Saga - 2018, Page 149

Elsta hreppsbókin, þar sem tíundarreikningar eru skráðir og
fjallað um fátækraframfærslu, er frá árinu 1643. Færsla þeirra var þó
fyrst lögboðin 140 árum síðar, árið 1786. Af því sést að færsla þeirra
hefur hafist mun fyrr, en átta bækur eru varðveittar frá því fyrir
1786 og bendir það til þess að þörf hafi verið á færslu þessara bóka.
Skýr ákvæði um myndun skjalasafns eru í „hreppstjórainstrúxinu“
frá 1809 og frá þeim tíma eru hreppsbækur og önnur skjöl hrepp-
anna bærilega varðveitt allt fram eftir tuttugustu öldinni. Breytilegt
er þó hvernig hreppstjórar færðu embættisverk sín til bókar og
hvort þeir héldu sérstakar bækur fyrir einstök embættisverk. Þrátt
fyrir tilskip un um sveitarstjórnarmál frá 1875 og reglugerð um
hrepp stjóra frá árinu 1880 eru skjalasöfn oddvita og hreppstjóra
almennt ekki aðgreind eftir 1875 í skrám Þjóðskjalasafns eða héraðs -
skjalasafna, þó svo að um tvö aðskilin skjalasöfn sé að ræða.
Abstract
kristjana kristinsdóttir
DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR ARCHIVES
District records and administrative developments
from the 18th to early 21st centuries
In recent centuries, the main administrative units of Iceland were the counties
(sýslur), which were in turn divided into smaller units called districts (hreppar).
Districts, however, had existed much longer, and in all likelihood stemmed from
the early Commonwealth Period (930-1262). Their prime functions used to consist
of protecting common interests and administering poor relief.
To begin with, the Icelandic district commissioners (hreppstjórar) were inde-
pendent of the Danish royal administrative system, but as commissioner activities
increased, the county magistrates (sýslumenn) began to intervene, resulting in
numerous resolutions that were passed from the 17th century onwards. Although
the oldest document on the duties of district commissioners probably dates back
to the close of the 16th century, it lacked the force of regulations. The first actual
regulations dealing with the duties of district commissioners, called hreppstjórain-
strúx (instructions for district commissioners), date back to 1809 and include a
detailed overview of commissioner tasks and duties for supervising poor relief in
collaboration with parish clergy.
The 19th century saw demands for greater regional independence, answered
by an 1872 directive on municipal affairs that entered into effect in 1875. In this
directive the duties of a district commissioner were separated from the activities
headed by the oddviti, or district council chair. In 1880, regulations were intro -
duced specifically on the duties of district commissioners, establishing them as
hreppstjórar og skjalasöfn þeirra 147
Saga vor 2018.qxp_Saga haust 2004 - NOTA 30.4.2018 12:12 Page 147