History of the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office
The 18th Century
The section of Virginia now known as Chesterfield County
was formerly a part of “Henricus.” On May 12, 1749 a "Commission
of the Peace" was issued by Governor William Gooch that created a
judicial body to administer general laws. This "commission"
or proclamation described how the Judges were to hear cases and determine
punishment. The proclamation also outlined the powers of the Sheriff,
Justices and Clerks. One of the most important duties of the Sheriff in
this era was to collect taxes. Governor Gooch appointed John Archer the
first Sheriff of Chesterfield County. Because it was a period before the
Revolutionary War, the sheriff swore his allegiance to England's majesty.
Duties of the Sheriff were described as "bringing to court persons
who broke the peace or suspected of breaking the law." Griof Randolph
was named his assistant. Sheriff Archer and Undersheriff Randolph were
the first law enforcement officers for the County of Chesterfield. These
gentlemen were also tasked with the security of the Judges, the courthouse
and the jail.
On May 25th, 1749, the Virginia General Assembly passed the act that
separated Chesterfield from Henrico County and created the new county.
The county is named for the Earl of Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope.
Stanhope was famous for his "good manners and writings." Part
of the act states the reasoning for the division: For the ease and convenience
of the inhabitants of the County of Henrico in attending courts and other
public meetings.
The first court session was most likely held in the home of John Howlett,
Jr. Judge John Bolling, who was a direct descendant of John Rolfe and
Pocahontas, presided over this first session. The earliest court records
show a session taking place on July 7, 1749. Benjamin Watkins was named
clerk in the Governor's "commission." In this session the court
created the first acts of authorization for the building of a courthouse,
prison and pillory. Chesterfield's first jail had a rated capacity of
three. The first Courthouse in Chesterfield was built in 1750. A pillory,
more commonly known as a stock, was a mechanism for public punishment
of criminals. The other form of punishment for lesser offenders was a
"ducking stool." This was a contraption very similar to a swing
tied to a tree next to a body of water. Chesterfield's "ducking stool"
was built in the area called Bermuda Hundred, which was the closest body
of water. The judge would sentence offenders to the "ducking stool"
for common offenses such as trespassing or littering. The original jail
also included a "debtor's cell" reserved for those who did not
honor their debts. This cell was constructed entirely of wood and was
an addition to the building.
The French-Indian War was fought during the terms of two Sheriff's. Sheriff
William Kennon was in office when the fighting started. Eleazar Clay was
only 14 when he took up arms as a Chesterfield County soldier in the French-Indian
War. Clay later became Sheriff in 1811. Records show that William Kennon
took the oath at an annual salary of 1248 shillings. This amounts to a
salary of approximately 350 dollars yearly. Robert Kennon was the Sheriff
as the war ended in 1763. There are no records indicating the relationship
between the two Sheriff's. Passing the position of Sheriff through a family
was very common in the early days of the Sheriff's Office.
In 1770, Chesterfield County and its leaders followed the Presbyterian
doctrine as their governing religious belief. That year, several Baptist
preachers refused to get a license to preach and were subsequently thrown
in to jail. Judge Archibald Cary sentenced the preachers to jail until
they changed their minds. Sheriff John Archer Jr., son of the first Sheriff
of Chesterfield, jailed the preachers as the judge ordered. One of the
prisoners was John Weatherford. Weatherford would preach from his jail
cell after receiving a signal from his faithful followers outside. Sheriff
Worsham succeeded Archer and also was forced to deal with this situation.
The preachers were finally released in 1774.
Revolutionary War Era
The area surrounding the Courthouse was a very strategic location during
the Revolutionary War. Our leaders in this war frequented this area. March
of 1775 saw Patrick Henry recite his famous speech from St. John's Church.
"Give me liberty or give me death" were the words heard around
the world. The Revolutionary War witnessed several Chesterfield residents
taking up arms for the cause. These included the clerk of the court, Archibald
Cary. Cary was chosen to lead a group of soldiers from the county. The
courthouse area became a training camp for the war. Of the names listed,
Thomas Burfoot was the Quartermaster, Edward Steward was listed as the
youngest soldier, and Barron Von Stueben was a "hard core" drills
Sergeant. In 1781, General Phillips led a group of enemy soldiers into
the camp and set numerous fires. This forced the camp to close. Later
that year, Sheriff George Robertson was in office when the British surrendered
at Yorktown.
In 1784, Sheriff Benjamin Branch was in office. Governor Patrick Henry
took up residence in what is now referred to as the Salisbury section
of the county. 1784 also saw the Jefferson family taking up residence
at the Eppington plantation located in southern Chesterfield, where his
two daughters were left with their aunt. One daughter died while visiting
Eppington and is buried there in an unmarked grave. The cousin, Lucy Eppes,
also passed away from the “whooping cough” that same year.
The big social event for the county in the late 1700's was the marriage
of Mary Jefferson to John Eppes of Eppington Plantation.
In 1786, the county was in an uproar. Sheriff Branch was killed after
being thrown from his horse. The Sheriff had not yet collected all of
the tax levies owed and his accounts were in an unintentional snarl. The
resolution of the situation took almost two decades, but the county suffered
little financial loss in the end.
Sheriff Thomas Barfoot was in office when George Washington was elected
as the first president of our country. Washington took office in 1789.
The county's population at this time was 14,214, with half the number
being slaves.
The 19th Century
The early 1800's saw Chesterfield growing dramatically. It was during
this time that the county officials were not favorable to a public school
system, leaning towards the private schooling that was prominent in the
county.
In 1802, the first toll road in Virginia was built in Chesterfield County.
Improved transportation and shipment of goods came with the first year
of operation for the Chesterfield Railroad, the first in the state.
The original jail, commissioned in 1749, was destroyed by fire in 1841.
The jail was filled to capacity when the three inmates being held at that
time started the fire. Plans were immediately drawn for a new jail with
a design that was ahead of its time. This small facility was used until
the 1940's, when it was converted to an emergency communications (dispatch)
office.
The big gossip in 1851 centered on the murder trial of Anthony T. Robious.
The first trial brought a death sentence, but a new trial was ordered
when it was discovered that Deputy Sheriff George Snellings had taken
the jurors to the home of Silas Cheatham and treated them to liquor. The
courts had a difficult time finding an impartial jury for the new trial.
The new jury sentenced the prisoner to death a second time. The hanging
was carried out in an elaborate ceremony with Judge John B. Nash presiding.
The middle 1800's was a busy time for the Chesterfield County court system.
In March of 1846, Thomas Ritchie, Jr. was acquitted of killing John Pleasants
in a duel. Other interesting activities included "Court Days"
where the citizens would gather at the courthouse for a day of fun and
socializing. These celebrations would often end in "free for all
brawls" after a day of consuming "red eye." 1851 was also
the year that the county began holding elections for the Office of the
Sheriff.
Sheriff W. F. Gill was in office when coal mining in the Midlothian area
of the county was becoming prosperous. This industry suffered a huge setback
in Chesterfield in 1855 when an explosion in the mines killed 54 men and
boys.
The county was again considered very strategic during the civil war because
of the proximity to Richmond. Robert Gill was the sheriff when the Chesterfield
Courthouse area was once again used as a training academy for soldiers.
In 1860, the county population stood at 19,000, with half of that number
listed as slaves. Four confederate generals were county residents. These
included Young Moody, David Weisiger, Edward Johnson and Henry Heth. Once
the war was over, county officials were unsure of the status of all the
elected officials. New elections were held and John W. Worsham was named
the new Sheriff. The Sheriff was relieved of his tax collecting duties
in 1869, much to the liking of all future Sheriff's.
The first meeting of the newly formed Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors
was held on June 30, 1870. This original board included Socrates Brooks
of the Midlothian township, David Wood of the Bermuda township, J. J.
Ivey of Clover Hill, J. R. Robertson from Matoaca and J. R. Murphy representing
the Dale district. The Honorable James H. Cox was the first full time
judge for the county. It was around this era that Chesterfield elected
a " freed slave" to the General Assembly to represent the county.
Records show a county population of 25,000 in 1880.
The Twentieth Century…
1880 saw the beginning of a new experience for the county. Sheriff W.
C. Gill was elected, serving 45 years before stepping down. It was during
this very active time that a "constable" was hired to keep the
peace. Beginning in 1902, the Constable was considered the primary Law
Enforcement person in the county. The Sheriff's Office would begin to
assume a more streamlined role in the criminal justice system. In 1917,
the Board of Supervisors voted to demolish the original courthouse in
order to make room for the new courthouse that is still used today. In
1924, the county's Police Department was created. Sheriff Gill was in
office until 1924. Deputy O. B. Gates was serving as Sheriff Gill's Chief
Deputy at the time of his retirement.
Judge Edmund P. Cox appointed Sheriff O. B Gates to the office in 1924.
This was the beginning of yet another long term in office for a Sheriff
in Chesterfield County. Gates and Gill forged an agreement that Nathan
Cogbill would remain as the "Chief Jailor" and that Gill would
support Gates as Sheriff. Gates agreed to the terms. Nathan's wife would
prepare meals for the inmates and bring it to the Jail in a large iron
pot. Family ties were strong, with Nathan's brother serving as Clerk of
Circuit Court around this time. 1925 brought about the election for the
office, easily won by O. B. Gates. In the 1930's, the original jail was
"bulging at the seams" with 12 inmates. It was also around this
time that inmates in the old jail were able to obtain a can opener and
cut their way through the tin roof of the jail. Most were recaptured later.
As sheriff, Gates was heavily involved in enforcing prohibition laws.
This resulted in the impounding of several "bootlegger" automobiles
that were actually stored on the Gates property off of Beach Road. Sheriff
Gates' staff consisted of Deputy Allbright, Deputy Cogbill, son of Nathan,
and Deputy Rudy. During this term, Sheriff Gates was faced with the closing
of the original jail in 1940. Sheriff Gates was already making plans to
house Chesterfield inmates in jails operated by other localities. This
was taking place well before the state initiated guidelines for such agreements.
After Nathan Cogbill died, Deputy Clarence G. Williams, Sr. was selected
as Chief Deputy. Sheriff Gates took a softer approach to his position.
During his entire tenure as Sheriff, Gates never wore a uniform or a weapon.
The Sheriff had an excellent relationship with the citizens of Chesterfield.
There are several glowing tributes to Gates' term as the Sheriff of Chesterfield
County. Gates also served the county as Sheriff during a major growth
period. The population increased from 15,000 to 130,000 before his departure
from office.
The method of housing Chesterfield inmates at other jails continued until
1960, when the "new, modern" facility opened for business. The
new jail consisted of what is now referred to as "A" building.
The new facility included living quarters for the single deputy hired
to maintain the jail. This was once again a family affair, where Deputy
Joe Partin operated the jail while his wife cooked the meals in the jail
kitchen. The current classification section was used as the living quarters
for the couple. This arrangement continued until the election of Sheriff
Emmett Wingo in 1967. In 1971, Captain Joe Nunnally was hired as one of
the few deputies on the payroll for the jail. Nunnally would be the only
deputy on duty on the midnight shift, working with a trustee in order
to open cells and care for the few inmates at that time. This trustee
was just that, a trusted inmate who was allowed to carry keys to the facility.
The 1970's also saw the first attempted escape from the new jail. Inmates
managed to get a set of keys and released all the prisoners from the cells.
No inmate actually made it to the outside area. All were quickly rounded
up and returned to their cells.
It was also during the Wingo term that the courthouse was built facing
route 10. The Police Department currently resides in what was the old
courtrooms and the Magistrate's office. It was a challenge to move those
who were attending court, marching the "chain gang" across the
street to appear before the judge.
The 1970's also ushered in a new concept in Jail training. The Department
of Criminal Justice Services developed the first Basic Jailor's School.
This school was designed to provide the Sheriff's of Virginia a means
of training deputies to work in a jail environment. Years later, the school
was changed to a combined course that included Court Security and Civil
Process. The seventies also brought about an expansion to the original
jail by adding a two-story wing that included additional tier and dorm
space. This addition was built in the early 1970's to accommodate the
bulging population of 90 inmates. Later, the "work release building"
or what is currently known as "B" building was constructed as
a minimum-security addition to the jail. The facility was attached to
the existing jail by a tunnel. Originally, work release inmates and kitchen
trustees were housed in the new addition.
A more infamous escape took place in 1980, where two inmates managed
to take several deputies hostage. These two inmates created a makeshift
weapon from a leg brace of an inmate. When the deputy opened the door
to fill the ice cooler, the inmates overtook the deputy. Other deputies
were taken hostage and locked in the cells, where other inmates, who were
not a part of the escape attempt, made sure they were not harmed. The
two inmates made their way to the control room where a nurse had been
left alone. The nurse opened the door and the inmates escaped in a deputy's
vehicle, taking the nurse as a hostage. A quick thinking deputy who was
locked in a tier used the inmate phone to make a collect call to the police
department. Luckily, the person on the other end accepted the charges.
The vehicle was followed and eventually overturned on Woodpecker Road.
Thankfully, there were no serious injuries to anyone involved in the entire
scenario.
The 1980's became a major growth period for the Chesterfield County Sheriff's
Office. Both the Jail section and the Courts section became understaffed
during this period. It was not unusual to see the Court Security section
escorting a "chain gang" of inmates from the jail to the old
courts building. All inmates due for a court appearance were chained and
handcuffed, in order to be escorted to the courtrooms. Court was held
in what is now used as the Police Department Administration section. The
latter part of the decade became the years of emergency positions and
new expansion plans for both the courts and the jail. The Jail division
became involved in negotiations to build a regional facility to be used
by local jurisdictions in order to address overcrowding in several area
jails. Riverside Regional Jail was planned in the middle part of the decade
with funding formulas developed for construction. At the same time, the
new court facility was being constructed to move court proceedings from
their home in the front of the county administration building. This facility
was built in the 1960's and had become obsolete; it had little or no security
in its design. Also at this time, plans were being considered to replace
the existing Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Building. The planning
phase for all three projects could be considered a massive undertaking
for any jurisdiction.
The late 80's also saw the office of the Sheriff change hands once again.
Sheriff Emmett Wingo had decided to retire, paving the way for his chief
deputy, Major James Mutispaugh. Sheriff Mutispaugh was a more controversial
figure in the history of the office. All of the controversy culminated
with a resignation by Mutispaugh. The replacement appointed by the Circuit
Judges was Sheriff Walter Minton. Sheriff Minton held the office until
a special election was held in November of 1990. At this time, the current
Sheriff, Clarence G. Williams, Jr., was elected to office.
The department took a huge step forward with Sheriff Williams at the
helm. The Sheriff's Office had operated out of a trailer attached to the
main administration building for years. The opening of the new Main Courts
Building meant new office space for the department. The new courts building
was a sorely needed facility that afforded the Sheriff's Office the room
it needed to grow. The county government supplied many of the positions
needed in order for the department to provide security to judges and citizens.
During the early 1990's, the jail experienced enormous growth in the inmate
population. The jail's rated capacity at this time was approximately 150
prisoners. It was not unusual to find the count exceeding 400 on a regular
basis. This prompted Sheriff Williams to take immediate action.
The county agreed to construct a facility that would ease the crowding
problem. Plans were already set in motion to have Chesterfield participate
in a Regional Jail that would be built at a later date. Construction on
the Jail Annex began, with completion slated for the spring of 1994. The
annex was built to house 115 prisoners, relieving the crowded conditions
in the jail. The technology utilized in this new addition far exceeded
anything that was currently being used in the older facilities. This was
truly a giant step forward for the Sheriff's Office and the citizens of
Chesterfield.
The crowded conditions were relieved further with the opening of Riverside
Regional Jail. This modern facility took many of the jail's sentenced
offenders awaiting transportation to the state system.
In the mid 1990's, plans to replace the existing Juvenile and Domestic
Relations Court facility were being developed. This modern facility, located
on Lucy Corr Drive, was completed and opened for business in May 2001.
This facility is state of the art in technology and security systems.
Jail overcrowding has again become an issue for the Sheriff’s Office to resolve. Construction of a new, modern facility was completed in May of 2006.
As you can see, it is obvious that the Chesterfield County Sheriff's
Office has come a long way since its creation in 1749. It has been a long
road with many different "drivers at the wheel." The Office
of the Sheriff is now a modern, high technology department that strives
to be the best Sheriff's Office in the state.
Click here for a list of Sheriff's that have
served in Chesterfield County.
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