One of the first books I determined to locate at the beginning of my research was Howard McKnight Wilson's, "The Tinkling Spring: Headwater of Freedom," and for quite some time I was unsuccessful in obtaining an original copy. I had my genealogist in Salt Lake City make me a copy from the one in the Mormon library and it has served me well. I doubt there is a single person on the Wigton-Walker or Cowan list who is unfamiliar with this scholarly work and its importance in the understanding of Augusta County history. This is where many of our ancestors hung out for a few years before heading down the Valley into soutwestern Virginia. Prof. Hagy does a fine job on that part of our history in his thesis on the Castle's Woods settlement so Tinkling Spring must be considered the chapter before Castle's Woods. The book would be worth the price for the bibliography alone (15 pages) It has detailed land records, gravestone inscriptions and the Baptismal records of the Rev. Craig along with the best early history of the area that I have seen. If you are interested in information on how to acquire a copy please e-mail me privately at [email protected] for details. Here is a brief passage from the book you may find interesting: "It was clear from the Tinkling Spring membership list of 1744 that there were seventy-seven heads of families in that church alone, before the Augusta County Court was set up and began recording deeds in 1746, but only forty-seven held titles to lands they occupied. The congregational list for the three districts of Tinkling Spring, as it compared with the map of Beverly Manor lands, provides a mental picture of the grouping of these settlers on the streams. John Finley's district of nineteen families was in the general area of Waynesboro, extending up and down South River. The families included in this district were the Turks, Gays, Gillespies, McClure's, Pattersons, Teas, Edmistons and others. John Finley was assisted in collections by Archibald Stuart, who also resided in the district. Wi lliam Wright's district of eighteen families was on Long Meadow Run and included the Hutchisons, Johnstons, Frazers, Thompsons, Hendersons, Kerrs, McCunes, Skillerns, Palmers, Moodys and others. George Hutchison assisted with collections in this district. John Christian was assisted in his district of forty families by William Robinson and James Alexander. The territory of this district covered both Christian's Creek and Lewis Creek and extended the full twenty-mile length of Beverly Manor. The names of this district are too numerous to list in full but include the Bells, Alexanders, Caldwells, Davisons, Prestons, Lewises, Scotts, McClanahans, Breckenridges, Blacks, Cunninghams, Ramsays, Wilsons, McCollocks and many others. All of these were sufficiently settled to enter into calling a pastor and pledging support to him and the building of a meeting house, but only half of them held legal titles to their lands from William Beverley who had patented Beverley Manor in 1736 and began selling land in 1738." Regards, Robert Cowan 525 Harrogate Rd. Matthews, North Carolina 28105 New member of "First Families of Tennessee"