Botetourt County (Va.) Minute Book, 1812-1828

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:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Botetourt County (Va.) Minute Book, 1812-1828. Local government records collection, Botetourt County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Summary

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

Botetourt County (Va.) Minute Book, 1812-1828. Local government records collection, Botetourt County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Botetourt County (Va.) Minute Book, 1812-1828, records all mattters brought before the court on a daily basis when the court is in session including but not limited to: civil and criminal suits, appointments of county officers, appointments of guardians and administrators, deed recordings, free negro registrations, naturalization registrations, and court fees. Clerks would transfer information from minute books to an appropriate order book, deed book, free negro register, etc. This volume was created by the County Court.

Biographical / historical:

Botetourt County was named for Norborne Berkeley, baron de Botetourt, the royal governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770. The county was formed from Augusta County in 1769 and part of Rockbridge County was added in 1785.

On 1970 December 15, a fire gutted the Boutetourt County courthouse in Fincastle, Virginia. The court records were not burned but were heavily water damaged. Many of the court records are extremely fragile today as a result of this water damage and some are not useable. Because of the near loss of the Botetourt County court records, the General Assembly of Virginia passed the Virginia Public Records Act in 1975. The act mandated that deeds, wills, and other vital records be inventoried and microfilmed. Copies of the film were stored permanently at the Library of Virginia in Richmond for safekeeping. Counties could also choose to send court records to the Library of Virginia for storage and safekeeping as needed.

Acquisition information:
This volume came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Botetourt County.
Arrangement:

Chronological by entry date.

Physical location:
State Records Center--Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1 v.