Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Charles City County (Va.) School records, 1816-1902 (bulk 1872-1902). Local government records collection, Charles City County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of records from Charles City County Circuit Court.

The collection is located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services staff for access information, directions, and hours.

Historical Information

On February 21, 1818, the Virginia legislature passed a school bill which appropriated $45,000 annually from the Literary Fund for the education of poor children. (The Literary Fund had been established in 1810 with passage of a bill to appropriate "certain escheats, confiscated, and forfeited lands" for the "encouragement of learning.") Under the provisions of the 1818 School Act, each county court was required to apopint five to fifteen commissioners to establish and/or administer schools for children of the poor. A more comprehensive public school system was established by the legislature in 1870. Prior to 1818, county courts were given the option of whether to appoint a Board of School Commissioners.

Charles City County was named for Charles I of England and was one of the eight shires established in 1634.

Records have been destroyed at various times. The most damage occurred during the Civil War when the records were strewn through the woods in a rainstorm. A few pre-Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, minute books, and order books exist.

Scope and Content

Charles City County (Va.) School Records, 1816-1902 (bulk 1872-1902), contain Charles City Charity School treasurer's records, 1816-1817; appointments of school commissioners, 1853-1866; School Board records, 1872 and 1900-1902; Chickahominy School District annual reports, 1890-1899; personnel records, 1899-1902; warrants of monthly school reports, 1898-1900; and school census returns, 1889-1899.

The Charity School treasurer's records document receipt and disbursement of the Charles City County poor rate, for the school, and payments to Edward Folkes for expenses incurred for the school.

The appointments of school commissioners, 1853-1866, consists of bonds and commissions for persons appointed to the Charles City County School Commissioners.

School Board records, 1872 and 1900-1902, contain correspondence of Superintendent of Schools James A. Waddell, 1872, and Superintendent E.C. Harrison, of Shirley Plantation, 1900-1901; and other correspondence. Letters contain information on the expenditure of public funds, population of students, school buildings, and hiring and compensation of teachers, and other aspects of the administration of the schools.

Chickahominy School District annual reports are comprised of annual financial reports for the Chickahominy School District, 1890-1899. They summarize receipts and expenditures and funds spent on teacher salaries and other expenses. They also contain information about the number of school buildings in the district and their construction.

Personnel records, 1899-1902, contain personnel correspondence pertaining to teachers, state teacher certificates for individual teachers, and teacher contracts.

Warrants of monthly school reports, 1898-1902, summarize monthly statistics for teachers employed in the Chickahominy School District. The reports document the number of students enrolled in the school, average daily attendance, and teacher absences.

Related Material

See the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Personal Names

• Folkes, Edward.
• Harrison, E.C.
• Waddell, James L.

Corporate Names:

• Charles City County (Va.). Charity School.
• Charles City County (Va.). Chickahominy School District.
• Charles City County (Va.). Circuit Court.
• Charles City County (Va.). School Board.
• Charles City County (Va.). School Commissioners.

Subjects:

• Charity-schools -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• School buildings -- Virginia -- Charles city County.
• School census -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• School reports -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Schools -- records and correspondence -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Segregation in education -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Teachers -- Virginia -- Charles City County.

Geographical Names:

• Charles City County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Attendance records -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Bonds, commissions, oaths -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Letters (correspondence) -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• Personnel records -- Virginia -- Charles City County.
• School records -- Virginia -- Charles City County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data