A distinctive 1981 surname-specific genealogy reference and family-history archive: The Gillispie Family Heritage Book, published by Beatrice Bayley, Inc. in Pennsylvania.

This copy was prepared for Mr. Walter Gillispie Jr. of Pearisburg, Virginia and bears the original personalized ownership certificate dated June 2, 1981. It is identified as certificate number 011—an unusually low numbered example.

The volume contains material intended to help readers investigate family origins and ancestry, including:

• The origin and meaning of surnames
• Ethnic origins and immigration
• Heraldry and coats of arms
• Genealogical terminology
• Regional surname distribution
• A directory of family names
• Personal-history and lineage worksheets
• Research methods and genealogical resources
• Period black-and-white photographs

Also included are vintage newspaper clippings connected with the Gillespie/Gillispie name, including family obituaries and an article by writer Tom Gillespie. Names and locations appearing in the accompanying material include Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and California, making the collection especially interesting to researchers of Gillespie and Gillispie families with Appalachian and southwestern Virginia connections.

The book is handsomely bound in dark green leatherette with ornate gilt decoration on both covers. A scarce, personalized piece for a Gillespie or Gillispie descendant, surname collector, genealogist, or regional-history researcher.

Please note: This is a surname heritage and genealogy-research book rather than a fully documented lineage of one single family. The personalized certificate and accompanying original family clippings give this copy additional provenance and research interest.

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