Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

James City County/ Williamsburg (Va.) Court Records, 1831-1901. Local government records collection, James City County/Williamsburg (City) (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

On loan from Terri Layden, 16 September 2005. Accession 42169.

Historical Information

James City County was named for James I. It was one of the eight shires established in 1634. Parts of New Kent and York Counties were added later. The City of Williamsburg, in James City and York Counties, was established by the General Assembly as Middle Plantation in 1633. After the capitol building at Jamestown burned in 1698, the assembly decided to move the capital of the colony to Middle Plantation, which was renamed Williamsburg in 1699 in honor of William III. Williamsburg was established in 1699 and declared a "city Incorporate" in 1722, although its actual status was that of a borough. It served as the capital of Virginia from 1699 until 1780. Williamsburg was incorporated as a city in 1884.

James City County was recognized in 1634 as an original shire. Williamsburg was founded in 1699 and declared a “city Incorporate” by a royal charter in 1722, although its actual status was that of a borough. Beginning in 1770, the courts of James City County and Williamsburg shared a common courthouse. During the Civil War, the records of both localities were transferred to Richmond for safekeeping, but were destroyed by fire there on April 3, 1865. The records of the superior court of chancery for the Williamsburg district were destroyed by a courthouse fire in April 1911.

Scope and Content

James City County/Williamsburg (Va.) Court Records, 1831-1901 and undated, consist of Court Records including Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery extract of decree for Trustee of Roscoe Cole, etc. vs. Admr of James Davis, etc., 1846; Chancery Court: Admr of E.M.J. Bright vs. Ann S. Mutter, 1858; Clerk's Records including Clerk's fees for services, 1831-1856; Clerk's fees, 1834-1843; Miscellaneous receipts and accounts, 1835, 1838, 1850, 1852, n.d.; List of fees due the clerk from residents of other counties (Gloucester, Matthews, Warwick, York), 1835-1850, n.d.; Settlement of sheriff and sergeant accounts (James City Co. sheriff, York Co. sheriff, City of Williamsburg sergeant), 1836; Sheriff's receipts from residents of other counties (Gloucester, Henrico), 1841, n.d.; Writ, Taxes, etc., 1855-1856; Clerk's Correspondence, 1855-1858, n.d.; Clerk's fees insolvents, n.d.; Fiduciary Records including Estate of Joseph C. Hubbard, 1852-1853; Miscellaneous Records including Agreement between William McMoody and S.T. and S.W. Bowman concerning house building and accounts of payments, 1853-1854; Assignment of claim from Jacob Shook and Robert H. Crockett to J.B. Alexander, 1858; Letter to Judge Smith from Scott Brothers, General Contractors, 1901.

Related Material

Additional James City County/Williamsburg 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 Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• James City County (Va.). Circuit Court.
• Williamsburg (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Courts of chancery -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Courts of chancery -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Public records -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Public records -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.

Geographical Names:

• James City County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.
• James City County (Va.) -- History -- 20th century.
• Williamsburg (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.
• Williamsburg (Va.) -- History -- 20th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Civil court records -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Civil court records -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Estate records -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Estate records -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Fees (compensation) -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Fees (compensation) -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Letters (correspondence) -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Letters (correspondence) -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.
• Sheriffs -- Virginia -- James City County.
• Sheriffs -- Virginia -- Williamsburg.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• James City County (Va.) Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery.

Adjunct Descriptive Data