A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Escheated Estates records, 1779-1874 Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Escheated Estates records APA 658

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


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© 2019 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
APA 658
Title
Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Escheated Estates records, 1779-1874
Extent
1.05 cu. ft. (2 boxes)
Creator
Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928)
Language
English

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

Box 1 Folder 1
Accounts - Amelia County, 1816-1823

British subject(s): Alexander Willson, dec.

Box 1 Folder 2
Accounts - Bedford County, 1814-1817

British subject(s): James Ewing, Jacob Robinson

Box 1 Folder 3
Accounts - Botetourt County, 1783

British subject(s): John Green

Box 1 Folder 4
Accounts - Buckingham County, 1787

British subject(s): Walther King

Box 1 Folder 5
Accounts - Cabell County, 1824-1829

British subject(s): John Irwin, dec.; Matthew Jones.

Box 2 Folder 1
Accounts - Cabell County [Oversize], 1820-1822

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

Box 1 Folder 6
Accounts - Caroline County, 1826

British subject(s): O. Dich

Box 1 Folder 7
Accounts - Charles City County, 1846

British subject(s): Amos Ladd, dec.; Elizabeth Minge, dec.; Robert Phillips, dec.

Box 1 Folder 8
Accounts - Charlotte County, 1781
Box 1 Folder 9
Accounts - Chesterfield County, 1782-1840

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

Box 2 Folder 2
Accounts - Chesterfield County [Oversize], 1840

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

Box 1 Folder 10
Accounts - Culpeper County, 1846

British subject(s): Samuel Abbot; Edmund Hasell, dec.

Box 1 Folder 11
Accounts - Essex County, 1780

British subject(s): Lawrence W. Duff; Robert Ferguson; John Ramsay; James Ritchie & Co.; James Wignell

Box 1 Folder 12
Accounts - Fairfax County, 1796-1823
Box 1 Folder 13
Accounts - Fauquier County, 1798
Box 1 Folder 14
Accounts - Frederick County, 1798-1799
Box 1 Folder 15
Accounts - Hampshire County, 1782-1784

British subject(s): Captain Phillip Martin's Patterson Creek Manor; Reverend Jacob Townsand.

Box 2 Folder 3
Accounts - Hanover County [Oversize], 1780

British subject(s): George Brackenridge; James Esten; Archibald Govern; John Johnson; Alexander McAuly; Donald Scott & Co.; John Smith; John Stewart; George Thomas

Box 1 Folder 16
Accounts - Henrico County, 1779-1783

British subject(s): Robert Baine

Box 1 Folder 17
Accounts - Henrico County, 1795-1797

British subject(s): Thomas Calder [Elder], dec.; Overton L. Harvie

Box 1 Folder 18
Accounts - Henry County, 1780

British subject(s): James & Archibald Smith

Box 1 Folder 19
Accounts - Isle of Wight County, 1782

British subject(s): John Goodrich; Hunter & Blair; John Hundman; Oswald & Co.; John Syme; Syme & Co.; John Williams

Box 2 Folder 4
Accounts - Isle of Wight County [Oversize], 1779

British subject(s): Mr. Hunter & Blair; John Goodrich; John Hyndman; John Lynn; Andrew Lyon & Co.; Oswald & Co.; John Williams

Box 1 Folder 20
Accounts - King George County, 1782-1805

British subject(s): Orr & Greenlesse

Box 1 Folder 21
Accounts - King William County, 1782-1814

British subject(s): Archibald Govan; Samuel Walden, dec.

Box 1 Folder 22
Accounts - Lunenburg County, 1780-1790

British subject(s): William Cunningham & Co.; John Graham; Andrew Johnston; John Paterson [Patterson]

Box 1 Folder 23
Accounts - Mecklenburg County, 1780-1790

British subject(s): Andrew Cockram, William Cunningham & Co.; Dinwiddie & Co.; Dinwiddie Crawford & Co.; Andrew Johnston, Jr.; Alexander Spur's & Co.

Box 1 Folder 24
Accounts - Middlexsex County, 1782, 1825

British subject(s): Mary Drayton, dec.

Box 1 Folder 25
Accounts - Montgomery and Washington Counties, 1781-1782
Box 1 Folder 26
Accounts - Nansemond Counties, 1787
Box 1 Folder 27-28
Accounts - Norfolk County, 1780-1805

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

Box 2 Folder 5
Accounts - Norfolk County [Oversize], 1780-1784

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

Box 1 Folder 29
Accounts - Northumberland Counties, 1782

British subject(s): William Campbell

Box 1 Folder 30
Accounts - Pendleton County, 1833

British subject(s): Adam Bowyer, dec.

Box 1 Folder 31
Accounts - Petersburg, 1855

British subject(s): Charles O'Hara, dec.

Box 1 Folder 32
Accounts - Pittsylvania County, 1780-1815

British subject(s): John Smith Murdock & Co.

Box 1 Folder 33
Accounts - Prince Edward County, 1813-1817

British subject(s): John Fisher; John McMurry, dec.

Box 1 Folder 34
Accounts - Prince George County, 1782-1783

British subject(s): Buchanan Hartie & Co.; Copeland estate; Jane Jamison; John McNabb

Box 1 Folder 35
Accounts - Prince William County, 1779-1808

British subject(s): Thomas Aitkin; John Goodman

Box 2 Folder 6
Accounts - Prince William County [Oversize], 1780

British subject(s): Collin Dunlop; John Riddell; James Ritchie

Box 1 Folder 36
Accounts - City of Richmond, 1874

British subject(s): George Johnson, dec.

Box 1 Folder 37
Accounts - Rockingham County, 1801-1812

British subject(s): Rev. Thomas Jackson, dec.; Henry Stoutsnocker [Stoutsnocher]

Box 1 Folder 38
Accounts - Shenandoah County, 1797
Box 1 Folder 39
Accounts - Southampton County, 1814-1816

British subject(s): Alexander McNeal [McNiel], dec.

Box 1 Folder 40
Accounts - Stafford County, 1798-1805

British subject(s): Richard Gill; John Johnson

Box 1 Folder 41
Accounts - Suffolk, 1782

British subject(s): Estate of Gibson Donoldson & Co.

Box 1 Folder 42
Accounts - Sussex County, 1803
Box 1 Folder 43
Accounts - Westmoreland County, 1798
Box 1 Folder 44
Accounts - Wood County, 1829-1830

British subject(s): Rudolph Wildrick [Wildrix], dec.

Box 1 Folder 45
Accounts - Unidentified, 1786-1804

British subject(s): Robert Irvin, dec.

Box 1 Folder 46
Deeds of Trust, 1818-1828

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)

Box 2 Folder 7
Deeds of Trust [Oversize], 1818-1822

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)

Box 1 Folder 47
Proceedings and Resolutions, 1779-1804

British subject(s): John Crammond; John Goodrich & Co.

Box 2 Folder 8
Proceedings [Oversize], 1798-1799

A list of lands returned by the Commissioners of the Revenue as the property of the Commonwealth (Counties A-W);