Cause involves disputed sell of enslaved woman suffereing from a venereal disease.

Defendant is a free person of color. Ball trying to dissolve judgment won against him for assault and battery by Sparrow. Sparrow's answer includes sentence, "Sparrow is truly sensible of the difference which the laws of the land have made between himself and free white persons, and he hopes that no instance can be produced in which he has deviated from that respectful conduct, which ought to have observed towards those who the laws of this country have made his superiors."

Freedom suit.

Enslaved person constantly "running away."

Divorce case concerning disputes between the plaintiff, her much older husband, and his adult children.

The defendant found out that the plaintiff had money to purchase slaves. Allen thought Horsley was going to kill or rob him on the highway. An enslaved girl was purchased.

Freedom Suit: Sarah sued for her freedom. She refused to go with other enslaved people to Ohio. See also Chancery Cause 1834-006.

Plaintiffs won freedom in 1833. See also Chancery Cause 1833-024

Enslaved people were removed fom jurisdiction without permission of court. The court is authorized to take possession of the enslaved people.

Concerns an enslaved person who died due to improper treatment

Enslaved man Henry ran away for fear he would be killed.

Freedom Suit.

Plaintiff accuesed defendant of selling him a "diseased" enslaved person who died a few months after purchase.

William Graham offered to purchase an entire enslaved family to keep them from being split up.

Husband was having an affair with a woman he enslaved.

Concerns an enslaved man who became ill before starting work as a waterman. He may have been poisoned and his enslaver knew he was unable to work.

Concerns an enslaved man who fled, and then faced being whipped. The man fought back against this violence which is documented in several depositions.

All the enslaved people were hired out with the exception of James Gilbert, a "mulatto" man, who should now be emancipated. See also: 1833-023; 1843-004 and 1841-001.

Suit concerns emancipated enslaved persons of Thomas Higginbotham, including their transportation to Philadelphia and other places, medical care, and material support. Family relationships of formerly enslaved persons is detailed along with notation of those who have died.

No bill, answer, decrees, but depositions contain extensive discussions of dam and lock building on the James River. Specifications for Bald Eagle Dam included as exhibit.

Elijah Fletcher is the owner of Sweetbriar Plantation (later Sweetbriar College). Plaintiffs accuse him of misleading and tricking them into transferring their valuable property, including numerous enslaved persons, to him. Suit contains a good deal of relationship information on enslaved persons.

Executor is asking the court's direction to emancipate 44 people, as directed by the will of Shackleford, and transport them to Liberia or one of the free states. Forty-two of the 44 opt to go to Ohio. Two voluntarily re-enslave themselves. The list of those going to OH shows family relationships, ages, complexion. A letter by the Exr. Says that the people were taken to Belmont, OH with plans to move them further into the state. "Trouble with Abolitionists" in Town of Bridge Port prevented this. Abolitionists contended that the executor no longer had any right to direct the people since they were now free.

Debate over whether or not a property purchase made during the Civil War was still valid, given that it was paid for with now-worthless Confederate Treasury Notes.

Concerns a group of enslaved individuals who were manumitted in a will, and efforts to prepare for their eventual move to Liberia. Includes articles discussing the creation of Virginia's Colonization Board and state funding for the transportation of "free people of color."

The terms of a will freed a group of enslaved individuals on the condition that they be sent to Liberia, but this freedom was delayed due to a Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals decision that limited this method of emancipation. Includes records of their lives post-Civil War.

Includes a discussion about the mental health of an enslaved woman; and the migration of an enslaved man to Pennsylvania after his wife was manumitted.

Includes an accusation that the husband attempted to force wild cherry bark on his wife as an abortifacient or to otherwise prevent her from bearing children. Also includes extensive descriptions of domestic abuse and a violent custody dispute.

Concerns a divorce between an African American couple wherein the husband claimed his wife committed adultery on the grounds that their first child was "white."

Concerns bonds issued by the government for the purpose of purchasing food for the families of Confederate soldiers and weapons for the "Amherst Raiders", "Southern Rights Guard", and "Amherst Rifle Greys". Includes VA Court of Appeals records.

Concerns a woman petitioning to have her surname changed to her maiden name following a divorce.

Includes a defendant who migrated to California and was later confined to a "lunatic asylum." Discusses care of a family member with epilepsy.

Woman requested a divorce after her husband escaped from prison multiple times. Includes materials from his court records.

Concerns the distribution of Howell L Brown's, a white man, estate Montpelier and Black people enslaved by his estate, the further complication of his son Charles dying during the Civil War, addition death of son John and the poor decision making of his son Henry, and effects of the Civil war on the estate and its partition.

Defendant was imprisoned for working with federal authorities in 1864.

Plaintiff argued for divorce on the grounds of his wife refusing intercourse and cohabiting with her first husband. Defendant was removed from her church as a result, but argued that his affair with her sister had justified her actions.

Defendants were accused of manipulating an elderly relative with dementia into believing that the plaintiffs were trying to poison him.

Plaintiff accused his wife of engaging in sex work as well as adultery, and presented his own syphilis as evidence.

Plaintiff married her husband while she was enslaved but separated from him post-emancipation, and did not realize that a law legitimizing enslaved marriages meant they were still legally married.

William Hammond claiming that he is the legitimate child of Marcella (Morris) Hammond and is therefore entitled to a portion of her estate. The majority of the case includes depositions trying to assess the truthfulness of this claim. Many of the deponents are formerly enslaved men and women, several enslaved by the Morris and Hammond families in Richmond and Amherst Co. The depositions compromise much of the case and include discussions of William's epilepsy, accusations of Marcella Hammond being both an alcoholic and adulterer, William's criminal charge of bigamy, the abusive nature of Hammond.

Defendant was a woman who began a career as a milliner and merchant's clerk to support herself and her child, who was chronically ill, after separating from her husband.

Plaintiff details an abusive marriage, including records of criminal cases and the defendant's efforts to be committed to the Lunatic Asylum at Staunton to avoid facing charges. Defendant accuses wife and son of lying to gain control of his business and abuse his other children.

Plaintiff accused his wife of keeping a "bawdy house" in their home, and later abandoning their children after a murder occurred therein.

Concerning the division of the church into two separate churches, Morning Star Baptist Church being the other, and the division of the building and various assets, over difference in how to handle the growing congregation.

The depositions and petition note Bettie Craig's claim that she is the daughter of Gabriel Crawford as he and her mother Charity lived as husband and wife while enslaved prior to the Civil War and therefore has the right to the Crawford property.

A man left his family over a child he said was illegitimate. After said child's death, he reclaimed the child and consequently declared himself the decedent's sole heir. The man's former wife testified that the child had been fathered by her enslaver.

Concerns a dispute between Sommerville and Ambler concerning a contract and finances and the resulting dissolution of the partnership. Contains a large amount of letterhead from businesses along the east coast, as well as, a printed resume, various ads (meat juicer, assorted holiday toys, sample of patriotic cloth, 1898 fashion catalog), a catalogue from the Law School of Richmond College.

Mittie claims that George contracts syphilis outside of their marriage and passed it to Mittie while nursing their newborn child who now has the disease.

Annie Earnest accuses Nannie Watts of unlawful relations with her late husband and defrauding him into granting Nannie his estate upon his death. However appears that Earnest had been previously married before Annie Earnest so their marriage was not valid, but as his first wife has died before his marriage to Nannie Watts, his third marriage was actually the legitimate marriage.

Plaintiffs contend that the March 14, 1904 Act of the General Assembly to incorporate the town of Madison Heights in Amherst County is Unconstitutional.

Petition to condemn the land of Clarence Barnes & children as the city could not reach an agreement with Barnes and want the land for the construction of a pipeline to bring water to Lynchburg

Concerning Saw Mill operations and the equipment used. Issue over the company selling poor quality equipment to Charles Parr. See also: Chancery causes: Charles W. Parr v The Geis Manufacturing Company], etc

Concerning a right away in dispute between the Campbell family, a white family, and Felix Jenkins, a Black man, and whether Felix Jenkins is allowed to pass through what the Campbell family claims to be their property. There are clear racial tensions in this case as the Campbell claim the Jenkins is "disagreeable" and fear for their safety as they are just women and small children living alone.

Concerns George Steen's desire to sell his wife's property that he is trustee of in order to relocate his family as the family is currently living on property located near a Black neighborhood. This cause contains a large amount of racist content in the depositions regarding the description of the Black neighborhood.

Lucy Alexander, a Black woman, claims to be the mistress of James C. Reid, a white man from a prominent North Carolina family. Claims she is owed compensation for labor and claims ownership of many of the furnishings and chickens as part of the estate. Also claims to have had a child with Reid.

Husband was forcibly committed to the Western State Hospital for the Insane of Staunton, VA by a "mob" of neighbors due to alleged alcoholism and spousal abuse. Discusses mental health treatment and includes a report of the "Commission Regarding Insanity."

Floyd is requesting the court to require Ford to remove a fence he has constructed across a public road, preventing Floyd access to the railway and further cuts of important access to her property. Contains a plat of the town of Monroe, VA and shows the early history and development of this Railroad town.

Family of Henry Clay, a Black man, alleges that before his death, he purchased from E.M. Watts, a white woman, a piece of property and built a home on the property. Family is seeking to pay balance and secure a deed for the property, however, E.M. Watts denies there was any legitimate purchase and she simply allowed Henry Clay to live on the property. See also: 1909-007 and 1901-015

Divorce case which gives details into the lives of Mary Cornett and Edith Anderson, sex workers, and the sex working industry in Lynchburg (Va.).

Describes Clara Goff's life as head of the household due to her husband, Edward Goff's poor health, and the difficultly she faces as a woman with these responsibilities in the early 20th century.

Plaintiff claimed that he had been forced to marry his wife under threat of violence or legal action, and that he hadn't known that she was pregnant with another man's child at the time.