Names of Families in Nelson County Genealogy, Tax Digests, Ancestor Databases
Nelson County was established in 1807 when it was separated from Amherst County and is named for Thomas Nelson, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence who also served as a Governor of Virginia.
General Index to Wills and Deeds
- 1802 to 1926
Tax Digests – 1809 to 1830
Did your Ancestors Hide from the Census-Taker?
Your ancestors may not have filed their deeds, wills or marriages and avoided the census-taker, however, there exists one county record which he could not avoid. And that was the tax collector. He to declare his land and other property. For this reason, an examiination of the tax digest is essential to any genealogical search. It pinpoints the date of residence, number of acres, adjoining properties and waterways. Further, those who did not declare their property, were listed as “defaulters.” That could mean that he had died, or moved. This is how tidbits of information such as the tax digest help to establish certain facts which help to continue the research effort. List of Traced Virginia Families on this website
