
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991                   TAG: 9102170281
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: SALUDA                                LENGTH: Short

DOCUMENTS' DISCOVERY FUELS OWNERSHIP BATTLE

If historic Middlesex County documents dating from 1687 to 1818 turn out to be real, legal battles will probably occur over who gets to keep them.

Archivists and historians hailed the discovery of the 80 documents, including a 1691 charter for the town of Urbanna, saying they can add to knowledge of the period.

The documents are being held in Williamsburg-James City Court until a Feb. 26 hearing to determine whether State Archivist Louis Manarin can test the documents for authenticity.

Upon learning of the existence of the documents, county officials obtained a warrant to seize them from James City County book dealer Jack Hamilton. Hamilton turned over the documents Tuesday.

Hamilton said he bought the documents from a collector and is entitled to keep them. Middlesex officials say the documents belong to the state under the Public Records Act and should be kept in the State Library in Richmond or in Middlesex. - Associated Press

by CNB