Dr. Peacock spent two decades traveling to the various states to peruse records at local, state, and national archives to try and put together an accurate record of four generations of descendants of Richard Kirkland who died in Virginia in 1743.

A study of all Kirkland males from Richard Kirkland who died in Fairfax County, Virginia in 1743, through his great-grandsons. This equates to four generations. The focus then shifts to his descendants who were among the early settlers of Henry County, Alabama. The males and females of all lines of this family were followed for four more generations, when possible. This, in general, identifies the generation that followed the Civil War.

This is the definitive source for those that trace their Kirkland ancestors to Richard and/or his brother Robert Kirkland.