Collections : [Library of Virginia]

Commonwealth of Virginia versus Abolition Society of New York, 1835, consists of a criminal presentment issued by a grand jury in Frederick County against the Abolition Society of New York. In a lengthy and strongly worded indictment, the grand jury referred to the antislavery organization as an "evil of great magnitude" and accused it of disturbing the peace of the Commonwealth and threatening the lives of its citizens by inciting slaves to rebel. It encourages local law enforcement agencies throughout Virginia to adopt "increasing vigilance ... in the detection of all fanatical emissaries, and in the suppresion of their nefarious schemes and publications." Furthermore, the grand jury called on the General Assembly to enforce present laws and enact stricter legislation against written or printed material that encouraged slave insurrection. The presentment also names Arthur Tappan, whom the grand jury considered to be the "prime mover" in the society.

Frederick County (Va.) A list of such members who are by law exempted from military services viz. the people called Quakers, 1788, was provided to the Frederick County clerk of court by the Crooked Run Monthly Meeting held on the 5th day of the 4th month. It is a list arranged alphabetically of male members of the assembly exempt from county militia muster due to their membership in the church.

Frederick County (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1780-1900, are bonds and contracts of apprenticeship, showing the names of master and apprentice, the trade to be taught, details of the contract, the amount of the bond and the names of sureties. Barcode number 0007709072 contains apprentice indentures of "free Blacks" and "free persons of color."

Frederick County (Va.) Bonds/Comissions/Oaths, 1744-1884 circa and undated, typically consist of bonds, commissions, oaths, certificates, and appointments related to holding public office. Some collections can include ministers' bonds.

Frederick County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1860-1912, are indexed into the Chancery Records Index. Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Chancery causes often involved the following: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, divorces, debt, and business disputes. Predominant documents found in chancery causes include bills (plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, wills, slave records, business records or vital statistics, among other items. Plats, if present, are noted, as are wills from localities with an incomplete record of wills or localities other than the one being indexed.

Deed Books, 1743-1785, of Frederick County Court. The deed book records the name of the grantor and grantee, the residence of both individuals and the description of property being sold or transferred. The volumes have indexes which contains the first and last names of both parties. It is arranged alphabetically from A-Z. Deed Book No. 18, 1778-1780 have court martial records (1755-1761). Court martial is a military court that determines punishment for members of the military subject to military law. The court martial records the date, the name of the solider and the company they are affiliated with and the name of the captain giving the fine and the amount of the fine.

Frederick County (Va.) Estray Records, 1788-1920, contains various loose and bound records giving public notice of valuable, tame animals, either lost or found wandering and presumed escaped from their owners, allowing the owners to reclaim the animals. Enteries generally indicate by whom the animal was taken up, before what justice the person went and when, and the description and appraisement (value) of the animal.

Frederick County (Va.) Fiduciary Records, 1790-1924, undated, include miscellaneous records filed in a local court by trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, and committees that related to the performance of their duties managing a person's estate. These records typically include the following; bonds, appraisements, audits, inventories, accounts, estate divisions, settlements, dowery records, etc. Information related to enslaved people are commonly found in these records.

Frederick County (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1795-1871, consist of free negro registrations, certifications and affidavits (1795-1864, n.d.); will of Nathaniel Mabry of Greensville County probably used to certify free negro status (1795); lists of free negroes (1851-1861); lists of free negroes returned for non-payment of taxes and/or offered for hire to pay their taxes (1850-1860); applications and petitions to remain in the state (1816-1850); free negro indentures (1805-1871); deeds of emancipation and manumission (1795-1836); certificates of non-importation of slaves (1795-1822); runaway slave matters (1822-1843); valuation and sale of runaway slaves (1824-1845); slave patrol commissions and claims (1820-1860, n.d.); and miscellaneous records (1761-1859).

Frederick County (Va.) Judgment, John Harrow versus George Washington, 1754 October, consists of three processes issued by the Frederick County county court beginning in 1754 April for the sheriff to take Washington into custody to answer Harrow in a plea of trespass. At common law, trespass was a form of action brought to recover damages for any injury to one's person or property or relationship with another. The suit consists of the capias, the alias capias, and the pluries capias, or the first, second, and third processes issued by the court to have Washington brought in to answer the suit. A notation on the reverse of the capias by deputy sheriff William Green states that, "The within named George Washington would not be taken he kept me off by force of arms." The suit was dismissed in 1754 October.