A Guide to the Manchester (Va.) Maury Cemetery Committee Minute Book, 1907-1910
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Collection numbers: Barcode number 1114449/Richmond (Va.) Reel 1000
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
© 2010 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Library of Virginia staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Use microfilm copy, Richmond (Va.) Reel 1000.
Preferred Citation
Manchester (Va.) Maury Cemetery Committee Minute Book, 1907-1910. Richmond (Va.) Reel 1000, Local government records collection, Richmond (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
Acquisition Information
This original volume came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from the City of Richmond.
Reel 1000 was generated by Backstage Library Works through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.
Historical Information
Manchester was established as a town by the General Assembly in November 1769. According to this act, "the honorable William Byrd hath lately laid out a parcel of his lands at Rocky Ridge, at the falls of the James River, in the county of Chesterfield, in lots and streets for a town." Directors and trustees were appointed and the town was named Manchester. The town was incorporated on February 27, 1834. On March 20, 1874, a city charter was approved by the General Assembly and the city was divided into 4 wards. Three members from each ward served on the City Council, the main governing body of the city along with the mayor. On April 15, 1910, the city of Manchester was officially annexed to the City of Richmond with the provisos that a free bridge would be constructed to connect Manchester with Richmond and that Manchester would retain a courthouse. Today the area is also known as South Richmond. The town of Manchester was named probably for Manchester Parish in Chesterfield County. The parish in turn was named either for George Montague, fourth duke of Manchester, or for the town of Manchester, England.
According to the city's charter, "the city council shall have authority to...appoint such committees, as they may deem proper for the regulations of their proceedings and for the convenient transaction of business."
Scope and Content
Manchester (Va.) Maury Cemetery Committee Minute Book, 1907-1910, was a volume kept and used to record the dealings of the Cemetery Committee as part of the City Council. On page eight, section 16, of the city charter, is found the following: "to provide in or near the said city, lands to be appropriated, improved and kept in order as places for the burial of the dead." As historian Benjamin Weisiger III indicates in his book, there were a number of small private cemeteries in town before the opening of Maury Cemetery in 1874. "In February 1872, the town trustees started looking into purchasing land outside of the town for a Cemetery. In April 1872, an ordinance was passed forbidding burial within the town limits. By 1877, all burials were moved outside the city and a suitable are in Maury was set aside for those previously buried in the center of town."
At some point, the committee was formed to deal with all cemetery-related matters. Loose documents, including undated as well as receipts and resolutions from 1908 and 1909, were filmed at the beginning of the volume. The volume deals largely with such issues as road improvements for "a portion of the cemetery set apart for colored people and constructing a fence between the road for the colored cemetery and the alms house." Included in the volume are bills, reports of the cemetery superintendent, resolutions, receipts and minutes of the committee's meetings.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Related Material
Additional Richmond City Government Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm"
A wonderful history of Manchester "Old Manchester and Its Environs, 1769-1910" was published in 1993 by noted local historian, Benjamin B. Weisiger III. The volume is found in the Library of Virginia's book collection.
Index Terms
- Richmond (Va.) Circuit Court.
- African American cemeteries--Virginia--Manchester.
- Cemeteries--Virginia--Manchester.
- Committees--Virginia--Manchester.
- Municipal government--Virginia--Manchester.
- Public records--Virginia--Manchester.
- Manchester (Va.)--History--20th century.
- Richmond (Va.)--History--20th century.
- Bills (invoices)--Virginia--Manchester.
- Local government records--Virginia--Manchester.
- Minute books--Virginia--Manchester.
- Receipts (financial records)--Virginia--Manchester.
- Reports--Virginia--Manchester.
- Resolutions (administrative records)--Virginia--Manchester.
- Manchester (Va.) City Council.
Corporate Names:
Subjects:
Geographical Names:
Genre and Form Terms:
Added Entry - Corporate Name:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Manchester (Va.)--History--20th century.
- Richmond (Va.)--History--20th century.