PWCo. Chancery Records Online

For online digital collections, I highly recommend the Library of Virginia.  If you can't get to Richmond, LVA's Virginia Memory site is the next best thing to being there.  Here you can find links to records and scanned images of Revolutionary War Bounty Warrents, Confederate pension rolls, and more.

One link that I never tire of visiting is the Chancery Records Index.

What is a chancery cause?  To quote the LVA FAQ, "a chancery case was one that could not be readily decided by existing written laws. A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case. These types of court documents are useful when researching genealogical information and land or estate divisions and may contain correspondence, lists of heirs, or vital statistics, among other items. Cases in chancery often address estate and business disputes, debt, the resolution of land disputes, and divorce."

The Chancery records for Prince William County in the collection cover the years 1804 to 1954 with scanned images available online.  It is searchable by surname or date range.

Searching the index and viewing the images is free.

Will: Langhore DADE

LANGHORNE DADE Will

Prince William County Will Book K, pg. 126

24 May 1811; 4 Nov 1811

I LANGHORNE DADE hereby give and bequeath to my wife SARAH DADE and to her heirs forever all my right title and interest in and to all the property which I have conveyed to MAJOR GERARD ALEXANDER in trust for the payment and security of certain debts on the said deed mentioned.  I also give bequeath & devise unto her & her heirs all other estate of whatsoever description of which I am seised & possessed.  Witness my hand & seal this twenty fourth day of May in the year 1811.

LANGHORNE DADE {seal}

Signed sealed published & declared in presence of

WM. A. G. DADE

ELIZABETH W. DADE

GERD. ALEXANDER SR.

G. HITH

At a Court of Quarterly Sessions held for Prince William County November 4^th 1811.

This last will and testament of LANGHORNE DADE decd. was presented to the Court and being proved by the oaths of G. HITH and WM. A. G. DADE is ordered to be recorded.

Teste, JOHN WILLIAMS

Surname: Calvert

One of the things I hope to do with this blog is spotlight surnames in PWCo with documents, transcripts, and links.  Some of the surnames will be ones I'm personally researching (like Cole and Lynn), while others will have no relation whatsoever. 

Today's surname is CALVERT.  Why?  Because I happened across a website devoted to the CALVERT family of Neabsco Creek.  It doesn't appear to have been updated recently but there may be some information there that will help folks researching the family.

Calvert Family Genealogy

Do you have a name in the county that you're especially interested in?  Comment and let me know!

Understand Divorce Laws

In order to effectively deal with the divorce and its consequences, it is necessary to be informed about the divorce laws and understand them. While understanding these laws, it is necessary to know that these laws vary according to different states. Hence, you have research and collect information about the laws in your region. The main purpose of these laws is to resolve the financial and legal issues.

Apart from these, it is also necessary to check out whether your state allows uncontested divorce. This type of divorce is simply based on the compatibility issues within the couple and not necessary to mention the exact reason for separation through divorce.

Another issue for getting a divorce is to separate legally. In some states, it is mandatory to the couples to remain separated for certain period of time for using it as ground for getting divorce. However, another possible reason for getting divorce is adultery. Some states require proofs for granting divorce on the grounds of adultery. Considering this as an option for getting divorce will lead to many unpleasant experiences.

For understanding the divorce laws, you should have the information about the requirements of the region. This minimum information required include guidelines for dividing the marital property, grounds for filing divorce papers in court and residency for requirement for filing in the first place.

In case if children are involved there are different rules and regulations for child custody and parental visitation rights. Hence it is also necessary to research and know the accurate information about such rights in your region.

If you are not well informed about the divorce laws, it will lead to disappointment and frustration after the divorce is granted. You can also refer to many websites or your lawyer to resolve your queries regarding divorce laws and it would help them to understand the divorce laws. They will also inform you about the divorce procedures for filing divorce papers in court.

DONE UP LIKE A KIPPER

Now this might not work for every wife but if your relationship has taken a bit of a dive lately you may be able to resurrect it by getting your husband elected to the House of Commons and then preferably as Speaker. According to the Speaker’s wife, Sally Bercow, in an interview for the Evening Standard, “living under Big Ben with the bells chiming” is “sexy.” Also and whilst you might be somewhat concerned that other women will “hit on him,” it seems that life might have its recompenses as more men will hit on you too! Mind I’m not sure that I’d want to be “done up like a kipper,” but do wonder if you can get the same effect from a grandfather clock and election to the local Parish Council.

Website: Find A Grave

There are a number of cemetery transcription resources online, including Ron Turner's PWCVirginia.  One of my absolute favorites is Find A Grave.  Made up of volunteers, this site has been around for a while and has steadily grown in to one of the best sites for finding the final resting place of family, friends, and 'famous' individuals.

Find A Grave memorials can contain rich content including photos, biographies and dates.  Visitors can request a photo of a headstone from a specific cemetery and can leave 'virtual flowers' on the memorials they visit.

Find A Grave's stated purpose is to serve as a graves registration website and memorialization/remembrance site.  Anyone can register to be a Find A Grave volunteer.

For Prince William County specific cemeteries on the site, follow the link:  Findagrave PWCo cemeteries.

ETA:  I should probably add that Find A Grave is a FREE website.  You do not need to be registered to search the site or view the memorials.

Website: PWCo Virginia by Ronald Ray Turner

Anyone who's done research in Prince William County over the past 10+ years will easily recognize the name Ron Turner. It almost seems as if half of the books on the PWCo shelf in RELIC were authored by him.  Ron was transcribing, annotating, and sharing census and vital records with the public long before the Internet genealogy boom.

Ron now makes most of his publications available on his website at PWCVirginia, but there's so much more to explore!  You'll find links to his work documenting and transcribing the county cemeteries as well as businesses, structures, and miscellaneous papers and news articles. 

If you're researching a PWCo family or surname, Ron Turner's website is a great place to start.