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Chesterfield County (Va.) School Records, 1820-1902. Local government records collection, Chesterfield County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of records from Chesterfield County Circuit Court.
The collection is located at the State Records Center. Contact Archives Research Services staff for access information, directions, and hours.
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 was 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.
Chesterfield County was named for Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth earl of Chesterfield, British statesman and diplomat, and was formed from Henrico County in 1749.
Chesterfield County (Va.) School Records, 1820-1902, are comprised of records of the Board of School Commissioners, 1820-1860, and records of the School Board, 1873-1902.
Records of the Board of School Commissioners, 1820-1860, contain treasurer's records (bonds and accounts), minutes, and annual reports to the Commissioners of the Literary Fund documenting spending of the county allotment from the Literary Fund. The reports contain information on the number of schools in the county, the number of poor children educated with money from the Literary Fund, and salaries paid to teachers.
Records of the School Board, 1873-1902, contain school board minutes, oaths of office, appointments, and correspondence. The records document the construction of schools, the appointments of trustees, and the hiring of teachers and administrators in various school districts in the county.