A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Escheated Estates records, 1779-1874
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number APA 658
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
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Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
© 2019 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Renee M. Savits
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Virginia. Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928). Escheated Estates Records, 1779-1874. Accession APA 658, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Transferred from the Auditor of Public Accounts in 1913.
Biographical Information
During its session begun in May 1779 the General Assembly passed an act forbidding British subjects to hold real or personal property; any such property would be forfeited, or escheat, to the states. The escheated estates were sold and the proceeds were kept in the state treasury. A one-month period was set aside during which an individual might come forward and establish a claim to the proceeds from the sale of property but not title to the property. Commissioners of the sale for escheated estates certified to whom and for how much the sale was made and informed the auditor of public accounts.
In 1785 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing the appointment of an escheator by the governor for each locality. An act was passed in December 1797 to permit escheators to sell land on credit if they thought it would enhance the price. The purchaser signed a deed of trust and a bond, copies of which were sent to the auditor.
Scope and Content
The Escheated Estates Records, 1779-1874, contain accounts, bonds, deeds of trust, proceedings, and resolutions. The bulk of the collection are the accounts with escheators, arranged alphabetically by city or county name. The accounts show the sale of confiscated land, personal property, crops [timber, tobacco], and slaves. The accounts list the owner of the escheated estates and often include the name of the new owners. The finding aid lists the names of British subjects whose lands were escheated. The accounts also payed out fees to the court, salaries to escheators, summoning of a jury, sheriff fees, and advertising fees. The largest number of estates were in Norfolk County . Also included are several deeds of trust and resolutions from the House of Delegates. The oversize Proceedings folder also contains a list of escheated land listed alphabetically by county .
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by folder title. Oversize materials were separated and placed in an oversize box though everything is listed in alphabetical order in the finding aid. Researchers should pay special attention to note the box numbers.
Contents List
British subject(s): James Ewing, Jacob Robinson
British subject(s): John Irwin, dec.; Matthew Jones.
British subject(s): James [Ceven?]; John Cholston; William Cofland; Joseph Gatewood; Philip Gatewood; William Hogan; Edward Goodwin; [Mike?] Johnson; Mathew Jones; Richard Morris; Richard Smith; Daniel Staples; Edmund Waggoner; John Wilson
British subject(s): Amos Ladd, dec.; Elizabeth Minge, dec.; Robert Phillips, dec.
British subject(s): Henry Anderson; Francis Bevill; Edmund Booker; Thomas Broom; Richard Burks; Benjamin Burton; William Burton; Joseph Calvert; Augustine Claiborne; Thomas Coles; James Deans; Edward Driver: Thomas Dudley; John Dunsmore, dec.; Peter Fitzpatrick; John Fleming; John Hambleton; John McLoud [McCleod]; Alexander Mackie; Alexander Marshall; William Marshall; Isaac Michaels, dec.; Robert Pleasants, Jr.; Richard Royall; Walker and Newsum; Nathaniel Young
British subject(s): Henry Anderson; William Burton; Edmund Booker; Thomas Broom; Francis Bevill; Augustine Claiborne; John Flemming; John Hambleton; Benjmamin Burton; Richard Burks; Thomas Coles; Joseph Calvert; James Deans; Thomas Dudley; Peter Fitzpatrick; Alexander Marshall, William Marshall; Alexander Mackie; Robert Pleasants, Jr.; Richard Royall; Walker & Newsum
British subject(s): Samuel Abbot; Edmund Hasell, dec.
British subject(s): Lawrence W. Duff; Robert Ferguson; John Ramsay; James Ritchie & Co.; James Wignell
British subject(s): Captain Phillip Martin's Patterson Creek Manor; Reverend Jacob Townsand.
British subject(s): George Brackenridge; James Esten; Archibald Govern; John Johnson; Alexander McAuly; Donald Scott & Co.; John Smith; John Stewart; George Thomas
British subject(s): Thomas Calder [Elder], dec.; Overton L. Harvie
British subject(s): John Goodrich; Hunter & Blair; John Hundman; Oswald & Co.; John Syme; Syme & Co.; John Williams
British subject(s): Mr. Hunter & Blair; John Goodrich; John Hyndman; John Lynn; Andrew Lyon & Co.; Oswald & Co.; John Williams
British subject(s): Archibald Govan; Samuel Walden, dec.
British subject(s): William Cunningham & Co.; John Graham; Andrew Johnston; John Paterson [Patterson]
British subject(s): Andrew Cockram, William Cunningham & Co.; Dinwiddie & Co.; Dinwiddie Crawford & Co.; Andrew Johnston, Jr.; Alexander Spur's & Co.
British subject(s): John Agnew; Thomas Applewhaite; John Bellintine; Benjamin Bennerman; George & John Bowness; John Brown; Jamieson Cambell Calvert & Co.; James Campbell & Co.; William Chisholm; John Crammond; Josiah Curling; James Dawson; John Duncan; James Dunn; Jonathan Eilbeck; John Ewing; Thomas Farrar; William Farrar; Robert Gilmour; John Goodrich, Jr.; John Goodrich, Sr.; John Greenwood; John Hardy; John Markham Herbert; Josiah Hodges; William Hodges; Neil Jamieson; Walter King; Benjamin Knight; Thomas McKnight; James Miller; Alexander Montgomry; Willoughby Morgan; William Orange; Daniel Phillips; William Ranking; William Johnson Rysam; Robert Shedden; James Sikes; Joshua Smith; Andrew Sprowle; Andrew Stevenson; Roger Stewart; Thomas Stewart; Talbot Thompson; Collin Wray
British subject(s): George & John Bowness; Jamieson Cambell Calvert & Co.; James Campbell & Co.; John Crammond; Josiah Curling; John Duncan; Robert Gilmour; John Goodrich, Sr.; John Greenwood; John Hardy; John Markam Herbert; William Hodges; Neil Jamieson; Benjamin Knight; Willoughby Morgan; Daniel Phillips; William Johnson Rysam; James Sikes, Jr.; Joshua Smith; Andrew Stevenson; Talbot Thompson; Collin Wray
British subject(s): Charles O'Hara, dec.
British subject(s): John Smith Murdock & Co.
British subject(s): John Fisher; John McMurry, dec.
British subject(s): Buchanan Hartie & Co.; Copeland estate; Jane Jamison; John McNabb
British subject(s): Thomas Aitkin; John Goodman
British subject(s): Collin Dunlop; John Riddell; James Ritchie
British subject(s): George Johnson, dec.
British subject(s): Rev. Thomas Jackson, dec.; Henry Stoutsnocker [Stoutsnocher]
British subject(s): Alexander McNeal [McNiel], dec.
British subject(s): Richard Gill; John Johnson
British subject(s): Estate of Gibson Donoldson & Co.
British subject(s): Rudolph Wildrick [Wildrix], dec.
British subject(s): Robert Irvin, dec.
George Bell (Prince Edward County ); John Connell (Brooke County ); James Crockett (Wythe County ); William Fenwick (Henrico County ); Berryman Green, Sr. (Halifax County ); William Holland (Prince Edward County ); John Ledwidge and George James (Spotsylvania County ); Richard and Ann Ligon (Amelia County ); John Morris (Prince Edward County ); William Patton (Brooke County ); Jacob Price (Prince Edward County ); Matthew H. and Catharine Rice (City of Richmond); Benjamin Thackston (Prince Edward County ); Charles Woodson, Robert Kelso, Nathaniel Price, James D. Wood, and Samuel C. Anderson (Prince Edward County )
John Elson (City of Richmond); Obadiah Gathright and Adolph Dill (City of Richmond); Philip Haxall (City of Richmond); William Hewett (Stafford County ); Joseph and Margaret Jones (Stafford County ); Edward C. Mayo (City of Richmond); James and Mary Robertson (Stafford County ); John Stannard Marshall (Stafford County ); Claiborn and Lavinia Wigglesworth (Stafford County )
British subject(s): John Crammond; John Goodrich & Co.