Stolen Historical Records Returned to the Prince William County Circuit Court

May 25, 2023 - Two of Prince William County’s earliest records were returned to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Jacqueline Smith, after nearly 300 years. Both documents were taken from the courthouse during the Civil War and returned to Virginia during the mid-20th century.

According to Ron Turner, a Circuit Court Historical Research Volunteer, in 1936 a collector in Rhode Island offered to return the books to the County at a cost. This began an ongoing dispute between the collector and Prince William County. 

A previous inventory of Prince William County Court’s historical records led Tracy Harter and Greg Crawford, of the Library of Virginia (LVA), and Ron Turner to confirm that the two books; Prince William County's first deed book (Liber A 1731-1732) and a court order book (Dumfries District Court - 1798-1799), were still missing from the court’s collections.

After some research, the books were recently discovered at the Library of Virginia. The LVA graciously preserved and delivered the original and rare volumes, color facsimiles and digital copies, which will soon be available for public viewing at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office.

For more information about the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Historical Documents, please visit https://www.pwcva.gov/department/circuit-court/research.