This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: DebBWake Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.rockingham/3284/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Pippenger, Wesley E., compiler. Index to Virginia Estates 1800-1865. Vol. 6 Counties of Augusta and Rockingham, City of Staunton. Richmond: Virginia Genealogical Society, 2005. In the preface, page v., the compiler writes: Rockingham County reserachers take note! In the process of compiling this index volume, we made an exciting discovery. For many years a story has circulated, partly true, partly false, that the early will books of Rockingham County had been burned and thus did not survive. As had been done previously in this series to compile extant Rockingham County minute books (as an alternate record source) for references to any estate-related activity, i.e. presentation of a will, inventory, sale or account, or an order for the bond of an administrtor or executor, and other similar items. In the process of ensuring that the most valuable original reocrds had been included for Rockingham County, the compiler discovered original pages, both bound and unbound, from six partial or complete 19th century Rockingham County will books stored at the Library of Virginia. Although two of the books are virtually complete, several of the partial will books have burned edges and have no visible page numbers. Because of the extensive damage to the perimeter of many of the loose pages, the Library arranged for conservation work on the pages before turning them over to archivists. The archivists have begun arranging the pages in logical sequence for microfilming--a process that has proved to be more detailed than first expected. Consequently, the Virginia Genealogical Society's Board of Governors has decided not to delay further publication of this volume and to present primarily the data collected from Rockingham County minute books. The new will book data will be ! published in its entirety when the items become available for review by the public. More details on the provenance of the newly re-discovered items will be included in a future volume of this index. Here are the Library of Virginia microfilm reels foretold by Pippenger: Note: The following nine reels are original will books which were burned during the Civil War, thus making them very brittle and difficult to film. 667 ILL Wills and Administrations, Sept. 1803 - Nov. 1806 (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estates, Estate Sales, etc.) 668 ILL Wills and Administrations, Sept. 1810 - April 1814 (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estates, Estate Sales, etc.) 669 ILL Wills and Administrations, Feb. 1821 - April 1824 (Parts I & II) (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estates, Estate Sales, etc.) 670 ILL Wills and Administrations, Jan. 1841 - July 1843 (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estates, Estate Sales, etc.) 671 ILL Wills and Administrations, Feb. 1848 - April 1850 (Parts I & II) (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estate, Estate Sales, etc.) 672 ILL Wills and Administrations, May 1850 - Oct. 1852 (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estate, Estate Sales, etc.) 673 ILL Wills and Administrations, June 1854 - Oct. 1855 (Parts I-III) (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estate, Estate Sales, etc.) 674 ILL Wills and Administrations, July 1859 - Aug. 1860 (Parts I-III) (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estate, Estate Sales, etc.) 675 ILL Wills and Administrations, Nov. 1860 - March, July 1862 (Parts I & II) (includes Loose Wills, Appraisements, Settlements of Estate, Estate Sales, etc.) Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.