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Library of Virginia
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Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Processed by: Craig Moore
There are no restrictions.
Use microfilm (Legislative Petitions, Reel 19).
Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Petitions: Petition of James Stephenson (Berkeley County), 1808 Dec. 6. Accession 36121, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquired prior to 1905 (no other acquisition information available).
Petitions to the General Assembly were the primary catalyst for legislation in the Commonwealth from 1776 until 1865. Public improvements, military claims, divorce, manumission of slaves, division of counties, incorporation of towns, religious freedom, and taxation were just some of the concerns expressed in these petitions. The petitions often contain hundreds of signatures and are a useful tool in genealogical research. Frequently, the petitions contain supplementary support documents useful in research including maps, wills, naturalizations, deeds, resolutions, affidavits, judgments, and other items.
Legislative petition of James Stephenson of Berkeley County asking that his slave named Sarah be permitted to return to Virginia having been lent to his brother Benjamin who removed to the state of Kentucky in 1806.
Legislative Petition collection is arranged alphabetically by locality, and chronologically thereunder.