Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1818-1968 (bulk 1900-1952).

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

Chancery Causes 1818-1932, use digital images found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.

Chancery Causes, 1933-1968 are indexed but not digitally scanned. Contact Archives Research Services for availability.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1818-1968 (bulk 1900-1952). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local government records collection, Nottoway County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Nottoway County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1818-1968 (bulk 1900-1952). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local government records collection, Nottoway County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1818-1968 consists of cases concerning issues of equity brought largely by residents of the county and filed in the circuit court. These cases often involve the following actions: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, disputes regarding contracts, debt, divorce, and business disputes. Other less prevalent issues include freedom suits, permissions to sell property, and disputes concerning trespass. Predominant documents found in these chancery causes include bills (documents the plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response to the plaintiff's complaint), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, plats, wills, records involving enslaved individuals, business records or vital statistics.

Index numbers 1111-001 through 1111-003 originated in Chancery Courts outside of Nottoway County and were historically filed and retained in the Nottoway Circuit Court incorrectly. The records have now been interfiled with the the correct locality. See also: Amelia County Chancery Cause 1919-002, Dinwiddie County Chancery Cause 1906-028, and Dinwiddie County Chancery Cause 1931-029.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: Chancery Causes are cases of equity. According to Black's Law Dictionary they are "administered according to fairness as contrasted with the strictly formulated rules of common law." A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case; however, the judge is basing the decision on findings compiled and documented by Commissioners. Chancery causes are useful when researching local history, genealogical information, and land or estate divisions. They are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history. Chancery causes document the lived experiences of free and enslaved individuals; women; children; people living with physical disabilities or mental health struggles; people living in poverty; defunct institutions and corporate entities; or those that may not have otherwise left traditional written histories.

Locality History: Nottoway County was named for the Nottoway River or for the Nottoway Indian tribe. The county was formed from Amelia County by a statue adopted on 22 December 1788 to take effect 1 May 1789. The county seat is Nottoway.

Lost Locality Notes: Many records were destroyed or heavily mutilated in 1865 by Union troops during the Civil War. A few volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of papers from the Nottoway Circuit Court under an undated accession.
Processing information:

Chancery Causes were processed by Library of Virginia staff in 2006.

Digital images were generated in 2009 by Crowley Micrographics through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.

Chancery Causes 1933-1968 are indexed but not digitally scanned. At this time, there are no plans to digitize these records.

Post-1932 records were previously described under the title Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1933-1968. Records now described together.

Encoded by G. Crawford: 2009; updated by J. Taylor: December 2023.

Arrangement:

Organized by case, of which each is assigned a unique index number comprised of the latest year found in case and a sequentially increasing 3-digit number assigned by the processor as cases for that year are found. Arranged chronologically.

Arrangement of documents within each folder are as follows: Bill, Answer, and Final Decree (if found.)

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
Digital images; 99.44 cubic feet (221 boxes).