In reply to Brent Tarter: I just happened to stumble upon an article last night about this very topic published in the latest issue of the Virginia Social Science Journal (Vol. 48, 2013, 113-144) by Tara Bowen of Lynchburg College. The article "Free Blacks of Rural Mecklenburg County, Virginia," stands upon the work of the historians Mr. Tarter discusses. Bowen made extensive use of Mecklenburg County's court records, especially chancery court records. These records were processed and arranged by Carl Childs, who will no doubt prove to be one of the most influential Virginia archivists of this era. Mr. Childs ran the Circuit Court Records Program at LVA for many years and proved to be an innovator and collaborator with the state's busy circuit court clerks, historians, genealogists, and fellow archivists. Mr. Child's vision for what the state archives could become and passion for the historic records of his adopted state were unmatched. Although this reads like an elegy, Mr. Childs is alive and in his prime. He takes his knowledge, energy, and abilities to the  Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where he will serve as the director of archives and records. This is a great loss for those of you who use Virginia's local records and court records in your research.

Dale Dulaney


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