Rockingham County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Summons for judgment, Graham vs. Mallery, 1818 February, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed in 1778 from Augusta County.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Judgment Suits, 1806, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed in 1778 from Augusta County.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Summons, 1884, (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.

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1914-1946, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed in 1778 from Augusta County.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Clerk's Receipts, 1875-1876, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed in 1778 from Augusta County.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Letter from the Auditor of Public Accounts to the Clerk of Court, 1840, (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.

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonies during the years before and during the Revolutionary War. The county was formed from Augusta County in 1778. The county seat is the city of Harrisonburg.

A courthouse fire in 1787 destroyed primarily wills and estate records. In June 1864 during the Civil War, court records (mostly volumes) were removed from the courthouse and loaded on a wagon to be taken to place of safety on or beyond the Blue Ridge. The wagon was overtaken by Union troops near Port Republic and set afire, which was put out by local citizens. Many order books, deed books, will books, and fiduciary books, however, were lost or severely damaged by the fire. The loose records that remained at the courthouse were undamaged. Pre-1865 records including deeds and wills were rerecorded following an act of assembly passed in November 1884.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1781-1913 (bulk 1819-1913), (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Road surveyor's appointment of Samuel G. Bougher, 1832, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

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. The register listed the age, name, color, stature, marks or scars, in what court the person was emancipated or whether the person was born free. Some clerks recorded additional information not required by the law.

In 1806, the General Assembly moved to remove the free negro population from Virginia with a law that stated that all emancipated slaves, freed after May 1, 1806, who remained in the Commonwealth more than a year, would forfeit their right to freedom and be sold by the Overseers of the Poor for the benefit of the parish. Families wishing to stay were to petition the legislature through the local county court. Beginning in 1837, freed slaves could petition the local courts for permission to remain.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1783-1861 and undated, (The Library of Virginia)

On February 21, 1818, the Virginia legislature passed a school bill which appropriated $45,000 annually from the Literary Fund for the education of poor children. (The Literary Fund had been established in 1810 with passage of a bill to appropriate "certain escheats, confiscated, and forfeited lands" for the "encouragement of learning.") Under the provisions of the 1818 School Act, each county court was required to appoint five to fifteen commissioners to establish and/or administer schools for children of the poor. A more comprehensive public school system was established by the legislature in 1870. Prior to 1818, county courts were given the option of whether to appoint a Board of School Commissioners.

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1835-1840, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County in 1778. The county is named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain.

Individuals dying with a written will died testate. After the death of an individual, his or her will was brought into court, where two of the subscribing witnesses swore that the document was genuine. After the will was proved, the executor was bonded to carry out his or her duties to settle the estate. The court then ordered the will to be recorded.

The court appointed an administrator who was bonded and issued an order to appraise the deceased's estate. The court usually appointed four appraisers, any three of whom might serve. They returned an inventory of the decedent's personal property to the court to be recorded. An appraisal listed the personal property and assigned a monetary value to each item.

A guardian was appointed by the court only if there was an estate to protect. At age thirteen, a child was eligible to go into court and choose his own guardian. Periodically, guardians were required to bring estate accounts inot court. These accounts deal with the expenditures of the guardian for the raising of each child, generally on an individual basis. The estate of a deceased person with minor children required the keeping of records until it was settled. The settlement occured when the last minor child married or arrived at legal age.

A courthouse fire in 1787 destroyed primarily wills and estate records. In June 1864, many court records were removed from the courthouse and loaded on a wagon to be taken to place of safety in or beyond the Blue Ridge. The wagon was overtaken by Union troops near Port Republic and set afire. Some local citizens put out the fire; however, many court order books, deed books, will books, and fiduciary books were lost or severely damaged by the fire. Pre-1864 records including deeds and wills were re-recorded following an act of assembly passed on November 18, 1884.

The original Rockingham County Wills described in this collection were created by the County Court.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Wills and Administrations, 1803-1862, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

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.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1914-1915, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Judgment (Writ of Ad Quod Damnum), Gray vs. Richardson, 1793 Nov., (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Public Buildings and Grounds, 1785-1913, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

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 Rockingham County (Va.) Register of Free Negroes, 1807-1859, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Fifa, Dyer vs. Jenkins, 1826 November, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was formed in 1778 from Augusta County.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Supreme Court of Appeals Subpoena, 1876, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Certificate of road work for Anderson Moffett, 1827 April 27, (The Library of Virginia)

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

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 violent or unnatural deaths, to establish the cause of death, to deliver the guilty person to the sheriff, and to act as administrator of the deceased's estate. The coroner also performs the sheriff's duties when there is a vacancy in that office. The office of coroner is appointive.

From the guide to the Rockingham County (Va.) Coroners' reports and inquests, 1915-1936, (The Library of Virginia)