In November of 1860, executor William F. Smith was in a pickle. Charged with settling the estate of Elizabeth P. Via of Augusta County, he…
Sarah NerneyFebruary 20, 2013
The Library of Virginia, in partnership with the Scott County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, is pleased to announce that digitization of Scott County’s historic chancery…
Sam WaltersFebruary 1, 2013
Since the apocalypse of 2012 was a no-show, I decided to bring a little doomsday out from the archives to celebrate the start of the…
Bari HelmsJanuary 9, 2013
At first glance the story of George Kiner and Diana Bumgardner is one of love triumphing over the tragedies of slavery and war. But documents…
Bari HelmsDecember 5, 2012
The colonial era Northampton County court records tell a fascinating story of a woman named Jane Webb. Born of a white mother, she was a…
Greg CrawfordNovember 14, 2012
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that digital images for Lee County Chancery Causes, 1857-1912, are now available on the Chancery Records Index. Because they rely…
Bari HelmsNovember 2, 2012
A small slip of paper on display in the Library of Virginia’s latest exhibition You Have No Right: Law and Justice in Virginia, running 24 September 2012-18…
Brent TarterSeptember 26, 2012
"Jugglery, slight of hand , comic concerts, and songs” brought the congregation of Centenary Methodist Church and members of the Sons of Temperance, Pendleton Division…
Bari HelmsAugust 22, 2012
The chancery causes we encounter usually involve disputes over lands, estates, and businesses, but occasionally we stumble upon cases that can only be categorized as…
Bari HelmsJune 27, 2012
These words were written by a young lawyer who was researching court records filed in the Augusta County courthouse in the early 1830’s. He was…
Greg CrawfordJune 18, 2012
The Prince George County chancery causes are filled with numerous divorce cases involving cheating spouses and adulterous affairs, but in the case of Thomas P. Kelly…
Sherri BagleyMay 23, 2012
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce the completion of the Petersburg chancery causes digital project. The scanning project was funded by the Circuit Court…
Sherri BagleyMay 16, 2012
All eyes in the horse world may be directed towards Churchill Downs this week for this year’s Kentucky Derby, but Kentucky isn’t the only state…
Bari HelmsMay 2, 2012
Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama. (Image used courtesy of the United States National Park Service) This year marks the 200th anniversary of the War…
Greg CrawfordApril 18, 2012
