Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Prince Edward County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875. Local government records collection, Prince Edward 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 Prince Edward County.

Historical Information

Prince Edward County was named in honor of Edward Augustus, a son of Prince Frederick Louis, a grandson of George II, and a younger brother of George III. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1753.

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

Prince Edward County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875, consist of four volumes of minutes and accounts relating to the administrative functions of the township boards of the county.

Buffalo Township Board Minutes, 1870-1875, contains minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into election districts, division of the township into road districts, approval of bridge contracts, appointment of road overseers, accounts allowed against the commonwealth, appointment of election superintendents, orders to view roads and bridges, setting of tax and levy rates, and accounts allowed for overseer of the poor.

Farmville Township Board Record, 1870-1875, contains minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts, establishment of taxes for road maintenance, appointment of road overseers, establishment of rates allowable for road claims, establishment of a schedule of citizen road workers, ordered copies of acts of legislature for township officers, redistricting of road districts, borrowing of money, orders for bridge repairs, accounts allowed against the township, establishment of other tax and levy rates, appointment of a new township clerk, and examination of road reports and financial reports from the township collector. Following the township board minutes are Farmville District Board of Road Commissioners Minutes, 1879-1893. Minutes concern road district boundaries, road accounts, and road overseer appointments.

Lockett Township Board Minutes, 1870-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts, levying of road tax, establishment of how tax payers should be required to perform road work, appointment of road overseers, accounts allowed against the township, discussion of payment for road work, redistricting of road districts, list of township warrants issued by the board from 1871-1875, and copies of road overseer bonds for Charles G. Weaver, Samuel J. Atkins, and Richard B. Bradshaw. At the end of the volume is a 1871 certification by the township board of a tax levied to support schools.

Clerk's Tickets for Townships, 1872-1879, consist of lists by township or magisterial district of taxes for the sheriff to collect. Noted are the townships and magisterial districts of Buffalo, Farmville, Hampden, Lockett, and Leigh. Also recorded are tax tickets due from persons in the localities of Appomattox, Buckingham, Nottoway, Charlotte, Cumberland, King George, Lynchburg, Richmond City, and Halifax, Information listed is the name of the person owing the tax and the amount. Notations are usually made as to whether an account is settled either following a list or at the side of a list.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Prince Edward County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

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

Geographical Names:

• Prince Edward County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Minute books -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Township records -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Buffalo (Prince Edward County, VA)
• Township of Farmville (Prince Edward County, VA)
• Township of Hampden (Prince Edward County, VA)
• Township of Leigh (Prince Edward County, VA)
• Township of Lockett (Prince Edward County, VA)