Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Albemarle County   (Va.). Health and Medical Records, 1858-1870. Local government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Albemarle County  .

Historical Information

Albemarle County   was named for William Anne Keppel, second earl of Albemarle and governor of the Virginia colony from 1737-1754. The county   was formed from Goochland County   in 1744, and part of Louisa   County   and certain islands in the Fluvanna River, now called the James, were added later.

Mental Health Records may consist of a variety of documents that historically were referred to as lunacy papers in the courthouses of Virginia localities and municipalities.

Scope and Content

Albemarle County   (Va.) Health and Medical Records, 1858-1870, consists of two folders: Mental Health Records and Smallpox Epidemic Records.

Mental Health Records, 1858, 1867, 1868, contains three items: 6 Jul 1858 report regarding prisoner thought to be suffering from mental illness; 10 Oct 1867 letter from superintendent of Eastern Lunatic Asylum to committee of a patient regarding mental condition of patient who was released on bond; 5 Mar 1868 court order for committee of former patient to return the latter's estate to him, as he was declared "fit to take care of his financial matters."

Smallpox Epidemic Records, 1863-1864, 1870, contains five items relating to smallpox outbreaks, especially as the disease affected prisoners in the local jail: 2 Jun 1863 small pox committee report--seeking to borrow $1,945.00 to cover the debt incurred by the small pox hospital. Property formerly of George W. Harris, near University of Virginia, sold to John Collier and then had been sold to the county   for this purpose. Suggests a $3 levy on "persons as are able to pay and the owners of slaves who are treated in the Hospital" to offset the debt; 6 Jul 1863 account owed jail nurse for attending to patients there; 7 Jul 1863 jail account references "unprecedented number of prisoners, several small pox and typhoid cases"; 4 Jul 1864 committee report references previous 12 months "the disease broke out with considerable violence" seeking $4,000 from county   to cover expenses; Apr 1870 order by town council of Charlottesville for establishing a quarantined hospital outside the town limits.

Arrangement

Chronological by entry date.

Related Material

Additional Albemarle County   court records can be found on microfilm and in the Chancery Records Index at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County   and City Records on Microfilm" and The Chancery Records Index .

Albemarle County   is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Albemarle County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found at the Library of Virginia's web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Albemarle County   (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Insanity--Jurisprudence--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Jails--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Mental illness--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Physicians--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Psychiatric hospitals--Virginia.
• Public records--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Quarantine--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Slaves--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Smallpox--Virginia--Albemarle County  .

Geographical Names:

• Albemarle County   (Va.)--History.
• Charlottesville (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Health and medical records--Virginia--Albemarle County  .
• Local government records--Virginia--Albemarle County  .

Adjunct Descriptive Data