Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth, Reports from clerks of court, 1852. Accession 39204. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information unavailable.

Biographical 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 gubernatorial 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. Currently the Secretary of the Commonwealth is responsible for gubernatorial appointments, clemency and restoration of civil rights requests and extraditions. Additional activities include: serving as ex officio Secretary to the Governor; serving as 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 lobbyists, 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

Reports from clerks of court, 1852, sent to the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth. The reports were sent in response to a circular sent by the Secretary of the Commonwealth asking the counties how many copies of the Code of Virginia and Joseph Mayo's A Guide to Magistrates: With Practical forms for the discharge of their duties out of court were required to supply the justices of the counties. Some counties simply responded with a number of copies required, while others listed the justices by name. Some counties also included lengthy replies noting with disdain that the previous justices hadn't turned in their books or scolding the Secretary for not sending books sooner or making sure that they reached southwest Virginia.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by county name.