Accounts current are the closest documents to probate records in Pittsylvania County. The entries in Book 4 were recorded from 1805 to 1812, but some of the accounts predate 1805, as they could take several years to settle. Accounts current contain records of the appraisement, inventory, accounts current and account sales of estates. They also contain the guardianship accounts and the division of estates. These records do not necessarily mean that the decedent left no will; they are merely a record of the above. The accounts current and guardianship accounts contain mountains of information that often cannot be found elsewhere. They reveal land in another county or state owned by the decedent, lawsuits, wives and children, names of slaves, and names of people owing notes to the estate. The names and occupations of people who provided services are also given: the shoemaker, midwife, attorney, tailor, blacksmith, doctor, etc. The original records are in the courthouse in Pittsylvania County at Chatham, Virginia. The records in this book were transcribed from microfilm and then checked with the original book, which has been copied in its entirety. The entries appear in the original order that they were recorded in the book. This useful genealogical and historical resource contains a full name index and a glossary of unfamiliar terms. Gayle Austin 2006, 8.5" x 11", paper, index, 200 pp.ISBN: 9780788440717 101-A4071
