William Moffett Papers, 1937-1984

Access and use

Location of collection:
Augusta County Historical Society
Augusta County Historical Society
20 S. New Street
Staunton, VA 24401
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archivist Team
Phone: (540) 248-4151

Summary

Creator:
William Stuart Moffett, Jr.
Language:
Materials in this collection are in English .

Background

Scope and content:

The files and books were in cardboard boxes. Dividers in the boxes indicated they were originally filed in alphabetical order. The alphabetical arrangement has, therefore, been maintained.

The collection is incomplete. There are no clients with last names beginning with A, I, J, M, N, O, Q, R, U, X, and Z, only one file with a name beginning with H, one with P, one with B (Bank of Craigsville), and two files with names beginning with S.

Some of the files contain, in addition to documents for the client whose name appears on the file, items apparently related to different clients. The documents may have been misfiled or mixed up when the files were transferred to the historical society. The files in this collection have been left as they were received, with no attempt to correct possible misfilings.

The contents of the files represent typical types of cases handled by a mid-20th century small town law practice. The majority are wills, divorces, adoptions, estates, and deeds drawn up for individual clients. Mr. Moffett also represented several churches, some local companies, associations, and cooperatives. They range in date from approximately 1946 to 1954.

In addition to the client files, there are 9 loose canceled checks in an envelope, related to the estate of A.N. Dull, of which Moffett was the executor.

There are loose ledger pages listing accounts of individual clients. There are pages from a legal pad with monthly trial balances of accounts.

Two boxes of books are account and check ledgers from Moffett's law practice. The ledgers date from 1937 to 1954 and list debits and credits. The writing is hard to read. Most of the entries are fees for legal services provided, and office expenses. Some entries record cash payments from one person, which Moffett's office then sends as a check to a second person.

There are 17 ledgers with check stubs, listing payments for costs of running the office, such as rent, social security, purchases of office supplies, utility bills, payments to sheriffs for summonses, notary fees, etc. There are salary payments to Emma H. Bishop, who in 1950 received $130 monthly.

There's a bank book from Staunton National Bank with 9 pages filled in. The entries go from 1949 to 1955 and are records of deposits with no notes. The rest of the book is blank.

One large ledger is labeled "Transfer Ledger Sheets from 1946 - Wm. S. Moffett, Jr., Attorney." Some pages appear to be client accounts; others are "general expenses."

There's a book, Almanac for Business Management, published in 1946.

Biographical / historical:

Files and books from William Moffett's law practice in Staunton, Virginia, were in storage at the Augusta County Courthouse. The Courthouse donated the collection to the Augusta County Historical Society.

William Stuart Moffett, Jr., was born September 6, 1910, at Annandale Farm in Augusta County, Virginia. He was the son of Fannie Bailie and state Senator William Stuart Moffett, Sr. He married Cornelia Taylor Quarles on June 24, 1937.

He died at his home, on August 20, 2002, and is buried in Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia.

William Moffett graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton and from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. While at VPI, he was captain of his company and president of the Corps of Cadets. He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1936 and set up a law practice in Staunton the same year. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General Corps, after which he returned to private practice in Staunton. His law office was in the Echols Building.

He was appointed Judge of the 18th Judicial Circuit Court on April 1, 1955, and served the counties of Augusta, Highland, and Rockbridge, including the cities of Staunton, Lexington, and Buena Vista for more than 28 years until his retirement in 1984.

Judge Moffett served on various boards and commissions, including the Augusta County Tuberculosis Association, Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, Board of the National Valley Bank, and the Board of People's Bank of Stuarts Draft. He was a member of the Staunton Rotary Club, the Virginia Tech William Preston Society, a Charter member and past president of the Hugh B. Sproul Tent of Circus Saints and Sinners, and was a lifelong member of Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church where he served as a chairman of the Board of Deacons.

Acquisition information:
Files and books from William Moffett's law practice in Staunton, Virginia, were in storage at the Augusta County Courthouse. The Courthouse donated the collection to the Augusta County Historical Society.
Physical description:
10 boxes, 4 ft., 8.5 in.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Lawyers - Virginia - Staunton