Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Patrons are to use digital images with searchable transcription available through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative website.

Preferred Citation

Montgomery County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Montgomery County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Local Government Records Collection, Montgomery County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item was loaned for duplication to the Library of Virginia by the circuit court clerk of Montgomery County. Accession number 50157.

Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 11_1039.

Historical Information

Montgomery County was named for Richard Montgomery, who was killed in the American assault on Quebec late in 1775. It was formed from Fincastle County in 1776. Part of Botetourt County was added in 1789, and part of Pulaski County was added in 1842.

The Virginia legislature passed an act on 27 February 1866 to legalize the marriages of former slaves who had been cohabiting as of that date. See Virginia Acts of Assembly, 1866-1867, Chapter 18, An act to amend and re-enact the 14th section of chapter 108 of the Code of Virginia for 1860, in regard to registers of marriage; and to legalize the marriages of colored persons now cohabiting as husband and wife.

The federal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands directed the Assistant Superintendents of the states to order the county clerks to make a registry of such cohabiting couples. See Circular No. 11, dated 19 March 1866, in Orders, Circulars, Circular Letters, and Letters of Instruction, vol. 2 (1866). Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, 1865-1869. Miscellaneous reel 3880, Library of Virginia. National Archives microfilm M1048 (reel 41), Record Group 105.

Scope and Content

Montgomery County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Montgomery County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Also commonly called Montgomery County (Va.) Cohabitation Register. This register records the name of the husband, his age, place of birth, residence, occupation, last owner, last owner's residence, name of the wife, her age, place of birth, residence, last owner, last owner's residence, name of children with the ages of each, and the date of commencement of cohabitation. Of note is the wide range of localities reported as the former slaves' places of birth.

Related Material

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

Additional cohabitation registers are available digitially with searchable transcriptions through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative website.

Access Terms

• African Americans--Employment--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• African Americans--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• Freedmen--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• Marriage records--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• Marriage registers--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• Montgomery County (Va.)--History--19th Century.
• Montgomery County (Va.). Circuit Court.
• Slaveholders--Virginia--Montgomery County.
• United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.

Adjunct Descriptive Data