Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

King and Queen County Chancery Causes, 1804-1913, use digital images found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

King and Queen County Chancery Causes, 1804-1913. (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local government records collection, King and Queen County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from King and Queen County in 2007 under accession number 43282. An additional record had been received previously in 1930, copied from photostat under accession number 20235 after the originals were destroyed.

Processing Information

Encoded by G. Crawford: 2008; updated by J. Taylor: July 2023.

These records were processed at the King and Queen County Courthouse by field processors and completed in 2007.

Digital images were generated by Crowley Micrographics through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program in 2007.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: 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; however, the judge is basing the decision on findings compiled and documented by Commissioners. Chancery causes 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. Chancery causes document the lived experiences of free and enslaved individuals; women; children; people living with physical disabilities or mental health struggles; people living in poverty; defunct institutions and corporate entities; or those that may not have otherwise left traditional written histories.

Locality History: King and Queen County was named for William III and Mary II, who were called to the English throne in 1688. It was formed from New Kent County in 1691.The county seat is King and Queen Court House.

Lost Locality Notes: Created in 1691. Records were lost in courthouse fires in 1828 and 1833. Records were again destroyed by a courthouse fire set by Union troops on March 10, 1864 during the Civil War.

Scope and Content

King and Queen County Chancery Causes, 1804-1913, consists of cases concerning issues of equity brought largely by residents of the county and filed in the circuit court. These cases often involve the following actions: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, disputes regarding contracts, debt, divorce, and business disputes. Other less prevalent issues include freedom suits, permissions to sell property, and disputes concerning trespass. Predominant documents found in these chancery causes include bills (documents the plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response to the plaintiff's complaint), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, plats, wills, records involving enslaved individuals, business records or vital statistics.

Arrangement

Organized by case, of which each is assigned a unique index number comprised of the latest year found in case and a sequentially increasing 3-digit number assigned by the processor as cases for that year are found. Arranged chronologically.

Arrangement of documents within each folder are as follows: Final Decree, Bill, and Answer, (if found.)

Related Material

Additional King and Queen County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

King and Queen County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional King and Queen County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Adjunct Descriptive Data