Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm copy, Bedford County (Va.) Reel 77 or Bedford County (Va.) Reel 244

Preferred Citation

Bedford County (Va.) Board of Overseers of the Poor Minutes, 1816-1830. Bedford County (Va.) Reel 77, Local Government Records Collection, Bedford County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Bedford County.

Bedford County (Va.) Reel 77 was generated by the Library of Virginia Imaging Service Branch.

Bedford County (Va.) Reel 244 was generated by Backstage Library Works through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.

Historical Information

Bedford County was probably named for John Russell, fourth duke of Bedford, who, as secretary for state for the southern department from 1748 to 1751, had general supervision of colonial affairs. It was formed from Lunenburg County in 1753. Parts of Albemarle County were added in 1754, and an additional part of Lunenburg County was added later.

In 1780 the Virginia General Assembly replaced the Anglican vestries and churchwardens of the colonial period with elected bodies called Overseers of the Poor. The Overseers provided food, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment for the persons who were too poor to support themselves or too ill to provide for their basic needs. They also bound out children whose parents could not support them or who failed to educate or instruct them, as well as orphans to become apprentices. The boys learned a trade and the girls learned domestic skills.

Scope and Content

The Bedford County (Va.) Board of the Overseer of the Poor Minutes for Russell Parish is one volume dated 1816-1830. The minutes give the names of people receiving financial support, food, and clothing, as well as binding children as apprentices, and the burial of the deceased. The minutes also include the details of the collection of the levy for the poor and how the money was spent.

The following are also found in the volume. The certification by William Witt that Alexander Jordan and William M. Burwell were elected to the House of Delegates on 23 March 1865. A note from John N. Kasey to Hendrick and Hatcher dated 23 October 1829 and an undentified account.

Arrangement

Chronological

Related Material

Additional Bedford County Court Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm"

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

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

Subjects:

• Apprentices--Virginia--Bedford County
• Poor--Employment--Virginia--Bedford County
• Poor--Virginia--Bedford County
• Public welfare--Virginia--Bedford County
• Tax collection--Virginia--Bedford County

Geographical Names:

• Bedford County--History--19th century

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia--Bedford County
• Minutes--Virginia--Bedford County

Adjunct Descriptive Data