Following is a list of the officers who have served in various capacities since the formation of the county in 1838, together with State Senators and members of the House of Representatives:

John T. Anderson, Botetourt County, 1840-41 and 1841-42.
John McCauley, Roanoke County, 1842 to 1849, inclusive.

The State Senatorial District then comprised the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, Bath, Alleghany, and Pocahontas.

In 1849 Highland County was included in the district and John McCauley, of Roanoke County, was elected for another term, from 1849 to 1851.

In 1851 the district was composed of the counties of Roanoke, Alleghany, Botetourt, and Craig.

Douglass B. Layne, of Alleghany, represented the district from 1851 to 1860, inclusive.

Robert M. Wiley, of Craig County, from 1851 to 1863.

The district was again changed to comprise the counties of Roanoke, Montgomery, Craig and Giles, and was represented by George H. Peck, of Giles, from 1865 to 1867.

Another change resulted in the elimination of Montgomery County and the addition of Botetourt County to the district and Edmund Pendleton, of Botetourt, was elected and served from 1869 to 1871.

The next move on the political checkerboard was to drop Giles and add Alleghany. William M. Lackland, of Botetourt, was elected from 1871 to 1875, inclusive, and James W. Marshall, of Craig, from 1875 to 1879, inclusive.

In 1879 the Legislature again changed the district and included the counties of Roanoke, Montgomery, and Craig. Representatives were elected as follows:

James E. Eskridge, Montgomery County, 1879 to 1882.

Henry S. Trout, Roanoke City, 1883 to 1886.

D. F. Houston, Roanoke City, 1887-88.

John R. Johnson, Montgomery County, 1889-90

James W. Marshall, Craig County, 1891-92

J. Allen Watts, Roanoke City, 1893-94.

M. H. Claytor, Roanoke City, 1895 to 1898, inclusive

Edward Lyle, Roanoke City, 1899 to 1902, inclusive

Archer A. Phlegar, Montgomery County, 1903 to 1907.

John M. Hart, Roanoke City, 1907 to 1911.

John M. Hart, Roanoke City, re-elected for a term of four years in November 1911

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES

In 1839, the first year after the formation of the county, the House District was composed of Roanoke and Botetourt counties, and the first representation of Roanoke proper was in the General Assembly of 1840-41. In 1864, Craig and Roanoke counties were combined and Craig formed a part of the district until 1870. From 1870 to 1879 Roanoke had individual representation, when Craig was again combined with Roanoke into one district, and so remained until 1888, when Roanoke City became a part of the district, which was then composed of Roanoke County, Roanoke City, and Craig County. In 1906, Craig County and Roanoke City were made separate districts.

Following are the members of the House of Delegates representing Roanoke County and the district to which the county belonged:

Roanoke County

Henry Snider, 1840-41
John McCauley, 1841-42
Nathaniel Burwell, 1842-43
Aaron Barnes, 1843-44
Henry Frantz (succeeded Aaron Barnes, resigned), 1844-45
Joseph Pritchard, 1845-46
William M. Cook, 1846 to 1850, inclusive
Robert Craig, 1850 to 1852, inclusive, and was elected for a third term, but died in December 1852, when John McCauley was elected to fill the unexpired term.
John McCauley, 1852-53
Colin Bass, 1853 to 1863, inclusive
Andrew J. Deyerle, 1863-64

Roanoke and Craig

Michael P. Spessard, Craig County, 1879-80
Green B. Board, Roanoke County, 1881-82
James W. Marshall, Craig County, 1883-84
Giles C. Huffman, Craig County, 1885 to 1888, inclusive

Roanoke, Craig and City of Roanoke

John W. Woods, Roanoke City, 1889-90
M. C. Thomas, Roanoke City, 1890 to 1894, inclusive
Robert H. Logan, Roanoke County, 1893-94
William W. Berkeley, Roanoke County, 1895-96
John L. Hannah, Roanoke County, 1895-96
John P. Caldwell, Craig County, 1897-98
R. Randolph Hicks, Roanoke City, 1897-98
W. P. Dupuy, Roanoke City, 1899-1900
William B. Bowles, Roanoke County, 1899-1900
A. M. Bowman, Roanoke County, 1901-02
R. H. Angell, Roanoke City, 1901-02
A. B. Coleman, Roanoke City, 1903-04
A. M. Bowman, Roanoke County, 1903-04
A.B. Coleman, Roanoke City, 1905-06
A. M. Bowman, Roanoke County, 1905-06

At the session of the General Assembly of 1905-06 the general apportionment bill was passed which made Roanoke County and Roanoke City separate districts, and representatives for the two districts were elected as follows:

A. M. Bowman, Roanoke County, 1907-08, 1909-10, and 1911-12
A. Bruce Hunt, Roanoke City, 1907-08
E. L. Keyser, Roanoke City, 1909-10
William Watts, Roanoke City, 1912-13

County Judges

In 1870 the county court system went into effect in Virginia, and it was then that Roanoke County had her first county judge, and to Judge F. J. Ribble belongs the honor of being the first judge of the County Court in Roanoke County. Prior to 1870, the county courts were presided over by a bench of justices of the peace, of which one was the presiding justice.

The following is the list of judges from that time until the abolition of the county court system by the new constitution which became effective in 1904:

F. J. Ribble, April 14, 1873 to January 13, 1877
Winfield Griffin, January 13, 1877 to July 1, 1879
John Gardner (of Montgomery County, Judge pro tem.), July 1, 1879 to February 5, 1880
James W. Palmer, February 5, 1880 to January 1, 1886
Wingfield Griffin, January 1, 1886 to June 19, 1893
W. W. Moffett, June 19, 1893 to 1904 (When county court system was abolished.)

Judges of Circuit Court

John J. Allen, May 24, 1838 to January 31, 1841
Edward Johnston, January 31, 1841 to August 18, 1853
Robert M. Hudson, August 18, 1853 to August 18, 1869
William M. Barnitz, August 18, 1869 to May 1870
Alexander Mahood, May 1870 to July 1, 1874
Henry E. Blair, July 1, 1874 to 1904, when the new constitution revised the court system of the State.

Roanoke County and City were then included in the Twentieth Judical Circuit, with C. B. Moomaw as the first judge and W. W. Moffett the next, the latter having served since 1906, and was again re-elected, his term to expire in 1916.

Clerks of County Court

William M. Cook, May 21, 1838 to May 18, 1846
Frederick Johnston, May 18, 1846 to August 21, 1865
William McCauley, August 21, 1865 to April 19, 1869
Hiram L. Hunt, April 19, 1869 to March 5, 1870
William McCauley, March 5, 1870 to July 1, 1887
P. H. McCaull, July 1, 1887 to August 10, 1889
William McCauley, August 10, 1889 to July 1, 1893
Wingfield Griffin, July 1, 1893 to May 11, 1898, when he resigned to enter the army of the United States in the Spanish American War as Captain of a company known as the Jeff Davis Rifles.
William B. Bowles, May 11, 1898 to July 1, 1899
Charles D. Denit, July 1, 1899 to 1911 (present incumbent).

Clerks of the Circuit Court

Frederick Johnston, May 21, 1838 to May 18, 1846 when he became Clerk of both the County and Circuit courts.

After the date last mentioned the same Clerk was elected for both courts.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys

James B. Watts, May 24, 1838 to January 20, 1845
Henry A. Edmundson, January 26, 1845 to June 20, 1852
William M. Cook, June 21, 1852 to (date not ascertainable).
Henry E. Blair, July 1, 1856 to October 19, 1868
John A. McCaull, October 19, 1868 to May 16, 1870
Henry E. Blair, May 16, 1870 to January 1, 1871
William M. Barnitz, January 1, 1871 to July 1, 1879
Wingfield Griffin, July 1, 1879 to July 1, 1883
L. C. Hansbrough, July 1, 1883 to July 1, 1891
William W. Ballard, July 1, 1891 to July 1, 1895
Jacob S. Baer, July 1, 1895 to July 1, 1899
Henderson Lee, July 1, 1899 to date of death in August, 1899
R. W. Kime, August 10, 1899 to 1912 (present incumbent).

Sheriffs of Roanoke County

Elijah McClanahan, June 21, 1838 to March 19, 1840
Thomas Fowler, March 19, 1840 to March 21, 1842
William McDermid, March 21, 1842 to March 18, 1844
James Kyle, March 18, 1844 to March 16, 1846
John H. Griffin, March 16, 1846 to March 20, 1848
Elias Thomas, March 20, 1848 to March 18, 1850
Andrew Reynolds, March 18, 1850 to March 15, 1852
Absalom Smith, March 15, 1852 to June 21, 1852
Jeremiah K. Pitzer, June 21, 1852 to July 1, 1861
Green B. Board, January 1, 1861 to August 21, 1865
John M. Evans, August 21, 1865 to May 27, 1869
Lewis T. Custer, May 17, 1869 to April 18, 1870
Charles I. Preston, April 18, 1870 to January 1, 1874
William W. Brand, January 1, 1874 to July 1, 1883
Charles M. Webber, July 1, 1883 to July 1, 1891
George W. Zirkle, July 1, 1891 to 1907
Charles L. Hatcher, 1907 to 1912 (present incumbent)

School Superintendents

L. R. Holland, 1870 to 1872
W. W. Ballard, 1872 to 1883
Marshall P. Frantz, 1883 to 1886
William M. Graybill, 1886 to 1887
L. R. Holland, 1887 to 1892
R. C. Stearnes, 1892 to 1906
Roland E. Cook, 1906 to the present time