Faith and Race by Melynda Wilcox is about my grandfather and other leaders of a church in Alexandria. In the 1960s big changes were afoot and Cliff Johnson who came from Columbus, Georgia had to wrestle with his own feelings, and lead the church during a difficult time. Melynda Wilcox does a great job of describing the church's history with race relations.
Scottish Migration's Great Great Grandson to Visit Alexandria
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I didn't know what Pete would say when I first contacted him years ago. I was looking for a Gregory descendant for research on my book, A Scottish Migration to Alexandria. I had spent months, most of a year, searching. Finally after finding the historian at Alexandria's Presbyterian Meeting House and several more connections I was directed to Pete Gibson. Apparently he was out with colleagues when his phone rang, but later he called me back. It turned out that Pete is the last person to remember the last owner of the historic Leadbeater Apothecary in Old Town Alexandria! Pete is one descendent with an interest in Alexandria and his family's history here. His great grandmother, the daughter of the book's subject, married a Leadbeater. These families go back to Alexandria's beginnings. A Scottish Migration tells the story of Pete's ancestor William Gregory who migrated from Scotland. It talks about the people who William knew, including the enslaved people who he purchased from George Washington's grandson. It's a great story which is finally being told. I will meet Pete after at least seven years and many emails and phone calls. He and his cousins hope to visit the Presbyterian Cemetery where their ancestors are buried, the Presbyterian Meeting House and other historic sites. Ellen Hamilton, Author and Publisher
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