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Orange County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1736-1952 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.

Orange County (Va.) Commonwealth Causes, 1736-1903 are criminal court cases and consist primarily of warrants, summons, indictments, and verdicts handed down by grand juries and other legal authorities in order to prosecute individuals who violated the penal code. These offenses ranged in severity from murder, rape, assault and battery, and larceny to tax evasion and slander. Criminal offenders and victims who appear in cases prior to the abolition of slavery in Virginia in 1865 included both free and enslaved persons.

Orange County (Va.) Court Records, 1820-1848. The collection contains various documents removed from Orange County court records. Included is a letter from William Madison to his brother James Madison, at Montpelier, 1820, pertaining to James Madison's refusal of his rights to a piece of land. William Madison also discusses his plans to provide beef and pork to James Madison.

Orange County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1836, primarily record the declarations of individuals seeking to obtain Revolutionary War pensions provided by various acts of Congress. The applicants present detailed testimony of their time of service during the Revolutionary War. Information found in the declarations include date and location applicants entered into service, names of military companies they served in, names of military commanders they served under, names of fellow soldiers they served with, length of service, their age, and their place of birth. The predominant portion of the declarations are narratives of their tours of duty during the Revolutionary War with emphasis on battles they fought. The declarations also include affidavits from witnesses who could verify information provided by applicants.

Orange County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1738-1865, includes Clerk Correspondence, 1851; Colonization Records, 1833; Court Records, 1760-1808; Criminal Records, 1843 ca.; Deeds, 1861-1865 Fiduciary Records, 1738-1826; "Free Negro" Tax Records, 1810-1854; Requisitions for Public Use Records, 1861-1864; "Runaway" Records, 1797-1824; and Tax and Fiscal Records, 1774-1861.

Orange County (Va.) Health and Medical Records 1800-1901, consist of one folder of Mental Health Records. These 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 examined and released to the recognizance of a family member or who were recommended to be committed to the mental hospital in Williamsburg. Fiduciary records such as estate inventories of a person judged insane may also be present.

Orange County (Va.) Indentured Servants Suits, 1740-1803, includes petitions filed by indentured servants seeking freedom denied them by their masters after their servitude ended or seeking freedom dues owed them for their service.

Orange County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1758-1900, consist of military service records, accounts and vouchers, and claims for reimbursement by civilians and service members. These include: