Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm copies, Accomack County (Va.) Reels 317 and 347.

Preferred Citation

William Taylor Memorandum Books, 1762-1769. Accomack County (Va.) Reels 317 and 347, Local government records collection, Accomack County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from Accomack County.

The original volumes are filed with Accomack County Chancery Cause 1799-019.

Historical Information

Accomack County was named for the Accomac Indians, who lived on the Eastern Shore at the time of the first English settlement in Virginia. The word means "on-the-other-side-of-water place" or "across the water." It was one of the original eight shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634 and spelled Accomac without the k. The county's name was changed to Northampton County in 1643. The present county was formed from Northampton about 1663. In October 1670, the General Assembly temporarily reunited Accomack and Northampton Counties as Northampton County. In November 1673, Accomack County was again separated from Northampton. In early records, the county's name was spelled many ways. In 1940 the General Assembly adopted the present spelling, Accomack. The county gained a small part of the southern end of Smith's Island from Somerset County, Maryland, in 1879, after the United States had approved boundary changes between Virginia and Maryland that had been agreed to in 1877.

The volumes were used as exhibits in a chancery suit, Widow of William Taylor versus Children of William Taylor by others, heard in the County Court of Accomack County during the 1790's.

Scope and Content

William Taylor Memorandum Books, 1762-1769, records the transactions involving the estate of William Taylor mainly the sell of Taylor's personal property and hiring out of slaves. Transactions record the names of individuals who purchased items or hired slaves and the amount paid. Transactions include the names of slaves.

Related Material

Additional Accomack County Fiduciary Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm .

Index Terms

Persons:

• Taylor, William.

Corporate Names:

• Accomack County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans -- History.
• Personal property -- Virginia -- Accomack County.
• Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Accomack County.
• Slavery -- Virginia -- Accomack County.

Geographical Names:

• Accomack County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Account books -- Virginia -- Accomack County.
• Estate administration records -- Virginia -- Accomack County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Accomack County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data