The Library of Virginia (LVA) is pleased to announce that processing,
indexing, and digital reformatting of the City of Staunton chancery
causes is now complete.  The index and images have been added to the
Library's on-line Chancery Records Index
<http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/chancery/index.htm>  and are
now available for searching through the LVA website.  The Staunton
chancery collection covers the years 1808 through 1951.  The bulk of the
collection consists of cases dating 1871 to 1933.  City of Staunton
joins the growing list of localities whose chancery causes have been
preserved and made available through the Library's innovative Circuit
Court Records Preservation Program, which seeks to preserve the historic
records of Virginia's Circuit Courts.  Please see the Chancery Records
Index for a listing of additional locality chancery collections that are
available. 

 

Chancery causes are cases that are decided on the basis of equity and
fairness as opposed to the strictly formulated rules of common law
cases.  Chancery cases are especially useful when researching local
history, genealogical information, and land or estate divisions.  They
are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and
serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history.
Chancery causes often contain correspondence; property lists, including
slaves; lists of heirs; and vital statistics, along with many other
records.  Some of the more common types of chancery causes involve
divisions of the estate of a person who died intestate (without a will);
divorces; settlements of dissolved business partnerships; and
resolutions of land disputes.

 

 

Vincent T. Brooks

Senior Local Records Archivist

The Library of Virginia

800 E. Broad St.

Richmond, VA  23219

804/225-4452 (voice)

804/692-2277 (fax)

http://www.lva.virginia.gov <blocked::http://www.lva.virginia.gov/>
[note new address]

[log in to unmask]
<blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]>  [note new email]

 


______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html