First Families of Virginia, Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 23, No. 4

Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project

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William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 23, No. 4. (Apr., 1915), p. 277

The F. F. V.'s of Virginia

p. 277.

                  THE F. F. V.'S OF VIRGINIA.

   Who were the F. F. V.'s?  These letters are interpreted to stand
for "The First Families of Virginia."  They obviously had no reference
to the early settlers, but to those families who in colonial times
were socially prominent and wealthy.  Perhaps the best test of such
families was representation in the governor's office or in the
colonial council whose membership was selected just for these elements
in life.


   All the families represented in the council might not be included,
but only those who showed a continuity of importance by great and
continued prominence in local affairs as county lieutenants or
colonels of the county militia.

   According to this definition I submit the following tentative list:
Allerton, Armistead, Ballard, Bassett, Beale, Berkeley, Beverley,
Blair, Bland, Bray, Bridger, Browne of "Four Mile Tree," Burwell,
Byrd, Carter, Cary, Churchill, Claiborne, Corbin, Custis, Cole,
Dawson, Digges, Eppes, Farrar, Fitzhugh, Fairfax, Gooch, Grymes,
Harrison, Jenings of Ripon Hall, Kemp, Lewis, Littleton, Ludwell,
Lee, Lightfoot, Mathews, Nelson, Page, Perry, Parke, Randolph,
Robinson, Scarborough, Smith, of Gloucester Co., Spotswood, Tayloe,
Thorowgood, Thornton, Warner, West, Whiting, Willoughby, Willis,
Wormeley, Yardley.