Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Orange County (Va.) Records, 1738-1901, undated. Local government records collection, Orange County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Orange County.

Historical Information

Orange County, according to most accounts, was named for William of Orange, the Dutch prince who became King William III of England in 1688. It is more probable, however, that the county was named for William IV, prince of Orange-Nassau, who married Anne, eldest daughter of King George II in 1734. That same year, the county was formed from Spotsylvania County. The county court first met on 21 January 1735.

Scope and Content

Orange County (Va.) Records, 1738-1901, undated, consist of the following series: Business Records (Swift Run Gap Turnpike Company, 1820-1841 and Orange Humane Society); Justice of the Peace Records, 1809; School Records, 1764-1901; Court Records (subfield series include Clerks' Records, 1785-1807) and a petition to incorporate town of Orange, 1872; Marriage Records and Vital Statistics, 1816-1897; Wills, 1801-1903; County Administrative Records (subfield series include Sheriff's Records, 1738-1740) and 2 undated record fragments.

Related Material

Additional Orange County Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm" found on the Library of Virginia's web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Orange County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Public records--Virginia--Orange County.

Geographical Names:

• Orange County (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia--Orange County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data