U.S. District Court Admiralty Judgments and Decrees, 1803-1845

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

U.S. District Court Admiralty Judgments and Decrees, 1803-1845. Local Government Records Collection, Alexandria/Arlington County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Arlington County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

U.S. District Court Admiralty Judgments and Decrees, 1803-1845. Local Government Records Collection, Alexandria/Arlington County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

U.S. District Court Admiralty Judgments and Decrees, 1803-1845, are records of admiralty and maritime actions that came under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia. The cases pertain to libel in admiralty, debt, the collection of duties, and other maritime issues. Court records are comprised of citations, exhibits, such as bills of lading and accounts, depositions, orders, and decrees.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
These records were acquired in a transfer from the Arlington County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1.35 cu. ft. (3 boxes)