UPDATE: the book is a hit! Second printing just arrived, October 2009.   

MARY B. KEGLEY'S NEW BOOK ARRIVED SEPTEMBER 16, 2008.

FINDING THEIR WAY FROM THE GREAT ROAD

TO THE WILDERNESS ROAD, 1745-1796

HOW DID THE EARLY SETTLERS, HUNTERS AND TRAVELERS FIND THEIR WAY THROUGH SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA TO KENTUCKY? WHERE WAS THE FRONTIER? WHO BUILT THE ROADS AND WHAT WERE THEY CALLED? WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO TRAVEL TO KENTUCKY ON HORSEBACK? WHAT ABOUT THE FORTS AND BLOCKHOUSES AND THE LOSS OF LIFE DURING THE WARS?

THESE AND MORE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND DOCUMENTED WITH 82 ILLUSTRATIONS INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS AND MAPS AND 285 ENDNOTES FOR REFERENCE. THERE IS A COLOR COVER AND NINE PHOTOS IN COLOR ON THE BACK COVER.

ORDER FROM KEGLEY BOOKS, P.O. BOX 134, WYTHEVILLE, VA 24382

Send a check or money order for $29.25 if out of state and $30.50 if in Virginia.

  Books will also be available at 115 E. Main Street, Wytheville, VA from the Wythe County Genealogical and Historical Association during their regular hours.

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ANOTHER NEW BOOK, 2009

WYTHE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, DEED ABSTRACTS, BOOK 1, 1A AND 2, 1790-1800, COMPILED BY JANIE DILLON AND MARY B. KEGLEY, 2009.

A total of more than 800 documents found in the 1,035 pages of the deed books have been abstracted. Additional original documents left behind at the courthouse were added. The names mentioned in the documents, including witnesses, and any marginal notes were included. The index also includes place names. Total 92 pages, softbound.

 PRICES: INCLUDE TAX AND SHIPPING: IN VIRGINIA: $22.90; OUT OF STATE: $22.00 

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THREE NEW BOOKS in 2007:

ANNOUNCING A NEW EDITION OF PIONEERS OF THE VIRGINIA BLUEGRASS BY GEORGE B. GOSE, REVISED EDITION BY MARY B. KEGLEY, 2007.

            Mary B. Kegley and Kegley Books have reprinted the original edition published in the 1960s, with additions and corrections. The original book had genealogical information from church and cemetery records as well as court and family records. These have been augmented by Corrections and Additions known to Kegley and in place of twenty-five separate indexes plus a general index, there is now one large index of 114 pages. Married women appear under their maiden names as well as their complete married names, when given. Geographic locations such as cities, counties and states are also included.

            Gose documented many families of Southwest Virginia, especially in Wythe, Tazewell and Bland counties. His primary focus included the families of Gose, Groseclose, Brown, Crute, Repass, Sluss, Peery, Spangler, Fox, Thompson, Foglesong, Huddle, Rhudy, Spraker, Jones, Legrand, Michaux, Rosenbaum, Broadbent, Burke, Litz, Catron, Wilson, Crabtree, Mahood and Greever. There are many connecting lines.

            The revised edition has 460 pages including the index, added information and bibliography. The book is hard bound and measures 6  by 9 inches. Price in Virginia is: $47.00 and Out of State is $45.00. Shipping and taxes are included in the prices. Make check or money order payable to Kegley Books and send to P.O. Box 134, Wytheville, VA 24382.

Marriages of Wythe County, Virginia, 1867-1880, compiled by Janie Dillon and Mary B. Kegley was published by the Genealogical and Historical Association and released in November 2007. It is the third in the series, using transcriptions from the original records. It is softbound, with 241 pages, fully indexed.

                This publication has more than 1500 marriages performed between January 1867 and December 1880. The original documents were transcribed and the compared to Marriage Book 2 and Marriage Book 2A. Because many differences were noted, more than 900 footnotes were added to describe the discrepancies. The most common mistake was using the date of the marriage license for the date of the marriage. Also there were some errors in the names. For example, Jemima was often transcribed as Jeremiah; Martin was transcribed as Martha, Sarah as Sam, and Redman as Beckman, among others. Other primary documents were consulted to help clarify the transcription of the documents.

The spellings used in this book are the ones found on the marriage certificates. Several marriage records are in the marriage books for which no certificate was found. Also, several for whom certificates were found do not appear in any of the court books.

                ORDER FROM: Kegley Books, P.O. Box 134, Wytheville, VA 24382. Please send a check or money order made out to Kegley Books. IN STATE includes tax and shipping : $34.45; OUT OF STATE includes shipping: $33.00

            Freedmen’s Bureau Records of Wythe County, Virginia, February 1866, by John M. Johnson, 2007, soft bound, 112 pages, 6 photos, index.

            This comprehensive work provides detailed information about the black families of Wythe County following freedom of the slaves. The Bureau compiled two lists: the first was “Fathers who Claim his Children to be his own, February 27, 1866.” The listing included the name and birthplace of each child, the name of the slave owner, the name of the parents and where they were living. Fifty-five fathers claimed 148 children to be their own. The mother was not present in the family for a variety of reasons. There were 33 wives who had died, and one wife was sold because of her bad temper. Two others were sold for immoral conduct, three for other reasons and nine were living outside of Wythe County. There were three runaways and three were sold to unknown locations. The oldest woman mentioned was 100 years old.

The second listing was “Colored Persons of Wythe County, Virginia, Cohabiting Together as Husband and Wife,” on the same date. The same information was provided. There were 888 children living with their parents, 535 couples living as husband and wife, and 268 complete families. In all there were 1,036 children of former slaves listed.

            The names of the Free People of Color which were interspersed throughout the Freedmen’s Records were placed in a separate chapter. Two prior lists, in 1831 and 1838, were added. A separate listing of slaveholders is also in a separate chapter showing their place of residence.

In the compilation of these valuable records, the original documents filed in the courthouse were carefully transcribed. The photos include individuals who were former slaves and there is one photo of a slave owner.

            Some of the more common names that appear in the book include Johnson, Monroe, Holliday, Austin, Cloud, Sheffey, Chaffin, Clark, Fowler, Hale, Hill, Carpenter, Howard, Jenkins, Kincannon, Mitchell, Oglesby, Porter, Richardson, Sanders, Scott, Washington, White, Gibson, Crockett, St. Clair, Braxton, Sales, Stuart, Drew, Taylor, Paul, Peoples, Edmondson, Gannaway, Miller, Thompson, and Redmon. There are many entries for lesser-known families. 

PRICE IN STATE (includes tax and postage) $25.00; OUT OF STATE (includes postage), $24.00. ORDER FROM AND MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: KEGLEY BOOKS, P.O. BOX 134, WYTHEVILLE, VIRGINIA 24382.