Collections : [Library of Virginia]

Surry County(Va.) Chancery Causes, 1806-1922, 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.

Deed Books, 1671-1684, 1694-1709 and 1730-1738, of Surry 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. All of the volumes have indexes which contains the first and last names of both parties. It is arranged alphabetically from A-Z.

Deed Books, 1645-1686, of Surry County Court. The transcript copy of this book records the name of the grantor and grantee, the residence of both individuals and the description of property being sold or transferred. The book also includes a list of tithables and depositions.

Surry County (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1742-1862. The collection contains Free Negro Registers, 1794 to 1862, and Criminal Proceedings Against Free Persons, Slaves, etc., 1742-1822. Free negro registers document the name, age, physical appearance, and evidence of free birth or emancipation for free African Americans living in Surry County from 1794 to 1862. Additional information, such as names of spouses or parents or county of birth, is sometimes included. Criminal Proceedings are a summary record of criminal proceedings brought against slaves and free African Americans from 1742 to 1822.

Surry County (Va.) Marriage Register, 1768-1853, is essentially divided into two sections. The first section covering pages 1-206, 1768-1850, records the date of the marriage bond, the names of both parties, the names of the parents or guardians and the security or witnesses present. From 1809-1850, pages 80-206, there are eleven entries for marriages between "free persons of color." The second section covering pages 207-268, 1785-1853, records the date of the marriage, the names of both parties, the minister's name and the religious denomination of the minister. In additon, pages 269-277 (1850-1853) record the same information found in the first section. Beginning in 1852, however, the date of the marriage license (instead of marriage bond) is recorded. Page 278 lists three undated marriage bonds. Pages 279-281 (1853) record more extensive information--the date of the marriage, personal statistics on the bride and groom, the name of the minister and the location of the marriage ceremony. Like the first section, there are numerous entries recorded (48 total) for marriages between "free persons of color"--from 1804-1853 (pages 218-279.)

Surry County (Va.) Record of Marriages Made in Obedience to Circular No. 11, 1866, is a register of freedmen's marriages. It is also commonly called both the Surry County (Va.) Freedman's Marriage Register and the Surry County (Va.) Cohabitation Register. It includes the names of parties married, time of marriage, age of parties, place of marriage, place of residence, place of birth, names of parents of parties married, condition (whether single or previously married), occupation of husband, and names of children by another wife which the husband acknowledges as his and who are thereby legitimate. There is an index on p. 6 that indicates on which page of the register that letter of the alphabet begins.

Surry County (Va.) Registers of Convicts, 1872-1929 are records of persons convicted of felonies within the county. Volume 1 covers the period from 1872-1903 and numbers 21 pages. Information found with the register includes the name of the person convicted, the residence of the individual, his or her race or color (including white, black or colored, brown, yellow or mulatto), the individual's height, eye color, hair color, age and occupation, the nature of the offense, the court in which convicted, the date of conviction and whether a pardon was granted. There is an internal index to this volume which is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the convict, A-W. Volume 2 covers the period from 1904-1929 and numbers 7 pages. Based on a form, the entries follow the same format as the first volume. Instead of a court conviction, sometimes an individual was convicted by a Justice of the Peace.

Surry County (Va.) Tax Ledger, 1868-1870 circa, consists of one volume of taxes owed and collected. Each entry consists of 5 columns: a number, a person's name, state taxes owed, county taxes owed, and total taxes owed. There are several different lists throughout the volume. Some amounts are noted as paid. There is a newspaper clipping pasted on the back board related to the collection of taxes for 1870.

Wills, 1760-1913 of Surry County Court. Wills records the deceased's plan for how his or her estate was to be divided among his or her heirs following his or her death. Information commonly recorded in wills include the name of the deceased, also referred to as the testator; names of heirs; a listing of real and personal property (including slaves) and how it was to be divided among the heirs; names of individuals who were to be the will's executors; the date will was written; and the date will was recorded at the court house.