Caroline County (Va.) Land Records, 1728-1840

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

Summary

Creator:
Caroline County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Caroline County (Va.) Land Records, 1728-1840, include deeds, plats, articles of agreement, processioners' returns, and miscellaneous land related records. The deeds, plats, and articles of agreement were exhibits in Caroline County chancery causes and judgments.

The collection includes a deed between the executors and heirs of George Washington, grantors, and Robert Lewis, grantee that involved a tract of land in Stafford County. The deed records how the Washington family obtained the land by providing a history of ownership of the property which began in 1709 when it was obtained from the Northern Neck Company by James Harvey.

A donation to the Library of Virginia's Adopt Virginia's History program for conservation of five original deeds was made possible by the Caroline County Department of Economic Development and Tourism. They include the following: 1802 July 20 Executors of G. Washington to Robert Lewis; 1803 July 12 Farish Coleman to John Hoomes; 1803 Septemeber 13 Larkin Miller to John Scott and Lewis Timberlake; 1804 April 9 Robert Lewis to Joseph Dejarnett; 1804 May 8 John Miller to Robert Baylor. Images of the five deeds are available at the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection.

Biographical / historical:

Caroline County was named for Caroline of Anspach, consort of George II. It was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties in 1728, and additional parts of King and Queen were added in 1742 and 1762.

Most loose records and deed books prior to 1836 and will books prior to 1853 were stolen, mutilated, or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse in May 1864. A near-complete run of order books exists.

On presentation to the court, deeds were proved and recorded. If the deed was not witnessed, the grantor acknowledged the deed in open court. A few of the deeds include plats. Except for a few years early in the eighteenth century, slaves in Virginia were considered personal property and consequently were not usually sold by deed. However, they were often transferred in deeds of gift or were the property listed in mortgages and deeds of trust.

Processioners' returns record area processioned with geographical landmarks, roads, property lines noted, the names of the persons present, the date(s) when the processioning occurred, the names of the processioners, and the date that the return was recorded by the county court.

Acquisition information:

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Caroline County under the accession number 26675.

The deeds, plats, and articles of agreement in this collection were separated from Caroline County chancery causes and judgments at the courthouse at some point prior to transfer to the Library of Virginia. Following the transfer, many of the deeds, plats, and articles of agreement in this collection have been interfiled with the suit they were separated from. The deeds and plats were microfilmed prior to interfiling and are available on Caroline County (Va.) microfilm reels 6, 7, and 62.

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
2 boxes