PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::vi06014::A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Militia Fine Fund: Lists of Claims, 1781-1862 (bulk 1783-1820))//EN" "vi06014.xml" A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - General Court Records, 1781-1862 (bulk 1783-1820) Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - General Court Records APA 96 Renee M. Savits Library of Virginia © 2024 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Machine-readable finding aid created in EAD by Renee M. Savits, 22 February 2024 Description is in English A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - General Court Records, 1781-1862 (bulk 1783-1820) A Collection in the Library of Virginia APA 96

Library of Virginia 2024 Renee M. Savits Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - General Court Records, 1781-1862 (bulk 1783-1820) APA 96 9.45 cu. ft. (21 boxes) English Virginia. Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928) Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia. Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928). General Court Records, 1781-1862 (bulk 1783-1820). Accession APA 96, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Auditor of Public Accounts in 1913.

Biographical Information

The General Court operated during the colonial period as the principal court and the only court of final appeal in Virginia. It was composed of the members of the governor's council. Its operation was suspended during the first year of the revolutionary war, but was reestablished by an act of the General Assembly passed at its session begun in October 1777.

The jurisdiction of the new General Court was reduced substantially from that of its colonial predecessor. Besides hearing appeals on criminal cases the court was concerned with common law cases involving debtors, the probate of wills and granting of administrations, and, until 1814, the recording of deeds. Most civil cases were heard by the Supreme Court of Appeals.

The General Court was composed of judges of other state courts who met at the state capitol. The constitution adopted in 1851 abolished the General Court, and the cases still pending before it were transferred to the Supreme Court of Appeals. Almost all of the records of the General Court were destroyed in the Richmond evacuation fire of 3 April 1865.

During its session begun in November 1781 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing the solicitor general to file motions in the General Court against local officials who were delinquent in their accounts with the commonwealth. Each official was notified that a motion was pending so he could settle his accounts before the case was heard. Failing this, the court entered a judgment against the official, and the solicitor issued a request that the judgment be executed. After the judgment was executed, the fact was noted in a return made to the court. These functions devolved upon the auditor of public accounts after the solicitor general was abolished in 1792.

 Scope and Content

Records, 1786-1862 (bulk 1783-1820), including accounts, correspondence, executions, judgments, lists, motions, receipts, and returns of the Virginia General Court. The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title into twenty-one boxes.

The Solicitor General (pre-1792) and Auditor of Public Accounts (post-1792) were authorized by the General Assembly to file motions in the General Court against local officials who were delinquent in their accounts with the Commonwealth. The delinquent accounts included fines (militia fines, taxes, proceeds for sale of land, license fees, estate settlements, etc.) collected by local officials (sheriffs, county clerks, county lieutenants, etc.) but not paid to the Commonwealth. The process included notifying the local official that a motion was pending (notices and correspondence) so that he could settle his accounts before the case was heard. Failing this the court entered a judgment (judgments) against the official and the solicitor/auditor issued a request that the judgment be executed (executions and receipts for executions). After the judgment was executed the fact was noted in a return made to the court (returns).

Included are Solicitor and Auditor Offices correspondence and directions, 1783-1862, to agents instructing them to deliver notices to local officials. The correspondence lists the localities to visit and to whom to provide the notices. Also included are letters regarding expenses accrued by agents on their trips. Included are lists of judgments obtained and lists of motions before the General Court. Of note the judgments, 1852, were sent to companies for failing to report dividends declared. The lists of motions, 1785-1814, consists mostly of ledgers noting what motions were in front of the General Court. Includes motions against inspectors who failed to render accounts of the duties they collected and lists the residence, inspectors name, name of the ship/sloop, goods, name of the warehouse storing the goods, and amount of interest or tax owed. Of note are the returns, 1781-1790, which include details on why taxes weren't collected or noting that the delinquent accounts were satisfied. Often the reason stated why taxes weren't collected was because property that was to be sold didn't have any buyers. The returns list the property to be sold, including noting the number (but not names) of enslaved people.

These records are part of Auditor of Public Accounts. Office Records: State Courts - General Court.

 Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

 Contents List Allen, John J. [Agent for Harrison and Lewis Counties], Correspondence, 1821-1825 1 1 Allen, John J. [Agent for Harrison and Lewis Counties], Correspondence, 1826-1828 1 2 Chapin, Phineas [Agent for Harrison and Lewis Counties], Correspondence, 1829-1831 1 3 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1783 September 1 4 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1784 September 1 5 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1785 August-December 1 6 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1786 March-July 1 7 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1786 August 2 1 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1787 May-1788 November 2 2 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1789 March-May 2 3 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1789 September 2 4 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1789 October 2 5 Correspondence and Directions, Solicitor's Office, 1790-1793 2 6 Executions, List, 1790 3 [oversize] 1 Executions, List, 1791-1792 3 [oversize] 2 Execution Books [Nos. 4 & 5], 1791-1792 3 [oversize] 3 Executions, List, 1793-1794 3 [oversize] 4 Executions, List, 1794-1795 3 [oversize] 5 Executions, List, 1795-1796 3 [oversize] 6 Executions, List, 1810-1814 3 [oversize] 7 Executions, Correspondence, 1786-1851 4 1 Executions, Against Sheriffs, 1783-1787 4 2 Executions, Against Sheriffs, 1788-1817 4 3 Judgments, Accounts for payments, 1787-1814 4 4 Judgement, 1782-1788 4 5 Judgement, Statement Book No. 2, 1782-1786 4 6 Judgement, Statement Book No. 4, 1782-1790 4 7 Judgement, Statement Book No. 5, 1785-1789 4 8 Judgement, Statement Book No. 6, 1783-1792 4 9 Judgments, Statement Book No. 7, 1784-1793 4 10 Judgments, Statement Book No. 9, 1783-1793 4 11 Judgments, Statement Book No. 10, 1784-1795 4 12 Judgments, Statement Book No. 11, 1784-1795 5 1 Judgments, Statement Book No. 12, 1783-1794 5 2 Judgments, Statement Book No. 13, 1783-1798 5 3 Judgments, Statement Book No. 16-19, 1784-1798 5 4 Judgments, Statement Book No. 20-21, 1792-1799 5 5 Judgments, Statement Book No. 24-32, 1784-1803 5 6 Judgments, Statement Book No. 33-45, 1785-1811 5 7 Judgments, Statement Book No. 46-57, 1811-1821 5 8 Judgments, Statement Book No. [unknown], 1817-1821 5 9 Judgments, Statement Book No. [unknown], 1820-1823 5 10 Judgments, 1790-1794 5 11 Judgments, 1795-1799 5 12 Judgments, 1800-1804 6 1 Judgments, 1805-1806 6 2 Judgments, 1807-1813 6 3 Judgments, 1814-1820 6 4 Judgments, 1852 6 5-8 Judgments, 1855 6 9 Judgments, 1857 7 1-2 Judgments, 1858 7 3-4 Judgments, Chronological, 1790-1795 8 [oversize] Judgments, By county, 1790-1844 8 [oversize] Judgments, 1800-1820 8 [oversize] Lists of motions and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1781-1783 7 5 Lists of motions and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1783-1784 7 6 Lists of motions and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1784-1785 7 7 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1785 October 7 8 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1785 December 9 1 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1786 April 9 2 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1786 October 9 3 List of motions, General Court, 1787 January-April 9 4 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1788 June 9 5 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1788 October 9 6 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1788 December 9 7 List of motions, General Court, 1789 June 9 8 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1789 June 9 9 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1789 November 9 10 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1790 June 9 11 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1790 November 9 12 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1791 June 9 13 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1791 November 9 14 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1792 June 10 1 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1792 November 10 2 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1793 June 10 3 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1793 November 10 4 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1794 June 10 5 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1794 November 10 6 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1795 June 10 7 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1795 November 10 8 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1797 June 10 9 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1797 November-1800 June 10 10 List of motions, General Court [volume], 1800 November-1814 June 10 11 Memoranda of costs of suit received by J.E. Heath, 1820 10 12 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1783 11 1 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1784 February-March 11 2 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties A-G, 1784 September-October 11 3 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties H-Y, 1784 September-October 11 4 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties A-H, 1785 March 11 5 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties J-Y, 1785 March 11 6 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1785 April 11 7 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties A-G, 1785 August 11 8 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties H-L, 1785 August 11 9 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, Counties M-Y, 1785 August 11 10 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1786 February-April 11 11 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1786 August-December 12 1 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1787 February 12 2 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1787 March 12 3 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1787 May 12 4 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1788 November 12 5-6 Notices and correspondence, Solicitor's Office, 1789-1791 12 7 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1792-1794 12 8 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1793-1802 12 9 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1807-1814 12 10 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1815 13 1-2 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1815-1819 13 3 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1817-1821 13 4 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1820-1822 13 5 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1822-1824 13 6 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1826-1827 13 7 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1834-1847 13 8 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1847 13 9-10 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1849-1851 13 11 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1851 14 1 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1853-1854 14 2 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1855 14 3 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1856 14 4 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1858-1859 14 5 Notices and correspondence, Auditor's Office, 1860-1861 14 6 Notices and correspondence, Notary Public, Auditor's Office, 1852-1862 14 7 Peter T. Phillips [John Trent, James B. Anderson, Miller Woodson, Watkins Johnson, and Leonard Bosher] bond, 1827 14 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1785, 1789 14 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1789 March-September 14 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1790 April-May 15 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1790 July-November 15 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1791 March-April 15 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1791 August-September 15 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1792 June-July 15 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1792 August 15 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1793 February-March 15 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1793 June-August 15 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1793 September-October 15 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 January-March 15 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 April 15 11 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 May 15 12 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 June-August 16 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 September 16 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1794 October 16 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1795 February 16 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1795 March 16 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1795 April 16 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1795 May-October, December 16 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1796 February 16 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1796 March-April 16 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1796 June-October 16 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1797 February-May 16 11 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1797 July 16 12 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1797 August-November 17 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1798 March-May 17 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1798 July-September 17 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1799 February-April 17 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1799 July-December 17 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1800 January-March 17 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1800 April-May 17 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1800 July 17 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1800 August-October 18 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1801 February-March 18 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1801 March-May 18 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1801 July 18 4-5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1801 August-December 18 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1802 January-February 18 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1802 March-May 18 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1802 June-July 18 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1802 August-October 18 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1803 January-December 18 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1804 January-April 19 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1804 July-August 19 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1805 February-April 19 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1805 June-October 19 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1806 February 19 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1806 March-April 19 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1806 July-October 19 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1807 February-April 19 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1807 July 19 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1807 August-October 19 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1808 February-March 19 11 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1808 April 19 12 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1808 July-November 19 13 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1809 February-April 20 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1809 June-November 20 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1810 January-March 20 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1810 April-May 20 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1810 July-September 20 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1811 March-May 20 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1811 June-August 20 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1812 March-April 20 8 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1812 June-August 20 9 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1813 March-November 20 10 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1814 February-April 20 11 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1814 July-September 20 12 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1815 July-September 20 13 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1816 April-August 20 14 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1817 July-October 20 15 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1818 March-May 20 16 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1818 August-November 20 17 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1824 July-December 21 1 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1825 January-October 21 2 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1826 April-October 21 3 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1827 April-September 21 4 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1828 April-August 21 5 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1829 March-August 21 6 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1830 February-September 21 7 Receipts for executions returnable to the General Court, 1831, 1833-1837 21 8 Returns on executions issued by the General Court, 1781-1784 21 9 Returns on executions issued by the General Court, 1785-1786 21 10 Returns on executions issued by the General Court, 1786-1787 21 11 Returns on executions issued by the General Court, 1788-1790 21 12 Capt. Francis Smith vs. the Commonwealth, 1783-1785 21 13