Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Contact Montgomery County (Va.) Circuit Court clerk's office for availability.

Use Restrictions

No restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Montgomery County (Va.) Marriage Register and Crush and Wade Expense Accounts, 1850-1865. Montgomery County Court Records. Montgomery County (Va.) Circuit Court. Christiansburg, VA 24073.

Acquisition Information

These records were filed at the Montgomery County (Va.) Circuit Court during the course of court business.

Historical Information

Montgomery County was formed from Fincastle County in 1776, and the county court first met on 7 January 1777. Part of Botetourt County was added in 1790. Part of Pulaski County was added in 1842. The county was named for Richard Montgomery, who was killed in the American assault on Quebec late in 1775.

Fincastle County was created from Botetourt County in 1772, and the county court first met on 5 January 1773. Fincastle County became extinct on 31 December 1776 when it was divided to form Montgomery, Washington and Kentucky Counties. The county was named probably for George, Viscount Fincastle, Lord Dunmore's son; for John Murray, fourth earl of Dunmore, Viscount Fincastle; or for the town of Fincastle, Virginia, which was established in 1772 and named for George, Viscount Fincastle.

Prior to 1853, when the Commonwealth began recording vital statistics, Virginia marriages were recorded at the county or city level. Beginning in 1661, in order to be married by license, the groom was required to go before the county clerk and give bond with security that there was no lawful reason to prevent the marriage. The license, issued then by the clerk, was given to the minister who performed the service. Once the marriage service was performed, the minister submitted a return to the county clerk. Written consent from a parent or guardian was needed for individuals younger than twenty-one years.

The original marriage licenses and business records, from which this volume was compiled, were created by the County Court.

Scope and Content

Montgomery County (Va.) Marriage Register, 1850-1861, is the first section of a volume dedicated to two different record types. This register is a list of marriage licenses issued by the county clerk. For the most part, this section follows a chronological arrangement. The listings indicate the day, month and year when the license was issued as well as the full names of both parties.

The second section, 1862-1865, records expense accounts from a local retail firm of James E. Crush and James M. Wade, better known as "Crush and Wade." Accounts indicate that the business dealt to some degree with the military--grinding and polishing sabers and polishing dress swords. Also included in this volume is an inventory for a finishing shop and individual customer accounts. There are some loose accounts, 1862-1864, found in this volume but not recorded in its pages.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Adjunct Descriptive Data