A Guide to the Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931 Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931 1134605, 1134628, 1134634-1134639, 1134641, 1134643, 1134644, 1135003

A Guide to the Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode numbers: 1134605, 1134628, 1134634-1134639, 1134641, 1134643, 1134644, 1135003


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© 2008 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Library of Virginia staff

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Barcode numbers
1134605, 1134628, 1134634-1134639, 1134641, 1134643, 1134644, 1135003
Title
Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931
Physical Characteristics
5.4 cu. ft. (12 boxes)
Collector
Lancaster County (Va.) Circuit Court
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931. Local government records collection, Lancaster 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 Lancaster County.

Historical Information

Lancaster County was named for the English county. It was formed from Northumberland and York Counties in 1651.

Scope and Content

Lancaster County (Va.) Criminal Court Records, circa 1787-1931 are criminal court cases and consist primarily of warrants, summons, indictments, and verdicts handed down by grand juries and other legal authorities in order to prosecute individuals who violated the penal code. These offenses ranged in severity from murder, rape, assault and battery, and larceny to tax evasion and slander. Criminal offenders and victims who appear in cases prior to the abolition of slavery in Virginia in 1865 included both free and enslaved persons.

Warrants were issued by grand juries, judges, and justices of the peace directing law enforcement officials to either arrest and imprison a person suspected of having committed a crime or to cause an individual to appear in court to answer accusations made against them. Peace warrants directing an offender to "keep the peace of the Commonwealth" or to restrain from any violent acts are commonly found in assault and battery cases.

Summonses were used to call a suspected person to appear in court. A summons could also be issued to direct witnesses or victims to come before the court in order to provide evidence or information deemed pertinent to a case.

An indictment is the official, written description of the crime that an accused individual is suspected of committing, which is approved by a grand jury and presented to a court in order to begin legal proceedings. Due to this process, indictments are often referred to as "presentments."

Verdicts are the formal pronouncements made by juries on issues submitted to them by a judge or other law enforcement official. In the case of a guilty verdict, a judge will sentence the offender. Sentences may include a fine, corporal punishment, and/or imprisonment. Coroners also submitted verdicts such as "death by suicide," "death by natural causes," etc. when determining the cause of a suspicious or sudden death.

Arrangement

Chronological

Related Material

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

Additional Lancaster County criminal records may be found at the Lancaster County Courthouse and the Library of Virginia.

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

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

  • African Americans -- History
  • Assault and battery -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Crime -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Criminals -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Larceny -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Libel and slander -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Murder -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Rape -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Slavery -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Slaves -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Tax evasion -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Geographical Names:

  • Lancaster County (Va.) -- History
  • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Indictments -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Summons -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Verdicts -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
  • Warrants (Law) -- Virginia -- Lancaster County