I have purchased this book containing information in the records of Pastor Johannes Braun. It was translated by Klaus Wust, and copyrighted 1978. Following is a transcription of the preface to the book. ***************** In 1972 a large, soiled, coverless old manuscript volume was discovered near Bridgewater which turned out to be a memorandum book used by Rev. Johannes Braun for a great variety of entries over a period of almost forty years. Its great significance for genealogy and local history became obvious once the identity of its writer was established. The book was evidently used by Braun to enter ministerial acts, congregational lists and various accounts before transferring them to the respective church registers or, in the case of marriages and school commissioner accounts, before submitting them to the county authorities. The church accounts provide complete lists of members which are not contained in the extant church registers. Moreover, confirmations and communion attendance from certain congregations represent the only source of such information because the church registers are lost altogether. Listings of marriages are more detailed than the roll of the 240 marriages which Braun submitted to the county clerk belatedly in 1824 when he found out that he should have done so every year since 1800. All information of interest to family historians from the German records has been translated and transliterated from Braun's often minute and frequently almost illegible hand. Beyond the materials included in this publication, the Memorandum Book contains many pages of school-masters' accounts in English. There are also some scattered entries on such special events as the sighting of a comet on January 7, 1801. Other notes consist of home remedy recipes contributed by church members and friends. I wish to thank Mr. Joseph H. Meyerhoeffer, the present owner of the volume, for giving unrestricted access to it throughout the long period required to extract and prepare the important information for publication. Mrs. Peggy Shomo Joyner of Portsmouth and Miss Grace Showalter of Harrisonburg deserve much gratitued for valuable suggestions. The choice of Braun's German Reformed records to inaugurate the series of Shenandoah Genealogical Source Books to be published by SHENANDOAH HISTORY is a fitting tribute to the memory of Father Brown whose lifework as a Virginian transcended significantly the confines of his denomination and the German communities he served. Edinburg, VA May 19, 1978 Klaus Wust ************************************** The CONTENTS of this book are: THE INTRODUCTION Preface Johannes Braun (1771-1850) Brief Histories of the Congregations THE RECORD Jennings Branch, 1799-1813, Augusta Co. St. Johns, 1800-1810, Augusta Co Eagles, 1802, 1809, Augusta Co Salem, 1810, 1813, Augusta Co Drohrbachs, 1804, Augusta Co Emanuel, 1812, Augusta Co Friedens, 1799-1812, Rockingham Co. Peaked Mountain, 1799-1813, Rockingham Co Keezletown/Armentrout, 1799, 1801, Rockingham Co Weiss, 1801, 1806, Rockingham Co Raders, 1801-1812, Rockingham Co St. Johns, 1813, Rockingham Co Hawksbill, 1813, Page Co. "Over the Ridge", 1803, Orange Co Lewisburg, 1803, 1808, Greenbrier Co, WV New River, 1808, Montgomery Co Marriages Performed, 1800-1813 Information from Frakturs THE INDEX About the Main Index The Main Index British Names among Marriages Performed The Index of Anglicized German Surnames ********************************* If anyone is interested in this information, let me know and I will do lookups. Koren Fae Rawlings 304-358-3261 Pendleton Co, WVa Historical Preservation Association Order of the Bonnie Blue, Phoebe Warner Chapter pendhist@access.mountain.net