A Guide to the Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-1912 (bulk 1786-1912)
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Chancery Records Index: Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-001-1912-038
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Patrons are to use digital images of Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes found on the Chancery Records Index available electronically at the website of the Library of Virginia.
Preferred Citation
Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-1912 (bulk 1786-1912). (Cite style of suit and chancery index no.). Local Government Records Collection, Loudoun County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Digital images were generated by Backstage Library Works through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.
Historical Information
Chancery Causes are cases of equity. According to Black's Law Dictionary they are "administered according to fairness as contrasted with the strictly formulated rules of common law." A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case.
Loudoun County was named for John Campbell, fourth earl of Loudoun, who was commander of British forces in North America during the early part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1756 to 1759. It was formed from Fairfax County in 1757. The county seat is Leesburg.
Scope and Content
Loudoun County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1758-1912 (bulk 1786-1912), are indexed into the Chancery Records Index . Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Chancery causes often involved the following: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, divorces, debt, and business disputes. Predominant documents found in chancery causes include bills (plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, wills, slave records, business records or vital statistics, among other items. Plats, if present, are noted, as are wills from localities with an incomplete record of wills or localities other than the one being indexed.
Chancery cases are useful when researching local history, genealogical information, and land or estate divisions. They are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history.
Related Material
Additional Loudoun County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm.
See the Chancery Records Index found on the Library of Virginia web site for the chancery records of other Virginia localities.
Index Terms
- Loudoun County (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African Americans -- History.
- Business enterprises. -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Debt -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Divorce suits -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Equity -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Estates (Law) -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Land subdivision -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- Genealogy.
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- History.
- Chancery causes -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Deeds -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Judicial records -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Land records -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Local government records -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Plats -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
- Wills -- Virginia -- Loudoun County.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- Genealogy.
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- History.
Selected Suits of Interest
Dispute over amount owed to Nesbitt for medical services he provided for Hancock’s wife.
Jane Humphrey sued to protect her dowry property.
Freedom suit. Fender was a slave of Jenkins who sued for her freedom.
Plaintiffs wanted a group of slaves sold and the proceeds divided among them and invested.
Freedom suit
This chancery case disputed the distribution of Gustavus Moran's estate, especially his slaves. Gustavus stipulated in his will that his slaves were not to be sold to southern slave dealers.
Per last will and testament of Archibald Mains, his slaves were to be emancipated on the advice of the Agents and Officers of the American Society for Colonizing Free People of Colour.
Freedom suit
Jarret was a former slave owned by Verlinda Perry. In 1839, he was convicted and found guilty for distributing anti-slavery materials. He was sentenced to 20 lashes and sold for 800 dollars outside the boundaries of the United States. The complaint requested 800 dollars in this chancery case from the defendant.
Suit involves members of a local Methodist Episcopal church. The split of the national denomination played out at the local level. Plaintiffs were pro-North and defendants were pro-South.
The suit involves the validity of Lydia Ramey’s will. Dozens of her relatives, many of whom lived out of state, were named defendants in the suit.