Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Use microfilm copy, Prince William County, Reel 129

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Prince William County (Va.) District Court Records at Large, 1798-1799. Local government records collection, Prince William County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia under the accession number 27976.

Historical Information

Prince William County was named for William Augustus, duke of Cumberland and third son of King George II. It was formed from Stafford and King George Counties by a statute adopted in 1730, to take effect on 12 March 1731.

The District Court was created in 1788. The purpose of the creation of the District Court was to alleviate congestion in the General Court which had caused unreasonable delays in the adjudication of common law cases. Virginia was divided into eighteen districts, each composed of several counties, plust the district of Kentucky. Courts were held in each district twice yearly and cases were heard from the several counties in that district. The District Court always met at the same place in each district, and its records were kept at that one location. The District Courts were abolished in 1809 and were replaced by the Superior Courts of Law.

The District Court held at Dumfries heard cases originating in the counties of: included Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William.

Many pre-Civil War records were lost, destroyed, or stolen by Union troops in 1863 during the Civil War. Sixteen deed books and five will books are missing. This volume was rescued from from the burning courthouse by a member of the 145th Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Scope and Content

Prince William County (Va.) District Court (Dumries) Records at Large, 1789-1809, is an order book that records summaries of suits heard by the court.

Related Material

Additional Prince William County District Court (Dumfries) Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Prince William County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Prince William County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search 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:

• Prince William County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Civil procedure -- Virginia -- Prince William County
• Debt -- Virginia -- Prince William County

Geographical Names:

• Fairfax County (Va.) -- History
• Fauquier County (Va.) -- History
• Loudoun County (Va.) -- History
• Prince William County (Va.) -- History

Genre and Form Terms:

• Judicial records -- Virginia -- Prince William County
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Prince William County

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Dumries (Va.) District Court

Adjunct Descriptive Data