EXPLORE RELIC
September 2023
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Start your historical journey here. RELIC's email newsletter highlights upcoming free events and happenings. Genealogy and local Virginia history are our specialties as a service provided by Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL). You can always find more about us on RELIC's webpage.
RELIC service is available:
Hours of Operation
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Closed Sunday
Due to a staff shortage, RELIC is not always staffed during the above hours. However, the room is available, and service desk staff or substitutes can often help. Please call ahead for staffed hours if you need RELIC staff to be present.
Ask the Tree Doctor
If you wish to make an appointment with Darlene Hunter, RELIC Tree Hunter, please email relic2@pwcgov.org or call 703–792–8380.
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I always hope that my ancestors had to go to court! Their appearance often generated the most informative records in Virginia. "The Virginia Courts of Chancery were state courts with equity jurisdiction, which existed in Virginia from 1777 to 1875." Chancery cases continued after 1875 under a different jurisdiction.
Many early Virginia Chancery Court records, loose papers, are found on the Library of Virginia website at www.lva.virginia.gov. If you want to peruse the website, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click Site Index, and then click Chancery Records Index. Or, click here for a link directly to the Chancery Records Index. Once on the index, select a county and then a surname. There may be an affidavit that explains family relationships or a will or plat that did not survive in the county records.
There are also the District Courts, which were a Court of Appeals. The early records for these courts were housed at one location in the District. For example, the District Court records 1789-1809 for Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William County were kept at Dumfries and then in Haymarket from 1803. Prince William is the repository for these records. RELIC has many of these records transcribed or on microfilm.
The records for the Superior Court of Chancery for Caroline, Culpeper, Essex, Fauquier, Fairfax, Lancaster, Northumberland, Madison, King George, Orange, Prince William, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Westmoreland, and the city of Fredericksburg are available at Fredericksburg. An extracted index is available on their website. The loose papers are also available in Fredericksburg.
See Virginia Court System: A Genealogist Guide to Early Court Records (before 1851) and where to find early Chancery Court records (RELIC 349.755 Hia) for the location of other Virginia county Chancery records.
Ask in RELIC, and we might be able to help find a treasure trove about your Virginia ancestor in the Chancery records.
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This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers, and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society, and events of the time from 1877–2007. |
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Please check out these programs that may be of interest at our other branches. |
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Adults
Wednesday, September 20, 1:00 p.m.
Learn how to start your genealogy research journey.
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Young Adults/Adults
Saturday, September 30, 12:00 p.m.
Who better to write your story than you? In this workshop, you’ll brainstorm your life experiences, the lessons you learned from them, and embark on the journey of writing a story only you can write: your memoir.
Registration is requested but not required. Notebooks and pens will be provided.
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Questions and comments are always welcome.
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