The abstracts of wills and administrations are arranged throughout in more or less chronological order by the name of the deceased. The will records give the name of the testator, names of legatees (often showing relationships), summaries of bequests made in the will, date of the will, date of recording, and the page number of the will book wherein the full will is recorded. The administration records generally provide the dates of inventory and appraisal, names of auditors and appraisers, and references concerning the settlement of the estate. The approximately 2,500 wills and administrations in this work refer to approximately 8,000 persons. Many of the wills furnish evidence of North Carolina connections as well.

Covers the period of colonial history from the beginning of European colonization in the Western Hemisphere up to the time of the American Revolution.

The book traces the progenitors of the Harlan County, Kentucky, Cobb, Pope, and Ball families from their known North American origins in colonial Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina to their eventual settlement in eastern Tennessee, western Virginia, and southeastern Kentucky. Substantial national, state, and local history is included in the narrative for the purpose of setting the people discussed in the context of their times. Issues such as the Methodist Church and the slavery issue, and Kentucky and the secession crisis are considered, as is Harlan County and the Civil War. Much attention is given to Harlan County's political history, from its Democratic-Whig beginnings to the Radical Republicanism of the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877. The narrative ends about 1900. Roughly 100 of the 500 pages of the book are exhibits.

This book follows the Carrolls from Ireland to Virginia. On Sir Richard Greenville's fourth voyage in 1587 to the colony of Virginia, he left (Denice) Dennis Carrell and Darbie Glaven on shore to procure the necessary supplies. Other early Carrolls to Virginia John Kerill in 1623/1624 and Christopher Carnoll (Carroll) in 1634/1635. In 1635 Henry Carrell (age 16) disembarked on Virginia's shores as did Elizabeth Carrill in 1638. .

Also includes other Atkinson, Adkinson, Adkinsson [etc.] lines. .