Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm, Caroline County (Va.) Reel 78.

Preferred Citation

Caroline County (Va.) Board of Overseers of the Poor Minutes, 1845-1871. Caroline County (Va.) Reel 78, Local Government Records Collection, Caroline County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Caroline County. The microfilm was generated by OCLC through the Library of Virginia's Circuit Court Records Preservation Program.

Historical Information

Caroline County was named for Caroline of Anspach, consort of George II. It was formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties in 1728, and additional parts of King and Queen were added in 1742 and 1762.

Most loose records and deed books prior to 1836 and will books prior to 1853 were stolen, mutilated, and/or destroyed by Union troops who ransacked the courthouse in May 1864. A near-complete run of order books exists.

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.

In 1844, the General Assembly enacted laws to create poor farms overseen by boards of directors for the maintenance and education of the poor. The boards bought farms and built buildings, appointed a superintendant for each poor farm, and chose a physician to attend the sick and teachers to educate the children. The adults and older children were required to work if they were able.

Scope and Content

The Caroline County (Va.) Board of the Overseer of the Poor Minutes are two volumes dated 1845-1853 and 1853-1871. The minutes give the names of people receiving financial support, food, and clothing, as well as those removing to other states and the burial of the deceased. The minutes also include the details of the collection of the levy for the poor and how the money was spent. In addition, a report of the business of the poorhouse is contained in the minutes.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Material

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

See the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

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

Subjects:

• Almshouses--Virginia--Caroline County
• Apprentices--Virginia--Caroline County
• Poor--Employment--Virginia--Caroline County
• Poor--Virginia--Caroline County
• Public welfare--Virginia--Caroline County
• Tax collection--Virginia--Caroline County

Geographical Names:

• Caroline County--History--19th century

Genre and Form Terms:

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

Adjunct Descriptive Data