The author was inspired to create this helpful series of resource books while researching her second great-grandmother Mildred Timbers. It is not known how Mildred became a slave. Was Mildred willed to someone? Was she purchased at a sale? Was her mother already property when she was born? Without a helpful aid, like the books in this series, the author was faced with the daunting task of reading every page of every Will Book to find the answers. This is the series the author wished she had to help her with her research. Is your ancestor within these pages? Volume IV, the Master Index, allows you to compare, and follow through the years, the changes in surnames and family descendants from each Will Book. This index makes it easier to research slave owners and makes it possible to follow some slaves from one owner to another. Having all the indexes in a single volume simplifies and defines which Will Books you need to explore. Many times an account or will was recorded by the court years after it had been prepared.

For example: Charles Martin's committee account was dated from 27 Dec. 1853 to 12 Aug. 1854 but recorded in Will Book 27 on 18 Feb. 1857, not Will Book 25. First names have been standardized in order to make it easier to search for a name. This series provides researchers with easy access to information that could otherwise require several months of reading through microfilm. This series is a MUST for researchers of slaves and/or owners of Fauquier County, Virginia.