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A Guide to the Surry County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912) Surry County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912) Surry County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-001-1922-001

A Guide to the Surry County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912)

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index: previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-001-1922-001


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© 2011 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Louise Jones

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index
previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-001-1922-001
Title
previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912)
Physical Characteristics
Digital images.
Collector
previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Circuit Court.
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Patrons are to use digital images of previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.

Preferred Citation

previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local Government Records Collection, previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Digital images were generated by Backstage Library Works through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.

Historical Information

Chancery Causes are cases of equity. According to Black's Law Dictionary they are "administered according to fairness as contrasted with the strictly formulated rules of common law." A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case.

previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit was named for the previous hit county  next hit of Surrey in England, and was formed from James City previous hit County  next hit in 1652. The previous hit county  next hit seat is previous hit Surry  next hit.

Created in 1652. Deed Book 10 (1835–1838) is missing and order books for 1718–1741 and various other early volumes are fragmentary. Most loose records prior to 1806 are missing. Courthouse fires in 1906 and 1922 did not result in loss of records, however, because at that time records were housed in a separate clerk’s office.

Scope and Content

previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1785-1922 (bulk 1806-1912), 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.

Chancery cases are useful when researching local history, genealogical information, and land or estate divisions. They are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history.

Related Material

Additional previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult A Guide to Virginia previous hit County  next hit and City Records on Microfilm.

See the Chancery Records Index found on the Library of Virginia web site for the chancery records of other Virginia localities.

previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

  • previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) Circuit Court.

    • Subjects:

  • African Americans -- History.
  • Business enterprises. -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Debt -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Divorce suits -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Equity -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Estates (Law) -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Land subdivision -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.

    • Geographical Names:

  • previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) -- Genealogy.
  • previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit (Va.) -- History.

    • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Chancery causes -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Deeds -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Judicial records -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Land records -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Local government records -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Plats -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.
  • Wills -- Virginia -- previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit.

Adjunct Descriptive Data

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • Surry County (Va.) -- Genealogy.
  • Surry County (Va.) -- History.
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Selected Suits of Interest

1816-039: Joseph Barham vs. James Baird, surviving partner of John Hay and Company:

Cause was filed in 1796. Origin of the dispute dates back to 1772. John Hay and Company owned a store in the town of Cobham.

1830-037: Mary Pettway, etc. vs. Admr. of John Pettway Judkins, etc.:

An estate settlement suit that includes significant genealogical information.

1867-003: Robertson Holt vs. Exr. of John Holt, etc.:

At the center of the dispute was the sell of a slave named Tempe and her children that took place in 1835. Testimony details Tempe's family relationships.

1869-002: Enna (or Rosenna) Rowena Messersmith by etc. vs. Joseph M. Messersmith:

A divorce suit. Enna and Joseph were married on Sept. 23, 1862. Joseph served in a cavalry unit attached to the 13th Virginia Regiment. He was on a short furlough at the time of the wedding. His wife accuesed him of deserting her and deserting his unit.

1875-006, Peter Hemmans vs. Louisa Hemmans:

Divorce suit. Both were slaves and lived together as a married couple during the Civil War. In 1866, they registered with the federal military authority as husband and wife at the previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County  next hit courthouse. The couple registered as Hemmings in their marriage record.

1877-005, Patsy Skipper by another vs. Tom Skipper.

Divorce suit. Both were slaves and lived together as a married couple during the Civil War. In 1866, they registered with the federal military authority as husband and wife at the previous hit Surry  next hit previous hit County courthouse. According to one deponent, Tom joined the Union forces in 1864 and returned home in November 1865.

1882-005, Exr. of William S. Burt vs. Clarence P. Burt and others by another:

John E. Burt wrote a letter giving his opinion of the education students receive at the Virginia Military Institute. He wants his sons to attend VMI. The letter is Exhibit B in this cause

1882-008, Exr. of Mrs. Nancy J. Fitchett vs. Patsy Hopkins and others:

Estate dispute. Mrs. Fitchett in her 1863 will freed her slaves and said to send them to Liberia. The slaves remained in Virginia during the Civil War. After the war, Mrs. Fitchett's heirs and former slaves sued to receive their legacies from her will. The former slaves also received their part of the sale of the real estate formerly owned by Mrs. Fitchett.