Arlington County (Va.) Circuit Court

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.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1790-1845 (bulk 1801-1842), (The Library of Virginia)

Dr. William H. Ruffner was elected by the General Assembly to be the first Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1870.

Public schools in Virginia were established during Reconstruction, and they were racially segregated until the mid-twentieth century.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The 1870 Virginia Constitution required that each county in the state be divided into no less than three townships (see Article VII, section 2). The Acts of Assembly provided that each township be divided into school and electoral districts (see Acts of Assembly 1869-1870, Chapter 39). The published Acts of Assembly appended a list of township names by county following the acts for every year that townships existed in Virginia.

From the guide to the Alexandria County (Va.) Superintendent of Schools Records, 1851-1920 (bulk 1870-1884), (The Library of Virginia)

The Lancasterian, or Free School of Alexandria was established in 1812, as a branch of the Alexandria Academy. The Alexandria Academy was built with funds donated by George Washington and chartered in1786. The Free School was intended to educate younger students from the Academy. In 1829, the trustees of the Alexandria Academy conveyed to the Alexandria Common Council the lot and building of the school, along with the annual interest from four thousand dollars of stock of the Bank of Alexandria donated by General Washington for the purpose of educating "such orphan children or the children of such other poor & indigent persons as are unable to accomplish it with their own means." The Council established a Board of Guardians to govern the school, which admitted boys and girls. After 1835, the Free School was governed by a commission appointed by the Alexandria Common Council. Additional funds were allocated to the school by Elizabeth Foote Washington, widow of Lund Washington. Lund Washington was a distant cousin of George Washington.

Alexandria, in Fairfax and Arlington Counties, was named for John Alexander, an early owner of the tract on which the town was located. Alexandria was established in 1749. It was incorporated as a town in 1779 and as a city in 1852.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Free School of Alexandria Board of Guardians Records, 1815; 1829-1834, (The Library of Virginia)

The log of the schooner Enterprise was an exhibit in an admiralty suit heard in the Washington (D.C.) Circuit Court, held in Alexandria County, titled William Lewis versus Schooner Enterprise and others.

The U.S. Constitution gave admiralty and maritime jurisdiction to the federal courts. Those few cases of admiralty jurisdiction not taken into the federal court system were given to the newly created state district courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia met at the courthouse in Alexandria, then a part of the District of Columbia.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Log of the Schooner Enterprise, 1804-1804, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia met at the courthouse in Alexandria, then a part of the District of Columbia.By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the U.S. District Court Admiralty Record Books, 1801-1846, (The Library of Virginia)

Public schools in Virginia were established during Reconstruction, and they were racially segregated from the outset.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The 1870 Virginia Constitution required that each county in the state be divided into no less than three townships (see Article VII, section 2). The Acts of Assembly provided that each township be divided into school and electoral districts (see Acts of Assembly 1869-1870, Chapter 39). The published Acts of Assembly appended a list of township names by county following the acts for every year that townships existed in Virginia.

From the guide to the Jefferson Township (Va.) Board of Public Free Schools Minutes, 1871-1880, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. The county was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801, the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. The county's name was changed by an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

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. Written consent from a parent or guardian was needed for individuals younger than twenty-one years.

Until 1780, marriages could be performed only by ministers of the Established Church, who were required by law to record marriages in the parish register. In 1780, dissenting ministers (only four per county from each sect) wer permitted to perform marriage ceremonies. In order to have a record of all marriages, ministers were required to sign a certificate to be filed with the county clerk. Initially, ministers sent marriage certificates to the clerk every three months. Some ministers adopted a custom of making collected returns--a list of marriages performed within a period of time such as a year or several years. Beginning in 1784, marriage certificates were returned annually. The law was rarely enforced, and ministers' returns were sometimes late, incorrect, incomplete and in many instances, not made at all. County clerks compiled a register of marriages based, in part, on ministers' returns.

The marriage certificates and ministers' returns found in this volume were created by the Alexandria County Court, the Alexandria County Circuit Court and Washington (D.C)'s Circuit Court.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Record of Ministers' Certificates, 1801-1850, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. The county was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801, the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. The county's name was changed by an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

Prior to 1906, the naturalization process was the responsibility of local and state courts. Declarations of intent were the record by which an applicant for U.S. citizenship declared their intent to become a citizen and renounced their allegiance to a foreign government. A declaration of intention normally preceded proof of residence or a petition to become a citizen by two or more years. Beginning in 1795, a person could declare their intent to become a citizen at any time and in any place after they arrived in the United States.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Naturalization Records, 1802-1870, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was formed in 1789 from Fairfax County and was at that time named Alexandria County. The county was ceded to the federal government in 1801 and was part of the District of Columbia until 1846 when it was returned to the state of Virginia. Alexandria County changed its name in 1920 to Arlington County.

In 1865, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands ordered its superintendents to as soon as possible take a census of all colored people within their districts to aid bureau agents in their duties such as finding employment, discouraging vagrancy, handing out rations, and assisting people in returning to their former residences if so desired.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Courts Martial Book, Military District of Alexandria, 1864-1865, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was formed in 1920. This county was originally formed from Fairfax County and was previously known as Alexandria County, Virginia from 1789 to 1801; Alexandria County, District of Columbia from 1801 to 1846; and Alexandria County, Virginia from 1846 to 1920.

An act passed by the Virginia legislature in 1803 required every free negro or mulatto to be registered and numbered in a book to be kept by the county clerk.

From the guide to the Alexandria County (Va.) Registers of Free Negroes, 1797-1861, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a part of Fairfax County that was ceded to the U.S. government in 1789 but was returned to Virginia in 1846. The county name was changed in 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (former home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The 1902 voter registration books were created following the passage of the 1902 Virginia state constitution. The purpose of the 1902 state constitiution was to maintain white suffrage while eliminating African-American voters by means of literacy tests as well as property and poll tax requirements.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) General Registration, 1902-1903, (The Library of Virginia)

The log of the schooner Enterprise was an exhibit in an admiralty suit heard in the Washington (D.C.) Circuit Court, held in Alexandria County, titled William Lewis versus Schooner Enterprise and others.

The U.S. Constitution gave admiralty and maritime jurisdiction to the federal courts. Those few cases of admiralty jurisdiction not taken into the federal court system were given to the newly created state district courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia met at the courthouse in Alexandria, then a part of the District of Columbia.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Log of the Schooner Enterprise, 1803-1804, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The Naturalization Act, passed by Congress in 1790, made citizenship possible for any "free white person" of "good character" who had lived in the United States for at least two years.

From the guide to the Abstract of Reports of Aliens, 1801-1832, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. The county was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801, the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. The county's name was changed by an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

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. Written consent from a parent or guardian was neeeded for individuals younger than twenty-one years.

The original marriage records, from which these volumes were compiled, were created by the Alexandria County Court.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Marriage Registers, 1850-1881, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. The county was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801, the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Contress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. The county's name was changed by an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

In 1853, the General Assembly passed a law requiring the systematic statewide recording of vital statistics. The marriage register, still compiled by the county clerk, from ministers' returns and other original marriage records, became more standardized and comprehensive.

The original marriage records, from which this volume was compiled, was created by the Alexandria County County Court.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Marriage Register, 1853-1879, (The Library of Virginia)

Public schools in Virginia were established during Reconstruction, and they were racially segregated until the mid-twentieth century.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Alexandria County (Va.) Public School Teachers' Registers, 1892-1907, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a part of Fairfax County that was ceded to the U.S. government in 1789 but was returned to Virginia in 1846. The county name was changed in 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (former home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The 1870 Virginia Constitution required that each county in the state be divided into no less than three townships (see Article VII, section 2). Based on the New England administrative organization of a county, each township would elect the administration officials for the offices of supervisor, clerk, assessor, collector, commissioner of the roads, overseer of the poor, justice of the peace, and constable. The supervisors of each township would comprise the board of supervisors for the county, and would be responsible for auditing the county accounts, examining the assessors' books, regulating property valuation, and fixing the county levies. The Acts of Assembly provided that each township be divided into school and electoral districts (see Acts of Assembly 1869-1870, Chapter 39). A constitutional amendment in 1874 changed the townships into magisterial districts and each district elected one supervisor, three justices of the peace, one constable, and one overseer of the poor. The supervisors of the districts made up the county board of supervisors whose duties were identical as those set out in 1870. The published Acts of Assembly appended a list of township names by county following the acts for every year that townships existed in Virginia.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Washington Township Board Minutes, 1871-1875, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county. An urban county, Arlington contains no incorporated towns or cities. The county courthouse is in the county.

Alexandria, in Fairfax and Arlington Counties, was named for John Alexander, an early owner of the tract in Fairfax County on which the town was located. The act to establish Alexandria was passed in 1749. Its site had previously been known as Hunting Creek Warehouse and as Belhaven. Alexandria was incorporated as a town in 1779 and was ceded to the federal government in 1789 for use as part of the site of the new national capital. It officially became part of the District of Columbia in 1801 and was renamed Alexandria County by Congress. By an act of 9 July 1846, Alexandria County, including the town of Alexandria, was retroceded to Virginia, which took jurisdiction over the area on 20 March 1847. The town was incorporated as a city in 1852.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Dismissals at Rules, 1790-1864 (bulk 1797-1838), (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was formed in 1789 from Fairfax County and was at that time named Alexandria County. The county was ceded to the federal government in 1801 and was part of the District of Columbia until 1846 when it was returned to the state of Virginia. Alexandria County changed its name in 1920 to Arlington County.

Reverend Albert Gladwin of Connecticut was appointed the first Superintendent of Contrabands by the military governor of Alexandria in 1862 to help deal with the influx of escaped slaves who had flooded the city after the beginning of the Civil War. Two of his duties were to record the deaths of freedmen and to assist poor and destitute people with coffins, headstones, and burial. Gladwin was removed from his position in 1865 after he insisted on burying deceased United States Colored Troops in the Freedmen's Cemetery instead of in the newly established soldiers' cemetery at Arlington.

The Freedmen's Cemetery was established in 1864 on land seized by the military government of Alexandria from Francis L. Smith. Located on south Washington Street just outside of the then city limits, it was established as a burial ground for contrabands and placed under the charge of the Superintendent of Contrabands.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869, (The Library of Virginia)

On 1832 June 7, Congress enacted pension legislation extending benefits more universally than under any previous legislation. This act provided for full pay for life for all officers and enlisted men who served at least 2 years in the Continental Line, the state troops or militia, the navy or marines. Men who served less than 2 years but at least 6 months were granted pensions of less than full pay. Benefits were payable effective March 4, 1831, without regard to financial need or disability and widows or children of Revolutionary War veterans were entitled to collect any unpaid benefits due from the last payment to a veteran until his death.

Alexandria County was named for the town of Alexandria, which in turn was named for John Alexander, an early owner of the tract in Fairfax County on which the town was located. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly of 16 March 1920 the county's name was changed to Arlington County.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county. An urban county, Arlington contains no incorporated towns or cities. The county courthouse is in the county.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1834, (The Library of Virginia)

The Mutual Assurance Society against Fire on Buildings, of the State of Virginia, was incorporated by the General Assembly on 22 December 1794. The plan of the society was suggested by William Frederick Ast, a Prussian then residing in Richmond, and is alleged to have been modeled after a system of mutual guarantee introduced by Frederick the Great. Insurance offered by the society was against all losses and damages occasioned accidentally by fire.

From the guide to the Mutual Assurance Society Against Fire on Buildings Subscription Book, 1795, (The Library of Virginia)

William Stewart, Jr. began his career in his youth working as a clerk for Archibald McCall and Catherine Flood McCall in Tappahannock. In November 1800, the McCalls sent Stewart to Alexandria to manage Catherine's nail factory and blacksmith shop. He had numerous responsibilities such as overseeing the hired slaves who worked in the factory or for people in Alexandria, placing and filling orders, purchasing equipment for the factory or personal goods and items for the McCalls, scheduling deliveries, and keeping the account books. In January 1815, Stewart and Miss McCall reached an agreement that transferred control of the business from her to him. For a short period of time, Stewart operated the factory in partnership with John Creighton. In 1816, Stewart was forced to sell out his share of the factory to Creighton and William Gilham because of mounting personal debt. Stewart died in February 1819 of a combination of illness and emotional depression.

Catherine Flood McCall was born in Essex County, Virginia on December 25, 1766. She was the daughter of Archibald McCall, a prominent merchant and landowner in Essex County. Both lived on a plantation near the town of Tappahannock. With her father's guidance, Catherine used her wealth and slave property to start a nail factory and blacksmith shop in Alexandria in 1798. They started a second factory in Richmond in 1806, transferring a number of slaves from Alexandria to work in it. Soon afterwards, Catherine and her father moved from Tappahannock to Richmond maintaining residences in both locations. Catherine died on March 9, 1828 in Georgetown.

The letters in this collection were used as evidence in a chancery suit entitled Administrator of William Stewart, Jr. versus Catherine Flood McCall and others that was heard in the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for Alexandria County. The purpose of the letters was to prove that Stewart did not have complete authority to act on her behalf. He had to have the approval of herself or her father in order to sell slaves, hire slaves, purchase machinery, take out loans, etc.

From the guide to the William Stewart, Jr., Letters, 1800-1818, (Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county. An urban county, Arlington contains no incorporated towns or cities.

From the guide to the Unidentified Rent Book, 1863-1871, (The Library of Virginia)

Slaves sued for emancipation in freedom suits based on the following: they were descendant(s) of a free female ancestor, typically a Native American (Hening Statutes, volume 2, p.170); failure of slaveowner(s) to abide by the 1778 slave nonimportation act (Henings Statutes, volume 9, pp. 471-472); or claimed to have been freed by slaveowner(s) by deed of emancipation or last will and testament (Henings Statutes volume 11, pp. 39-40)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county. An urban county, Arlington contains no incorporated towns or cities. The county courthouse is in the county.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1795-1858, undated, (The Library of Virginia)

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a part of Fairfax County that was ceded to the U.S. government in 1789 but was returned to Virginia in 1846. The county name was changed in 1920 to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (former home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

The separate office of coroner appeared in Virginia about 1660. The judicial duty of the office is to hold inquisitions in cases when persons meet sudden, violent, unnatural or suspicious death, or death without medical attendance. The coroner would summon a jury to assist him in determining cause of death. Prior to November 1877, the jurors numbered twelve. Between November 1877 and March 1926, the jurors numbered six. The jury viewed the body of the deceased and heard the testimony of witnesses. The coroner was required to write down witness testimony. After seeing and hearing the evidence, the jury delivered in writing to the coroner their conclusion concerning cause of death referred to as the inquisition. After March 1926, only the coroner determined cause of death. He could require physicians to assist him with determing cause of death. If a criminal act was determined to be the cause of death, the coroner was to deliver the guilty person to the sheriff and the coroners' inquests would be used as evidence in the criminal trial.

From the guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Coroners' Inquisitions, 1796-1902, (The Library of Virginia)

The U.S. Constitution gave admiralty and maritime jurisdiction to the federal courts. Those few cases of admiralty jurisdiction not taken into the federal court system were given to the newly created state district courts. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia met at the courthouse in Alexandria, then a part of the District of Columbia.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the U.S. District Court Admiralty Judgments and Decrees, 1803-1845, (The Library of Virginia)

Fort Washington, located in Maryland, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. Construction was completed on December 1, 1809. In August 1814, with British forces in Washington (having marched overland) and British ships heading up the Potomac, the fort was destroyed by its own garrison to prevent it from being captured and occupied by the British. Twelve days after the destruction of the fort, James Monroe, the acting Secretary of War, hired Major Pierre L'Enfant to construct new defenses. In November 1814, Monroe questioned L'Enfant's actions, asking for less spending. On July 14, 1815, work was halted. Two months later, L'Enfant was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Walker K. Armistead of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fort was completed on October 2, 1824, at a total cost of 426,000 dollars, excluding armament, which had not yet been installed.

From the guide to the Fort Washington Expenditures Account Book, 1814-1815, (The Library of Virginia)

Alexandria County was named for the town of Alexandria. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that had been ceded by Virginia in 1789 to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Colubmia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. Congress returned the county to Virginia in 1846, and the following year the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region. In 1920 the county's name was changed to Arlington County.

From the guide to the Alexandria County (Va.) Deed, 1843, (The Library of Virginia)

The chancery case had its origins in the purchase of glebe land by James Mason from the Protestant Episcopal Church of Alexandria at an auction held in 1815. The source of contention was the boundary lines of the land which would affect the price Mason would pay. Both the Protestant Episcopal Church and Mason had the land surveyed separately with the former showing a greater number of acres than the latter. The Protestant Episcopal Church refused to accept Mason's survey. Mason believed he was being treated unfairly by the Church and brought his case before the chancery court in Alexandria County, now Arlington County, to settle the matter.

When Fairfax County was formed from Prince William County in 1742, the area of the new county, including the village of Belle Haven, which became the town of Alexandria in 1749, was embraced by the Parish of Truro. In 1765 Truro Parish was divided and boundaries for the parish of Fairfax were established. The parish contained two places of worship, one in Falls Church and the other in Alexandria. In 1767, the parish vestry ordered the construction of new buildings in Falls Church and Alexandria. The Falls Church building was designed by James Wrenn and completed in 1769. The Alexandria church was designed by James Parsons and completed in 1773 by John Carlyle. It was given the name Christ Church on January 1, 1814. The parish vestry held meetings at both churches until October 1, 1792 when it began to meet exclusively in Alexandria. Following the disestablishment of the Anglican church in 1784, the Falls Church congregation went into gradual decline and was virtually abandoned. The vestry made vain efforts to revive the church during the 1790's and the first decade of the 1800's and decided to abandon further attempts. In the 1820's, the doors of Falls Church were reopened under the leadership of Francis Scott Key and Henry Fairfax.

Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county.

From the guide to the Arlington County Chancery Cause, John Mason versus John Muncaster and others, 1822, (The Library of Virginia)