Bristol Parish, Virginia

United States   Virginia    Bristol Parish

History
Bristol Parish has served Charles City, Henrico, Prince George, and Dinwiddie counties.

Bristol Parish was established in 1643, including all the Appomattox River valley. When Dinwiddie County was partitioned from Prince George county 1752, Bristol Parish became the parish for Dinwiddie County. Blandford Church belonged to this parish.

Founded

 * 1643

Boundary
"An Act to divide those parts of the Parishes of Westover and Weynoake, which lie on the South side James River, from those parts of the said Parishes which lie on the North side the said River; and for uniting Westover and Weynoake Parishes; on the South side James River, to Martin Brandon Parish, in the County of Prince George; and for erecting a Chapel in Bristol Parish, in the said County" (1720) culled from sources available in London, is published in:


 * Chamberlayne, Churchill G. "Seven Parish Acts Heretofore Unpublished," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan. 1938):106-118. ; digital version at JSTOR ($).

Cemetery
The City of Petersburg official website includes a database of graves at Blandford Church.

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) made a survey of the graves at Blandford Church in 1936-1937, which has been published:.

The Family History Library has acquired several other publications about.

Parish History
Meade's 1861 history of Bristol Parish is available online.

Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne's history of Blandford Church, Bristol Parish, Virginia "The Brick Church on Wells's Hill" (1907) has been digitized by Google Books.

Parish Records
The original Register 1685-1798 and the Vestry Book 1720-1789 are available at the Library of Virginia. Copies:. These records have been published and indexed:

Parish Registers

 * 1720-1798 - Chamberlayne, Churchill Gibson. Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798. Richmond, Virginia: C.G. Chamberlayne, 1898. Two published transcripts available at FHL: and ; digital book at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * 1720-1796 - Bristol Parish Christening Index 1720-1796. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Vestry Books

 * Chamberlayne, Churchill Gibson. The Vestry Book and Register of Bristol Parish, Virginia, 1720 - 1789. Richmond, VA: [s.n.] 1898. Available at . Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books - free; and World Vital Records ($).