A Guide to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Administrative papers, 1897-1906 #24960

A Guide to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Administrative papers, 1897-1906

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 24960

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Laura Drake

Repository

Library of Virginia

Accession number

24960

Title

Secretary of the Commonwealth, Administrative papers, 1897-1906

Physical Characteristics

1.75 cubic feet.

Physical Location

State Records Collections, Secretary of the Commonwealth (Record Group 13).

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth, Administrative papers, 1897-1906. Accession 24960, State Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth on May 18, 1959.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth has evolved from early colonial times when there existed a Secretary of the Colony. Thomas Nelson held the position of the first Secretary of Virginia in 1776. Early Secretaries were elected by the public. An Act of the General Assembly in 1920 changed the election to a joint vote of the General Assembly. In a 1930 Act the duties of the Secretary were redefined with the Secretary of the Commonwealth serving as the ex officio secretary of the Governor, as custodian of many official State records, and as keeper of the Greater and Lesser Seals of the Commonwealth. The office of the Secretary has gradually acquired other functions, such as: service of out-of-state civil process; appointment and regulation of notaries public; and registration and oversight of lobbyists. The Office became a gubernational appointment subsequent to a 1958 Act of the Assembly. The Secretary of the Commonwealth is under the jurisdiction of the Governor's Office.

The Secretary is appointed by the Governor for a term of four years. The Secretary has an Executive assistant and an Assistant who is in charge of prison mail and research duties. The Chief Clerk is responsible for the Governor's Journal and extraditions and acts as general office manager. Major activities are: serving as ex officio Secretary to the Governor; serving as the keeper of the seals of the Commonwealth; compiling and publishing the annual Blue Book; commissioning and regulating notary publics, including the publication of a Notary Handbook and conduct of disciplinary hearings; promulgating the lobbying disclosure requirements, registration of lobbyst, and recording of lobbying reports; servicing the civil process of out-of-state defendants and other parties; and authenticating and certifying the records of the courts and of any state agency.

Scope and Content Information

These records contain the general administrative papers from the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Included is general correspondence, gubernatorial proclamations, one pardon, and other materials. This collection has only a portion of the correspondence, as evidenced by much of the alphabet in the correspondents. The location of the other correspondence is unknown.

Arrangement

Each series is arranged alphabetically.

Organization

Organized into three series: Series I. General correspondence, 1900-1903; Series II. Gubenatorial Proclamations, 1903-1904; Series III. Other materials, 1897-1906.

Series I: General correspondence, 1900-1903

Arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Box 1 Folder 1
General correspondence: Bla, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 2
General correspondence: Ble-Blo, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 3
General correspondence: Blu-Bog, 1901-1903
Box 1 Folder 4
General correspondence: Boh-Bol, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 5
General correspondence: Bom-Bor, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 6
General correspondence: Bos-Boz, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 7
General correspondence: Bra, 1901-1903
Box 1 Folder 8
General correspondence: Bre, 1900-1902
Box 1 Folder 9
General correspondence: Bri, 1901-1903
Box 1 Folder 10
General correspondence: Bro, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 11
General correspondence: Brown, 1900-1902
Box 1 Folder 12
General correspondence: Bru-Bry, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 13
General correspondence: Bua-Buc, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 14
General correspondence: Bud-Bul, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 15
General correspondence: Bum-Bur, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 16
General correspondence: Bus-Buz, 1900-1902
Box 1 Folder 17
General correspondence: By, 1902-1903
Box 1 Folder 18
General correspondence: Caa-Cam, 1900-1901
Box 1 Folder 19
General correspondence: Can-Car, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 20
General correspondence: Cas-Caz, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 21
General correspondence: Cea-Cez, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 22
General correspondence: Ch, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 23
General correspondence: Ci-Cl, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 24
General correspondence: Clark, Clarke, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 25
General correspondence: Coa-Cok, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 26
General correspondence: Col-Com, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 27
General correspondence: Con, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 28
General correspondence: Coo, 1901-1903
Box 1 Folder 29
General correspondence: Cop-Cor, 1900-1903
Box 1 Folder 30
General correspondence: Cos-Coz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 1
General correspondence: Cro, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 2
General correspondence: Cua-Cum, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 3
General correspondence: Cun-Cz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 4
General correspondence: Sm, 1901-1903
Box 2 Folder 5
General correspondence: Smith, A-Smith, D, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 6
General correspondence: Smith, E-Smith, I, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 7
General correspondence: Smith, J-Smith, N, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 8
General correspondence: Smith, O-Smith, S, 1901-1903
Box 2 Folder 9
General correspondence: Smith, T-Smith, Z, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 10
General correspondence: Sn, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 11
General correspondence: So, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 12
General correspondence: Sp, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 13
General correspondence: St (Saint), 1900-1902
Box 2 Folder 14
General correspondence: Sta, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 15
General correspondence: Ste, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 16
General correspondence: Stevens-Stewart, 1900-1902
Box 2 Folder 17
General correspondence: Sti-Sto, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 18
General correspondence: Str, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 19
General correspondence: Stu-Sty, 1900-1902
Box 2 Folder 20
General correspondence: Su, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 21
General correspondence: Sw-Sz, 1901-1903
Box 2 Folder 22
General correspondence: Taa-Tal, 1900-1902
Box 2 Folder 23
General correspondence: Tam-Tax, 1901-1903
Box 2 Folder 24
General correspondence: Tay, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 25
General correspondence: Te, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 26
General correspondence: Tho, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 27
General correspondence: Tia-Til, 1902-1903
Box 2 Folder 28
General correspondence: Tim-Tiz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 29
General correspondence: Toa-Tol, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 30
General correspondence: Tom-Toz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 31
General correspondence: Tra-Tri, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 32
General correspondence: Tro-Tup, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 33
General correspondence: Tur-Tuz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 34
General correspondence: Tw-Ty, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 35
General correspondence: Ua-Uz, 1900-1903
Box 2 Folder 36
General correspondence: Va-Vy, 1900-1903

Series II: Gubernatorial Proclamations, 1903-1904

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Box 4 Folder 1
Quarantine Proclamation (Cattle), 1904 February 1
Box 2 Folder 37
Quarantine Proclamation (Cattle), Correspondence, 1904
Box 2 Folder 38
Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1903 November 11
Box 4 Folder 2
Woodward back to SC, n.d.

Series III: Other materials, 1897-1906

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Box 3 Folder 1
Bond notices for notary publics, by jurisdiction, 1900-1904
Box 3 Folder 2
Bond notices for state government employees, 1898-1906
Box 2 Folder 39
Correspondence with state libraries regarding Virginia State Documents, 1904
Box 3 Folder 3
Pardons: William Kemp, 1897