Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Rockbridge County (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1840-1895. Local government records collection, Rockbridge County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from Rockbridge County.

Historical Information

Rockbridge County was named for Natural Bridge, an exceptional rock formation located in the county. The county was formed from Augusta and Botetourt Counties in 1778, and another part of Botetourt was added in 1888. The county seat is the city of Lexington.

In 1780 the Virginia General Assembly replaced the Anglican vestries and churchwardens of the colonial period with elected bodies called Overseers of the Poor. The Overseers provided food, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment for the persons who were too poor to support themselves or too ill to provide for their basic needs. They also bound out children whose parents could not support them or who failed to educate or instruct them, as well as orphans to become apprentices. The boys learned a trade and the girls learned domestic skills.

Scope and Content

Rockbridge County (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1840-1895, are bonds and contracts of apprenticeship given by the Overseers of the Poor, showing the names of master and apprentice, the trade to be taught, details of the contract, the amount of the bond and the names of sureties. Many of the apprentices bound out prior to 1866 were free African Americans.

Related Material

Additional Rockbridge County Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Rockbridge County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans--History.
• Apprentices--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
• Free African Americans--Virginia--Rockbridge County.

Geographical Names:

• Rockbridge County (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Indentures--Virginia--Rockbridge County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Rockbridge County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data