A Guide to the Prince William County (Va.) District Court (Dumries) Records at Large, 1798-1799
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Collection numbers: Barcode number 1050818/Prince William County (Va.) Reel 129
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
© 2012 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Greg Crawford
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Use microfilm copy, Prince William County, Reel 129
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Prince William County (Va.) District Court Records at Large, 1798-1799. Local government records collection, Prince William County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.
Acquisition Information
This item came to the Library of Virginia under the accession number 27976.
Historical Information
Prince William County was named for William Augustus, duke of Cumberland and third son of King George II. It was formed from Stafford and King George Counties by a statute adopted in 1730, to take effect on 12 March 1731.
The District Court was created in 1788. The purpose of the creation of the District Court was to alleviate congestion in the General Court which had caused unreasonable delays in the adjudication of common law cases. Virginia was divided into eighteen districts, each composed of several counties, plust the district of Kentucky. Courts were held in each district twice yearly and cases were heard from the several counties in that district. The District Court always met at the same place in each district, and its records were kept at that one location. The District Courts were abolished in 1809 and were replaced by the Superior Courts of Law.
The District Court held at Dumfries heard cases originating in the counties of: included Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William.
Many pre-Civil War records were lost, destroyed, or stolen by Union troops in 1863 during the Civil War. Sixteen deed books and five will books are missing. This volume was rescued from from the burning courthouse by a member of the 145th Pennsylvania Volunteers.
Scope and Content
Prince William County (Va.) District Court (Dumries) Records at Large, 1789-1809, is an order book that records summaries of suits heard by the court.
Related Material
Additional Prince William County District Court (Dumfries) Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."
Prince William County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Prince William County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.
For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .
Index Terms
- Prince William County (Va.) Circuit Court
- Civil procedure -- Virginia -- Prince William County
- Debt -- Virginia -- Prince William County
- Fairfax County (Va.) -- History
- Fauquier County (Va.) -- History
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- History
- Prince William County (Va.) -- History
- Judicial records -- Virginia -- Prince William County
- Local government records -- Virginia -- Prince William County
- Dumries (Va.) District Court
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Added Entry - Corporate Name:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Fairfax County (Va.) -- History
- Fauquier County (Va.) -- History
- Loudoun County (Va.) -- History
- Prince William County (Va.) -- History