James Alan Williams

County Court Records 1808-1811, Lee County, VA James Alan Williams

This book is an abstracted transcription of the Lee County Court and Court of Quarter Sessions records May 1808 - August 1811. These records include County Court Order Book 1. Lee County was created from the western section of Russell County in 1792 and became effective with the first meeting of the County Court in 1793. Jonesville was chosen as the county seat. The Order books from 1793 through 1807 were destroyed when the courthouse was burned by Union forces during the Civil War. Originally Lee County included parts of current day Wise and Scott Counties. Lee County lost its eastern most section when Scott County was created in 1814. However, a small piece of north-western Scott County was regained to Lee in 1824. Wise County was created in 1856 and included a portion of north-eastern Lee. In early Virginia history, the County Court was the governing body of a particular county, having judicial power as well as overseeing the fiscal and other affairs of the area within its jurisdiction. The types of orders contained within these records include: Deed Conveyances, Road Orders, Estate Administrator approvals, Executor appointments of Wills, District Boundaries, Criminal Trials, Debt Trials, Officer's Bonds (Sheriffs, Constables, Commissioners, etc.), Militia Officer recommendations, County Levies, Magisterial Court Appeals, Fines, County Expenditures and Revenues, Recommendations for Superior Court trials, Overseers of the Poor orders, Slave related orders, and so much more!