The General Assembly of Virginia, July 30, 1619-January 11, 1978: A Bicentennial Register of Memebers

Excerpt from the Foreword: The General Assembly of Virginia traces its origin back to 1619 when the first representative legislature in North America met in the church at Jamestown on July 30. Since then the Assembly has been in continuous existence. During the Colonial period, the General Assembly met on call from the governor. Since the break with England, the legislature has met according to constitutional requirements and its own procedural rules and laws. Lists of the members of the Virginia legislature for the colonial and commonwealth periods have appeared in print previously. A list for the colonial period was printed privately in 1902, and in 1918 the list for the period 1776 to 1918 was published by the Virginia State Library. Both of these volumes are now out of print. Two volumes published by the General Assembly in 1939 and 1961 continued the list to 1960, but never has a complete list for the colonial and commonwealth periods been published. Since the preparation of these earlier registers, some new material, especially for the colonial period, has been uncovered. The value of listing all members fo the General Assembly in one reference volume has been recognized by historians, political scientists, journalists, and other citizens. Accordingly, in commemoration of the bicentennial of Virginia's independence, the 1971 General Assembly commissioned a new, comprehensive register that has been prepared under the auspices of The Library Board and under the direction of Louis H. Manarin, state archivist.