This is the first volume in a series of abstracts of the Loudoun County, Virginia Land Tax Books. It should be noted that it appeared many of the commissioners started with the previous year's list and made additions and deletions, as the lists are often in the same name order, and sometimes same misspelling, as the prior year. Some commissioners had a separate section for adjustments while others did not.

Entries, grouped chronologically by commissioner and battalion, are usually arranged in a rough alphabetical order and include: the original page number, name of the owner/tenant, and acres/lot. Beginning in 1798, entries also include rate/acre, total value, and tax.

To help find a name more quickly, the author entered most of the landowners' names in surname, given name format. However, it was not always possible to use this format for extended entries, so it is best to search for both formats.

To aid in finding the location of land, the author has included deed information [DB book: page] which may be related to that land. It may be the deed for the actual purchase or an earlier or later deed which seems to refer to that particular piece of land. These notations are hints only.

Until 1798, rates per acre, values, and taxes were given in British Pounds Sterling (GBP). As these figures are difficult to compare to dollars and cents, this information was not abstracted. Beginning with the 1798 records, all information given in the records is included in these abstracts.

A full-name index adds to the value of this work.