Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Lunenburg County (Va.) Deeds, 1746-1989 (bulk 1746-1935). Local government records collection, Lunenburg County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfer of court papers from Lunenburg County under the accession number 42852.

Historical Information

Lunenburg County was formed in 1745 from Brunswick County. Part of Charlotte County was added in 1777.

Scope and Content

Lunenburg County (Va.) Deeds, 1746-1989 (bulk 1746-1935) consist of deeds of bargain and sale, deeds of gift, mortgages, deeds of trust, and deeds of emancipation. On presentation to the court, deeds were proved and recorded. If the deed was not witnessed, the grantor acknowledged the deed in open court. A few of the deeds include plats. Except for a few years early in the eighteenth century, slaves in Virginia were considered personal property and consequently were not usually sold by deed. However, they were often transferred in deeds of gift or were the property listed in mortgages and deeds of trust.

Deeds of bargain and sale are the most commonly recorded deed in which one individual sells property, usually land, but occasionally personal property, to another individual. Such deeds show the names of the grantor and grantee, the residence of both parties, a description of what is being sold, the consideration (or price), the location of the tract of land, the tract's boundaries, and any limitations on the property being sold. The deed was signed by the grantor, and possibly his wife or anyone else having a claim to the property, and by at least two witnesses. Appended to the deed may be a memorandum of livery of seisin, stating that the property has changed hands and that peaceful possession has taken place.

Deeds of gift are often found transferring property, either real or personal, from one individual to another "for love and affection." The degree of kinship, if any, between the grantor and grantee is sometimes stated.

Mortgages and deeds of trust were deeds where one party is indebted to another and transfers or mortgages property to a third party to secure the debt.

Prior to 1869, additional loose records were filed with deeds and were recorded in the deed books. They include the following: officials' bonds and commissions, fiduciary records, overseers of the poor reports, marriage contracts, school commissioners' reports, military and pension records, tax and fiscal records, bills of sale for slaves, and road and bridge records.

Arrangement

Organized chronologically according to date deeds were recorded in deed books.

Related Material

Deed Books (1746-1869) and Indices to Deeds (1746-1900) for Lunenburg County can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Additional Lunenburg County Land Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Lunenburg County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans--History.
• Free African Americans--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Overseers of the poor--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Slaveholders--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Slavery--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Slaves--Emancipation--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Slaves--Virginia--Lunenburg County.

Geographical Names:

• Lunenburg County (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Commissions (permissions)--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Deeds--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Land records--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Marriage records--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Mortgage deeds--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• Performance bonds--Virginia--Lunenburg County.
• School records--Virginia--Lunenburg County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data