Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Henrico County   (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1795-1871. Local government records collection, Henrico County   Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Henrico County  .

Historical Information

Henrico County   was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King James   I. It was one of the eight original shires, or counties  , first enumerated in 1634. The county   seat is in the western part of the county  .

In 1780 the Virginia General Assembly replaced the Anglican vestries and churchwardens of the colonial period with elected bodies called Overseers of the Poor. The Overseers provided food, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment for the persons who were too poor to support themselves or too ill to provide for their basic needs. They also bound out children whose parents could not support them or who failed to educate or instruct them, as well as orphans to become apprentices. The boys learned a trade and the girls learned domestic skills.

Recognized in 1634 as an original shire. All county   court records prior to 1655 and almost all prior to 1677 are missing. Many records were destroyed by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Post–Revolutionary War county   court records exist. Almost all circuit superior court of law and chancery and circuit court records were destroyed by fire during the evacuation of Richmond on April 3, 1865, during the Civil War. The county  ’s circuit court held its sessions at the state courthouse in Richmond.

Scope and Content

Henrico County   (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1795-1871, are bonds and contracts of apprenticeship given by the Overseers of the Poor, showing the names of master and apprentice, the trade to be taught, details of the contract, the amount of the bond and the names of sureties. Many of the apprentices bound out prior to 1866 were free African Americans.

Related Material

Additional Henrico County   Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County   and City   Records on Microfilm."

Henrico County   is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Henrico County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Database found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Henrico County   (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans--History.
• Apprentices--Virginia--Henrico County  .
• Free African Americans--Virginia--Henrico County  .

Geographical Names:

• Henrico County   (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Indentures--Virginia--Henrico County  .
• Local government records--Virginia--Henrico County  .

Adjunct Descriptive Data