Updated February 13, 2022
Overview
Suits in which GILLIAMs are mentioned as plaintiff or defendant from the Library of Virginia
1797-1871
Background Notes
What is a Chancery Cause?
According to Black’s Law Dictionary, a Chancery Cause is a case of equity where “Justice is administered according to fairness as contrasted with the strictly formulated rules of common law.” A judge, not a jury, determines the outcome of the case. These types of records are useful when researching genealogical information and land or estate divisions and may contain correspondence, lists of heirs, or vital statistics, among other items. Some of the more common types of chancery causes are:
• Division of the estate of a person who died intestate (without a will)
• Divorces: Prior to 1842, divorces required an act of the General Assembly, but the county could grant legal separations. After 1842, County and Circuit Courts had the power to grant divorces.
• Settlements of dissolved business partnerships
• Resolution of land dispute
The three fundamental pieces of a Chancery Cause are:
• Bill, Bill of Complaint, or Bill of Injunction: This first step in instituting a chancery cause outlines the complaint of the Plaintiff (also referred to as the Complainant or the Orator/Oratrix) against the Defendant.
• Answer: The Defendant’s response to the complaint in the Bill, which may deny all of the allegations, take exceptions to some, or otherwise explain the actions of the Defendant. The Defendant can choose not to file an Answer, in which case the Bill is "taken for confessed."
• Final Decree: The judge’s final decision on the case.
Other items that may be contained in a chancery cause are:
• Subpoena: An order for an individual to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony.
• Deposition: The testimony of a subpoenaed witness given upon questioning, but not in open court.
• Affidavit: A voluntary statement of facts given by a subpoenaed witness without questioning.
• Commissioner’s Report: The findings and recommendations of the commissioners, which can be filed before or after the final decree.
• Docket: Lists the Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s names (style of suit) and the dates of court actions, including the filing of the bill, answer, and final decree. The docket is often used as a wrapper for the other documents in the case. In some cases, the docket is written on the back of the bill and then that document is wrapped around the others.
• Plat: A map of a specific area showing the locations and boundaries of individual parcels of land.
• Decrees other than the Final Decree: Decrees that direct further proceedings may be issued at various points throughout the case.
• Wills, deeds, notices, receipts, exhibits, and store accounts are a few of the other types of records that may be found in a Chancery Cause.
| Plaintiff's First | Plaintiff’s Last | Defendant’s First | Defendant’s Last | Year | County |
| James | Lyle | William | Gilliam & Co. | 1806 | Chesterfield |
| Benjamin | Moody | John | Gilliam | 1852 | Chesterfield |
| Samuel A. | Patteson Trust | Legt of Frances | Gilliam | 1867 | Chesterfield |
| Pet of Martha Cox | Gilliam | 1899 | Chesterfield | ||
| Gdn of Sally M | Gilliam | Jacob | Gilliam | 1809 | Goochland |
| William | Cliborne | James S. | Gilliam | 1810 | Goochland |
| Exr of John | Gilliam, Sr. | George | Parrish | 1821 | Goochland |
| Willis | McKeand | Amdr of Jacob | Gilliam | 1821 | Goochland |
| Elizabeth | Payne | John | Gilliam, Sr. | 1826 | Goochland |
| Elizabeth Ann | Gilliam | Alexander | Gilliam | 1838 | Henrico |
| J. M. | Gregory | M. M. | Gilliam | 1886 | Henrico |
| Lillie W. | Gregory | M. M. | Gilliam | 1886 | Henrico |
| Admr of William G. | Baptist | John | Gilliam | 1820 | Mecklenburg |
| Drury | Gilliam | Charles | Mabry | 1758 | Southampton |
| John | Watkins | Sarah | Gilliam | 1763 | Southampton |
| James | Adams | Thomas | Gilliam | 1764 | Southampton |
| John | Gilliam | Thomas | Gilliam, Sr | 1770 | Southampton |
| John | Rochell | Exr of John | Gilliam | 1792 | Southampton |
| Thomas | Gilliam | Exr of Benjamin | Clements | 1792 | Southampton |
| Thomas | Gilliam | David | Hynes | 1792 | Southampton |
| Thomas | Gilliam | Daniel | Fisher | 1793 | Southampton |
| Robert | Tucker | Thomas | Gilliam | 1796 | Southampton |
| Exr of Thomas | Gilliam | Exr of Daniel | Fisher | 1798 | Southampton |
| Susanna | Gilliam | Admx of Arthur | Gilliam, Jr | 1798 | Southampton |
| William | Gilliam | Susanna | Gilliam | 1798 | Southampton |
| Judith | Rochell | Thomas | Gilliam | 1803 | Southampton |
| Henry R. | Gilliam | Elizabeth | Gilliam | 1808 | Southampton |
| Heirs of Henry | Barrow | Henry R. | Gilliam | 1810 | Southampton |
| Thomas | Gilliam | Exr of John | Rochell | 1814 | Southampton |
| Robert | Gilliam | Matthew | Gilliam | 1819 | Southampton |
| Robert | Gilliam | Matthew | Gilliam | 1819 | Southampton |
| Newit | Harris | Henry R | Gilliam | 1821 | Southampton |
| Arymenta | Gilliam | Admr of Joseph | Gilliam | 1823 | Southampton |
| Henry R. | Gilliam | Lewis C. | Trezvant | 1823 | Southampton |
| Araminta | Gilliam | Gdns of Ann Louisa | Gilliam | 1826 | Southampton |
| Araminta | Gilliam | Gdns of Ann Louisa | Gilliam | 1826 | Southampton |
| Araminta | Gilliam | Henry R. | Gilliam | 1826 | Southampton |
| Charlotte | Gilliam, Widow | Heirs of Henry R. | Gilliam | 1828 | Southampton |
| Joseph | Gilliam | Joseph | Harris | 1830 | Southampton |
| Stith | Tucker | John | Gilliam | 1830 | Southampton |
| Children of Joseph | Gilliam | James | Cooper | 1832 | Southampton |
| Richard N | Gilliam | Cur of Joseph | Harris | 1834 | Southampton |
| Children of Henry R. | Gilliam | Admx of Henry R. | Gilliam | 1835 | Southampton |
| Sarah | Gilliam | Exr of Lucy | Newsom | 1843 | Southampton |
| Thomas B | Powell | Exr of Richard N. | Gilliam | 1847 | Southampton |