James, William and John Ervin arrived in Russell County, Virginia, following the Revolutionary War, when the county was still on the frontier. John is the patriarch of the later Russell and Dickenson County Ervins, and the book concentrates on him and his descendants, although James, whose descendants migrated to Missouri, and William are also discussed in detail based on early records. They are Scots-Irish. Included are allied pioneer families of Turner, Phillips, Sutherland, Holbrook, Neece, Kiser and others. This Second Edition adds some new research, makes corrections, updates the data for deaths, births, and newly found relatives and adds an additional 13 pages of photographs. The book includes a lengthy introductory summary, and a detailed genealogy modified register with extensive notes and narrative, with index, a 52-page photo gallery, and 99 pages of early and special documents, with over 480 pages total.