Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Westmoreland County (Va.) Processioner's Records, 1700s circa. Local government records collection, Westmoreland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Westmoreland County.

Historical Information

Westmoreland County was named for the English county. It was formed from Northumberland County in 1653. The county seat is Montross.

Westmoreland County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Many loose papers were burned during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. Volumes that record deeds, court orders (except for an order book for the period 1764–1776), and wills exist.

Two freeholders were appointed on order of the county court to procession or review the bounds of farms or tracts of land in each precinct in order to renew or replace old landmarks. This was originally a function of the church vestry, but was continued by the court after disestablishment. Persons who walked the boundaries were called processioners.

Scope and Content

Westmoreland County (Va.) Processioner's Records, 1700s circa typically record an area of land processioned with geographical landmarks, roads, property lines noted, the names of the persons present, the date(s) when the processioning occurred, the names of the processioners, and the date that the return was recorded by the local court.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Material

Additional Westmoreland County records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Westmoreland County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Westmoreland County Court Records may be found in the "Virginia Lost Records Localities Digital Collection."

Adjunct Descriptive Data