Administrative Information

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Amelia County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1875. Local government records collection, Amelia County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Amelia County. Giles Twonship Board Minutes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Amelia County under the accession number 34741.

Historical Information

Amelia County was named for Amelia Sophia Eleanora, daughter of George II of England. It was formed from Prince George and Brunswick Counties in 1734.

The 1870 Virginia Constitution required that each county in the state be divided into no less than three townships (see Article VII, section 2). Based on the New England administrative organization of a county, each township would elect the administration officials for the offices of supervisor, clerk, assessor, collector, commissioner of the roads, overseer of the poor, justice of the peace, and constable. The supervisors of each township would comprise the board of supervisors for the county, and would be responsible for auditing the county accounts, examining the assessors' books, regulating property valuation, and fixing the county levies. The Acts of Assembly provided that each township be divided into school and electoral districts (see Acts of Assembly 1869-1870, Chapter 39). A constitutional amendment in 1874 changed the townships into magisterial districts and each district elected one supervisor, three justices of the peace, one constable, and one overseer of the poor. The supervisors of the districts made up the county board of supervisors whose duties were identical as those set out in 1870. The published Acts of Assembly appended a list of township names by county following the acts for every year that townships existed in Virginia.

Scope and Content

Amelia County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1875, consist of two volumes and 2 pages of loose minutes relating to the administrative functions of the township boards of the county.

Giles Township Board Minutes, 1871-1875, is a volume consisting of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts; division of the township in to election precincts; appointment of road overseers and election judges; and accounts for claims against the township for road work, officials' payments, and services provided for the township's poor. Inserted throughout the volume were various loose accounts for claims, mostly for road work. One claim dated 1871-1872 is for road work done for both Giles and Leigh township.

Jackson Township Board Minutes, 1875, is two pages of allowances made on claims presented to the township on 30 June 1875. Claims are mostly for road work but also for officials' payments and for rent of a room for the use of the township board.

Leigh Township Records, 1871-1875, is a volume consisting of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes names of board members; division of the township into road districts; appointment of road overseers; setting the prices for teams and timber used for road work; selection of road hands; division of the township into election districts; appointments of judges of election; recordation of election results; claims against the township board for road work, officials' payments, supplies for the township clerk and officials, and goods provided for the township's poor.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Amelia County (Va.) Overseers of the Poor.
• Amelia County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• County government -- Records and correspondence -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Local finance -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Local government -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Public records -- Virginia -- Amelia County.

Geographical Names:

• Amelia County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Account books -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Accounts -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Minute books -- Virginia -- Amelia County.
• Township records -- Virginia -- Amelia County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Giles (Amelia County, VA)
• Township of Jackson (Amelia County, VA)
• Township of Leigh (Amelia County, VA)