County names in Virginia present a big problem for family historians: they have the odd habit of disappearing, reappearing, or becoming parts of West Virginia or Kentucky! Virginia legislation created a total of 172 counties, but only 100 of them exist today. What is a genealogist to do? More than a valuable resource, this work explains the fascinating evolution of today's Virginia counties from the first plantations and "hundreds" which developed around the original Jamestown settlement. This handy reference volume gives reliable data in concise form concerning the dates of formation, the territory from which formed, and the origin of the names of the counties which have resulted from Virginia legislation-- with references to the sources upon which these data are based. Data is arranged alphabetically, chronologically, geographically and in what is called "genealogical" form (with an index), with an alphabetical list of the counties explaining the source of the name of each one, and the full text of eleven Acts of Assembly (concerning counties) appended. There is also an enormous bibliography (more than 60 pages long!) and a general index. The geographical section groups the counties into four divisions: Tidewater, Piedmont, Valley and Trans-Allegheny. The whimsically titled "genealogical" section shows how the counties all "descended" from the eight original "parent" shires and the "original county" of Northumberland. If you're searching for ancestral records in Virginia, you'll find this book indispensable! Morgan P. Robinson ISBN: 9780788412448 101-R1244
