In the Circuit Court of Randolph County, as well as other counties in Virginia and West Virginia, many genealogists have discovered the interesting tidbits of genealogical value in the books maintained by the Chancery Court beginning in 1831.  But few have found the patience to search for information in the much less exciting records of the Superior Court which are bound in volumes known as the "Law Books".

This author, who is one of those researchers fortunate enough to have found time to read the Randolph County Law Books in entirety from 1810 through 1889, wanted to share with the reader some of the more noteworthy genealogical facts found in that series.

In most, if not all, of those counties that were in Virginia prior to the Civil War, the Superior Court maintained their own Will Book which was a completely separate record from the better known Will Books maintained by the County Clerks.  One example is the Circuit Court of Hardy County whose three Will Books have been abstracted on pages 403 through 407 in E. L. Judy's History of Grant and Hardy Counties.  Unfortunately the Will Books for the Circuit Superior Court of Randolph County have been lost, evidently in the Court House fire of 24 January 1892.  Fortunately the Randolph County Law Books have survived and in those are the Probates of the Wills that went into the Superior Court Will Book.  The records in the Law Books are in chronological order so only the dates will be given when the Court probated the Wills which are as follows:

20 April 1835 - The Last Will of David Minear was probated by the oaths of witnesses William R. Parsons and John R. Parsons.  The executer named was Enoch Minear.

5 May 1842 - The Last Will of Archibald Earle written on 24 March 1842 was probated by witnesses Squire Bosworth and John Stalnaker.  Executors named were John B. Earle, George Buckey and Mary Earle.  (The author located a copy of this Will in Randolph County Chancery File 14-309 and had it recorded in Randolph County Will Book 31, Page 254, in 1993)

4 May 1843 - The Last Will of Adam Bowman was proven by witnesses William Marsh and Benjamin Marsh. Executor named was Samuel W. Bowman.

24 Oct 1854 - The Will of Jeremiah Channell was proven by Abraham Hutton and John A. Hutton.  The Codicil was proven by William H. Wilson and Elam B. Bosworth.  Executor named was Samuel Channell.

2 Dec 1865 - The Last Will of Eli Butcher was proven by Bernard L. Brown and Bushrod W. Crawford.  (This Will was recorded again on 18 May 1892 by the County Clerk since no record of it could be found, an indication that the Superior Court Will Book had been lost by that date.)

27 Mar 1866 - Last Will of Robert Ferguson was proven by James Wilmoth and William Piercy.  The Executor named was Arnold Wilmoth.

1 Oct 1866 - Last Will Or Mary Briggs proven by David Goff and Claudius Goff.

11 May 1868 - Last Will of Henry Harris proven by Bryan G. Gainer and Anthony B. Vannoy.  Executor named was Arnold Wilmoth.

28 Apr 1875 - Last Will of Washington G. Ward proven by Jacob Crouch and Patrick Crickard.  Executor named was Jacob G. Ward.

25 Mar 1885 - Last Will of Lucy White written on 23 May 1884 ordered probated by the Court.

While there is not a great deal of information given, it does suggest about the time when the testator died since probate was usually done within 90 days of death.  Also the Executor is usually a close relation or friend and the witnesses were usually nearby neighbors or people well acquainted to the testator.  And if nothing else it is known that at one time a Will was in existence which could help explain how property was transferred and the family historian can check the Chancery Files or other records to see if a copy of the Will may have survived.

Another type of record in the Law Books that can be helpful to genealogists are the naturalizations.  Once again they will be listed in order by the dates they were handled by the Court:

3 Apr 1851 - Dineal McKinley, a native of Scotland, applies for citizenship.

5 Apr 1852 - David Closs, a native Or Scotland, applies for citizenship.

26 May 1856 - John Nallen, Patrick Durkin, John Ford and Richard Ford, natives of Ireland, apply for citizenship.

29 May 1856 - Morris Hannifin (and Minty?), Thomas Durkin, Michael Durkin and Andrew Durkin, native of Ireland, apply for citizenship.

29 May 1857 - John Calane, native of Ireland, applies for citizenship.

26 Oct 1857 - Patrick O'Conner, born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1815, came to U.S. in 1837, applied for citizenship in Randolph County on 27 May 1850, was granted citizenship.

27 Oct 1857 - Miles King, age 22, born in County Galway, Ireland, came to U.S. in May 1853, applied for citizenship.  Patrick King, age 25, born in County Galway, Ireland, came to U.S. in May 1851, applied for citizenship.  Owen Riley, age 29, born in County Galway, Ireland, came to U.S. in January 1851, applied for citizenship.

1 June 1858 - John Birkett, a native of England, applied for citizenship.

2 June 1858 - Morris Hannifin, a native of Ireland, granted citizenship.

28 May 1860 - Theodore Koster, Deederick Koster and Christian Barsoe?, natives of Germany, applied for citizenship.

14 Jan 1864 - Luke White, native of Ireland, first applied 11 Jan 1855 in Lewis County, granted citizenship.  Matthew Davis, native of Ireland, first applied 29 July 1839 in Taylor County, granted citizenship.

28 Mar 1864 - Patrick Nocton, native of Ireland, first applied "before breaking out of rebellion".  No copy found. Granted citizenship.

29 Mar 1864 - John Madden, native of Ireland, "original request when John W. Crawford was Clerk but rebels in arms carried off Court records and no copy found."  Granted citizenship.

8 April 1864 - John Ford, native of Ireland, granted citizenship.

28 Apr 1865 - Owen Riley, native of Ireland, granted citizenship

22 Aug 1868 - Edward McMullen, native of Ireland, was 35 years old when he first applied on 27 Nov 1852 in Clark County, Ohio.  Granted citizenship. Patrick Moyle, native of Ireland, first applied on 30 Oct 1854 in Baltimore.  Granted citizenship.

27 Apr 1869 - Cornelius Stokes, native of Ireland, applied for citizenship.  Michael Higgins, native of Ireland, first applied on 15 Aug 1856 in Preston County before County Clerk Smith Crane.  Granted citizenship.

7 Nov 1871 - Michael Joyce, native of Ireland, first applied on 20 June 1867 in Jefferson County, Kentucky.  Granted citizenship.

25 Apr 1873 - C. George Betz, born in Kingdom of South Germany, now 25 years old, to U.S. in 1869.  Applied for citizenship.

26 Oct 1875 - Michael Joyce, first applied on fourth Monday in February of 1872 in Berkshire, Massachusetts.  Granted citizenship.

27 Oct 1875 - Meinrod Wasmer, born 12 April 1845 in Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, to New York on 13 June 1872.  Applied for citizenship.

7 Jan 1885 - John Goetfried Benc, born 12 January 1863 in Maeleach Stgllen, Switzerland. To U.S. in 1882.  Applied for citizenship.

10 Jan 1885 - Jacob Phister, born 27 July 1843 in Wangen, Switzerland. To U.S. in 1880.  Applied for citizenship.

15 Sep 1885 - Frederick Arnold Iseli, born in Switzerland in 1850. To U.S. in 1880.  Applied for citizenship.

21 Sep 1888 - Solomon Greenburg, born in 1854 in Moscow, Russia.  Applied for citizenship.