Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

James   City   County   (Va.)/Williamsburg (Va.) Muster Roll in the War with Germany, 1917-1921 (bulk 1917-1919). Local government records collection, James   City   County  /Williamsburg ( City  ) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from James   City   County  / City   of Williamsburg.

Historical Information

James   City   County   was named for James   I. It was one of the eight shires established in 1634. Parts of New Kent and York Counties   were added later.

The City   of Williamsburg, in James   City   and York Counties  , was established by the General Assembly as Middle Plantation in 1633. After the capitol building at Jamestown burned in 1698, the assembly decided to move the capital of the colony to Middle Plantation, which was renamed Williamsburg in 1699 in honor of William III. Williamsburg was established in 1699 and declared a " city   Incorporate" in 1722, although its actual status was that of a borough. It served as the capital of Virginia from 1699 until 1780. Williamsburg was incorporated as a city   in 1884.

An act passed by the Virginia General Assembly on March 16, 1918 required the recordation of the names of drafted men. The chairman of each of the Local Draft Boards of the Virginia counties   and cities   were to furnish their clerk of court were deeds of land were recorded, with the list of residents who through the selective draft law have become members of the military forces of the United States. In cities   that were separated into divisions, the chairman of the Local Draft Board of each division was to keep the records. In Richmond City  , the Clerk of the Chancery Court was to keep the records. When the clerk of the court received this information, he was to copy it in a book or books provided for the purpose and also create an index for the book. The Adjutant-General of the State was to furnish a list of names of those who joined volunteer companies from the counties   or cities  . These lists are also to be recorded in to the book and also indexed. Persons joining the naval or military forces of the United States or its allies were allowed to have their record listed in the book. They or someone for them made an application and provide proof of service and when this was done; their record would be recorded in the book.

During the Civil War, the records of James   City   County   and Williamsburg were transferred to Richmond for safekeeping but were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865.

Scope and Content

James   City   County   (Va.)/Williamsburg (Va.) Muster Roll in the War with Germany, 1917-1921 (bulk 1917-1919), is a listing of men who served in one of the several branches of the armed services during World War I. Information included in the muster roll includes name, address (name of town), age, color, selective service (date drafted), volunteers for army, navy and marine corps (date accepted and which branch), National Guard and naval militia (date and where mustered), rank, branch, and remarks which include notations about date discharged, reason and date of deaths, whether someone was a chaplain, etc.

This book does not give enlistment dates for the majority of the soldiers listed in the book. Pasted on the inside of the front cover are the certificate and "A" numbers for three soldiers. Stuck in the book is a paper that gives the service record for Geo. Ben and V. W. Geddy. A copy of the pamplet "Virginians Who Lost Their Lives in the World War" reprinted from the Annual Report Adjutant General of Virginia For Year Ending December 31, 1920, is also stuck in the book.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by surname.

Related Material

Additional James   City   County  /Williamsburg 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 Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• James   City   County   (Va.)/Williamsburg (Va.)--Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Veterans--Virginia-- James   City   County  
• Veterans--Virginia--Williamsburg
• World War, 1917-1918--Registers--Virginia-- James   City   County  
• World War, 1917-1918--Registers--Virginia--Williamsburg

Geographical Names:

• James   City   County   (Va.)/Williamsburg (Va.)--History--20th century
• Virginia--History--World War, 1914-1918

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia-- James   City   County  
• Local government records--Virginia--Williamsburg
• Military records--Virginia-- James   City   County  
• Military records--Virginia--Williamsburg
• Muster rolls--Virginia-- James   City   County  
• Muster rolls--Virginia--Williamsburg

Adjunct Descriptive Data