Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Bedford County (Va.) Judgments, 1753-1870. Local government records collection, Bedford County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Bedford County.

Historical Information

Bedford County was formed in 1753 from Lunenburg County. Part of Albemarle was added in 1754 and part of Lunenburg was added later.

The County Court was the original colonial court of adjudication and recordation, and it was the principal tribunal for the administration of local justice. The individual justices could act on small claims matters as well as criminal matters where imminent bodily harm was a possibility, there being an appeal to the full County Court, which met monthly. This court ceased to exist in 1904 and the recordation function was transferred to the circuit court.

The Superior Court of Law was created in 1808. It met twice a year in each county, presided over by a circuit-riding General Court judge. Records were filed with the County Court. It had civil and criminal jurisdiction. The court ceased to exist in 1831.

The Circuit Superior Courts of Law and Chancery, established in 1831, were the upper courts on the local level. Sessions were held twice a year in each county, presided over by a General Court judge. The counties were grouped into districts for the convenience of the judge. The court ceased to exist in 1851.

The Circuit Court was authorized by the Constitution of 1851 and established by an act of the General Assembly passed in May 1852. Courts were held twice yearly in each county, presided over by 21 judges who rode circuits in the area of their jurisdiction. The records were filed with County Court records. These courts were granted original jurisdiction concurrrent with that of the County Courts, as well as appellate jurisdiction in all civil cases of more than fifty dollars and criminal cases not "expressly cognizable in some other court," including those involving loss of life.

Scope and Content

Bedford County (Va.) Judgments, 1753-1870, contain civil cases heard in County Court, Superior Court of Law, Circuit Superior Court, and Circuit Court in which justice was administered on the strictly formulated rules of common law. The majority of cases in this record series relate to matters of debt.

Arrangement

Chronological (Cases filed within each box by month and year they were resolved.)

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Bedford County (Va.)--Circuit Court.
• Bedford County (Va.)--Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery.
• Bedford County (Va.)--County Court.
• Bedford County (Va.)--Superior Court of Law.

Subjects:

• Civil procedure--Virginia--Bedford County.
• Debt--Virginia--Bedford County.
• Public Records--Virginia--Bedford County.

Geographical Names:

• Bedford County (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Decisions--Virginia--Bedford County.
• Judicial records--Virginia--Bedford County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Bedford County.