucky25 (valid at Familytreewebinars.com)

Valid through: June 17, 2025

About the speaker

About the speaker

Gail Jackson Miller, CG is a professional genealogist, teacher, writer, and lecturer specializing in Kentucky, Tennessee, and surrounding states with more than 40 years of genealogical experience. She became certified by the Board for Certificatio
Learn more...

Key points and insights

In the engaging and resource-rich webinar, “Top 5 Strategies for Researching Early Kentucky and Virginia Families,” professional genealogist Gail Jackson Miller shares her extensive expertise gained from more than 40 years of research experience. Tailored to both novice and seasoned genealogists, the presentation focuses on effective, time-tested techniques specifically suited for tracing early families in two of the most historically complex states for genealogical work. Through illustrative case studies and practical examples, Miller outlines how to approach persistent challenges—such as common names, lost records, and shifting jurisdictions—with clarity and precision.

Key Takeaways:

  • Persistence Is the Cornerstone of Success: Miller begins by emphasizing that ongoing effort and critical re-examination of earlier work often uncover breakthroughs. Whether you’re verifying online trees or revisiting your own notes, rechecking sources with your current knowledge can reveal missed details and correct prior assumptions.
  • Tax and Land Records Are Indispensable Tools: Kentucky and Virginia are rich in tax and land documentation, and Miller illustrates how to use these records to track individuals year by year, identify heirs, distinguish between individuals with the same name, and reconstruct family groupings—even in counties where vital records have been lost.
  • Understand Jurisdiction and Geography Thoroughly: Shifting county boundaries, extinct jurisdictions, and the physical landscape all affect where records were created and where they are now. Miller showcases how to use maps and tools like the Newberry Library’s “Atlas of Historical Boundaries” to trace records accurately across time and space.

For those intrigued by the nuanced examples and eager to delve deeper, viewing the full webinar will provide detailed methodologies, interactive maps, and additional case studies that demonstrate each strategy in action. A 12-page syllabus, available to members, complements the session with step-by-step guides and resource links for immediate application to your own research.

Explore the complete syllabus and additional tools in the Legacy Family Tree Webinar Library to enhance your genealogical toolkit. With access to over 2,400 classes and thousands of pages of research material, continuing your journey has never been more accessible—or more rewarding. Let persistence and strategy guide your next big discovery.

Comments (60)

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

1000 characters remaining

Sort by Newest
Sort by Close.
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Likes
  1. LS
    Laura Sandidge
    5 days ago

    Gail is always a wealth of knowledge!!!

    Reply
  2. TJ
    Tammu Jones
    5 days ago

    Thank you! I wish that this webinar had been available before the May NGS conference in Louisville. Tax records will be my next research strategy.

    Reply
  3. RM
    Rochelle Males
    5 days ago

    Thank you! I’ve been putting off circling back around to my KY/VA ancestors and this is great motivation for me to review what I already have and tackle some of those mysteries. 🙂

    Reply
  4. BL
    Beverly Leeming
    5 days ago

    Some excellent strategies here and what to consider in the case study. A little daunting but one document at a time and you can get through it.

    Reply
  5. HM
    Harold McClendon Jr
    5 days ago

    She opened my mind to looking in additional places for records. She helped me understand how thorough one must be in research to ensure accuracy.

    Reply
  6. JF
    Jean Foster
    5 days ago

    Great webinar and very timely. my current brick wall is Virginia and Kentucky in this time frame. Thanks for all the great info.

    Reply
  7. HJ
    Helen J Gent
    5 days ago

    Trying to learn more about my late husband’s ancestors in Eastern Kentucky and Russell County, Virginia. This talk as well as her other one on tax lists have been very helpful. I just now need to be persistent in my research in this unfamiliar area of the country. I now have my work cut out for me.

    Reply
  8. AW
    Anne Woodbury
    5 days ago

    I learned a lot that I hadn’t thought of source wise and how to go about thinking about KY and VA that was very helpful. This is all pertinent to my own research because my family is pre statehood KY from VA. Thank you.

    Reply

Related Webinars