Briley Genealogy

 I made it out to the Virginia Historical Society today with one goal.  I wanted to find out about the history, geography, and time-line of Bristol Parish, VA.   (Old Blandford Church is one of the earliest brick churches built in the Parish of Bristol. )

In a previous post, I gave a very simple lineage for my Briley line.  The last ancestor I have listed is John Briley.  It is believed he is from Virginia and moved down into North Carolina after his son William was born.  I have copies of the handwritten vestry records for Bristol parish that list the birth of 3 children to John and Rebecca Briley (spelled as Broyely, Bryally, and Bryily).  2 daughters, Prudence (1723-4) and Dorithy (1726) and William, born Sept 9th and baptised on Oct 29th, 17__.  It was illegible, but is within the time frame of the girls. 

What I was trying to do at the VHS was first find out the geography of Bristol Parish.  Luckily, I ordered an old book by a Rev. Philip Slaughter.  It was called “A History of Bristol Parish, VA: with genealogies of families…”  Some information he provided:  “In 1724 [around the time the Briley children were being baptized], the incumbent of the parish [the pastor] reported to the Bishop of London that his cure was 40 miles long and 25 miles wide.  At the limits of the parish north of the Appomatox [River] never surpassed Powell’s creek, and as there were 430 families in it…”

In 1634, the Govenor and Council divided VA into eight shires, including Henrico and Charles City.  All of Charles City county was encompassed by Bristol parish.  Records for the parish are lost though from its creation in 1642 until the date of the oldest remaining vestry book that holds records from 1720.  In 1734 the part of Bristol parish north of the Appomatox was cut off, and Dale parish was established and Raleigh parish in the new county of Amelia.  In 1742 the parish of Bath was also cut off from Bristol Parish.  I would guess my Briley’s had headed down to NC by the 1740′s.

Because the vestry book does not name the place of birth or baptism for the children, I have to start searching the counties I know were part of the parish in the 1720′s.  These would be Charles City cty, Prince George cty,   Amelia cty, Dinwiddie cty, and a few others. 

I also found out some of what the vestry was responsible for, and realized that they worked as an extension of local government.  They were first required by civil law, to have all their children baptized, and the dates of their births recorded in the register and reported to the secretary’s office, and so of the marriages and burials.  Other vestry functions included:  Taking care of orphans, illegitimate children, and neglected children.  Vestries had to build and furnish churches, and provide them with ministers, clerks, and sextons.  They were to divide parishes into precincts (from these representives were elected to the House of Burgesses).  They appointed freeholders to count and report the number of tobacco plants in the district.  They also appointed planters in each precinct to procession, which is marking the boundaries of each mans land, every four years. 

I am continuing to enter my notes into the computer.  I am going to be working through the Family History Center here to get land records, especially early ones.  More on this coming soon!

Related posts:

1. Meet my Brileys