History and genealogy of Peter Montague, of Nansemond and ...

2 PREFACE.
been carefully collated page by page and the latter extensively
quoted in this work. A more recent work, and by far the best ever
published is "Va. Genealogies" by Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden,
Wilkes Barre, Pa., 1891, a noble work, that ought to be in the library
of every person in the country who is of Va. extraction, or interested
in her people. By permission of Mr. Hayden, his work has been
quoted, wherever it referred to any person in these pages ;
and
has
been found specially valuable on the line of the Balls, Daniel and
other families. The origin of family surnames has been taken from
" Patronimica Britannica " by M. A. Lower, a standard English
authority. The blazon of ancient coats of arms is principally from
Edmondson's Heraldry, also a standard English work. The record
of arrivals by ship, and early emigrants in the Va. colony is from
" Hottens Emigrant Lists." The historical account of the early set-
tlements in Va., is taken from various authors and from Hists. of Va.
both English and American.
The Introduction, and also all that relates to different families in
this work in ancient times in England, has been compiled from many
hundred old, and rare books, and is the result of great labor cover-
ing years of time and search. With the exception of the name of
Montague, perhaps no name occurs so often in this book as the name
of Latane. The mode of spelling used, is from the signature of
Rev. Lewis Latane to his last will and testament, and the same
spelling is used by Bishop Meade in his " old families of Va." The
accent is upon the final " e " which has the sound of a. The name
" Currie " has been perpetuated, in many branches, and descendants
have written it, both "Curry" and " Cirney."
The dates of birth and marriage of the children and grand-children
of the emigrant Peter Montague, and of other early branches, against
which is the word " about " are only approximate. No claim is made
for their correctness except as qualified by the word " about." Every
possible effort has been made to avoid error, and yet no doubt errors
will be found. A portion of the work consists of ground never before
gone over with no guide except Co. records, and but few of them.
Sources from which to seek information were few and uncertain.
Parties written to were, in some cases slow to reply ; and
the replies
of different members of the same branch were sometimes contradic-
tory. Those who discover errors, while they criticize, should remem-
ber that if the work serves no other purpose, it will be a foundation