Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm copy Henrico County (Va.) Reel 214.

Preferred Citation

Henrico County (Va.) Minutes of the Overseers of the Poor, 1869-1891. Local Gaovernment Records Collection, Henrico County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Henrico County. The microfilm was generated by the OCLC Preservation Resources.

Historical Information

Henrico County was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, the oldest son of James I. It was one of the eight original shires established in 1634.

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. The counties had Poor House and Poor Farms to board invalids and paupers living in their county.

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

The Henrico County (Va.) Minutes of the Overseer of the Poor is one volume dated 1869-1891. The early minutes give the names of people receiving financial support, food, and clothing, and the burial of the deceased. The Board paid to send people to other counties. There is a list dated August 21, 1869 naming the people living in the Poor House. This list describes their health conditions and tells about their ability to work. The early part of the Minute Book describes the discussions of the Board. The Minutes of the Overseers changed in 1871 to being reports of expenditures and rarely names the persons recieving aid.

The minutes for October 22, 1869 talk about selling the Poor House and Poor Farm. They were to contact the City Council of Richmond to make arrangement for the people living in the Poor House to be maintained and cared for in the City's Almshouse. The arrangements were made and the paupers were moved to the Almshouse. The minutes of February 1, 1870, state that when the people arrived at the Almshouse they found that it had very dirty rooms, many paupers living there were badly clad, and the entire premise was in an uninviting condition. Many of the paupers from Henrico County made other arrangements so they would not have to stay in the Almshouse.

There are reports giving information about the people living in the Almshouse in 1870. These reports name the individual living in the Almshouse, says if they were discharged or died, gives number of days provided for, and the cost of bural of those that died. Later reports mentions payment for people being transported to the Almshouse. The county discontinued sending paupers to the Richmond City Almshouse in 1876.

In 1871 the county was formed into Townships to replace the former Districts. The services of the Overseers of the Poor changed. Instead of the County Board of Overseers of the Poor providing the service for the whole county, each Township provided for the sick and indigent people in its location. More of the paupers were boarded in homes in the township and fewer were sent to the Richmond City Almshouse. Those that were sent to the Almshouse were sent there to die.

Stuck in the book are a number of items. There was a bill from G. W. Latimer for the period of May 13 through December 31, 1881. E. C. Pollard gives a report from the Brookland Magisterial District Overseers that list the names of people receiving service and names of doctors being paid for medical services. There are individual list for January 2, April 3, July 3, and October 2, 1890, for January 7 and April 1891, and for July 7, 1892 that list the payments to members of the Board of Overseers of the Poor.

Arrangement

Chronological

Related Material

Additional Henrico County Court 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 Datatbase found at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

Corporate names:

• Henrico County (Va.) Board of Overseers of the Poor
• Henrico County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Almshouses--Virginia--Henrico County
• Poor--Virginia--Henrico County
• Public welfare--Virginia--Henrico County

Geographical Names:

• Henrico County (Va.)--History--19th Century

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records--Virginia--Henrico County
• Minutes--Virginia--Henrico County

Adjunct Descriptive Data