A Guide to the Washington County (Va.) Business Records, 1839-1874
A Collection in
Library of Virginia
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Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
© 2024 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Gregory Crawford
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Many of the business volumes are fragile and should not be handled. please check alternative form available heading for volumes that have been microfilmed. Please use microfilm if available .
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Washington County (Va.) Business Records, 1851-1886. [include volume title]. Local government records collection, Washington County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Acquisition Information
These records came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Washington County in 2009 under the accession numbers 44413 and 40995.
Processing Information
Prior to 2024, the various business records in this collection were originally described as individual records, but they have been consolidated into one large business record for the locality.
The records in this collection were processed at different times in 2009 by Gregory Crawford. Efforts have been taken to identify chancery causes related to these business records as some of these records were used as evidence in court proceedings.
Encoded by Sherri Bagley, November 2024
Historical Information
Context for Record Type: Business Records, both volumes and loose records are in some cases transferred to the Library of Virginia as components of court record transfers. These business records in some cases were simply stored in the local court building for safekeeping by business owners. In other cases, business records (particularly ledgers, account books, etc.) may have been filed in a court case as an exhibit. These business records exhibit appeared both in chancery causes and in judgments. These records serving as exhibits for business dissolution cases, debt suits, and contract disputes.
Locality History: Washington County is the first locality in the United States known to have been named for George Washington. It was formed from Fincastle County in 1776, and a part of Montgomery County was added later. Its area is 560 square miles, and the county seat is Abingdon.
Lost Records Note: Created by an act of 1776, court first met on 18 January 1777. Minute books for the periods 1787-1819 and 1821-1837 and many loose papers were lost in a courthouse fire set by Union soldier James Wyatt on 15 December 1864 during the Civil War. Wyatt, who was raised in Washington County, sought revenge for what he claimed was a wrong done against him by a county court judge before the war.
Scope and Content
Washington County (Va.) Business Records, 1839-1874, is comprised of various records created by individuals and companies is pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Washington County (Va.). Represented records largely consists of bound volumes such as records of transactions, list of slaves and ledgers.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged
Related Material
See also: Washington County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1839-1873
Additional Washington County (Va.) court records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."
Contents List
Historical Information: James L. White was born on 22 February 1770 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He moved to Abingdon, Virginia, in 1795. White was a prominent businessman in southwest Virginia. He owned plantations, salt works, iron furnaces, and lead mines in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. Following his death on 20 October 1838, White's estate was valued at almost seven hundred thousand dollars. The volumes were used as an exhibit in the chancery suit Administrator of James L. White and others vs. Administrator of James White, etc. It was heard in the Washington County Circuit Court. The suit involved a dispute concerning the settlement of White's vast estate.
Also see: Washington County Chancery Cause, Administrator of James L. White and others versus Administrator of James White and others, 1883-060. Available Digitially through the Chancery Records Index.
Inventory and appraisement of the estate of Colonel James White, 1839-1873, list the type and value of personal property owned by White at the time of his death on his plantations in Washington County, Virginia, and Jackson County, Alabama. The name of his Virginia plantation was Limestone and the name of his Alabama plantation was Bellefont. The inventory and appraisement include a lengthy list of slaves owned by White. Information recorded includes name, gender, age, and value of slaves. The volumes also record transactions made by White's administrators. Entries record date of transcation, form of transaction, and amount owed and paid. The smaller volume is located inside the front cover of the larger volume.
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Barcode number 1202013: Inventory and appraisement of the estate of Colonel James White 1839-1873
Historical Information: Lynch, Cummings, and Company Ledger was a mercantile firm that conducted business during the mid-nineteenth century in Abingdon, Virginia. The firm consisted of Jacob Lynch, David C. Cummings, and Joseph C. Baltzell. Jacob Lynch was born in 1798 and died on 16 March 1862. He served as county court clerk from 1837 to 1858.
Lynch, Cummings, and Company Ledger, 1858-1874 (bulk 1858-1862), record the accounts of individual customers and the company's controlling accounts. Information found in the accounts include name of customer, date of transaction, form of transaction, merchandise purchased, amount owed, form of payment, and amount paid. Entries do not record the specific item purchased; rather, they use the general term "Merchandise." The account books include an index listing in alphabetical order the names of individuals and controlling accounts and the page numbers where there accounts can be found.
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Barcode number 1096579: Lynch, Cummings, and Company Ledger 1858-1874 (bulk 1858-1862)