The main section of the work consists of genealogical sketches of some seventy-five early families and their descendants, including a lengthy history of the Edwards family, the descendants of Ambrose Edwards of Cherry Grove. Carter Braxton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, also lived here, and the kin of Patrick Henry, John Randolph, Lee, Custis, and others peopled her shores. All told, more than 3,000 names are listed in the index, including the families of Atkinson, Aylett, Baylor, Bolling, Braxton, Brecknock, Butler, Byrd, Claiborne, Cole, Coleman, Conway, Corr, Dandridge, Dickey, Ellett, Fontaine, Fowke, Freeman, Gregory, Griswold, Henry, Hill, Hundley, Johnson, King, Kinkead, Lewis, Lipscomb, Littlepage, Lynn, McElwee, Moncure, Morancy, Neale, Newman, Pemberton, Peyton, Pollard, Quarles, Robins, Robinson, Shawhan, Taliaferro, Tatum, Teackle, Thornton, Walker, Waller, and West.