The Library of Virginia (LVA) is pleased to announce that processing,
indexing, and digital reformatting of the Lancaster County 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 Lancaster
County chancery collection covers the years 1722 through 1936.  The bulk
of the collection consists of cases dating 1751 to 1914.  Lancaster
County 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 <http://www.lva.virginia.gov/>  [note new
address]
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