Library of Virginia
Location: 800 East Broad Street, Richmond
Hours: 9-5, Mon.-Sat.
Photocopy Prices: For archival materials and copies of microfilmed materials, $0.25/page (with a 25-page/day maximum for archives); stacks materials, $0.15.
When county courthouses no longer possessed the space or facilities to house older documents, they often forwarded those records to the state library in Richmond to be housed. For many counties in Virginia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth ce nturies, local records are voluminous. Below is a list of most of the records after 1880 from Albemarle of which the Library of Virginia claims to have hard copies, according to its guide to county records. In its guide, the library only included record s prior to 1904, though they did frequently indicate when a particular record group continued after that period as well. In the list that follows, the years listed are those for which the particular record is known to exist. In some instances, these rec ords may continue up and through 1930. In addition, there may be other record groups, not listed here, that begin after 1904. Most of the records found in the Library of Virginia relate to Albemarle County broadly rather than to Charlottesville in particular, (see the descriptions of courthouse holdings above for more detail on the loose papers holdings of the city courthouse), though there are some very important city documents in the library, such as some of the city police records.
The Library of Virginia also has microfilmed copies of most of the major record groups still held locally by each courthouse, such as deeds, wills, tax lists, and court order books.
The records held by the Library of Virginia can be difficult to work with. While not always the case, records frequently are fragmentary in nature (in some cases, papers are simply loose and collected in boxes as miscellany). The records are therefore too infrequently mined, but for the persistent they provide enormous opportunities for research projects that explore the details of daily life. The library's archival materials can, for example, yield insight to criminal activity, class divisions, and political action. Archivists at the library are both extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and researchers are strongly encouraged to utilize their assistance in finding relevant materials.
The Library of Virginia's catalog is available online.
County Court
Bond Books, 1874-1904, 1892-1903 (7 vols.)
Causes Ended, 1880-1904
Clerk's Fees Received, 1887-1892 (1 vol.)
Clerk's Tax Book, 1898-1903 (1 vol.)
Docket, 1872-1903 (1 vol.)
Indexes to Judgment Dockets, 1880-1904
Law Fees, 1880-1901 (4 vols.)
List of Fees Received, 1889-1891 (1 vol.)
List of Licenses, 1880-1887
Memorandum Books, 1880-1898
Process Book, 1880-1904 (1 vol.)
Record of Fees Received, 1889-1891 (1 vol.)
Record of Receipts of the Clerk of Court, 1887-1891 (1 vol.)
Warrants, 1880-1896
Witness Attendance Books, 1880-1901
Orders for Appraisal of Strays, 1880-1891 (1 vol.)
Court Scratch (Memorandum Docket), 1893-1897 (1 vol.)
Taxes Received, 1887-1890
Clerk's Memorandum of Cash Received, 1887-1888
List of Claims on Auditor, County Court, 1887-1904 (1 vol.)
Superior Court of Law
Common Law Causes Ended, Circuit Court, 1880-1899
Executions A-Z, Circuit Court, 1880-1891, 1899
Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery
Superior Court Old Chancery Papers, 1880-1900
Ended Chancery, 1880-1899
Circuit Court
Chancery Executions, 1880-1904 (1 vol.)
Chancery Fees, 1880-1917
Circuit Court Bond Books, 1879-1902 (4 vols.)
Clerk's Blotters, 1881-1884, 1888-1893
Issue Dockets, 1880-1902
Judge's Law Dockets, 1887-1916 (2 vols.)
Jury Books, 1880-1903
Law Docket, 1902-1916 (1 vol.)
Law Execution Books, 1880-1904
Law Fees, 1880-1904
Memorandum Books, 1880-1896
Process Book, 1880-1898 (1 vol.)
Subpoenas, 1880-1883, 1891
County and Superior Courts
Chancery Papers (Old Series), 1880-1940 (some suits filed separately)
Commonwealth Causes Ended (including oaths, bonds, etc.), 1880-1936
Court Papers, ca. 1880-1910
Ended Chancery, ca. 1890-1940
Miscellaneous Chancery Papers, 1880-1904
(Old) Chancery, 1880-1931 (1 cubic foot)
Old Papers (including bonds, fiduciary papers), 1880-1916 (.25 cubic feet)
Corporation Court, City of Charlottesville
Corporation and Police Courts, and Albemarle County Circuit Court, List of Convicts, 1888-1909 (also a list of marriages, 1888-1903), (1 vol.)
Unspecified Court Records
Convict Day Book, 1878-1905, (1 vol.)
Index to Judgment Docket no. 3, 1880-1886 (1 vol.)
Memorandum Book, 1877-1881 (1 vol.)
Miscellaneous Papers (declarations, writs, etc.), A-Z, 1873-1893 (.45 cubic feet)
Election records
General Register, 1902-1903, (1 vol.)
Lists of Voters Registered, 1902-1944 (overlapping date ranges), (34 vols.)
Lists of Voters Registered, colored, 1902-1947 (overlapping date ranges), (59 vols.); and white, 1902-1947 (overlapping date ranges), (71 vols.)
Justice of the Peace Records
Constable W.H. Burnley's Record Book, 1899-1900 (1 vol.)
Justices' Judgments, 1897-1903 (1 vol.)
Records of Judgments, A.R. McKee, J.P., 1877-1885 (2 vols.)
Military and Pension Records
World War I History Commission, Questionnaires
Organization Records
City of Charlottesville Democratic Executive Committee Minutes, 1888-1891 (1 vol.)
Tax and Fiscal Records
Personal Property Tax Books, 1872-1904 (33 vols.)
Record of Delinquent Lands, 1884-1905 (4 vols.)
General Index to Delinquent Lands, 1902-1931 (1 vol.)
Register of Warrants Paid and Settlement of Accounts with Supervisor of County Home, 1901-1925 (1 vol.)
Tax Books, 1893-1899, 1896-1897 (2 vols.)
Miscellaneous Records
Contracts for Personal Property, 1890-1902 (1 vol.)
Mechanics' Lien Records no. 1, 1890-1914 (1 vol.)
(Unidentified) Lawyer's Receipt Books, 1872-1902
Woods and Co. (Grocer's) Order Book no. 4, 1897-98 (1 vol.)
County Account Books, 1886-1891 (1 vol.)
Registers of School Warrants, 1871-1891 (2 vols.)
Treasurer's Tax Collection Books. Miller Township, 1885-1890 (2 vols.); Charlottesville District, 1885-1890 (1 vol.); Scottsville District, 1885-1890; Rivanna Township, 1885-1890.
Alderman Library--University of Virginia