Pittsylvania County (Va.) Overseers of the Poor Records, 1850, 1859-1865

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Overseers of the Poor Records, 1850, 1859-1865. Local Government Records Collection, Pittsylvania County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Pittsylvania County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Overseers of the Poor Records, 1850, 1859-1865. Local Government Records Collection, Pittsylvania County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Overseers of the Poor Records, 1850, 1859-1865, includes proceedings of the Overseers of the Poor. Information recorded includes collections and expenditures. The predominant information found involves individuals under the care of the Overseers of the Poor: name of inmates, race, length of care, how employed, number of days worked, and miscellaneous remarks related to physical or mental health.

The collection also includes a report concerning the sale of poor house in 1850.

Biographical / historical:

Pittsylvania County was was named in honor of William Pitt, first earl of Chatham, the English statesman. It was formed from Halifax County in 1766. The county court first met on 26 June 1767. The county seat is Chatham.

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.

Acquisition information:
This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Pittsylvania County.
Arrangement:

Chronological

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.25 cu.ft.