Collections : [Library of Virginia]

Augusta County (Va.) Business Records,1789-1908, is comprised of various records created by individuals and companies is pursuit of documenting business activities in and around Augusta County (Va.). Represented records largely consists of bound volumes such as ledgers, daybooks, minute books, cashbooks, invoice books, and account books.

Augusta County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781-1782, sometimes entitled certificates of nonimportation, contain information whereby an enslaver swears that they have not imported the enslaved person from Africa and that the enslaver has not brought the enslaved person into Virginia with the purpose of selling the enslaved person. The enslaved person is sometimes named, but not always, and occasionally information is given as to age, birthdate, and the state the individuals are moving from.

Augusta County (Va.) Chancery Answer, Fultz v. Strain, ca. 1855. Consists of an answer from William H. Strain and Mary B. Strain, his wife, in a case pertaining to settlement of the estate of William Sharp, specifically the division of the proceeds from the sale of Sharp's slaves. Other family members mentioned in the answer include Fanny Porter and her four children, Boyd Porter, William Porter, Mary, and Ann Patton.

Augusta County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1746-1944, consists of cases concerning issues of equity brought largely by residents of the county and filed in the circuit court. These cases often involve the following actions: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, disputes regarding contracts, debt, divorce, and business disputes. Other less prevalent issues include freedom suits, permissions to sell property, and disputes concerning trespass. Predominant documents found in these chancery causes include bills (documents the plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response to the plaintiff's complaint), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, plats, wills, records involving enslaved individuals, business records or vital statistics.

Augusta County (Va.) Court Papers, 1745-1776, is a volume comprised of individual items noted in other county records such as a minute book, will books (volumes 1-4) and order books (volumes 1-16.) The volume reflects the wide range of subjects covered by the county court (in its executive capacity) during this time including accounts, bonds, road petitions and overseer appointments, tithable lists, exemptions from taxes, unclaimed land and land alterations, agricultural subsidies, indentured servants, apprentice indentures, mill petitions, inquisitions, bills of sale for slaves and the only surviving marriage consent (1751). Each individual item is identified by both a section and individual item number--hand numbered prior to creating the photostatic volume. For reference purposes only, the items are separated into two volumes. The first volume is comprised of sections 1-7 and the second volume is comprised of sections 8-14.

Augusta County (Va.) Court Records, 1769-1837, consist of records organized into the local records series of Overseer of the Poor Records, Bonds/Commissions/Oaths, Miscellaneous Records, Tax and Fiscal Records, and Wills.

Augusta County (Va.) Deposition from a Chancery Suit, William Scott, etc. vs. Robert Harnsbarger, 1829. The document contains a sworn statement of two acting justices of the peace in Fleming County, Kentucky. The statement certifies a deposition taken in Kentucky and accepted as evidence in the chancery cause Scott vs. Harnsbarger in Augusta County, Virginia in 1829. The testimony itself is not included.

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Augusta County (Va.) Orphan's Bond, 1823. Consists of an orphan's bond pertaining to James Heizer, orphan son of John Heizer.

Augusta County (Va.) Promissory note, 1767, for six pounds between George McCown and S. Mathews.