A Guide to the Mecklenburg County (Va.), Election Records: Election Excuses, 1793
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Collection Number 0007783222
Library of Virginia
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Processed by: T. Harter
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Mecklenburg County (Va.) Election Records: Election Excuses, 1793. Local government records collection, Mecklenburg County Court Records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
This collection came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Mecklenburg County Circuit Court.
Historical Information
In 1793 the number of U.S. Representatives from Virginia increased from ten to nineteen, so nine new seats were up for grabs. According to Virginia law, an eligible voter was a (white) male citizen over 21 owning a dwelling and property, ranging from at least twenty-five acres of plantation land, to 50 acres of unimproved land, or a town lot. There were some exceptions to this, related to tenant farmers or joint owners, or land that crossed local boundaries. At any rate, landowners of the day were expected to participate in elections. In fact, if a qualified person failed to attend to cast his vote, he was penalized to pay one-fourth of his tax levies for the year. Because states had jurisdiction over maintaining their election returns, votes were often recorded in deed books or poll books, which listed the name of the voter as well as the candidate for whom they voted. The local sheriff was expected to deliver the poll book to the county clerk within ten days of the election, who, in turn, would present it at the next gathering of the grand jury along with a list of qualified voters. In the meantime, the local sheriff was also expected to seek out and collect these penalties from negligent voters and present those penalties to the grand jury. The voter excuses from Mecklenburg County are just that: excuses for why certain ostensibly qualified voters failed to travel to the polling place and cast their vote.
Mecklenburg County was named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Stralitz, consort of King George III. The county was formed from Lunenburg County in 1764. The county court first met on 11 March 1765.
Scope and Content
Mecklenburg County (Va.) Election Records: Election Excuses, 1793, consist of one folder of fourteen election excuses by individuals reporting to their local court why they failed to vote in elections that year.
Arrangement
Chronological, then alphabetically by last name of individual if needed.
Related Material
Additional Mecklenburg County court records can be found on microfilm and in the Chancery Records Index at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm" and The Chancery Records Index .
Mecklenburg County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Mecklenburg County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection .
For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .
Index Terms
- Mecklenburg County (Va.) Circuit Court.
- County courts--Virginia--Mecklenburg County.
- Public records--Virginia--Mecklenburg County.
- Mecklenburg County (Va.)--History--18th Century.
- Election Records--Virginia--Mecklenburg County.
- Local government records--Virginia--Mecklenburg County.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Mecklenburg County (Va.)--History--18th Century.
Contents List
Excuse: old and infirm
Excuse: rainy day and no beast to ride
Excuse: out of the county
Excuse: had gone a-fishing
Excuse: had gone a-fishing
Excuse: had no deed for his land; didn't realize he could vote
Excuse: did not know there was a fine for not voting
Excuse: had a pain in hip and back
Excuse: did not consider himself qualified as his father's estate had not been divided
Excuse: for want of a horse, his not being able to carry him the distance
Excuse: for want of shoes
Excuse: was one of the clerks in both elections, and believed himself also not qualified by law to vote
Excuse: for want of a horse
Excuse: had nothing to ride