A Guide to the Goochland County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1731-1912 (bulk 1785-1912)
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index: Goochland County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1731-001-1912-007
Library of Virginia
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Patrons are to use digital images of Goochland County (Va.) Chancery Causes found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.
Preferred Citation
Goochland County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1731-1912 (bulk 1785-1912). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local Government Records Collection, Goochland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Digital images were generated by Backstage Library Works 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.
Goochland County was named for Sir William Gooch, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. It was formed from Henrico County in 1728.
Scope and Content
Goochland County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1731-1912 (bulk 1785-1912), 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.
Related Material
Additional Goochland 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.
See the Chancery Records Index found on the Library of Virginia web site for the chancery records of other Virginia localities.
Index Terms
- Goochland County (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African Americans -- History.
- Business enterprises. -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Debt -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Divorce suits -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Equity -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Estates (Law) -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Land subdivision -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Goochland County (Va.) -- Genealogy.
- Goochland County (Va.) -- History.
- Chancery causes -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Deeds -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Judicial records -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Land records -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Local government records -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Plats -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
- Wills -- Virginia -- Goochland County.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Goochland County (Va.) -- Genealogy.
- Goochland County (Va.) -- History.
Selected Suits of Interest
Freedom suit filed by a slave named Lewy, alias Lewis Brooks.