Dear Mr. McCarty,

The conservation you refer to is part of the Circuit Court Records
Preservation Program at the Library of Virginia.  Part of the fee collected
for land recordings is "designated for use in preserving the permanent
records of the circuit courts"(Code of Virginia 17.1-275, A.2.).  One of
the many preservation projects that we administer is the processing of pre-
1913 chancery records.  These papers are removed from the Woodruff drawers,
unfolded, and re-housed in acid free folders and boxes.  Pertinent
information such as plaintiffs and defendants; wills; presence of a plat;
surnames of deponents, married daughters and other important parties; and
the original drawer number is recorded on the folder and subsequently in a
database.  Once the records are completely processed and indexed, they are
eligible to be microfilmed.  We ask that the papers receive minimal public
use between processing and microfilming so that the hard work that went
into arranging the folders and the papers within the folder is not
disturbed.

All preservation procedures require papers to be removed from public access
for a time.  These preservation procedures are absolutely necessary to
ensure that the information contained in these papers is secure for ALL
generations to come, not just the researchers of today.  As many
researchers know, papers tended to "walk off" in the past and on occasion,
unfortunately, it still happens today.  While it is inconvenient for these
papers to be out of the public domain for a time, the Library of Virginia
attempts to balance the need for access to these records with long-term
preservation concerns.

My job is to train employees hired by the locality to process and index
this material.  The goal is to have every locality processed in the same
way.  Then, for researchers, searching and viewing chancery records is a
seamless process from locality to locality.  I am also the system
administrator of each locality's database and maintain that information so
that it is available to the researcher on the Web site.

The Richmond County chancery records have been processed and microfilmed.
The reel and image numbers from the microfilm are being recorded in the
index and should be completed within the next few weeks.  At that time the
database will be available on the Chancery Records Index page on the
Library's Web site (http://www.lva.lib.va.us/).  There are already 32
localities available for searching at that site.

Westmoreland County's chancery records have been processed in the locality
but are not yet microfilmed.

Lancaster County's chancery records were transferred to and processed at
the Library of Virginia and that index is available on-line at the Chancery
Records Index.  The records may be used at the Library's Archives Research
Room or you can order copies by mail.

Northumberland County's records have been processed and microfilmed.  Now
someone in that locality must be hired to index the reel and image numbers
into the existing database.  The microfilm will be available after the
indexing is completed in the locality.

Direct specific enquiries about specific localities to me at
[log in to unmask] and I will be pleased to answer your questions.

The earliest chancery records in a clerk's office vary from locality to
locality.  Ideally, the first chancery records should coincide with the
incorporation of the locality.  For unknown reasons that is not always the
case.  Until the records are processed, we can only guess at the earliest
chancery records for a locality.  Go to the "What's Available" page on the
Chancery Records Index site for the date range of each of the processed
localities.

The earliest record for Northumberland Co. is 1735.  However, there are
only 11 records between 1735 and 1810.  After 1810, the number of records
for each year increases.

The earliest record for Westmoreland Co. is 1804.

The earliest record for Lancaster Co., as stated on the "What's Available"
page of the Chancery Records Index, is 1722.

Since many localities have 100 to 200 years of chancery records, I do not
keep track of which years are missing in each locality.  It is not unusual
to have one or two years without records before 1840.  After 1840, unless
the locality experienced loss of records through fire, flood, theft or the
like, chancery records usually enjoy a continuous run.

I hope I have answered your questions.  I also hope that you are able to
take advantage of these records and the databases as the chancery records
of the localities of Virginia are processed and indexed through the Circuit
Court Records Preservation Program. Again if you have specific questions
please contact me at [log in to unmask]

Sincerely,
Amy Judd
Assistant Grants Administrator and
CRI System Administrator

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