For introduction to the Bates Family of Old Virginia (BFofOV) visit this site http://members.aol.com/Lramrtn/batesva.html It is a regional Bates association whose speciality is southern Bateses, with particular emphasis upon those Bates who originated in Virginia. BFofOV has been in operation for 27 years and has a wealth of descendancy data covering Bates who originated in Virginia. Currently, we have over 275 members and have published 160 bi-monthly newsletters. Limited to use by our membership, we have a Lending Library of some 50 Bates books. A number of our Bates members have fabulous Bates Home Pages, mixing both genealogy and history. To facilitate correspondence between members, we have compiled an E-Mail Directory of the membership, which will be published within the September 1998 edition of our newsletter, The Bates Booster. Further, to assist in searching for surnames allied to Bates, we are compiling a "Surname Exchange." You are invited to visit Home Page for The Bates Family of Old Virginia Wayne Witt Bates Corresponding Secretary The Bates Framily of Old Virginia