Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia Volumes 1 & 2, now also includes Wise’s Digested Index and Genealogical Guide 1,200+ pages on CD First Published 1857 Includes BOTH Volumes 1 & 2!!! NEW ADDITION – Also includes Wise’s Digested Index. Published 1910, it is a 113 page book containing an extended index of both volumes. Includes 6,900+ proper names, and important facts mentioned in Meade’s books. ********************************************************* EBook CD Requires Adobe Reader 5.0 or higher to View ************************************************************ $15.99 + $1.99 shipping and handling (Book Reprints retailed for $70 when last available.) http://cgi.ebay.com/Old-Families-and-Churches-Va-Vols-1-2-Wises-Index-/200394904828?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ea87794fc Over one hundred years ago the Episcopal Bishop, William Meade, put together an important body of records which he incorporated into a now- famous two-volume work called Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia. (Knowledge of the history of the Episcopal Church of Virginia, it should be pointed out, is essential to the genealogist since, prior to civil registration, the Church was the only body authorized by statute to collect and preserve vital statistics. The early parish records, therefore, are indispensable for research in Virginia genealogy.) Compiled from parish records and vestry records, from moldy official documents, family records, and tombstone inscriptions, and from records in Lambeth Palace, London, Meade's narrative focuses on the history of the early Virginia parishes and provides details concerning the origins of the parishes, the drawing of parish lines, and the lives of the ministers and selected church members. Each chapter of the work also contains family histories and extensive lists of vestrymen, communicants, justices, and prominent figures. An appendix of 100 pages contains several interesting historical documents as well as lists of ministers and vestrymen of St. Stephen's and Wicomico Parishes, Northumberland County, and additional family histories. "This book remains an indispensable storehouse of information about the ecclesiastical history of Virginia during the Colonial period."-- Dictionary of American Biography "Bishop Meade's two volumes are fundamental to the study of the parishes of the Episcopal Church in Virginia and their clergy and are an important source of information about many of the leading families of the state...."--The Virginia Genealogist. Each chapter covers a geographic area (county or cities), and includes details on its parishes, churches, ministers and prominent familes Most of the articles have sprinkled through them extensive extracts and abstracts from colonial documents, including, in addition to the vestry books, such sources as court records, private letters and monumental inscriptions. Many of these records had not previously been published, and, although many have since been placed in print in more modern and comprehensive editions, there are undoubtedly records here, especially among the letters and inscriptions, which have not been published elsewhere and which have subsequently been lost or destroyed. Most of the genealogical material is presented in long footnotes. Although this material is not documented according to modern standards, the author would often have obtained the information from family members born in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, who were in a position to provide reliable data on the more recent generations. These genealogies will provide solid clues for further research. The parishes focused on are in Volume 1 are: Williamsburg, James City, Hanover, Alexandria, Henrico, Hampton, Elizabeth City, Charles City, Middlesex, Prince George, Essex, New Kent, Caroline County, Lynnhaven, Antrim, Camden, Raleigh, Westmoreland, King George, Fairfax County, Shenandoah, St. Anne's in Albemarle, St. George's in Spottsylvania, St. Mark's in Culpeper, and St. Thomas in Orange County. The Berkley, Blair, Burwell, Carter, Fontaine, Grymes, Harrison, Jones, Lee, Meade, Moore, Nelson, Page, Randolph, Robinson, Smith, Spottswood, Taylor, and Yeardley families receive detailed coverage; in addition over 3,000 other surnames are included. The parishes focused on are in Volume 2 are: Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry, Campbell, Bedford, Amelia, Nottoway, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Albemarle, Amherst, Nelson, Botetourt, Rockbridge, , Spottsylvania, Culpepper, Orange, Northumberland, Lancaster, Westmoreland, Richmond, King George, Stafford, Prince William, Fauquier, Fairfax, , Shenandoah, Augusta, Rockingham,. Also includes current West Virginia counties of Greenbrier, Montgomery, Frederick, Berkeley, Hampshire, Brooke, and Kanawha; also cities of Wheeling, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Weston, and Buchanon. Follow above link for extensive table of contents