Collections : [Library of Virginia]

Manchester (Va.) Board of Alderman Minute Book, 1902-1910, covers the adminstrative functions of this governing body. The Board of Alderman of the City of Manchester, like the City Assembly, was formed on February 15, 1901 by Virginia's General Assembly. According to the Acts of the Assembly (p. 241), "the administration and government of the city shall be vested in one principal officer, to be styled the mayor; the City Council to be composed of the Board of Alderman, consisting of two members from each ward, and the City Assembly, consisting of three members from each ward." Furthermore, "each board composing the city council shall have one regular meeting during each month and as many special or called meetings as the interests of the city shall require. A majority of the members elected to each board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No ordinances or resolutions shall become a law of the city until adopted by a majority of each board present and voting." Unlike the City Assembly, however, the Board of Alderman was not officially organized until July 2, 1902. The volume deals primarily with building permits, committees and ordinances. The volume has an internal index (A-W) organized alphabetically by subject according to the order in which it appears in the volume.

Manchester (Va.) Board of Trustees Minute Books, 1811-1875, are comprised of three separate volumes dealing with the business of the town of Manchester's Board of Trustees through the creation of the city of Manchester's City Council. When the town was established in 1769, directors and trustees were appointed to govern the town. The first volume dates from 1811-1850 and numbers 308 pages. The volume opens with surviving trustee, John Murchie, calling for a meeting of the town's freeholders to elect the proper persons to supply vacancies on the Board of Trustees. The town sheriff, in charge of the elections, appoints seven new trustees to the board. These trustees are then entrusted with running the town--dealing with bonds for town officials, passing town ordinances--relating to both free men and slaves--in order to create a code of law for the town, forming committees to deal with various issues, surveying land and lots, collecting subscriptions for studies and improvements to the town's infrastructure, noting assessments of taxable property, including Treasurer's accounts as well as various reports and claims for town services.

Manchester (Va.) Journals of the City Assembly, 1901-1910, cover the administrative functions of one of the city's two governing bodies. The City Assembly, part of the City of Manchester's City Council, was formed on February 15, 1901 by Virginia's General Assembly. According to the Acts of the Assembly (p. 241), "the administration and government of the city shall be vested in one principal officer, to be styled the mayor; the City Council to be composed of the Board of Alderman, consisting of two members from each ward, and the City Assembly, consisting of three members from each ward." Furthermore, "each board composing the city council shall have one regular meeting during each month and as many special or called meetings as the interests of the city shall require. A majority of the members elected to each board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No ordinances or resolutions shall become a law of the city until adopted by a majority of each board present and voting." The first volume, 1901-1909, deals with city ordinances, reports of various committees and minutes from monthly meetings. This volume has an internal index (A-W) organized alphabetically by subject according to the order in which it appears in the volume. The second volume is 36 pages and covers only the year 1910 up until the City of Manchester's annexation with the City of Richmond. This volume deals with budgets, reports and resolutions. It also has an internal index arranged in a similar manner to the first volume.