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This work contains abstracts of all wills and administrations recorded in Frederick County, Virginia, between 1795 and 1816 and refers in total to some 5,000 persons. Not only are these records of value to the researcher because of Frederick County's frequent boundary changes, but the abstracts themselves are so replete with detail that each one forms a kind of "mini-genealogy." In the case of wills, the abstracts give the name of the testator, the names of his wife and children, and frequently the names of other relatives mentioned in the bequest, as well as the names of executors and witnesses, the dates of filing and probate, and a variety of detail concerning the disposition of the estate itself. Administration accounts are usually sparser, but even here legatees and relatives are often named. In addition, the compilers have thoughtfully added information on their own account, occasionally supplying data pertaining to the relationships between the legatees and the various persons associated with the administration of the estate.