Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Accomack County (Va.) Oyer and Terminer Commissions and Test Oath, 1740-1777, Local government records collection, Accomack County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court records from Accomack County.

Historical Information

Accomack County was named for the Accomac Indians, who lived on the eastern Shore at the time of the first English settlement in Virginia. One of the original eight shires established in 1634, Accomac County (spelled without a k) became Northampton County in 1643. The present country was formed from Northampton about 1663. In 1940 the General Assembly adopted the county's present spelling.

In 1723 and 1748, the General Assembly passed acts directing the trial of slaves accused of committing capital crimes and for the more effectual punishing of conspiracies and insurrections.

Various test oaths and oaths of allegiance and supremacy were required over the years in an attempt to keep Roman Catholics out of office both in England and in her colonies. These particular oaths of allegiance stem from the act of George I titled "An Act for the further Security of his Majesty's Person and Government, and the Succession of the Crown in the Heirs of the late Princess Sophia, being Protestants, and for extinguishing the Hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and his open and secret Abettors." The oaths swear allegiance to the ruler of England as the principal authority, disavow the pope and his doctrines, and disavow transubstantiation.

Scope and Content

Accomack County (Va.) Oyer and Terminer Commissions and Test Oath, 1740-1777, records the appointment of individuals to a court of oyer and terminer whose purpose was to try slaves accused of committing capital offenses. Information found in the commissions include the names of individuals appointed to the court, names of slaves to be tried, names of slaveowners, crimes committed by slaves, and trial dates. The collection also includes a test oath the justices were required to take before they could serve on the court of oyer and terminer.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Accomack County (Va.) Circuit Court.
• Accomack County (Va.) Court of Oyer and Terminer.

Subjects:

• African Americans--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Crime--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Plantation owners--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Slaveholders--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Slavery--Law and legislation--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Slavery--Virginia--Accomack County.

Geographical Names:

• Accomack County (Va.)--History--18th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Commissions--Virginia--Accomack County.
• Judicial records --Virginia--Accomack County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Accomack County.