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Will and executor's bond of Mahala, free woman of color, 1831. Local Government Records Collection, Hanover County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfer of court papers from Hanover County.
Hanover County was named for King George I, who at the time of his accession to the English throne was elector of Hanover in Germany. The county was formed from New Kent County by an act passed in 1720 to take effect 1 May 1721. The county seat is Hanover.
Most county court records of Hanover County, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. The circuit court records were not moved to Richmond and were relatively unscathed. Consequently, there is a strong run of common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 that were generated by the circuit superior court of law and chancery and its successor, the circuit court.
Will and executor's bond of Mahala, free woman of color, 1831, recorded in the Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery for Hanover County. In her will, Mahala stated that she wanted her children that she purchased from Colonel Thomas Tinsley, deceased, be free. She also wanted her daughter Clara be bound to her former mistress Susanna Tinsley until she reached the age of 21. The executor's bond named Thomas G. Tinsley executor of Mahala's estate.
Additional Hanover County Wills can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. See A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm
Hanover County is one of Virginia's Lost Record Localities. Additional King William County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found on the Library of Virginia's web site.
See also Hanover County Chancery Cause 1834-003, Exr. of Mahala~ versus Admr. of John Bowe, etc., available at the Library of Virginia's Chancery Records Index . It is a dispute concerning Mahala's estate.