Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no use restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Civil Appointments of the Virginia Governor's Office, 1780-1853, Accession 50323, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

No acquisition information available.

Historical Information

The Constitution of 1776 allowed the Governor and Council of State to appoint local officials and militia officers on recommendation from county courts.

Scope and Content

Civil appointments, 1780-1853 (bulk 1780-1826), are housed in 18 boxes and include recommendations, returns, requests for remission of fines, and miscellaneous records. Includes several counties that are now located in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Series I. Recommendations, 1780-1826, are housed in 14 boxes and are arranged alphabetically by locality. This series consists of recommendations from county courts to the Governor and Council for appointments to various locality offices, as well as returns for justices. The majority of recommendations are for individuals to fill the positions of sheriff, commissioner of the peace, justice of the peace, and magistrate, though recommendations for coroner, escheator, inspector of tobacco, jailor, and surveyor are also included. The returns provide lists of commissioners/justices of the peace/magistrates and were provided to the Governor and Council upon request. These lists often cover current and previous office holders and may note those who have died, removed to other locations or failed to qualify. This series may also include correspondence, memorials, petitions, and remonstrances related to appointments; resignations; and original commissions. Also infrequently includes recommendations for militia officers. Folders for 1787 often include lists of items taxed in the locality, such as land, enslaved individuals, horses, studs, chariot wheels, phaetons, chairs, ordinary licenses, and physicians, with totals for each item.

Series II. Miscellaneous records, 1782-1853, are housed in 1 box and are arranged alphabetically by locality, if known, and then alphabetically by record type. This series is comprised of a disparate grouping of material found within the Civil Appointments collection, that includes certificates, commissions, correspondence, court martial proceedings, petitions, requests, returns, statements and other types of records. Some topics include the militia, pensions, prisoners, and defense of the western frontier.

Series III. Requests for remission of fines, 1783-1800, include petitions, accounts, correspondence, depositions and judgments related to the imposition of fines. The majority of the petitions are from sheriffs for damages for failure to collect taxes, but there are also petitions from coroners and commissioners of the revenue. Also includes a few requests from individuals to dismiss fines for retailing liquor without a license, operating a tavern without a license, and failing to appear for jury duty, as well requests from militia members for fines for failure to muster.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series: Series I. Recommendations, 1780-1826; Miscellaneous, 1782-1853; Series III. Requests for remission of fines, 1783-1800.