A Guide to the Rockbridge County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1781-1931 (bulk 1792-1912)
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index: Rockbridge County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1781-001-1931-002
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Processed by: Library of Virginia staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Patrons are to use digital images of Rockbridge County Chancery Causes found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.
Preferred Citation
Rockbridge County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1781-1931 (bulk 1792-1912). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local government records collection, Rockbridge County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Digital images were generated by Crowley Micrographics through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.
Historical Information
Chancery causes are cases of equity. According to Black's Law Dictionary they are "administered according to fairness as contrasted with the strictly formulated rules of common law." A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case.
Rockbridge County was named for Natural Bridge, an exceptional rock formation located in the county. The county was formed from Augusta and Botetourt Counties in 1778, and another part of Botetourt was added in 1888.
Scope and Content
Rockbridge County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1781-1931 (bulk 1792-1912), are indexed into the Chancery Records Index . Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Chancery causes often involved the following: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, divorces, debt, and business disputes. Predominant documents found in chancery causes include bills (plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, wills, slave records, business records or vital statistics, among other items. Plats, if present, are noted, as are wills from localities with an incomplete record of wills or localities other than the one being indexed.
Chancery causes are useful when researching local history, genealogical information, and land or estate divisions. They are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history.
Arrangement
Organized by case, of which each is assigned a unique index number comprised of the earliest year found in case and a sequentially increasing 3-digit number assigned by the processor as cases for that year are found. Arranged chronologically.
Related Material
Additional Rockbridge County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."
See the Chancery Records Index to find the chancery records of additional Virginia localities.
Index Terms
- Rockbridge County (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African Americans--History.
- Business enterprises--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Debt--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Divorce suits--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Equity--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Estates (Law)--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Land subdivision--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Rockbridge County (Va.)--Genealogy.
- Rockbridge County (Va.)--History.
- Chancery causes--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Deeds--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Judicial records--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Land records--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Local government records--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Plats--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
- Wills--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Rockbridge County (Va.)--Genealogy.
- Rockbridge County (Va.)--History.
Selected Suits of Interest
Martha Porter wanted her slaves to be removed to Ohio following her death. The executor of her estate, Alexander Davis, was either unable or unwilling to carry out her request. Daniel was not emancipated. He initiated a suit on the law side of the court (referring to himself as Daniel Porter) against Davis and won his freedom. See Virginia Untold for freedom suit.
A dispute between two sects of the Presbyterian church that met in the same building: Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church – the oldest Presbyterian church in Rockbridge County. Built in 1756. The plaintiffs were members of the Associate Reformed Church – a sect of the Presbyterian church. They were also referred to as Seceders. The defendants were members of the "established" Presbyterian Church. Both sides presented their version of the history of the Presbyterian church going back to 1733. The established Presbyterians asserted that the ARC sect was not Presbyterian. Both sides presented their version of the founding of the Timber Ridge church in 1759 and how the ARC congregation attained use of the Timber Ridge church in 1814. Both sides presented their version of renovating Timber Ridge church (discussion of tearing down Timber Ridge) and building nearby Fairfield church.
The cause concerns the settlement of the estate of Hugh Adams and his wish that his slaves be emancipated, his estate sold, and the proceeds used to transport the emancipated slaves to Liberia. Other smaller bequests in his will were for various family members. The majority of the suit is composed of estate accounts as the executor tried to settle the estate and encountered various difficulties in his attempt to carry out the intent of Adams' will. A letter to Adams from one his former slaves living in Liberia used as an exhibit.