Richmond County wills are extant only from 1699, but the compiler of this useful work has bridged the gap by substituting information from Order Books, 1692-1699, thereby extending the possibilities for genealogical enquiry. The entries, which consist mainly of abstracts of wills and inventories and refer to about 8,000 persons, are arranged throughout the work in chronological order.

Mr. Webb's Sussex County directory is divided into three parts. The first part, comprising fully half the book, gives a historical overview of Sussex County, eminent Sussex pioneers, the establishment of the county courthouse, and so forth. The historical narrative then moves on to each of the county's fourteen townships from Andover through Wantage, delineating milestones, landmarks, and famous episodes in the lives of the townships. Part 2 constitutes the directory itself, which is arranged by township and lists the name of each freeholder, with his village, living in Sussex County at the time of the volume's original publication in 1872. In all, some 5,000 freeholders can be found in the directory.

County court order books contain records of all matters brought before the court while in session. The information contained in these records may not appear elsewhere. The order books typically provide a synopsis of court cases in a relatively organized format. This volume contains records from Richmond County, Virginia, Order Book No. 10, 1732-1739, beginning on page 340 and ending on page 509 for courts held 4 November 1735 through 7 March 1736/7. An every-name and place index adds to the value of this work.

Fothergill's work improves upon William A. Crozier's efforts for Westmoreland County by including abstracts of wills of one entire volume (1665-77) omitted by Crozier, and extending Crozier's period of coverage (in Virginia County Records, New Series, Vol. I) by six years to 1800. About 8,000 related individuals are mentioned in 1,200 will abstracts, which typically give the name of the decedent, dates of recording and probate, heirs, executors, and, sometimes, the place of residence. Crucial for anyone doing research in Westmoreland County.