A Guide to the Staunton (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1808-1913 (bulk 1871-1913)
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index: Staunton (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1808-001-1913-005
Library of Virginia
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© 2008 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Library of Virginia staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Patrons are to use digital images of Staunton (Va.) Chancery Causes found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.
Preferred Citation
Staunton (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1808-1913 (bulk 1871-1913). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local Government Records Collection, StauntonCourt Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Digital images were generated by Crowley Micrographics through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.
Historical Information
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.
The City of Staunton, in Augusta County, was named, according to tradition, for Rebecca Staunton, wife of Sir William Gooch, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. Staunton was laid out in 1748 at the site of the Augusta County courthouse and was established as a town in 1761. It was incorporated as a town in 1801 and as a city in 1871.
Scope and Content
Staunton (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1808-1913 (bulk 1871-1913), are indexed into the Chancery Records Index . Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Chancery causes often involved the following: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, divorces, debt, and business disputes. Predominant documents found in chancery causes include bills (plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, wills, slave records, business records or vital statistics, among other items. Plats, if present, are noted, as are wills from localities with an incomplete record of wills or localities other than the one being indexed.
Chancery cases 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.
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: Bill, Answer, and Final Decree (if found.)
Related Material
Additional Staunton Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."
See the Chancery Records Index found on the Library of Virginia web site for the chancery records of other Virginia localities.
Index Terms
- Staunton (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African Americans--History.
- Business enterprises--Virginia--Staunton.
- Debt--Virginia--Staunton.
- Divorce suits--Virginia--Staunton.
- Equity--Virginia--Staunton.
- Estates (Law)--Virginia--Staunton.
- Land subdivision--Virginia--Staunton.
- Staunton (Va.)--Genealogy.
- Staunton (Va.)--History.
- Chancery causes--Virginia--Staunton.
- Deeds--Virginia--Staunton.
- Judicial records--Virginia--Staunton.
- Land records--Virginia--Staunton.
- Local government records--Virginia--Staunton.
- Plats--Virginia--Staunton.
- Wills--Virginia--Staunton.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Staunton (Va.)--Genealogy.
- Staunton (Va.)--History.
Selected Chancery Causes of Interest
Town invested in the railroad on the condition it would be built quickly and come near the town. Now Lexington officials are afraid that the railroad is not holding to the conditions of the investment.
Carroll had been city treasurer for years but was removed from office in 1885. He owes the city around $10,000 and the city is suing to have his property sold to settle the debt.
Cemetery was an African American cemetery located in Staunton. Brock was treasurer and as such responsible for selling grave plots and keeping track of the cemetery's finances. He kept the finances in a disorderly fashion and after his removal from the board, the new trustees allege that he owes money to the cemetery. Various depositions as to his financial management style and troubles with upkeep in the cemetery. Exhibits include lists of plot owners.
Divorce and child custody case. Copious depositions as to the bad character and reputation of the father including accusations that he was as a wanderer, a criminal, had no fixed address, was a peddler, was not a gentleman, did nothing for a living, did not pay his bills, did not support his family, was considered notorious, was an imposter, was a tramp, was disagreeable with his family and neighbors, used aliases, her family never wanted her to marry him, he was banned from in-laws' house after he got his mother-in-law to sign a contract that turned out to be signing over all her property to him, once he kidnapped his children and took them out west where he had them participate in some money-raising scheme. Also included are letters to the court from his 14 and 17 year old children declaring that they would not live with him, they wanted nothing to do with him, and that they chose to remain with their mother.
City has begun to tax city lots that belong to the school after years of not taxing them. School claims the lots were deeded to the school and rented out to support their educational mission and that therefore according to both state law and Staunton city regulations, they are tax exempt. Mary Baldwin prevailed both in the suit and on appeal.
Fight between trustees and pastor over church finances and authority over money. Trustees claim that the pastor has seized control of the finances and is doing whatever he wishes, making himself obnoxious, and splitting the congregation. Pastor contends that the trustees are former trustees. Suit dismissed because the issues at hand had been settled by a congregation vote.
Proprietor of the Beverley Hotel puts a lien on two travelling cases of umbrellas and umbrella parts to satisfy Adler's hotel bill debt. Cases were eventually sold by the sheriff to pay the debt.
Suit contains lots of information about her extensive properties in Staunton and a list of her furniture. Also includes photographs of her, her family members, and interiors and exteriors of buildings she either owned or had an interest in, including the Marquis Memorial Chapel.
Suit contains lots of information about her properties including a house called Oakenwold and a list of silverplate owned. Extensive bills for house construction and decoration indicate building and decorating trends and methods of the time period.
Divorce case that includes as an exhibit photographs that feature Mr. Wright kissing and hugging someone who is not Mrs. Wright but is in fact Mrs. Duffey.