Virginia
The history of Virginia is long and storied. I'm not going to try to cover it all here, but I will try to outline the important events as it affects my ancestors. Near as I can currently tell they arrive in the middle 18th century (1750 or so) in the form of William (Richard) Ferrell, who settles the Virginia frontier and is then slain by Indians after settling on the western side of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy river.
The family settles this area, and pretty much stays put (prove this), but the political boundary changes states and counties many times, which causes some confusion when looking at the records. For instance someone shows as being born in "Virginia", but then later is on a West Virginia census entry. Here is a brief history of the region. For the full history of Virginia boundary changes check out the Newberry map. There were tons of smaller changes, and I may need to come back later to add some of those if they timeframe and place become significant to my family's story.
 Virginia Colony is relatively small and coastal |
 Kentucky Territory is formed as Orange County, hugely expanding |
 Augusta created from Orange County. Oragne remains as the small south-eastern county, and the exapansive Kentucky region is renamed as Augusta county. Frederick is created to the orth of Augusta. |
 Many changes in the intervening years that were not relevant to my ancestors, but in 1770 Botetourt is formed as the western section of the Kentucky region and Augusta remains as the north-eastern section of what would become West Virginia. |
 Many changes in the intervening years that were not relevant to my ancestors, but in 1772 Botetourt is redivided and Fincastle formed as the western section of the Kentucky region and Botetourt remains as the north-eastern section of what would then become West Virginia. |
 West Augusta is formed north of Augusta, and the eventual boundary of what would then become West Virginia becomes evident. |
 Kentucky (current borders), Montgomery, and Washington Counties are formed from the previous Fincastle County, which was eliminated. |
 Greebriar County is formed from the previous Botetourt County, which was shrunk. |
 Russell County is formed from the previous Washington County, which was shrunk. |
 Kanawha County is formed from the previous Greenriar and Montgomery Counties, which were shrunk. |
 Wythe County is formed from the previous Montgomery County, which were shrunk. |
 Kentucky is formed from the previous western counties. |
 Lee County is formed from the previous western Russell County, which is shrunk. |
 Tazewell County is formed from the previous Wythe and Russell Counties, which are shrunk. |
 Giles County is formed from the previous Tazewell Countiy, which is shrunk. |
 Cabell County is formed from the previous Kanawha Countiy, which is shrunk. |
 Logan County is formed from the previous Tazewell, Kanawha, Cabell, and Giles Counties, which is shrunk. |
 West Virginia is formed from the Virginia by the Wheeling Convention and the Ordinance of Secession. West Virginia was officially admitted as a U.S. state on June 20, 1863. |