Clerk Gary Clemens ( far-right ) and his team of deputy clerks Eric Larson , Lori Kimball and Shannon Fuller , who work in the Historic Records Division of the Clerk ’ s Office , along with volunteer John Fishback enjoy reading about some interesting history among the court records .
ordered to return the said records to the Clerks office of this County .” ( Loudoun County Order Book , July 11 , 1865 .)
Clerk Fox was able to return all records removed for safekeeping during the war consistent with the Court ’ s 1861 order safely back to Loudoun County on August 4 , 1865 . These records have remained in Loudoun County since their return in 1865 .
While numerous county and / or city courts experienced damage , loss , theft , or other forms of destruction of some of their court records during the Civil War , Loudoun ’ s records remained safe . There are only a few circuit courts in Virginia today that have all of their court records fully intact since the formation of those respective counties or cities . Loudoun County is one of those few jurisdictions as we have a complete collection of court records dating back to 1757 when Loudoun County was first formed .
Faced with overwhelming challenges , a unique records retention situation and no opportunity to use a previous model of successful security protocols for records in time of war , Clerk Fox demonstrated immense courage , creativity and commitment to fulfill his duties for the sake of the people of Loudoun County . Without the decisive action and leadership demonstrated by George K . Fox , Jr ., we may not be able to enjoy this vast and complete collection today as some records may have been tragically lost to fire , theft , destruction or misplacement during the Civil War battles that raged in or near Leesburg .
George K . Fox , Jr . is worthy of commendation , achievement and honor for his valuable role and firm obligation to his constitutional duties during the Civil War . His efforts and stewardship ensure that Loudoun County residents and historians can enjoy researching Loudoun history contained in the historic court records in the Loudoun County Courts Complex .
The Honorable Gary M . Clemens is a Loudoun County native and has served as Clerk of the Circuit Court in Loudoun County since January 2000 . He has a Bachelor ’ s degree in Political Science from James Madison University and a Master ’ s in Public Administration from George Mason . In addition to leadership roles in the Virginia Court Clerks Association , Gary serves on the Board of Directors for the Clerk Clemens Historic Records Foundation , the Visit Loudoun Foundation and the Loudoun Free Clinic . Gary coached or officiated youth sports in Loudoun County for 21 years , and gives lectures , tours and presentations to Loudoun students and scout troops .
Aggressive preservation programs associated with historic court records have been implemented by Clerk Gary M . Clemens and funded by generous donations from local historians and individuals who enjoy researching older records . To collect these donations , a special fund was created and named after George K . Fox , Jr . to honor his legacy and commitment to his constitutional duties . For more information about the historic records collections and programs offered by the Clerk ’ s Office , visit the Clerk ’ s Office website at www . loudoun . gov and look for historic records information .
36 wander I fall • winter 2022