A Guide to the Richmond (Va.) Ended Causes, 1843-1866 (bulk 1860-1866)
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode numbers: 0007476606, 0007476607, 0007476609-0007476611, 0007476613, 0007476615-0007476616
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Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
© 2013 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Greg Crawford
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Richmond (Va.) Ended Causes, 1843-1866 (bulk 1860-1866), Local government records collection, Richmond (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Acquisition Information
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from the city of Richmond.
Historical Information
The city of Richmond, located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, was named by William Byrd (1674-1744), who envisioned the development of a city at the falls of the James River and with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. The name probably came from the English borough of Richmond upon Thames, which Byrd visited on several occasions. Richmond was established in 1742 and in 1779 was designated the capital of Virginia effective 30 April 1780. It was incorporated as a town, although "stiled the city of Richmond," in 1782 and was incorporated as a city in 1842. It served as the capital of the Confederacy from mid-1861 to April 1865. Richmond was enlarged by the annexation of Manchester (or South Richmond) in 1910, and by the addition of Barton Heights, Fairmount, and Highland Park in 1914. Further annexations from Chesterfield County occurred in 1942 and 1970.
Scope and Content
Richmond (Va.) Ended Causes, 1843-1866 (bulk 1860-1866), consist primarily of commonwealth causes (criminal cases) involving African Americans (slave and free) and writs of habeas corpus involving idividuals who claimed to be illegally conscripted into Confederate military service that were heard by the Hustings Court and Judge's Court (also referred to as Mayor's Court) held in the city of Richmond. The collection includes additional commonwealth causes and civil suits of interest and miscellaneous documents recorded in the Hustings Court and Judge's Court.
Related Material
Additional unprocessed Richmond (Va.) Ended Causes, 1785-1951, are available at the Library of Virginia.
Additional Richmond (Va.) court records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm"
Separated Material
Index Terms
- Richmond (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African Americans -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Assault and battery -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Crime -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Flagellation -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Forgery -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Free African Americans -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Habeas corpus -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Hanging -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Immigrants -- Confederate States of America.
- Larceny -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Liquor laws -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Militia.
- Murder -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Naturalization -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Prostitution -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Slaveowners -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Slavery -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Slaves -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Soldiers -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Confederate States of America -- Defenses.
- Confederate States of America -- History, Military.
- Richmond (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
- Local government records -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Military records -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Naturalization records -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Writs -- Virginia -- Richmond.
- Richmond (Va.) Hustings Court.
- Richmond (Va.) Mayor's Court.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Added Entry - Corporate Name:
Contents list
Commonwealth causes involving African Americans (slave and free)
Commonwealth causes involving African Americans (slave and free)
Commonwealth causes involving African Americans (slave and free)
Commonwealth causes involving African Americans (slave and free)
Commonwealth causes involving African Americans (slave and free)
Writs of Habeas Corpus involving Confederate soldiers who claimed to be illegally detained.
Writs of Habeas Corpus involving individuals who claimed to be illegally conscripted into Confederate military service.
Box includes the following:
Commonwealth causes involving individuals who falsely represented themselves as Confederate officers to extort money. One case involves the wife of President Jefferson Davis.
Commonwealths causes involving members of the Richmond Typographical Society, a printers' union.
Commonwealth versus Robert S. Forde: Forde accused of murdering Robert E. Dixon, a clerk in the Confederate House of Representatives.
Commonwealth versus Isaac Jacobs: Accused of forging passports to enable persons to cross enemy lines.
Commonwealth versus Isabella Ould: Accused of shooting Robert H. Meade with intent to disfigure, disable, and kill. Sentenced to one hour in jail and fined one cent.
Medical College of Virginia versus Judith T. Hatchett: Hatchett sued by college for money owed for care of slave named Jane.
Richmond and York River Railroad Company versus the United States of America: The railroad company sued the United States for breach of contract. It had been awarded a contract to deliver mail in Virginia but with the outbreak of the Civil War was unable to do so.
Miscellaneous documents include a certificate of Revolutionary War service for James Price, 1861 circa; petition of Richmond attorneys to adjourn court due to outbreak of hostilities, 1861 circa; school commissioners' report, 1861; order sent to Hustings Court signed by President Jefferson Davis, 1862; communication from Confederate Secretary of War on the subject of licenses for drinking houses in Richmond, 1863; grand jury report on drinking houses in Richmond, 1864; grand jury report on prosecution of Richmond Typographical Society, 1864; commissioners' report on tobacco warehouses in Richmond, 1864; oath to be administered by commissioners to justices when elected under ordinance of 4 April 1864; certificate of qualification of David J. Saunders as mayor of Richmond; naturalization records, 1843-1866 (bulk 1860-1866)
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Confederate States of America -- Defenses.
- Confederate States of America -- History, Military.
- Richmond (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.