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Archives and Historical Documents
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Land Tax Records (Electronic Index and Images) 1782-2023
The Land Tax books contain the owner names and assessment values of each parcel in the county and are useful as an additional source of land ownership, genealogical research, help to date when a structure was built, and help with determining the costs basis for taxes.
Historical Indexes
The following indexes contain a wealth of names from files and cases located in the Dinwiddie Circuit Court that date from 1830 to 2000. The Clerk's Office has been able to electronically convert the paper indexes into an electronic PDF version.
Land Tax Records Compiled 1752-1820
This document was compiled by Mr. Hughes and Ms. Standefer. They studied the Land Tax Records, Grants, and Patents that were preserved at the Library of Virginia. Their compilation includes the original land grants for Dinwiddie County, the real property owner’s name, acreage owned, how/who the property was acquired, and the date of ownership.
Land Tax Records 1782-1875
The Clerk's Office has converted the Land Books on Microfilm with the Library of Virginia from 1782 to 1875 into a pdf format for each year. These records are especially helpful when searching the land records prior to 1833. Prior to 1833 the deeds and land records were destroyed and this is the only record of land owners in the county.
Land Tax Records 2014-Present
The Land Tax Records from the Commissioner of Revenue from 2014 to Present.
Real Estate Tax Sales 1886-1931
The Real Estate Tax Sales Book (PDF) is a list of taxes sales for the County of Dinwiddie
Register of Free Negroes 1850-1865
Until the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawed slavery in 1865, African Americans in Virginia were either free or enslaved. Free African Americans were required to register themselves. The resulting lists, known as “Free Negro Registers,” often note whether an individual was born free or, if not, the name of the individual who manumitted him or her.
View the Register of Free Negroes 1850-1865
Surveyors Platt Record Book
This Book (PDF) contains plats and property owners from 1752 to 1865. The index for the Book was completed in 1972 by Sallie E Hargrave Short (Mrs. E.B) and Priscilla M Godfrey (Mrs. T.E.)
Work Progress Administration Historical Inventory
Originally organized in 1935 as part of the Federal Writers Project, the Historical Records Survey (HRS) documented resources for research into American History. It later became a unit of the Research and Records Program in 1939. The HRS was responsible for creating the soundex indexes of the federal census which genealogists today have come to rely so heavily on. The HRS also compiled indexes of vital statistics, cemetery interments, school records, military records, maps, newspapers, and the list went on and on. Microfilms of these indexes were later made by other organizations.
The Dinwiddie Circuit Court Clerks in 2012 undertook a project to electronically format Dinwiddie's WPA papers.
View Dinwiddie's WPA documents.
Dinwiddie Data Compiled
This document (PDF) was compiled by Thomas P Hughes, Jr. Thomas Hughes studied and compiled the following document from various records in the courthouse and from the county.
Chancery Suit Papers
Chancery Suit papers from 1844 through 1954 have been scanned into digital format and are hosted on a website maintained by The Library of Virginia (Chancery Records Index), that can be accessed from the Clerk’s Office or any computer with access to the internet. The images for cases from 1932 to 1954 can only be found in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. The quality of the scanned images are excellent and the original documents are not available to the public for viewing. This service is provided by the Library of Virginia free of charge.
View the Chancery Records Index.
Board of Supervisor Books
The Board of Supervisor Books were conserved for future generations and electronically formatted in 2012 by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Board of Supervisors. The Circuit Court kept the minute books from 1870 to 1960. After 1960 the Code of Virginia changed and the books are now kept with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. The books contain minutes from each board meeting during this time.
In addition to the books kept in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office (1870-1960), the Clerk's Office in conjunction with the Clerk of the Board has digitally converted the board books from 1960 to 2004 and are made available on this page. The original books from this time are kept with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.
View the Board of Supervisors Books
Record Room Preservation Program
The Circuit Court records grants program is managed and directed by the Library of Virginia. It's goal is preservation of the records in the Circuit Court Clerks' Offices throughout the state of Virginia. For more information about the program please visit our program page.
Marriage Records
This marriage records page contains the Marriage Index from 1863 to 2000 and Marriage Register from 1867 to 1874
Guardian Book 1844-1865
The Guardian Book is a list of guardians and their accounts
Fiduciaries Book 1871-1904
The Book of Fiduciaries was conserved for future generations and electronically formatted in 2014 by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Board of Supervisors. This is a record of every personal representative, guardian, curator, or committee authorized to act as such. The books include the fiduciaries' name, estate's name, bond amount and security, date of orders and inventories if required.
View the Book of Fiduciaries (PDF)
Order Books
The page contains court order books have various court proceedings and orders associated with the data range. The Clerk's Office is working to get more court order books conserved and will post online as the come available.
Road Book 1870-1905
This book contains a list of roads by District.
Genealogical Research
This page contains more information about other records available for genealogical research.
Board for Certification of Genealogists created Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS)
Formation of Virginia Counties
This chart shows how all Virginia counties were formed and which county they were formed from in Virginia.
Fort Picket Property Owners in 1941
This map (PDF) show property owners and acreage of land that is now Fort Pickett in 1941.
Lucy v. Zehmer Chancery Case Number 131
This is one of Dinwiddie's well-known Chancery Case involving a contract dispute that was appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court.
Birth Records 1865-1896
This page contains birth records for Dinwiddie County from 1865-1896. These are the only birth records held by the Clerk's Office.
Death Records 1865-1896
This page contains death records for Dinwiddie County from 1865-1896.
Marriage Register 1852-1861
This page contains marriage records for Dinwiddie County from 1852-1861.
Immigration Records 1911-1915
This page contains petitions and declarations of intentions for immigration for Dinwiddie County from 1911-1915. These are the only immigration records held by the Clerk's Office.