The Register of Trinity Parish, Louisa County, Virginia: Births and Baptisms from 1752 to 1779

Book Synopsis: The colonial era records from Trinity Parish in Louisa County have long been considered lost. They were not lost, but simply taken to Tennessee sometime around 1800 and are in the collection at Historic Travellers Rest in Nashville. The transcription in this volume is created from digital images of the original in the Tennessee Virtual Archive. When compared to other church records of the period, such as the Douglas Register from St. James Northam in Goochland County, it is unlikely that this register contains all of the births and baptisms of Trinity parish. The fact that it may be a remnant of a larger parish register, or a separate partial list, does not diminish its value. The entries record 650 births and baptisms, including the births of over 220 free born children with their parents and the baptism records of 440 enslaved people. The register is an invaluable resource for birthdates and evidence of marriages at a time when no county or state records exist and provides a fresh source of information for researchers seeking information on persons enslaved during the colonial period.

The book includes an introduction to the register, the history of Trinity Parish with maps showing its boundaries, and a brief historical context for the records. Following the transcribed records are three indexes for ease of research. The first is of enslaved people and retains the name of the slaveholder in the record. The second index is also intended to assist researchers focused on enslaved persons and is organized by the name of the slaveholder. The third index contains all entries where surnames are given. These people appear to be free members of the community, including a few people of color. Elaine L Taylor was the founding director of the Sargeant Museum of Louisa County History and the Executive Director of the Louisa County Historical Society until her retirement. She still lives in Louisa County and continues to assist individuals and groups with genealogical research. Her particular area of knowledge and focus is African-American research.