Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Caroline County (Va.) Election Records, 1884-1939. Local government records collection, Caroline County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

Items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Caroline County.

List of Colored Voters, 1904-1939, and List of White Voters, 1904-1939, came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer under the accession number 50974.

Historical Information

Caroline County was named for Caroline of Anspach, consort of George II. It was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties in 1728, and additional parts of King and Queen were added in 1742 and 1762.

Most loose records and deed books prior to 1836 and will books prior to 1853 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse in May 1864. A near-complete run of order books exists.

The 1902 voter registration books were created following the passage of the 1902 Virginia state constitution. The purpose of the 1902 state constitution was to maintain white suffrage while eliminating African-American voters by means of literacy tests as well as property and poll tax requirements.

Scope and Content

Caroline County (Va.) Election Records, 1884-1939, includes List of Registered Voters, 1884-1895; List of Registered Voters, 1884-1898; List of Registered Voters, 1902-1922; List of Colored Voters, 1904-1939, for Guinea Precinct in the Port Royal Magisterial District; and List of White Voters, 1904-1939, for Guinea Precinct in the Port Royal Magisterial District

Caroline County List of Registered Voters, 1902-1922, records the roll of registered voters in Caroline County. The volume is divided by precincts: Bowling Green, Shumansville, Sparta, Whites, Gouldmans, Port Royal, Moss Neck, Gurneys, Madison, Cedar Fork, Balty, Reedy Church, and Bowers; and within each precinct on the basis of color. Information found in the volumes includes date of registration; number of registered voter; name of registered voter; date of birth; age; occupation; residence; length of residence in state, county, and precinct; whether exempt from poll tax; if naturalized, and if so, date of papers and by what court issued; if transferred from another precinct, and if so, when and to what precinct.

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

Corporate Names:

• Caroline County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• African Americans--History--1877-1964
• African Americans--Suffrage
• African Americans--Virginia--Caroline County
• Suffrage--Virginia--Caroline County

Geographical Names:

• Caroline County (Va.)--Genealogy
• Caroline County (Va.)--History--20th century

Genre and Form Terms:

• Election records--Virginia--Caroine County
• Local government records--Virginia--Caroline County
• Voters' lists--Virginia--Caroline County

Adjunct Descriptive Data