Gloucester County Health and Medical Records, 1886-1960

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

Summary

Extent:
1.8 cu. ft. (4 boxes), 3 volumes.
Creator:
Gloucester County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Gloucester County (Va.) Health and Medical Records 1886-1960, consist of four boxes and three volumes of mental health records and Diphtheria antitoxin receipts. Mental health records may include warrants, orders, petitions, depositions, reports, etc. for or by justices of the peace and others regarding the mental condition of individuals who were released to the recognizance of a family member or who were committed to a mental hospital. One volume contains "Record of Persons Adjudged Insane," 1901-1936, and two volumes contain "Record of Insane, Epileptic, Inebriate and Feeble-Minded Persons,"1937-1960.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type:

Mental Health Records may consist of a variety of documents that historically were referred to as lunacy papers in the courthouses of Virginia localities and municipalities.

In 1863, the Virginia General Assembly passed two pieces of legislation affecting persons committed to mental hospitals. In February, it passed legislation allowing for a committee to sell any stock and for any proceeds beyond that necessary for an individual's care to be invested in any stock, to include Confederate bonds. In March, the General Assembly widened the scope of this by passing legislation authorizing any fiduciaries such as the committee or trustee of the estate of any person to petition their circuit court to allow them to invest any part of estate funds in Confederate bonds or certificates.

Locality History:

Gloucester County was named probably to honor Henry, duke of Gloucester, the third son of King Charles I, or it may also have been named for the English county. It was formed from York County in 1651. The county seat is Gloucester.

Acquisition information:
This collection came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Gloucester County Circuit Court under an undated accession.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into a single series:

  • Series I: Health and Medical Records, 1886-1960,