Nottoway County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. It was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Land Records, 1861-1962 (bulk 1867-1925), (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. It was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

Before the Bird Road Act of 1932, counties were responsible for the control, construction, alteration, and maintenance of the roads and bridges in their locale. People living along sections of the road were responsible for its maintenance. An individual Surveyor of the Road was appointed from among the residents in each section of the road, to oversee the work for that section of the road.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Road and Bridge Records, 1866-1924, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Coroners' Inquisitions, 1867-1923, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Records, 1839-1987 (bulk 1839-1926), (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Judgments, 1814-1937 (bulk 1814-1927), (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. It was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) County Court Minute Book, 1860-1864, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Township Records, 1870, (The Library of Virginia)

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.

Nottoway County was named for the Nottoway River or for the Nottoway Indian tribe. The county was formed from Amelia County by a statue adopted on 22 December 1788 to take effect 1 May 1789.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1818-1932 (bulk 1866-1932)., (The Library of Virginia)

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.

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1933-1968, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Deeds and Deeds of Satisfaction, 1789-1865, (The Library of Virginia)

John Mitchell, Jr. was born July 11, 1863 in Henrico County, Virginia to slave parents. He graduated from Richmond High and Normal School in 1881 and pursued a career as a teacher for several years. In 1884, he became the second editor of the newspaper the Richmond Planet, a black weekly paper founded by former slaves in the city of Richmond in 1883. He remained its editor for forty five years during which time he used his position and his paper to protest all forms of racial discrimination, prejudice, and hypocricy, especially lynching, earning for himself the title of "the fighting editor." By 1887, the paper was one of the largest circulating black newspapers in the South. Mitchell was prominent in the Virginia Republican party and served as Jackson Ward's delegate to Richmond City Council from 1888 to 1896. He ran for governor of Virginia on an all-black ticket in 1921. He founded the Mechanics Savings Bank in 1902 and was head of the Virginia chapter of the Knights of Pythias, a benevolent association. His bank failed in 1922 after accusations of mismanagement and he died a short time afterwards on December 3, 1929. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia.

The Knight of Pythias was a fraternal benevolent association founded in 1864. In 1870, a white chapter refused to admit African American members although after years of petitioning, some light-skinned African Americans were accepted. One of these men, Dr. Thomas W. Stringer of Mississippi, later formed what is often referred to as the Colored Knights of Pythias although their official name was The Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The Colored Knights had many chapters throughout the United States. The organization provided community services such as insurance, burial services, and other welfare functions. The Colored Knights suffered a decline in membership after the Depression and does not survive much today. In Richmond, Virginia, the Pythian Hall was for many years located in the same building as the Mechanics Savings Bank founded by John Mitchell, Jr.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) John Mitchell, Jr. Campaign Button, undated, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. It was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Commonwealth Causes, 1866-1928 (bulk 1866-1925), (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Tax and Fiscal Records, 1864-1925, (The Library of Virginia)

Nottoway County was named for the Nadowa Indian tribe. The word nadowa, anglicized to nottoway, means snake, or enemy. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1788.

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.

From the guide to the Nottoway County (Va.) Court Records, 1789-1986 (bulk 1853-1986), (The Library of Virginia)