Warren County (Va.) Lists of Voters Registered, 1836-1953

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

Summary

Creator:
Warren County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Warren County (Va.) Lists of Voters Registered, 1836-1953, includes three boxes of commissions, polls, affidavits and reports for the period 1836-1854 and 1861-1941. There are list of voters in the books Permanent Poll of Voters, 1902-1903 and Voter Registration Book, Colored, 1905-1908. There are thirty five list of Colored Voters for the years 1892-1953. There are and eighty three List of White Voters for the years 1884-1952 and four undated list. The Lists of Voters are from the Precincts of Bentonville; Bowman; Browntown; Cedarville; Fork Union; Front Royal; Front Royal, North; Front Royal, South; Keller's School; Leary's School; Linden; Milldale; Reliance; Riverton; Rockland; and Waterlick. These precincts were in the Magisterial Districts of Cedarville, Fork, Front Royal, and South River.

Warren County lists of registered voters consist of the individual rolls of registered voters both colored and white. Rolls also include names of women who registered following passage of Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Information found in the rolls includes date of registration; number of registered voter; name of registered voter; date of birth; age; occupation; residence; length of residence in state, county, and precinct; whether exempt from poll tax; if naturalized, and if so, date of papers and by what court issued; if transferred from another precinct, and if so, when and to what precinct.

Biographical / historical:

Warren County was named for Joseph Warren, the revolutionary patriot who sent Paul Revere and William Dawes on their famous rides and who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The county was formed from Frederick and Shenandoah counties in 1836.

The 1902 voter registration books were created following the passage of the 1902 Virginia state constitution. The purpose of the 1902 state constitution was to maintain white suffrage while eliminating African-American voters by means of literacy tests as well as property and poll tax requirements.

The Nineteenth Amendment was granted the right to vote to women. It was proposed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920.

Acquisition information:
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Warren County.
Physical location:
State Records Center - Archives Annex, Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1.05 cu. ft. (3 boxes) and 120 v.