In a message dated 11/24/99 3:47:09 AM, wmeacham@hkusua.hku.hk writes: >Specifically, are there: >-- any extant church records, such as vestry books {NO} >or list of tithables? {YES, they start in 1782, but do not get good until a few years later. Most of the earlier ones have been published by Ruth and Sam Sparacio as Land Book Alterations (see: http://www.antientpress.com/). In fact, Caroline County has a better set of early tithables/landowners than other counties because the tax collectors kept careful notes when land was sold and bought, something that was not done in many other counties. Even if you are looking for someone in the 1700's you need to read the tax lists up into the 1840's/50's. There are often notes about families and children in the later lists. Also the later lists tell where the land was located and neighbors. Since land stayed in families for generations, neighbors in say 1830 may very well have been neighbors in 1780.} >-- any voters {NO} or landowners lists? {see tithables} >-- any catalogue of gravestone inscriptions that might have births prior to 1780? {NO} >-- any business documents {There are a few and all are at either the Library of Virginia or the VA Historical Society. Both have excellent web sites to search.} Hopkins book, "Some Wills from the Burnt Counties of VA" has a section that contains wills from Caroline County families found in other sources. Norman Peters Washington DC