Of all the compilations of Virginia genealogies this is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive. In the preparation of the work the author drew on letters, diaries, manuscripts, books, newspapers, reminiscences, and original records. Intended at first as a history of the descendants of Edward Jaqulin and Martha Cary, the book soon became a compendium of Virginia families, comprising hundreds of separate genealogies and tracing descendants through six, seven, and eight generations. The genealogies are well and fully augmented by will extracts, obituary notices, manuscript entries, parish vestry and register notations, marriage notices, newspaper excerpts, gravestone transcriptions, and a great variety of biographical matter. In addition, the various genealogies are enhanced by the inclusion of portraits, views, and coats of arms.