Adkins, Thomas : Coroner's Inquisition, Lunenburg County

Content Warning:

Materials in the Library of Virginia's collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity. Coroners' Inquisitions contain graphic and in some cases violent or otherwise disturbing descriptions of death. This includes instances of racial violence and the use of racial slurs, instances of self-harm, and instances of abuse and violence against domestic partners and children.

Transcribing

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• Next to the name and signature of members of the coroner’s jury instead of an actual wax seal, there “seal” if often written out or abbreviated as “s” with decorative flourishes
• The abbreviation “J. P.” appears frequently in these records referring to the Justice of the Peace.
• Warrants, depositions, and various other documents that contained a witness signature may conclude with “teste” and the witness’s name.
• The inquest with the Coroner’s findings as well as other documents proving direction from the court may begin with “[locality name] to wit”
• Generally, the official title for the coroner was “coroner for [locality]” this can sometimes be abbreviated and is therefore not consistent, eg. Coroner for Wythe County = CWC
• Constables, Sheriffs, Deputies (constables and sheriffs), acting coroners (many times a Justice of the Peace) and other local government positions are present in these records and have varied abbreviations for their positions.
• Black’s Law Dictionary can be a helpful resource when trying to decipher legal terminology such as document types and actions of the court.

Watch this video for tips on reading old handwriting!