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Official Records - County Records - Accomack County

Accomack County is the northernmost county on Virginia's Eastern Shore. As one of the original counties established in 1634, Accomack has a large collection of records dating back to the earliest years of local government in colonial Virginia. In the first federal census of 1790, Accomack contained 4,262 slaves, or 31 percent of the total population of 13,959. The county also contained a large population of free blacks, and interactions between black and white Virginians in Accomack reveal much of the complexity of Virginia's society. You may read excerpts from county order books for the following years.

Examination of John Brown and John Scott for felony theft, Sept. 11, 1769.
This trial contains a record of the testimony, unusual for trials before the Revolution. Whites accused of felony were simply examined by the local justices, who determined whether they should be sent on the Williamsburg for trial before the General Court. For slaves accused of felony, the local justices served as a special court of Oyer and Terminer to avoid the additional expense of travel to Williamsburg. Hue and cry was a traditional way of raising the alarm in the community after a crime was committed.

A slave named Jacob accuses a white man of assault, September 26, 1769.
Such cases were rare; if a slave could get another white man to testify on his behalf, he might have a case. In this instance Jacob's owner was one of the justices of the court, but the case was dismissed.

Glocester tried for felony, October 13, 1769.
The justices convened as a special court of Oyer and Terminer to try slaves. This avoided the additional expense of sending them on to Williamsburg as in the cases of free offenders.

Elizabeth Martin presented for bearing an illegitimate child, November 1, 1769.
Churchwardens were parish elders appointed to oversee the church, take care of the indigent, and enforce moral behavior.

A runaway servant captured, November 2, 1769.
Captors of runaways had their actions certfied before the local authorites which were sent on the the House of Burgesses for reward.

Trial of Ismay, December 12, 1769.
Felony convictions, even of slaves, had to be unanimous. Ismay had been tried, convicted and sentenced to death in August 1765. Presumably he had been pardoned.