Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Brown and Whitehead, Attorney Ledger, 1849-1857. Local government records collection, Amherst County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Amherst County.

Historical Information

Brown and Whitehead was a law partnership comprised of Robert M. Brown and Thomas Whitehead.

Born in Lovingston, Virginia, Thomas Whitehead engaged in mercantile pursuits, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1849, commencing practice in Amherst, Virginia. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army as captain of Company E, 2nd Virginia Cavalry from 1861 to 1865. Afterwards, he was elected to the Virginia Senate, but Reconstruction prevented him from taking seat. Whitehead was elected prosecuting attorney for Amherst County, Virginia in 1866 and again in 1869, resigning in 1873. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives in 1872, serving from 1873 to 1875 and afterwards was editor of the Lynchburg News in 1876 and of the Lynchburg Advance in 1880. Whitehead resumed practicing law and was elected commissioner of agriculture for Virginia in 1888, serving until his death on July 1, 1901 near Lynchburg, Virginia. He was interned in Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg.

Amherst County was named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the latter part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759 to 1768. It was formed from Albemarle County in 1761. Islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River were added in 1770.

Scope and Content

Brown and Whitehead, Attorney Ledger, 1849-1857, records individual accounts of clients. Entries record date of transaction, amount owed and amount paid. Entries do not record legal service rendered. They use the generic term "to fee." Volume includes an index.

Index Terms

Persons:

• Brown, Robert M. 1814-1894.
• Whitehead, Thomas 1825-1901.

Subjects:

• Lawyers -- Virginia -- Amherst County.
• Legal services -- Virginia -- Amherst County.

Geographical Names:

• Amherst County -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Business records -- Virginia -- Amherst County.
• Ledgers (account books) -- Virginia -- Amherst County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Amherst County.