As the anniversary of the American Revolution approaches, more people visit RELIC to find out if their ancestors were patriots. A patriot doesn't need to be a soldier; they could have supported the war, such as farmers giving food and coffee, ironmakers forging weapons or donating supplies, or mills donating grain. Many resources within our collections assist patrons with finding interesting facts about local and further afield history and their genealogy.

Our collection of family lineage books, generously donated by those who have extensively researched their own families in Prince William County or Virginia, serves as a solid foundation for researchers to build upon. These books not only provide a wealth of information but also serve as a guide, connecting researchers to other resources and associated histories, such as our family files.



Researchers could utilize the information in our family files to learn more about the history of their ancestors, such as those who were enslaved people or free people of color. Often, histories are weaved together so that you need to trace another family's history to find the answers for your own. This may be the case when researching slave owners, indentured servants, or those who freed enslaved people and kept records through manumission certificates, tax records, land deeds, or census records. Other resources often overlooked are military records, pensions, military decorations, medical records, death records, and POW records.

RELIC has military pension records, Virginia regimental histories, and other related records that could fill in gaps in ancestral histories, especially those who served in the American Revolution and American Civil War.

Other resources include immigration and naturalization records. RELIC staff are knowledgeable about connecting patrons to resources outside our department, such as online library databases only accessible in RELIC. These include Newspapers.com, Fold 3, for military records, Ancestry, available to patrons with a library card, and Family Search, available in RELIC.

Family Search is a user-friendly resource that could help researchers locate primary sources and records to support their findings. If utilized correctly, researchers could use the many available tools to narrow down the large amounts of information on its site.

RELIC programs are another free resource that could help researchers better understand the resources they discover or historical events. Our programs strive to educate, instruct, and inspire researchers and the community on topics such as local and state history, genealogy, and how to best utilize available resources for research.

RELIC has an upcoming program in September called Explore FamilySearch. This program will aid researchers just starting or those who have done extensive work but need to find a new approach to fill in gaps or to get past a block in their research. RELIC staff member Darlene Hunter can help you utilize the resources of FamilySearch, and possibly discover a new way to approach your research and use the many search options available more efficiently. Join us on Saturday, September 14, at 12:30 p.m. to learn how to get the most out of FamilySearch.

To learn more about upcoming programs in RELIC, pick up a copy of the Explore magazine, visit us at pwcva.gov/library, or download PWPL’s app.