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Amherst County (Va.) Court Records, 1770-1863. Local government records collection, Amherst County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Amherst County.
Amherst County was formed from Albemarle County in 1761. Islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River were added in 1770. The county is named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the later part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759-1768.
These items were originally created by the County, Superior Court of Law, Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery and Circuit Courts.
The Superior Court of Law was created in 1808. Along with the Superior Court of Chancery, it was replaced with the Circuit Supeior Court of Law and Chancery in 1831. In turn, the Circuit Court replaced this court in May 1852. The County Court ended in March 1904.
Amherst County (Va.) Court Records, 1770-1863, consist of a Witness Attendance Book, Chancery Docket 3, a Chancery Memorandum Book, Law Memorandum Book 6, Law Docket 4, a box of Judgments and a volume of Records (labeled as Docket) which contains a Commonwealth Docket, Issues and Office Judgments.
An Issue Docket is the record of issuance, showing parties' names, actions and remarks.
Additional Amherst County Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm" found on the Library of Virginia's web site.