Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-1912

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:
Loudoun County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-1912 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.

Before the Civil War, a number of Loudoun County Chancery Causes dealt with emancipation and anti-slavery advocacy on the part of both Black and white southerners, as well as both free and enslaved people. The cases document anti-slavery work as well as the push back against the movement. The cases also demonstrate the varied perspectives on what emancipation looked like to the different groups of people.

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: Loudoun County was named for John Campbell, fourth earl of Loudoun, who was commander of British forces in North America during the early part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1756 to 1759. It was formed from Fairfax County in 1757. The county seat is Leesburg.

Acquisition information:

The records came to the Library of Virginia in 2010; the physical records were not accessioned into the collection.

Digital images were generated by Backstage Library Works in 2011.

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.