What will you find on the Virginia database? We hope all of you can connect with your ancestor. But the first thing you will see is the surnames in alphabetical order. Outside of Maryland, Virginia contains the most indentured servants, according to our research thus far. Next to the name, you will see a variety of information. The additional details will include documentation such as arrival date with ship details, confirmation of sale with master’s name, location of servitude, disciplinary actions taken, length of time served, and reference points for further study. The sources and reference materials will include our catalog and numbering system. Please refer to our References Material page to understand the materials used for a particular individual. The best way to achieve this is to write the resource number down, then refer to the Reference page for more details about that source. If you find a named ship next to the person’s name, you can visit the Ship page for more information about the history and the owners or partners.

We are continuing to research the servants by tracing their footsteps through time. Many of these individuals migrated elsewhere if they lived to see freedom. For those individuals, we have created separate family files. The details of these files are viewable in our Attic Files collection, which is part of our online library. For more information about the individuals after indentured service, contact us using the form on the Contact page.

The New Surname Pages Arriving Soon!