New Book Review: New Kent County Virginia in 1863
Three hundred and fifty years of neglect and fires has made it impossible to put together a real history of New Kent County, Virginia, one of the first counties established in 1654. First there was the burning of Jamestown by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676 that destroyed many Commonwealth records, the extent we do not know. Secondly was the type of paper that was in use in that era, with the surviving records deteriorated with age and handling. Then, comes the lack of any early New Kent records. John Price Posey and his aides burned the clerk’s office and jail on July 15, 1787, destroying all records prior to that date. Again, during the Civil War, New Kent records were partially destroyed by the Yanks or Rebels. So putting together a history of the county has been nearly impossible.
After the Revolution, under our present form of government, the Commonwealth of Virginia set up a tax system using a Commissioner of Revenue in each county to tax citizens of their land. It is believed that he Commissioner of Revenue has kept the tax records in his home over the early years of the county. Using these tax records, the author, with present-day tax maps, has put together 52 maps of the county showing land ownership, size and boundaries of plantations. Also included are pictures or drawings of 52 structures of the time. Secondly, there is a listing of all known marriage records and other court papers before the Civil War, as well as a listing of county officials prior to 1863.
Historians and genealogists are often stumped in their work in New Kent County. The work presented strides to establish who the people of New Kent County were and where they lived in the county in 1863. Ideally, this work will provide the groundwork to retrace families and land father back in time.
His volume is a beautiful work, and one that would be a wonderful addition to anyone’s Virginia library.
By Dallas H. Oslin, Jr.; 2008; 8.5×11; 180 pp; hardbound; Order from the author at: 4801 Atwood Rd., Sandston, VA 23150; $35.50 includes any sales tax & p&h.
If this book is still available, we would be interested in buying one. Please contact us at the email here. Thanks.
I really don’t know if it’s still in print or not. That blog was done several years ago. Contact the author, Dallas H. Oslin, Jr., at: 4801 Atwood Rd., Sandston, VA 23150. I apologize for the lack of an email address, but his snail-mail address is all I have. Here’s hoping he still has copies.