Amherst County (Va.) Business Records, 1785-1903

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:

Many of these business volumes are fragile-some are in poor condition due to water and/or mold damage. Sometimes, the writing is very faint and the spines of the volumes are damaged. Please handle these volumes with extreme care. Please check alternative formats for volumes that have been microfilmed. Please use microfilm if available.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Amherst County (Va.) Business Records, 1785-1903. Local government records collection, Amherst County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Extent:
95 volumes; 4 microfilm reels
Creator:
Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Amherst County (Va.) Business Records, 1785-1903. Local government records collection, Amherst County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Amherst County (Va.) Business Records, 1785-1903, are comprised of various records created by individuals and companies in pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Amherst County (Va.) Represented records consist of bound volumes such as daybooks, ledgers, account books and journals.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: Business Records, both volumes and loose records, are in some cases transferred to the Library of Virginia as components of court record transfers. These business records in some cases were simply stored in the local court building for safe keeping by business owners. In other cases, business records (particularly ledgers, account books, etc.) may have been filed in a court case as an exhibit. These business record exhibits appeared both in chancery causes and in judgments, these records serving as exhibits for business dissolution cases, debt suits, and contract disputes.

Locality History:Amherst County was named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the latter part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759 to 1768. It was formed from Albemarle County in 1761. Islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River were added in 1770. The county seat is Amherst. Area: 475.2 square miles. Population: 31,894 (2000), 31,900 (2005 estimate.)

Acquisition information:

Some records came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Amherst County in an undated accession.

A series of related materials came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Amherst County in 1939 and 1940 under accession numbers 21597 and 21717.

Processing information:

Prior to 2024, the various business records in this collection were originally described as individual records, but they have been consolidated into one large business record for the locality.

Encoded by C. Freed, August 2026

Although the Bailie, Gallaher, Book and Job Printers Ledger, 1836-1840, operated in Richmond, and therefore descriptive practice would have this record described with the business records for that locality. The decision was made, however, in April 2025 by the Local Records staff to describe this volume as part of the Amherst County business records due largely to the fact that the volume was filmed with the other Amherst County business records.

The series of records, found under the Acession numbers 21597 and 21717, while detailing activities in Bedford and Nelson counties as well as the cities of Lynchburg and Richmond in Virginia and the city of Wheeling (now in West Virginia), are all part of the larger Higginbotham Company Records, 1804-1860, and have a direct connection to the Higginbotham family based in Amherst County. These accession numbers will be noted accordingly when describing the records.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Amherst Savings Bank Records, 1879-1883
  • Series II: Bailie and Gallaher, Book and Job Printers Ledger, 1836-1840
  • Series III: Robert M. Brown Account Books, 1838-1880
  • Series IV: Brown and Whitehead Ledger, 1849-1857
  • Series V: John Cabell Estate Account Book, 1809-1834
  • Series VI: Central Savings Bank Daybook, 1859-1860
  • Series VII: S. A. Day Sales Ledger D, 1900-1903
  • Series VIII: John Thomas Ellis Records, 1881-1888
  • Series IX: John and Richard Shelton Ellis Records, 1804-1835
  • Series X: Richard Shelton Ellis Records, 1816-1846
  • Series XI: Daniel and David Higginbotham and Company Records, 1818-1843
  • Series XII: Thomas Higginbotham Records, 1831-1845
  • Series XIII: Thomas and Daniel Higginbotham and Company Records, 1815-1827
  • Series XIV: Thomas and Daniel Higginbotham and Company Records, 1815-1838
  • Series XV: John James London Ledger B, 1852-1860
  • Series XVI: McPennalton and Company Ledger, 1831-1834
  • Series XVII: Samuel Read and Company Records, 1818-1819
  • Series XVIII: Read and Montgomerie Journal, 1820-1827
  • Series XIX: Archibald Robertson and Company Records, 1814-1825
  • Series XX: Soldier's Joy Plantation Records, 1826-1851
  • Series XXI: Thompson and Teas Company Journal for Ledger C, 1785-1788
  • Series XXII: Unidentified Business Account Book, 1886-1888
  • Series XXIII: Unidentified Contractor Account Book, 1833-1840
  • Series XXIV: Unidentified Contractor Ledger, 1886-1887
  • Series XXV: Unidentified Farm Account Book, 1848-1879 (bulk 1868-1879)
  • Series XXVI: Unidentified General Store Daybook, 1821
  • Series XXVII: Unidentified Liqour Merchant Ledger D, 1814-1815
  • Series XXVIII: Unidentified Mercantile Business Ledger B, 1836-1841
  • Series XXIX: Unidentified Tanyard Account Book, 1826-1828

Physical location:
State Records Center