The Library of Virginia (LVA) is pleased to announce that processing and indexing of the Powhatan County chancery causes housed at the Library of Virginia is now complete. The updated index has been added to the Library's on-line Chancery Records Index <http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/chancery/index.htm> and is now available for searching through the LVA website. The Powhatan County chancery collection covers the years 1783 through 1938 (bulk 1783-1913). Powhatan County is one of a growing number 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. The Powhatan County records are currently available in their original format in the Library of Virginia's manuscript room. Though no firm timetable is currently available, future plans include the digital reformatting of these records and making them accessible through the Chancery Records Index <http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/chancery/index.htm> . 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