Courthouse Records

Everett Randolph Combs, Russell County Clerk of Court, and others, ca. 1918

The Russell County Courthouse is located at
53 East Main Street, Lebanon, Virginia.

Russell County Clerk’s Office
Monday – Friday
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
276-889-8023

Chancery

A chancery case is a case that could not be decided based on the existing written laws at the time. Instead, it was usually decided on by a judge instead of a jury. Chancery cases may have involved land disputes, estate disputes, business disputes, debts, and divorces.

Chancery records from 1948 to the present are in the Russell County courthouse. Earlier records are held at the Library of Virginia.

Chancery records can be found online at Virginia Memory. Check Augusta County records for Russell County chancery records prior to 1872 when the Russell County courthouse burned.

Deeds

Property deeds are available from 1787 in the Russell County Courthouse. One deed book was lost in an 1872 fire. The library has transcribed deed books covering the years 1787-1814. These early deed books have also been transcribed and put on the Russell County GenWeb site.

Military

Military discharge records are available from World War I and forward in the courthouse. These records are not complete, as it was left up to the individual to file the discharge in his or her county of residence. The library has some military books that contain the names of some of Russell County’s soldiers in various conflicts. The library also has a memorial wall with names of Russell County soldiers who died while serving. Some military records can be found through Ancestry which is available inside the library.

Other

Other records in the courthouse include common law and order books, criminal law & order books, civil common law, and General District Court records (misdemeanor records are kept only 10 years as required by law)

Law and order book abstracts for 1786-1808 can also be found on the Russell Count GenWeb site.