<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" findaidstatus="completed" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-VGM">C0377</eadid><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper>Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by governors appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County <num>C0377</num></titleproper><subtitle>Guide to Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by governors appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County</subtitle><author>Amanda Brent</author></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center</publisher><p id="logostmt"><extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="https://library.gmu.edu/img/mason-logo.png" xlink:show="embed" xlink:type="simple"/></p><p><date>January 11, 2022</date></p><address><addressline>Fenwick Library, MS2FL</addressline><addressline>4400 University Dr.</addressline><addressline>Fairfax, Virginia 22030</addressline><addressline>Business Number: 703-993-2220</addressline><addressline>Fax Number: 703-993-8911</addressline><addressline>speccoll@gmu.edu</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="https://scrc.gmu.edu" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="https://scrc.gmu.edu" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2026-06-17 07:01:22 -0400</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English, Latin script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
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      <corpname>George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center</corpname>
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    <unittitle>Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by governors appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County</unittitle>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname authfilenumber="no2022089218" rules="dacs" source="naf">Smith, George William, 1762-1811</persname>
    </origination>
    <origination label="Creator">
      <persname authfilenumber="n88631404" rules="dacs" source="naf">McDowell, James, 1795-1851</persname>
    </origination>
    <unitid>C0377</unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/2/resources/513</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">.01 Linear Feet</extent>
      <extent altrender="carrier">1 folder</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" type="inclusive">1809 - 1849</unitdate>
    <abstract id="aspace_6abb89c91fab4f3616df60a8baf4b971" label="Abstract">Five official Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by four Virginia governors, each appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County, 1809 - 1849.</abstract>
    <physloc id="aspace_5484b022408430d22d4173283889f0c9">R 72, C 3, S 4</physloc>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
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  <accessrestrict id="aspace_e6899b9dc609e45cfa874ec1a42dc7e2">
    <head>Access Restrictions</head>
<p>There are no access restrictions.</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <userestrict id="aspace_6ff5fc77b397f3839c3ae98e0e9fa513">
    <head>Use Restrictions</head>
<p>No known copyright. The Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries believes that this collection is not restricted by copyright or related rights, but a conclusive determination could not be made. (See https://rightsstatements.org/page/NKC/1.0/?language=en)</p>  </userestrict>
  <prefercite id="aspace_cef2e46e7045f7131d9b46f78aab6f3b">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by governors appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County, C0377, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.</p>  </prefercite>
  <acqinfo id="aspace_0fdc0abe588bd376f7d529e29eb73e75">
    <head>Acquisition Information</head>
<p>Purchased by Lynn Eaton from Jerry Showalter in April 2019.</p>  </acqinfo>
  <processinfo id="aspace_1cbfff5a8af9ac99c3a7fba842637dd7">
    <head>Processing Information</head>
<p>Processing completed by Amanda Brent in January 2022. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in January 2022.</p>  </processinfo>
  <bioghist id="aspace_471525d38f511b5d68992601b336c445">
    <head>Historical Information</head>
<p>Loudoun County, Virginia was established in 1757 and was named for John Campbell, earl of Loudoun in Scotland. Originally a part of Fairfax County, Loudoun County was the most populous county in Virginia up to the American Revolution. Loudoun County's seat remains Leesburg, Virginia.</p>  </bioghist>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_1950bd0243a674ab9448ec5bc61b91b6">
    <head>Scope and Content</head>
<p>Five official Commonwealth of Virginia documents signed by four Virginia governors, each appointing justices of the peace and sheriffs for Loudoun County, 1809 - 1849. Each document is partially printed and handwritten, and has a seal. All of them have handwriting on the verso.</p><p>The first document, dated July 6, 1809, was signed by Lieutenant Governor (or Acting Governor) and eventual Governor George William Smith appointing Charles Bunnett to the position of Sheriff.</p><p>The second document, dated October 14, 1811, was signed by Lieutenant Governor and eventual Governor George William Smith appointing a group of people to the Justices of the Peace.</p><p>The third document, dated February 26, 1833, was signed by Governor John Floyd, appointing a group of people to the Justices of the Peace.</p><p>The fourth document, dated December 8, 1844, was signed by Governor James McDowell appointing Abner Gibson to the position of Sheriff.</p><p>The fifth document, dated August 9, 1849, was signed by Governor John Buchanan Floyd (son of Governor John Floyd) appointing a group of people to the Justices of the Peace.</p>  </scopecontent>
  <relatedmaterial id="aspace_b79016fc9ef3bc5a0acb50a4fb3e989f">
    <head>Related Materials</head>
<p>The Special Collections Research Center also holds the <extptr xlink:show="new" xlink:title="Letter from Joseph Janney of Leesburg, Virginia" xlink:href="https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0357"/>, <extptr xlink:show="new" xlink:title="Indenture for a miller apprenticeship for Hugh Ogden in Loudoun County, Virginia" xlink:href="https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0360"/>, and the <extptr xlink:show="new" xlink:title="Cordelia Jones free papers issued by the Loudoun County, Virginia court" xlink:href="https://aspace.gmu.edu/resources/c0379"/>.</p><p>The <extptr xlink:show="new" xlink:title="Thomas Balch Library" xlink:href="https://www.leesburgva.gov/departments/thomas-balch-library"/> in Leesburg, VA collects "printed, manuscript, photographic, cartographic and genealogical documentation of Leesburg, Loudoun County and the surrounding region."</p>  </relatedmaterial>
  <arrangement id="aspace_9bd2997cc15dab75612faa947ed3a131">
    <head>Arrangement</head>
<p>This collection was arranged chronologically.</p>  </arrangement>
  <bibliography id="aspace_ef68b5f6ca49ad7b3a66a1abec2fbc70">
    <head>Bibliography</head>
<p>"Governors of Virginia." Encyclopedia Virginia, accessed January 11, 2022. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/governors-of-virginia/. "History of Loudoun County[.]" Loudoun.gov, accessed January 11, 2022. https://www.loudoun.gov/174/History.</p>  </bibliography>
  <controlaccess>
    <subject authfilenumber="sh2010100083" source="lcsh">Local government -- Virginia</subject>
    <geogname authfilenumber="n80149095" source="lcsh">Loudoun County (Va.)</geogname>
  </controlaccess>
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