Located in eastern Virginia, Kingston Parish was a part of eastern Gloucester County until 1791 when the entire parish became Mathews County. This database is a collection of parish records between 1749 and 1827. It contains birth, marriage, and death information for over 6500 people. Each records reveals the event date, be it birth, baptism, marriage, or death. In the case of death records, the page number in the original register on which the record appears is provided as well. Because nearly all other county records were destroyed by fire in either 1820 or 1865, this is an important collection for researchers of eastern Virginia ancestors. A copy of the original register is maintained in the archives of the Virginia State Library.

From 1677 to 1691 the Rev. Michael Typerios and James Bowker were ministers, but when their ministries began or ended is not known. In the year 1740 the Rev. John Blacknal appears on the first page of an imperfect vestry book. It cannot be ascertained how much of the vestry book was lost, or how long Mr. Blacknal may have served before 1740. He died in 1747, and was succeeded in 1750 by the Rev. John Dixon, the Rev. Richard Locke having served meanwhile for three months. In the year 1770 Mr. Dixon resigned and died in 1777. Four applicants appeared for the parish, the Revs. Thomas Baker, Thomas Field, Arthur Hamilton, and Archibald Avens, of whom Mr. Field was chosen, Mr. Baker having previously served three months. In the year 1778 Mr. Field either died or resigned, and the Revs. Robert Read and William Dunlop were candidates - the former being chosen. In the year 1784 the Rev. Thomas Hopkinson became the minister, and in the year 1789 the Rev. James McBride. In 1794 the Rev. Armistead Smith became the minister and was ordained by Bishop Madison. (Vestry Book of Kingston Parish.)

The parish vestry in colonial Virginia was aristocratic in character, being composed of the wealthiest and most prominent men in the parish. From the year 1677, vestrymen serving Kingston Parish as recorded in the vestry book were: Richard Dudley, James Ransone, James Hill, Sands Knowles, George Burge, Thomas Bayley, Robert Elliot, Ambrose Dudley, Peter Ransom, John Billops, William Tompkins, Charles Jones, John Coot, Humphrey Tompkins, Edmund Roberts, George Dudley, John Hayes, Hugh Gwinne, Robert Barnard, Charles Debrum, William Marlow, Humphrey Joye Tabb, William Armistead, Kemp Plumer, Gwinne Reade, Thomas Hayes, William Tabb, Charles Blacknal, John Peyton, Captain Thomas Smith, Kemp Whiting, George Dudley, John Armistead, James Ransom, Robert Tabb, William Plummer, William Armistead, Edward Hughes, Francis Armistead, John Willis, Gabriel Hughes, John Billip, Walter Keeble, Edmund Custis, Edward Tabb, John Dixon, Thomas Peyton, Robert Mathews, Dudley Cary, Mordecai Throckmorton, James Booker, Josiah Dean, Thomas Smith, Jr., Samuel Williams, Joel Foster, Armistead Smith, Robert Cary, Thomas Tabb, Richard Gregory, James Bibber, Sands Smith, John Cary, Wilton Glasscock.