For most of the colonial period for most counties, the best (but very
time-consuming) method of ascertaining the names of sheriffs and other
officers is to turn through the county court order books, where
recommendations for appointment of those officers were usually recorded
and where their appearing to take their oaths of office were also often
recorded.
 
For counties with missing records and for time periods prior to the
record books that Vince Brooks listed, it is often extremely difficult
even to verify published lists, and from my many years of experience I
am very reluctant to trust them without independent primary sources for
verification.
 
Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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