Rockingham County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1835-1840

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:

Rockingham County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1835-1840. Local government records collection, Rockingham County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

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

Rockingham County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1835-1840. Local government records collection, Rockingham County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Rockingham County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1835-1840, contain treasurer's accounts, annual reports, minutes, orders, and bonds documenting the disbursement of the county's allotment, from the state Literary Fund, for the education of indigent children.

Treasurer's accounts, 1835-1840, record the amount of money drawn from the state Literary Fund each year, money paid to individual schoolmasters, number of children taught, number of days taught, price per day, per pupil; and money spent on books. Reports and minutes also record the number of schools operating in the county, estimates of the number of children who qualified to attend them, the number attending, names of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses teaching in the schools, salaries paid to teachers, and elementary books principally used.

Biographical / historical:

On February 21, 1818, the Virginia legislature passed a school bill which appropriated $45,000 annually from the Literary Fund for the education of poor children. (The Literary Fund had been established in 1810 with passage of a bill to appropriate "certain escheats, confiscated, and forfeited lands" for the "encouragement of learning.") Under the provisions of the 1818 School Act, each county court was required to appoint five to fifteen commissioners to establish and/or administer schools for children of the poor. A more comprehensive public school system was established by the legislature in 1870. Prior to 1818, county courts were given the option of whether to appoint a Board of School Commissioners.

Rockingham County was named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, second marquis of Rockingham, who supported the colonists in their disputes with Great Britain. It was formed from Augusta County in 1778.

Acquisition information:

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Rockingham County, accession number 40981.

The collection is located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services staff for access information, directions, and hours.

Physical description:
0.20 cu. ft. (1 box)