Brock, R. A. (Robert Alonzo), 1839-1914

Wirt County was named for William Wirt, who gained fame in Virgtinia as a lawyer and perhaps is best known for his role in the prosecution of Aaron burr for treason. It was created in 1848 from sections of Wood and Jackson Counties. Wirt County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Northumberland County was formed in 1645 from the district of Chickacoan, the early seventeenth century name for the region between the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers. It was probably named for the English county.

Amherst County was formed from Albemarle County in 1761.

Kanawha County was formed in 1788 from parts of Greenbrier and Montgomery Counties. Kanawha County was named in honor of the Great Kanawha River that runs through the county. The river was named for the Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The spelling of the Indian tribe varied at the time from Conoys to Conois to Kanawha. Kanawha County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Lancaster County was formed in 1651 from Northumberland and York Counties.

Madison County was formed in 1792 from Culpeper County.

Henrico County was an original shire formed in 1634.

Fauquier County was formed in 1759 from Prince William County.

Hampshire County is the oldest county in West Virginia. It was named for the English shire. Although created by law in 1754 from sections of Augusta and Frederick counties, border unrest during the French and Indian War delayed the formal organization of county government until 1757. A part of Augusta County was added in 1778 and Hardy County in 1787. Hampshire County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Fairfax County was formed in 1742 from Prince William County.

York County was an original shire formed in 1634. It was previously known as Charles River County from 1634 to 1643.

Goochland County was formed from Henrico County in 1728.

Washington County was formed from Fincastle County in 1776. Part of Montgomery County was added in 1777.

Tyler County was named for John Tyler, governor of Virginia and father of the tenth president of the United States, John Tyler, Jr. It was formed in 1814 from part of Ohio County. Tyler County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

Spotsylvania County was formed in 1720 from Essex, King William, and King and Queen Counties.

Albemarle County was formed in 1744 from Goochland County. Parts of Louisa County were added in 1761 and 1838.

Halifax County was formed in 1752 from Lunenburg County.

Loudon County was formed in 1757 from Fairfax County.

Norfolk County was formed in 1691 from Lower Norfolk County. It was probably named by Adam Thoroughgood for his native county in England. Norfolk County became extinct in 1963, when it was consolidated with the city of South Norfolk to form the city of Chesapeake.

Lancaster County was formed from Northumberland and York Counties in 1651.

Monroe County, named in honor of President James Monroe, was formed in 1799 from Greenbrier County, and in 1802 part of Botetourt County was added. Monroe County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Princess Anne County was formed from Lower Norfolk County in 1691. Now extinct, it was incorporated into the city of Virginia Beach in 1963.

Goochland County was formed in 1728 from Henrico County.

Prince Edward County was formed in 1753 from Amelia County.

Franklin County was formed in 1785 from Bedford and Henry Counties.

Middlesex County was formed in 1669 from Lancaster County.

Powhatan County was formed in 1777 from Cumberland County. Part of Chesterfield County was added in 1850. It was named either for the Indian chieftan who ruled the Native American inhabitants of tidewater Virginia in the early seventeenth century.

Lunenburg County was formed in 1745 from Brunswick County. Part of Charlotte County was added in 1777.

Nelson County was formed from Amherst County in 1807. It was named for Governor Thomas Nelson, Jr.

Pittsylvania County was formed in 1766 from Halifax County. It was named in honor of William Pitt, an English statesman.

Mecklenburg County was formed in 1764 from Lunenburg County.

Southampton County was formed in 1749 from Isle of Wight County. Part of Nansemond County was added in 1785.

Robert Alonzo Brock, historian, antiquarian, and collector, was born in Richmond, Va. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the 21st Virginia Regiment, transferring later to a hospital unit with which he remained for the duration of the war. Brock later served as associate editor of the Richmond Standard (1879-1882), corresponding secretary of the Virginia Historical Society (1875-1892), and secretary of the Southern Historical Society (1887-1914). He also edited the societies' papers. An avid collector of Virginiana, Brock started his collection before the Civil War and added materials up to the time of his death in 1914, accumulating nearly 50,000 manuscripts relating to Virginia and the history of the South.

Mercer County was formed in 1785 from Lincoln County. It was named for General Hugh Mercer of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who died at the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolution. The county became a part of Kentucky when it became a state in 1792.

Chesterfield County was formed in 1749 from Henrico County.

Charlotte County was formed in 1764 from Lunenburg County.

Cumberland County was formed in 1749 from Goochland County.

Grayson County was formed in 1792 from Wythe County. Part of Patrick County was added in 1810.

Nicholas County was named for Wilson Cary Nicholas, Virginia governor from 1814 to 1816. It was created in 1818 from sections of Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph Counties. Nicholas County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Essex County was formed in 1692 from old Rappahannock County.

Robert Alonzo Brock was a Richmond, Va., historian, antiquarian, and collector, who served in the Civil War and later worked as associate editor of the Richmond Standard. An avid student of Virginia and southern history, Brock served as secretary of the Virginia Historical Society and the Southern Historical Society, and collected nearly 50,000 manuscripts related to the history of Virginia and the South.

King George County was formed in 1720 from Richmond County. Part of Westmoreland County was added in 1777.

Greenbrier County was named for the Greenbrier River. It was formed in 1778 from parts of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties. A portion of Monroe County was added in 1827 and Fayette County in 1833. Greenbrier County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Wythe County was formed in 1789 from Montgomery County. Part of Grayson County was added in 1825.

Mecklenburg County was formed from Lunenburg County in 1764.

Wise County was formed in 1856 from Lee, Russell, and Scott Counties.

Henry County was formed in 1776 from Pittsylvania County.

Bedford County was formed in 1753 from Lunenburg County. Part of Albemarle was added in 1754 and part of Lunenburg was added later.

Louisa County was formed in 1742 from Hanover County.

Nelson County was formed from Amherst County in 1807.

Orange County was formed in 1734 from Spotsylvania County.

Amelia County was formed in 1734 from Prince George and Brunswick Counties.

Amherst County was formed in 1761 from Albemarle County.

Ohio County was created in 1776. It was named for the Ohio River. Ohio County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Montgomery County, named for Richard Montgomery, was formed from Fincastle County in 1776. Part of Botetourt County was added in 1790 and part of Pulaski County was added in 1842.

Culpeper County was formed in 1749 from Orange County.

Rockbridge County was formed from Augusta and Botetourt Counties in 1778. Additional part of Botetourt County was added in 1785.

Mercer County was named in honor of General Hugh Mercer of Fredericksburg, who died at the Battle of Princeton during the American Revolution. It was formed from portions of Giles and Tazewell Counties in 1837. Hampshire County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Augusta County was formed in 1738 from Orange County. The county government was established 1745.

Brunswick County was formed in 1720 (government established 1732) from Prince George County. Parts of Isle of Wight and Surry Counties were added in 1732.

Alexandria County was formed from Fairfax County in 1789. The area became a part of the District of Columbia in 1801. Congress returned Alexandria County to Virginia in 1846. The county's name was changed to Arlington County in 1920.

Harrison County was named for Benjamin Harrison, governor of Virginia and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The county was created in 1784 from Monongalia County. Sections of were added from Monongalia County in 1800, Randolph County, 1802, and Ohio County in 1805. Harrison County was one of the fifty western Virginia counties to form the state of West Virginia in 1863.

Surry County was formed in 1652 from James City County.

Lee County was formed in 1792 from Russell County. Part of Scott County was added in 1823.

Author, collector.

Fayette County was created in 1780 and was one of the three original counties that made up the district of Kentucky. It was named for the Marquis de Lafayette. Fayette County became a part of the state of Kentucky when it was created in June 1792.

Richmond, located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, was named by William Byrd II, who envisioned the development of a city at the falls of the James River and with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. It was incorporated as a town in 1782 and as a city in 1842.

Fluvanna County was formed in 1777 from Albemarle County.

Campbell County was formed in 1781 from Bedford County.

Louisa County was named for Louisa, a daughter of George II. It was formed from Hanover County in 1742.

Gloucester County was formed from York County in 1651.

After the Gloucester County courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1765 and rebuilt in 1766, the General Assembly in 1769 ordered the creation of a town on sixty acres of land owned by John Fox that adjoined the new courthouse. The town was to be named Botetourt Towne for Lord Botetourt, the governor of Virginia. Botetourt Towne was not a popular name and was changed to Gloucester Court House, now Gloucester.

All records were destroyed by an 1820 fire, and most of the records created after 1820 were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

The District Courts were created by an act of the General Assembly passed on 22 December 1788. The purpose for the creation of the District Courts was to alleviate congestion in the General Court which had caused unreasonable delays in the adjudication of common law cases. The state was divided into eighteen districts, each composed of several counties, plus the district of Kentucky. The district courts were abolished by an act passed 1 February 1808 and were replaced by the Superior Courts of Law.

Richmond (City) District Court heard cases originating in the counties of: Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, and Powhatan as well as the city of Richmond.

Caroline County was named for Caroline of Anspach, consort of George II. It was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties in 1728, and additional parts of King and Queen were added later.

Most loose records and deed books prior to 1836 and will books prior to 1853 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse in May 1864. A near-complete run of order books exists.

Richmond, located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, was named by William Byrd II, who envisioned the development of a city at the falls of the James River and with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. It was incorporated as a town in 1782 and as a city in 1842.

The initial town charter allowed male property owners to elect a council, known as the "Common Hall," twelve citizens who appointed the mayor from their membership.

Caroline County was formed in 1728 from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties. Additional parts of King and Queen County were added in 1742 and 1762.

Most loose records and deed books prior to 1836 and will books prior to 1853 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse in May 1864. A near-complete run of order books exists.

Buckingham County was formed from Albemarle County in 1761.

The overseers of the poor was a county agency charged with providing aid to the indigent after the Anglican Church lost this responsibility with the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1785.

Records were destroyed by fire in 1869.

Fairfax County was named for Thomas Fairfax, sixth baron Fairfax of Cameron, proprietor of the Northern Neck. It was formed from Prince William County in 1742.

Original wills and deeds as well as many other loose papers were destroyed during the Civil War; deed books for twenty-six of the fifty-six years between 1763 and 1819 are missing. Numerous pre-Civil War minute books are missing as well.

Charles City County was an original shire formed in 1634.

Records have been destroyed at various times. The most damage occurred during the Civil War when the records were strewn through the woods in a rainstorm. A few pre-Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, minute books, and order books exist.

Hanover County was formed from New Kent County in 1720.

Most county court records, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. The circuit court records were not moved to Richmond and were relatively unscathed. Consequently, there is a strong run of common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 that were generated by the circuit superior court of law and chancery and its successor, the circuit court.

New Kent County may have been named either for the English county of Kent or for Kent Island, in the upper waters of the Chesapeake Bay. William Claiborne, a native of Kent who had been driven from Kent Island by Lord Baltimore, was a prominent resident of the New Kent area about 1654 when the county was formed from York County. Part of James City County was added in 1767. The county seat is New Kent.

Records were destroyed when John Posey set fire to the courthouse on 15 July 1787. Many records were lost when the courthouse was partially destroyed by fire during Civil War hostilities in 1862. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Dinwiddie County was formed from Prince George County in 1752.

The bulk of court records prior to 1865 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse during the last months of the Civil War. Post-1830 volumes such as deed books, will books, chancery order books, and marriage registers exist.

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.

Lynchburg was named for John Lynch, the owner of the original town site. It was established in 1786, was incorporated as a town in 1805, and became a city in 1852. Parts of Campbell and Bedford Counties were annexed to the city in 1976.

Prince William County was formed in 1730 from Stafford and King George Counties.

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.

Charles Simms, 1755-1819, was born in Prince William County, Virginia. He was an officer in the Revolutionary War attaining the rank of colonel. Simms married Nancy Ann Douglas, the daughter of William Douglas, in 1778 in Morristown, New Jersey.

The Superior Courts of Chancery were created in 1802 to handle chancery matters initially handled by the High Court of Chancery. The state was divided into three chancery districts and cases from the counties composing the district were tried in a fixed location within each district. The records were kept in that location. Five additional districts were created before the court was supplanted by local Circuit Superior Courts of Law and Chancery in 1831. This court was sometimes called District Court of Chancery.

Richmond City Superior Court of Chancery included: Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Bedford, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Cumberland, Culpeper, Dinwiddie, Fauquier, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Franklin, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, King George, King William, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Orange, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford Counties.

The Superior Courts of Chancery were created in 1802 to handle chancery matters initially handled by the High Court of Chancery. The state was divided into three chancery districts and cases from the counties composing the district were tried in a fixed location within each district. The records were kept in that location. Five additional districts were created before the court was supplanted by local Circuit Superior Courts of Law and Chancery in 1831. This court was sometimes called District Court of Chancery.

Lynchburg Superior Court of Chancery was created in 1814. It heard cases originating in the counties of: Amherst, Bedford, Campbell, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania and the City of Lynchburg.

King and Queen County was formed in 1691 from New Kent County

Records were lost in courthouse fires in 1828 and 1833. Records were again destroyed by a courthouse fire set by Union troops on 10 March 1864 during the Civil War.

Richmond County may have been named for Richmond borough in Surrey, England, or for Charles Lennox, first duke of Richmond and a son of King Charles II. It was formed from Old Rappahannock County in 1692. The county seat is Warsaw.

Some volumes were burned and mutilated through unknown causes; in addition, the will books prior to 1699 were missing as early as 1793, and order books for the period 1794-1816 are also missing. Numerous loose records prior to 1781 are missing as well.

Accomack County was named for the Accomac Indians, who lived on the Eastern Shore at the time of the first English settlement in Virginia. The word means "on-the-other-side-of-water place" or "across the water." It was one of the original eight shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634 and spelled Accomac without the k. The county's name was changed to Northampton County in 1643. The present county was formed from Northampton about 1663. In October 1670, the General Assembly temporarily reunited Accomack and Northampton Counties as Northampton County. In November 1673, Accomack County was again separated from Northampton. In early records, the county's name was spelled many ways. In 1940 the General Assembly adopted the present spelling, Accomack. The county gained a small part of the southern end of Smith's Island from Somerset County, Maryland, in 1879, after the United States had approved boundary changes between Virginia and Maryland that had been agreed to in 1877. The county seat is Accomac.

A significant number of loose records from the 1700s suffered extreme water and pest damage. Volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist.

Stafford County was named for the English county. It was formed from Westmoreland County in 1664. Part of King George County was added in 1777. The county seat is Stafford.

Many pre-Civil War court records were lost to vandalism by Union troops during the Civil War. A few volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist.

Elizabeth City County was an original shire formed in 1634. It is now extinct having been incorporated into the City of Hampton in 1952.

Records were burned or destroyed during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. A few pre-Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, and order books exist.

James City County was an original shire formed in 1634. Part of New Kent County was added in 1767 and part of York County was added in 1852.

During the Civil War, the records of James City County and Williamsburg were transferred to Richmond for safekeeping but were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865.

New Kent County may have been named either for the English county of Kent or for Kent Island, in the upper waters of the Chesapeake Bay. William Claiborne, a native of Kent who had been driven from Kent Island by Lord Baltimore, was a prominent resident of the New Kent area about 1654 when the county was formed from York County. Part of James City County was added in 1767. The county seat is New Kent.

Records were destroyed when John Posey set fire to the courthouse on 15 July 1787. Many records were lost when the courthouse was partially destroyed by fire during Civil War hostilities in 1862. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Hanover County was formed from New Kent County in 1720.

Most county court records, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. The circuit court records were not moved to Richmond and were relatively unscathed. Consequently, there is a strong run of common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 that were generated by the circuit superior court of law and chancery and its successor, the circuit court.

The Superior Courts of Chancery were created in 1802 to handle chancery matters initially handled by the High Court of Chancery. The state was divided into three chancery districts and cases from the counties composing the district were tried in a fixed location within each district. The records were kept in that location. Five additional districts were created before the court was supplanted by local Circuit Superior Courts of Law and Chancery in 1831. This court was sometimes called District Court of Chancery

Williamsburg Superior Court of Chancery included: Accomack, Charles City, Elizabeth City, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Nansemond, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, Princess Anne, Richmond, Southampton, Surry, Sussex, Warwick, Westmoreland, and York Counties.

During the Civil War, the records of James City County and Williamsburg were transferred to Richmond for safekeeping but were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865.

Prince George County was named for Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne of England. It was formed from Charles City County in 1702.

Most court records were destroyed in 1782 by British troops during the Revolutionary War and again in 1864 by Union troops during the Civil War. A few volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist.

Hanover County was formed from New Kent County in 1720.

Most county court records, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. The circuit court records were not moved to Richmond and were relatively unscathed. Consequently, there is a strong run of common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 that were generated by the circuit superior court of law and chancery and its successor, the circuit court.

The District Courts were created by an act of the General Assembly passed on 22 December 1788. The purpose for the creation of the District Courts was to alleviate congestion in the General Court which had caused unreasonable delays in the adjudication of common law cases. The state was divided into eighteen districts, each composed of several counties, plus the district of Kentucky. The district courts were abolished by an act passed 1 February 1808 and were replaced by the Superior Courts of Law.

Dumfries District Court heard cases originating in the counties of Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William.

King William County was formed in 1701 from King and Queen County.

Most records were destroyed by a courthouse fire on 17 January 1885. Only a few order books and deed books exist.

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."

Roanoke, in Roanoke County, was first known as Big Lick because of salt deposits found in the vicinity. The town of Big Lick was established in 1852 and was incorporated in 1874. Its name was changed to Roanoke in 1882, and it became a city in 1884. Roanoke was enlarged by annexation from Roanoke County in 1976.

King William County was formed from King and Queen County in 1701.

Most records were destroyed by a courthouse fire on 17 January 1885. Only a few order books and deed books exist.

Nansemond County was formed from New Norfolk County in 1637. Previously named Upper Norfolk County until it was renamed Nansemond County in 1646. It was named for the Nansemond Indians, who lived in the area in the early seventeenth century. The county became the independent city of Nansemond in 1972. Now extinct, Nansemond merged with the city of Suffolk in 1974. The entire area is known as Suffolk.

Nansemond County court records were destroyed in three separate fires: the earliest consumed the house of the court clerk in April 1734 (where the records were kept at that time), the second was set by British troops in 1779, and the last occurred on 7 February 1866.

Dinwiddie County was formed in 1752 from Prince George County.

The bulk of court records prior to 1865 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse during the last months of the Civil War. Post-1830 volumes such as deed books, will books, chancery order books, and marriage registers exist.

Gloucester County was formed in 1651 from York County.

All records were destroyed by an 1820 fire, and most of the records created after 1820 were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War.

Nottoway County was formed in 1788 from Amelia County. It was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe.

Many records were destroyed or heavily mutilated in 1865 by Union troops during the Civil War. A few volumes that record deeds, court orders, and wills exist.

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.

Richmond, located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, was named by William Byrd II, who envisioned the development of a city at the falls of the James River and with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. It was incorporated as a town in 1782 and as a city in 1842.

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.

Frederick County was named in honor of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and eldest sons of George II. It was formed from Orange County in 1738, but, because the region was sparsely settled, count government was not organized until 1743. Part of Augusta County was added later.