A Guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862 Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862 Rockingham County (Va.) Reels 667-675

A Guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Microfilm reel numbers: Rockingham County (Va.) Reels 667-675


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Library of Virginia

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© 2007 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Louise Jones

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Microfilm reel numbers
Rockingham County (Va.) Reels 667-675
Title
Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862
Physical Characteristics
9 microfilm reels (4751 images)
Collector
Rockingham County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Due to the fragile nature of the volumes, patrons of the Library of Virginia are encouraged to use microfilm copies, Rockingham County (Va.) Reels 667-675.

Preferred Citation

Rockingham County (Va) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862. Rockingham County (Va.) Reels 667-675, Local Government Records Collection, Rockingham County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Rockingham County.

Many of the documents in these volumes were damaged by the 1864 wagon fire. As a result, pagination and recorded dates were effectively removed. Using county order books, a Local Records archivist (Louise Jones) with the Local Records Services Branch of the Library of Virginia, painstakingly researched and reconstructed the original volumes for microfilming purposes. In total, nine voumes were reconstructed.

Once reconstructed, the original volumes were microfilmed in-house by the staff of Preservation Resources (OCLC Preservation Service Center.)

Historical Information

Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County in 1778. The county is named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain.

Individuals dying with a written will died testate. After the death of an individual, his or her will was brought into court, where two of the subscribing witnesses swore that the document was genuine. After the will was proved, the executor was bonded to carry out his or her duties to settle the estate. The court then ordered the will to be recorded.

The court appointed an administrator who was bonded and issued an order to appraise the deceased's estate. The court usually appointed four appraisers, any three of whom might serve. They returned an inventory of the decedent's personal property to the court to be recorded. An appraisal listed the personal property and assigned a monetary value to each item.

A guardian was appointed by the court only if there was an estate to protect. At age thirteen, a child was eligible to go into court and choose his own guardian. Periodically, guardians were required to bring estate accounts inot court. These accounts deal with the expenditures of the guardian for the raising of each child, generally on an individual basis. The estate of a deceased person with minor children required the keeping of records until it was settled. The settlement occured when the last minor child married or arrived at legal age.

A courthouse fire in 1787 destroyed primarily wills and estate records. In June 1864, many court records were removed from the courthouse and loaded on a wagon to be taken to place of safety in or beyond the Blue Ridge. The wagon was overtaken by Union troops near Port Republic and set afire. Some local citizens put out the fire; however, many court order books, deed books, will books, and fiduciary books were lost or severely damaged by the fire. Pre-1864 records including deeds and wills were re-recorded following an act of assembly passed on November 18, 1884.

The original Rockingham County Wills described in this collection were created by the County Court.

Scope and Content

Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862, record 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 the will was written and the date the will was recorded at the court house. These will books also include estate inventories and guardians' accounts.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Related Material

Additional Rockingham County Wills can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

An additional resource to consult for these volumes is a publication by Wesley Pippenger, "Index to Virginia Estates, 1800-1865, Volume 6." This volume is found in the Library of Virginia's book collection.

Rockingham County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Rockingham County 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.

The original volumes are located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services for access information, directions and hours.

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

  • Rockingham County (Va.) Circuit Court.
  • Subjects:

  • African Americans--History.
  • Estates (Law)--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Guardian and ward--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Land subdivision--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Orphans--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Personal property--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Public records--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Real property--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Slaveholders--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Slaves--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Geographical Names:

  • Rockingham County (Va.)--History--19th century.
  • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Appraisals--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Estate inventories--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Fiduciary records--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Guardians' accounts--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Local government records--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Probate records--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Will books--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Wills--Virginia--Rockingham County.
  • Added Entry - Corporate Name:

  • Rockingham County (Va.) County Court.

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • Rockingham County (Va.)--History--19th century.