Sign up for Genealogy Pointers »

The land records featured in this work are invaluable to anyone interested in Eastern Shore genealogy. The land causes, or chancery suits, for dower, division of lands, and ejectment proceedings for the period 1727-1826 give in full the declaration of the plaintiff, the answer of the defendants, the verdict of the jury, and depositions, which in many cases give the dates of birth, marriage, and death of the parties concerned in the suit.

Land is traced from the original patent to about 1825, showing the various owners and their descendants through several generations. The records include those of the district court as well as the county court and name about 4,000 individuals. The abstracts in most cases are the special verdicts of the juries, which sum up and give in concrete form the declarations and answers to the various suits. Other than wills and administrations, these land records are among the very few surviving Accomack County records that document family origins and descents.