Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Lynchburg (Va.) Weigh Master's Books, 1827-1860. Local government records collection, Lynchburg (City) 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 the city of Lynchburg.

Historical Information

Lynchburg, in Campbell County, was named for John Lynch, the owner of the original town site. It was established in 1786, was incorporated as a town in 1805, and became a city in 1852. Parts of Campbell and Bedford counties were annexed to the city in 1976.

An ordinance passed by the Common Council of the city of Lynchburg on November 30, 1827, established the position of weigh master for the city. The weigh master's duty was the attend to the public scales every day except Sunday from sunrise to sunset for the purpose of weighing in pounds all long forage which may be offered for sale, granting certificates for the same, and keeping a book that corresponded to the certificates. The weigh master charged a fee for weighing the forage which he paid over to the city treasurer every three months accompanied by a transcript of his accounts which was sent to the Common Council. The weigh master was paid $150 per year.

Scope and Content

Lynchburg (Va.) Weigh Master's Books, 1827-1860, are four volumes that record the date, customer name, what weighed (mostly hay, oats, fodder and rye straw), the weight of the goods, and the amount of fee charged for the weighing service. Interspersed throughout are certifications of the weigh master's submission of funds collected to the court. A newspaper clipping is glued into the front of the 1827-1830 book that gives the full text of the city ordinance that details the duties and responsibilities of the city weigh master.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Lynchburg (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Feeds -- Virginia -- Lynchburg.
• Municipal government -- Virginia -- Lynchburg.
• Weighhouses -- Virginia -- Lynchburg.

Geographical Names:

• Lynchburg (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Account books -- Virginia -- Lynchburg.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Lynchburg.