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Official Records - County Records - Augusta County

Augusta County, west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was formed in 1738 from Orange County. Little tobacco was grown there, and the county had fewer slaves than Virginia’s more eastern counties: a 14 percent slave population by the 1790 census. But as the records make very clear, Augusta had a very large servant population, many of whom appear in the order books.

Public Claims
Public Claims, including a claim for capturing a runaway slave, April 1769

Complaint from an Apprentice
Complaint from an apprentice, June 21, 1769

Criticism of a justice
Criticism of a justice, August 17, 1769. Watterson later broke jail, 1773.

Suspected Runaway Servant
Suspected runaway servant, October 19, 1769. Andrew Bird (Burd) placed an ad for runaway servant John Jones, February 26, 1767.

Trial of Jacob, November 13, 1769
Trial of Jacob, November 13, 1769. An interesting case: if Jacob were innocent of stealing the gun, why was he found guilty of shooting at Moore's children?