Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Giles County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1875. Local government records collection, Giles County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Giles County.

Historical Information

Giles County was named for William Branch Giles, United States senator from Virginia, in 1806. It was formed from Montgomery, Monroe (West Virginia), and Tazewell Counties. Part of Wythe County was added in 1808, parts of Tazewell County were added in 1826 and 1836, part of Monroe County was added in 1829, parts of Mercer (West Virginia) County were added in 1840-1841, and part of Craig County was added in 1858.

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

Giles County (Va.) Township Records, 1871-1875, consist of three volumes relating to the administrative functions of the township boards of the county.

Newport Township Account Book, 1871-1875, consists of accounts and settlements with the township collector and other township officers including the treasurer. The volume is arranged by the name of the person paid and the amount and reason paid is given. There is an index at the front of the volume.

Newport Township Board Minutes, 1871-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts; establishment of tax rates; the setting of elections; settlement of claims against the township from officials such as road overseers, overseer of the poor, and township board duties; reports on the amount of taxes collected; delinquent land tax list for 1871; setting of rates allowable for road work; and accounts allowable for road work, services and goods provided to the township's poor, and services to the board.

Pearisburg Township Warrant Book Number 1, 1871-1875, lists persons to whom authorized payments have been made. Information recorded includes date of warrant, amount, warrant number, in whose favor drawn, and when delivered. The last several pages of the volume contain settlements of the township collector's tax and other financial accounts for 1872-1875. A number of loose documents were inserted in the front of the volume and consist of warrants, tax tickets, claims and accounts against the township, and the results of an election for road overseers for 1874.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Giles County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

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

Geographical Names:

• Giles County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

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

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Newport (Giles County, VA)
• Township of Pearisburg (Giles County, VA)