Administrative Information

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Fluvanna County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1876. Local government records collection, Fluvanna County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These volumes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Fluvanna County. The microfilm was generated by the Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Branch.

Historical Information

Fluvanna County was named after the eighteenth-century term for the upper James River. The name, meaning river of Anne, was given in honor of Queen Anne of England. The county was formed from Albemarle County in 1777.

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 warrant is a written authorization to receive or pay money to one who is entitled to it.

Scope and Content

Fluvanna County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1876, consist of three volumes (one on microfilm) of minutes and accounts relating to township activities and duties.

Columbia Township Record Book, 1871-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes appointment of road overseers and election judges, division of the township into road districts, an order to supply the township officials with supplies, accounts allowed against the board, orders to issue warrants agaist the township treasury, setting prices allowed for road work, appointment of a commission to study a bridge construction, orders for elections, orders to take the levy, and payments to officials for work done for the township. There is no index.

Cunningham Township Record, 1871-1876, consists of 22 pages of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts, recordation of a vote about free public schools, division of the township into voting districts, establishment of rates allowed for road work, redivision of the township into road districts, redivision of the township into voting districts, appointment of road overseers, accounts allowed against the township board, appointment of election judges, reports from the township collector on taxes, and payments allowed for officials' services. The remainder of this volume (pages 24-440) is an index to road warrants by district including Palmyra (first district), Columbia (second district), Fork Union (third district), and Cunningham (fourth district) for the years 1893-1930.

Palmyra Township Warrant Book, 1871-1874, are six pages of warrants issued by the township board. Information recorded includes the date issued, to whom issued, the amount, and to whom delivered. The reason for the warrant is not stated. The rest of the volume (pages 7-67) is a clerk's form book containing examples of how to write up various issuances of the court including such things as marriage licenses, recognizances, judgment suggestions, etc. Pages 7-37 contain an index to the forms.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Fluvanna County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

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

Geographical Names:

• Fluvanna County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.
• Fluvanna County (Va.) -- History -- 20th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Account books -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.
• Accounts -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.
• Minute books -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.
• Tax and fiscal records -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.
• Warrants -- Virginia -- Fluvanna County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Columbia (Fluvanna County, VA)
• Township of Cunningham (Fluvanna County, VA)
• Township of Palmyra (Fluvanna County, VA)