Prince George County, Virginia Order Book, 1714/5-1720/1

This work presents a verbatim transcript of the original record book that runs from the court term March 1714/5 through March 1720/1, with a few pages at the end for executions over multiple years.

The order book contains the usual variety of items that occur during the daily business of the county court. Entries include: adjudgements for age of Negroes; appointment of officials (including constable, guardian of an orphan, sheriff, road overseer, or vestryman, etc.); appointment of estate administrators; apprenticeships; exemptions from levy; ordinary licenses; periodic county expenses for buildings, roads, repairs, salaries, etc.; presentment by churchwardens of women claimed to have produced a bastard child; probate of wills; status of court cases (civil and criminal); tithables; and more. There is much activity about suits for debt, as the absence of banks left the court as the arena for settlement of many financial disputes. An index to full-names, places, and subjects adds to the value of this work.

2022, 8x11, paper, index, 202 pp