Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Spotsylvania County (Va.) Court Records, 1820-1842. Local government records collection, Local Government Records Replevin Collection. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in 2004 in a transfer.

Historical Information

Spotsylvania County was named for Alexander Spotswood, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1710 to 1722. It was formed from Essex, King William, and King and Queen Counties in 1720.

These records were replevined by the Library of Virginia following the trial entitled Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Larry I. Vass heard in Henrico County Circuit Court in November 1972.

Created by an act of 1720 to take effect on May 1, 1721. Many loose county court papers prior to 1839, when the courthouse moved from Fredericksburg to Spotsylvania Courthouse, are missing. Volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist. The district court, superior court, and circuit court records of Spotsylvania County from 1813 to 1889 are in Fredericksburg.

Scope and Content

Spotsylvania County (Va.) Court Records, 1820-1842. The collection contains nine documents removed from Spotsylvania County court records: a letter from Thomas Smith to Carter L. Stephenson, 1820; a letter from Thomas R. Rootes to John Tayloe Lomax concerning a case against Rootes by Walker's Executors, 1820; a letter from S. Humphrey to Richard Jackson, 1823, asking for money; the answer of B. Harrison and Mary his wife from the chancery cause John Turning vs. Administrator of Mann Page, 1825; letters from Mann Page and Mary Harrison to Dr. William Brown concerning the sale of slaves to pay debts, 1825 and 1829; a notice of publication from the Superior Court of Chancery, Fredericksburg District, for the chancery cause Benjamin Porter, etc., vs. John Porter, Executor of Benjamin Porter, etc., 1830; and a letter from Robert N. Trice to George W. Bassett, Administrator of J. Bassett, 1837. Also included is a Spotsylvania County Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery judgment, Assignee of Joseph Dabney vs. Harvey G. Sharp, 1842.

Related Material

For additional information concerning the replevin of these items see Larry I. Vass Case records, 1781-1973, found at the Library of Virginia.

Spotsylvania County court records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

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

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Spotsylvania County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Equity--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Replevin--Virginia.
• Slavery--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.

Geographical Names:

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

Genre and Form Terms:

• Chancery Causes--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Judgments--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Judicial records--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Legal notices--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Letters (correspondence)--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Spotsylvania County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Fredericksburg (Va.) Superior Court of Chancery.
• Spotsylvania County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery.

Adjunct Descriptive Data