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The Clerk of the Circuit Court
Archives
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Gary M. Clemens, Clerk of the Circuit Court
John Fishback, Historic Records Manager
18 E. Market Street
P.O. Box 550
Leesburg VA 20178
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 550
Leesburg, VA 20178
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri.
Phone: 703-737-8775
e-mail: john.fishback@loudoun.gov
Welcome to the Archives section of the Loudoun County Circuit Clerk's Office! |
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The Archives section maintains all the historic records for the Clerk's Office. On this page, you'll find a list of some of the records we have. Since there are numerous miscellaneous books maintained in the Archives, this is only a partial listing.
Copy Information
Copies are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The costs are:
Black & White Copies
- 8½x11 and 8½x14…………………..50 cents
- 11x17……………………………………….$1.00
Color Copies
- 8½x11 and 8½x14…………………$2.50
- 11x17…………………………………….$5.00
Note: Copies can be made from most books and documents, however, the Clerk's Office reserves the right to refuse to make copies from items deemed oversized or fragile.
Overview
Loudoun County is one of only a few counties in the Commonwealth that has records dating from the beginning of the county, which was formed in 1757 from Fairfax County.
The records were originally kept in a vault at Rokeby, the home of the first Clerk of Court Charles Binns, located near Leesburg. In 1800 an office for the Clerk was ordered to be built on the Courthouse lot in order to have the records closer to the court. The records were brought to Leesburg and Mr. Binns resigned after being Clerk for 43 years. During the Civil War, George K. Fox who was the Clerk of Court was ordered to take the records somewhere for safe keeping and the legend is he took them to Campbell County, Virginia, and hid them. After the war all the records were returned safely to Leesburg and have been housed in various locations adjacent to the Courthouse ever since.
The Archives section is currently located in an area adjacent to the File Room in the basement of the Courts Complex. To access the Archives, enter the building through the main entrance for the Courts Complex located on Market Street and follow the directions.
A brochure about the Archives section is available online:
Records in the Archives Section
Wills
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Index for Wills: 1757-June 1995-All will/probate/estate records from 1757 to June 30, 1995 are located in the archives. All wills after June 1995 are available on the public access computers located in the Clerks Office on the second floor of the court house.
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Online Will Index: 1757-1946
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Will Books 1757-1984 are located in the archives. Will books from 1984-1995 are on microfilm only in the archives.
More information on The Clerk of the Circuit Court Probate Department is available here.
Deeds
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A General Index for Deeds 1757-1812 is online here.
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Index for Deeds 1757 to 1893: Located in the archives. All indexes for deeds after 1893- to the present are located in the Clerk’s Office on the second floor.
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Deed Books from 1757- Book 809 (1982) are located in the archives.
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Deed Books 1982-Present: To view a deed book after March 1982 (Book 809), you must go to the main Clerk's Office located on the second floor. Deed Books 8A (1905) to the present are available on the public access computers located in the Clerk’s Office on the second floor.
Tithables
These are early tax records. The 1758 to 1786 originals are not indexed. They list name of person responsible for paying the tax, all males over the age of 16, some women and slaves. Most free females were not taxed in those days.
Marriages
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Index for Marriage Records: Includes records from 1793 to June 1995. Index for marriages after 1995 are on computer only and are available at the desk in the archives section.
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Marriage Records: Includes bonds 1767 to 1850; ministers' returns, which list only the names of the parties married and the date, 1793 to mid-1800s; and licenses from the mid-1800s to the present which have the marriage date and additional information.
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The Index of Marriage Bonds 1767-1850 is online.
Birth and Death Records
Note: These birth and death records are incomplete and are available only in book form. Due to the large size and fragile condition no copies will be made from the books. An abstract of the record can be made and certified if desired.
- The Index of Birth and Death Records 1912 - 1917 is online.
Order Books and Suit Papers
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Court Order Books: Includes records from 1757 to January 1984. Early order books contain general court business and include references to orphans, children bound to learn a trade, manumissions, road and mill petitions and administrations on an estate if there was no will.
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Index of Chancery Causes: Index to early court suits are known as the “M” files. The “M” files contain the papers from early court suits.
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Index to Road Cases: These are petitions for opening roads in pre-state highway system days.
Land Books (Assessments)
Record of Free Negroes
Additional Resources
Another valuable information resource is the Thomas Balch Library, a library of history and genealogy located just 2 blocks west of the Courthouse on Market Street in Leesburg.
Thomas Balch Library
208 West Market Street
Leesburg VA 20176
Phone: 703-737-7195
e-mail: balchlib@leesburgva.org
Website: www.leesburgva.org/services/library
Websites on Loudoun's History
Links to Other Northern Virginia Clerk of Courts
For More Information
For more information about the Archives, please contact us. If you do write or e-mail for information, please be as specific as possible about what you need. We currently do not have enough staff to do a general name search. If you come to visit please sign our new Surname Exchange List.
Archives, Clerk of the Circuit Court
18 E. Market Street
P.O. Box 550
Leesburg VA 20178
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri.
(Copies available 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.)
Phone: 703-737-8775
e-mail: john.fishback@loudoun.gov
From the Vault
You Never Know What You'll Find |
Recently while unfolding the old marriage licenses for the year 1904 so they could be inventoried, organized and flat filed, a license from the year 1864 was found tucked away for safe keeping in the bundle.
The license, issued November 15, 1864 by George K. Fox, Jr., Clerk of Court for Loudoun County, was for the marriage of Edmond C. Fitzhugh and Ann F. Grayson.
The husband was 43 years old, born in Stafford County and a widower. He was the son of Dr. Alex and Eliza Fitzhugh. His place of residence was listed as “in camp” and his occupation as soldier. The wife was 34 years old, born in Stafford County and single. She was the daughter of Richard O. and Maria Grayson. Her place of residence was listed as Newstead, Loudoun County. |
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Click on image for larger view. |
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The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. W. W. Williams and took place at Newstead on December 29, 1864. The Clerk noted at the bottom of the license “The minister can keep this, and return it to me when this cruel war is over.”
We don’t know how it got there but forty years later, on October 25, 1904, Rev. A .C. Thomson, Rector of Trinity Church, Portsmouth, Virginia returned the license to Loudoun County. The license was placed with the 1904 returns instead of being filed with the year in which it was issued and had been there for the last 100 years. Although the license was indexed in Marriage Register No. 1, the original license was presumed lost. It has now been “found,” properly filed and is available for research purposes.
Thanks for exploring the Clerk of the Circuit Court Archives. Please check back from time to time to see what we've added "from the vault."
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