A Guide to the Elizabeth City County (Va.) Records, circa 1778-1950s, undated
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode numbers: 1015981, 1165193, 1178511
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Elizabeth City County (Va.) Records, circa 1778-1950s, undated. Local government records collection, Elizabeth City County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
Acquisition Information
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Hampton Va.
Historical Information
Elizabeth City County was named for Elizabeth, daughter of King James I. The county was one of the original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. On 1 July 1952, the city of Hampton became greatly enlarged by a merger with Elizabeth City County and the town of Phoebus. The county and town thereby became extinct. Hampton takes its name from the Hampton Creek. It was established by an act of assembly in 1680. It was incorporated as a town in 1849, 1852 and 1887. It became a city by court order in 1908.
Records were burned and/or destroyed during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Additional records were burned on 3 April 1865, in Richmond, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. A few pre-Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, and order books exist.
Scope and Content
Elizabeth City County (Va.) Records, circa 1778-1950s, undated, consist of the following series: Military and Pension Records, Court Records (subfield series include Personal Documentation, Clerks' Records and Court Finance), Fiduciary Records, Business Records, County Administrative Records (subfield series include Board of Supervisors Records and Board of Supervisors Records: Road and Bridge Records), Marriage Records, Land Records, Public Buildings and Grounds, Wills, Bonds/Commissions/Oaths, Organization Records, Miscellaneous Records and Tax and Fiscal Records.
Related Material
Additional Elizabeth City 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.
Elizabeth City County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Elizabeth City County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection .
For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .
Index Terms
- Hampton (Va.) Circuit Court.
- Public records--Virginia--Elizabeth City County.
- Elizabeth City County (Va.)--History.
- Hampton (Va.)--History.
- Local government records--Virginia--Elizabeth County County.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Elizabeth City County (Va.)--History.
- Hampton (Va.)--History.
Contents List
Military and Pension Records: Federal Registration Board (draft), 1917 ca.; Peninsula Guards, 1916-1918; Court Records: Personal Documentation: Passports (mostly federal instructions but some applications) 1918-1950s ca.; Court Records: Clerk's Records: Clerk's Correspondence, 1900s ca; Fiduciary Records: Fiduciary Reports, 1857-1877; Business Records: Chesapeake Seafood Co.
County Administrative Records: Board of Supervisors Records, 1924-1927; Court Records: Personal Documentation: Declarations to become citizens, 1891-1893; Marriage Records, 1866); Military and Pension Records, 1881-1886; Land Records (Deeds, 1867-1948); Public Buildings and Grounds, 1872-1875 ca.; County Administrative Records: Board of Supervisors Records: Road and Bridge Records, 1876-1925; and Wills, 1778-1827.
Bonds, Commissions, Oaths, 1866-1890; Business Records, 1892-1917 (records pertaining to acquisition of land for land and railroad development); Court Records: Clerk's Records, 1867-1918 (correspondence, reports of business of the court, letter from the Freedmen's Bureau, Elizabeth City County, 1866; letter from Home for Disabled Veterans to Phoebus Justice of the Peace, 1892; cartoon drawing, undated); Court Records: Court Finance, 1856-1898; Organization Records: Churches and fraternal organizations, charters and petitions, 1883-1886; Fiduciary Records, 1851-1916; Miscellaneous Records, 1856-1898 (boat estray, 1856; accounts of E. Richardson with Joseph Billmyer, list of liens on property of Giddings, 1867; letter to Commonweatlh Attorney attesting to the character of John Thomas, 1888); Tax and Fiscal Records, 1884-1903 (ordinary bonds, requests for reassessments, includes a request from Annie Phoebus, 1891.)