Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Amherst County (Va.) School Records, 1829-1908. Local government records collection, Amherst 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 Amherst County Circuit Court.

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 was 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 appoint 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. The system was racially segregated until the mid-twentieth century.

Amherst County was named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the latter part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759 to 1768. It was formed from Albemarle County in 1761.

Scope and Content

Amherst County (Va.) School Records, 1829-1908, consist of Board of School Commissioners Reports, 1829-1861; Superintendents of Schools Reports, 1854-1861; and School Warrants, 1907-1908.

Board of School Commissioners reports, 1829-1861, contain treasurer's records (bonds and accounts) and annual reports documenting disbursement of the county allotment for public education. The reports contain information on laying off school districts, the number of schools in the county, the number of poor children in need of aid to education, the number of poor children educated with money from the Literary Fund, and salaries paid to teachers.

Superintendents of Schools Reports, 1854-1861, include financial records (bonds and accounts) and annual reports documenting the number of schools in the county and the number of poor children receiving educational aid.

School Warrants, 1907-1908, are records of payments made for teacher salaries. Organized by school district, each payment record includes the name of teacher and public school.

Related Material

Additional Amherst County (Va.) records are available at the Library of Virginia, including the Amherst County (Va.) Public School Register, 1886-1903 (Barcode 1105846).

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Amherst County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners.
• Amherst County (Va.) Circuit Court.
• Virginia Literary Fund--Appropriations and expenditures--19th century.

Subjects:

• African Americans--Education--Virginia--Amherst County.
• African Americans--Segregation--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Government aid to education--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Poor Children--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Public schools--Virginia--Amherst County.
• School reports--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Schools--Records and correspondence--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Students--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Teachers--Virginia--Amherst County.

Geographical Names:

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

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Bonds (negotiable instruments)--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Financial records--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Amherst County.
• Minutes--Virginia--Amherst County.
• School records--Virginia--Amherst County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data