James City County/Williamsburg (Va.) Records, circa 1831-1959, undated

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:
James City County/Williamsburg (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

James City County/Williamsburg (Va.) Records, circa 1831-1959, undated, consist of the following series: Bonds/Commissions/Oaths, Business Records, County/City Administrative Records (subfield series include Commissioner of the Revenue Records, Board of Supervisors Records: Road and Bridge Records and Sheriff's Records), Fiduciary Records, Tax and Fiscal Records, Miscellaneous Records, Public Buildings and Ground Records, Court Records (subfield series include Chancery Records, Clerks' Records, Court Finance and Criminal Records.)

Biographical / historical:

James City County was named for King James I. The county was one of the original eight shires, or counties, enumerated in 1634. Parts of York County and New Kent County were added later.

Williamsburg, in James City and York counties, was established by the General Assembly as Middle Plantation in 1633. Middle Plantation was renamed Williamburg in honor of William III in 1699. Although its actual status was a borough, it was declard a "city Incorporate" by a royal charter in 1722. Williamsburg served as the state's capital from 1699-1780. It was incorporated as a city in 1884. The city's area was enlarged by annexations from both York and James City counties in 1915, 1924, 1942 and 1964 and from James City County alone in 1983.

Beginning in 1770, the courts of James City county and Williamsburg shared a common courthouse. During the Civil War, the records of both localities were transferred to Richmond for safekeeping but were destroyed by fire on 3 April 1865. The records of the Superior Court of Chancery for the Williamsburg District were destroyed by a courthouse fire in April 1911.

Acquisition information:
Two boxes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from James City County/Williamsburg. One box (1167494) came to the Library of Virginia under the accession number 42169.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
3 boxes--2 found at State Records Center--Archives Annex, Library of Virginia and 1 (1167494) found at Library of Virginia.