Dear Researchers: Since there have been a few inquiries about the new vital statistics book, I thought I would post more detailed information about it. It is available through Heritage Books (http://www.heritagebooks.com). Their phone number is 1-800-398-7709 (9am to 4pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday). Here's their description of the book: VIRGINIA Caroline County, Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics Death Records, 1853-1896 - Herbert Ridgeway Collins. The "Act for Registration of Deaths, Marriages and Births passed April 11, 1853" required localities to keep birth, marriage and death records. The author has grouped Caroline Co. Death Register records by year. Records are formatted to include: "Name of deceased/race/owner of slave where listed/sex/date of death/place of death if other than Caroline Co./cause of death/age at death/name of parents/occupation if listed/place of birth if listed/name of person reporting death and their relationship to the deceased." Birth and death locations are listed if they occurred outside Caroline Co. Farm and plantation names are included in some entries. An alphabetical list of "Diseases And Causes Of Death," a chronological list of "Commissioners of Revenue For Caroline Co. Appointed To Record Vital Statistics As Reported In The Death Register" and a surname index add to the value of this book. In many cases the author has "consulted other sources, such as marriage records, census records, county histories, family histories and other sources to get a clue as to what the names and dates could be, then returned to the original record." 1999, c189 pp., 8.5x11, new surname index, paper, $33.00, #ZC546 (Pre-Publication price until 30 September 1999--$29.50) I hope this helps. Joann Ellis Humphries