Record loss
Many loose papers are missing, but most record books survive. Loose court papers were damaged or destroyed between 1862 and 1865 as Union and Confederate forces took turns occupying the county. Deed, order and will books are largely intact.
Before you give up, try these:
- The Library of Virginia's Lost Records Localities Digital Collection: copies of deeds, wills and other records from this place that turned up as evidence in other courts' files.
- Land tax and personal property tax books, which begin in 1782. Copies went to the state, so they often survived when the courthouse records didn't.
- The records of the parent county and neighboring counties, where families often bought land, went to court or married.
- Chancery suits, church records, newspapers, Bible records and military pension files. See Burned Counties.
Records that survive
These are the record series the Library of Virginia has on microfilm for Clarke County, with the earliest and latest years filmed. A span can include gaps; it doesn't mean every year in between survives.
Land and deeds
- Deed Book1836–1901
- General Index to Deeds1836–1934
- Release Deed Book1884–1919
Wills
- General Index to Wills1836–1983
- Will Book1836–1904
Estates and guardianships
- Administrators' Bond Book1836–1919
- Executors' Bond Book1836–1919
- Guardians' Bond Book1836–1919
- Guardians' Accounts1862–1919
- Record of Fiduciaries1865–1983
Marriages, births and deaths
- Index to Marriage Records1836–1861
- Marriage Bonds1836–1850
- Marriage Records1836–1861
- Marriage Register1865–1969
Tax lists
- Ordinary License Bond Book1836–1852
Court orders and minutes
- Chancery Order Book1836–1913
- Common Law Order Book1836–1983
- Order Book1836–1904
- Clerk's Order Book1904–1927
Military and pensions
- Muster Roll1861–1865
Bonds and oaths
- Constables' Bond Book1836–1852
- Bond Book1852–1983
- Officials' Bond Book1865–1920
County government and the poor
- Local Board of Review Minutes1915–1938
- Finance Board Minutes1932–1956
- Volunteer Fire Fighters and Rescue Squad Members1979–1981
See every volume and reel number at the Library of Virginia
Source: Library of Virginia, County and City Records on Microfilm. Reels marked for interlibrary loan can be borrowed through your local library.
Where to find the records
- Clarke County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the circuit court clerk's office, and any online record search the county offers.
- The circuit court clerk's office
Virginia's deed, will and marriage books are usually kept by the clerk of the circuit court for the county or city, though many older records have been moved to the Library of Virginia. Call before you visit; hours and access to older volumes vary.
- Library of Virginia: Clarke County records on microfilmfree
Every filmed volume with its years and reel number. Use the reels in Richmond; many can be borrowed through interlibrary loan.
- Library of Virginia: Chancery Records Indexfree
Search equity court suits by name. They're rich in family detail: estate divisions, heirs and land disputes. Many localities' suits are scanned and free to view.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Virginia, Clarke" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Frederick County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Frederick County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1836, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Start with the deed and will books: they name relatives, neighbors and land. Then try the court order books, which mention almost everyone in the county sooner or later, as witnesses, jurors, road workers or parties to a suit.