A Guide to the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts - Board of Fisheries Records, 1898-1927

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

Extent:
57 volumes
Creator:
Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928)
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Board of Fisheries records include Horizontal Angle Books, 1901; Oyster Reports, 1898-1927; and Reports of Oyster Inspectors, 1898-1927. These records document surveys of oyster beds in Isle of Wight County, and the collection of fines, fees, and taxes by Inspectors of Oysters.

Counties covered in these records include: Accomack, Charles City, Elizabeth City, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Nansemond, New Kent, Norfolk, Northumberland, Princess Anne, Richmond, Stafford, Warwick, Westmoreland and York, as well as Norfolk City and Portsmouth.

The records are arranged into 3 series. This collection consists of several Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) accessions that, while identified separately, all pertain to the same category of records. Since the specific APA accession numbers have been used and referenced over the years it was decided that each series would reference it's specific APA number, but one finding aid would describe the entire collection.

Biographical / historical:

On 25 March 1875 the General Assembly authorized the governor to appoint three commissioners of fisheries to coordinate conservation activities with the federal government and to oversee the duties of local oyster inspectors. The number of commissioners was reduced to one by an act passed on 8 March 1877. The Office of Fish Commissioner was abolished by the General Assembly on 7 February 1898 and replaced by the Board of Fisheries. The board also assumed the functions of the Board on the Chesapeake and Its Tributaries.

On 5 February 1900 the General Assembly passed an act authorizing the Board of Fisheries to employ county surveyors to resurvey the oyster planting grounds and any part of the survey made in the 1890s by James B. Baylor that needed revision. On 12 Mar 1908 the General Assembly changed the name of board to the Commission on Fisheries. In 1968 the name of the commission was changed to the Marine Resources Commission.

Acquisition information:
Transferred from the Auditor of Public Accounts in 1913.
Arrangement:
  • Series I: Horizontal Angle Books, 1901 (APA 113)
  • Series II: Oyster Reports, 1898-1927 (APA 114)
  • Series III: Reports of Oyster Inspectors, 1898-1927 (APA 115)