Bristol Parish, Virginia 1720-1789, The Vestry Book of.

Bristol Parish was established in 1643 and covered the area of Charles City, South of the James River. Bristol Parish covers the area later comprised of Dinwiddie, Henrico, and Prince George Counties. This rare book contains all of the vestry meetings and minutes of the vestry from October 1720 through April 1789, being complete except for the period October 20, 1722, through November 11, 1723. The earliest recorded date in the Register of Births, Baptisms and Deaths is April 12, 1685, through March 9, 1798. For many years the register Book was thought to have been lost but was discovered in Petersburg in 1894.  In preparing this book the author expended great care in following the original book in every eccentricity of spelling and abbreviation and in all mistakes. THE VESTRY BOOK itself contains the names of approximately 5,000 individuals either as Vestry members or as those who had been appointed to procession land of property owners; apprentice young people to other in the parish for training in crafts or livelihoods; binding out young slaves for training; clothing and feeding and general care and welfare of the poor in their midst. THE PARISH REGISTER which lists the birth, baptisms, and deaths contains the names of over 7,139 individuals including slaves and their owners, mulattos and their mothers and the whites. This book contains some very rich genealogical data especially for the person with BLACK ROOTS.