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Brunswick County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875. Local government records collection, Brunswick County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Brunswick County.
Brunswick County was named for the duchy of Brunswick-Luneburg, one of the German possessions of George I. It was formed in 1720 from Prince George County, but county government was not organized until 1732. In the latter year, Brunswick County was enlarged by the addition of parts of Surry and Isle of Wight Counties.
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.
A mechanic's lien is a claim created by state statutes for the purpose of securing priority of payment of the price or value of work performed and materials furnished in erecting, improving, or repairing a building or other structures, and as such attaches to the land as well as buildings and improvements erected thereon.
Brunswick County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875, consist of three volumes of minutes and accounts.
Meherrin Township Board Checkbook, 1870, contains blank checks and used check stubs that indicate to whom payment was made, the amount, and for what reason. Payments were made for road work, overseer of the poor business, officials' services, and clerical needs of the township board. The names of papuers provided for are given on the stub.
Meherrin Township Board Record, 1872-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded on p. 1-28 of the volume includes board members' names, alteration of road districts, bridge construction contracts, approval of officials' bonds, tax and levy rates, and accounts allowed. Claims were made for road work, provision for the township's poor, and officials' services. The names of paupers provided for are usually given. Pages 300-315 are accounts of J. A. Taylor, township clerk, with the township and of James Crichton, the township collector, with J. A. Taylor.
Totaro Township Board Records, 1870-1875, consist of minutes and accounts and are on p. 1-93 of the volume. Information recorded includes board members' names, the division of the township into road districts, alteration of road districts, bridge construction, establishment of rates allowable for road work, appointment of road supervisors, appointment of election judges, tax and levy rates, an alphabetical list of all persons charged with the 1871 township levy (colored persons are noted), list of insolvents for 1872, accounts allowed against the township and for what reason (including road work, overseer of poor claims, officials' services), alphabetical lists of all persons assessed with township taxes for 1872-1874, and settlement of township accounts and other financial matters.
Pages 95-189 of the Totaro Township Board Records volumes consist of mechanics' liens dated 1885-1920. Pages 95-105 are an index to the liens that follow. The liens state the two parties involved in the contract, the location or person for whom the construction is being done, the materials to be used and prices.