Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Albemarle County (Va.) Enslaved and Free Records, 1799-1870 circa Local Government Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Albemarle County.

Historical Information

Albemarle County was named for William Anne Keppel, second earl of Albemarle, and governor of Virginia from 1737 to 1754. It was created by a statute of 1744 and formed from Goochland County; part of Louisa County was added in 1761 and islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River in 1770. The court met for the first time on 8 February 1745. The county seat is the city of Charlottesville.

All order books except the first and many loose papers between 1748 and 1781 were destroyed by British general Banastre Tarleton's raid on Charlottesville in 1781 during the Revolutionary War.

In 1806, the General Assembly moved to remove the free Black persons and free persons of color from Virginia with a law that stated that all emancipated enslaved people, freed after May 1, 1806, who remained in the Commonwealth more than a year, would forfeit their right to freedom and be sold by the Overseers of the Poor for the benefit of the parish. Free people wanting to stay were to petition the General Assembly through the local county court. Beginning in 1837, emancipated people could petition the local courts for permission to remain.

Scope and Content

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Albemarle County (Va.) Enslaved and Free Records, 1799-1870 cica, include "Bills of Sale" (1843), "Certificates of free negroes and mulattoes" (1815-1870, undated), , "Committee regarding carrying of arms by negroes and mulattoes papers" (1865), "Deeds of emancipation or manumission" (1841-1864), "Free Negro (and Mulatto) Tax Records" (1853), "Free negroes and mulattoes Registrations" (1804-1864, undated), "Patrol papers" (1799-1864, undated), "Petitions to be classified as white" (1869), "Petitions for voluntary enslavement" (1858-1864), "Petitions to remain in Commonwealth" (1816, 1850, 1852), and "Runaway Slave papers" (1845).

"Bills of Sale," 1843, record the account of the sale, the name of the seller, the name of the purchaser and the date of the transaction. The name and/or sex and/or age of the enslaved person being sold may also be included.

"Certificates of free negroes and mulattoes," 1815-1870, undated, record the name of the person, sometimes their age and a brief physical description, and a statement based either on another person's knowledge or on other official documentary evidence seen by the certifier that this person was either born free or was emancipated. If born free, reference is sometimes made to parents. If emancipated, emancipating enslaver, place and date of emancipation, and prior registration are usually mentioned.

"Committee regarding carrying of arms by negroes and mulattoes papers", 1865, contains a Court order appointing members to a committee regarding carrying of arms by free Black persons and persons of color. No names are contained.

Deeds of emancipation or manumission, 1841-1864, record the name of the former enslaver, the name of the enslaved person, the date or age at which the enslaved person will be freed, the date the deed was written, and the date the deed was proved. The age of the enslaved person at the time the deed was written, a surname assigned to the freed enslaved person by the enslaver, and the enslaver's reason for emancipation are sometimes given.

"Free Negro and Mulatto Tax Records," 1853, free negro tax lists and free negro delinquent tax lists were compiled by the commissioner of the revenue for tax purposes, and records the names of free adult Black persons and persons of color within a district, as well as children, place of abode, and trade or occupation for the adult males and females. "Free negro delinquent tax lists" records names of free Black persons returned delinquent and sometimes why returned, such as "no property," "removed," or "not found, as well as listing the known effects and the amount of taxes owed by each person listed. This also includes "Nonresident list of free negroes and mulattoes," which records the names of free Black persons and persons of color, listing the known effects and the amount of taxes owed by each person.

"Free negroes and mulattoes Registrations," 1804-1864, undated, recorded the free person’s name, sometimes age, a brief physical description, and the circumstances of the person’s freedom or emancipation. If born free, a reference is sometimes made to the parents. If emancipated, emancipating enslaver, place and date of emancipation, and prior registration are usually recorded. There may also be affidavits that were given by individuals affirming a free person’s status, as well as written descriptions of free persons. In addition, there are registrations that are loose papers matching information found in the bound volumes of registered “free negroes” kept in the court house.

"Patrol papers," 1799-1864, undated, record patrol orders with specific instructions for a patrol to convene and list all of the persons summoned to participate; patrol appointments listing persons appointed or summoned to participate; and patrol returns listing the names of the patrollers and recording the hours of services and expenses incurred.

"Petition to be classified as white," 1869, records the name of the petitioner. The petitioner's parents, and/or persons who can attest to their claim to be reclassified are sometimes included.

"Petitions for voluntary enslavement," 1858-1864, record the name of the petitioner, and the potential enslaver. Sometimes a former enslaver is mentioned.

"Petitions to remain in the Commonwealth," 1816-1852, record the name of the petitioner, the circumstances of free status, and a request to remain in the county often with accompanying names of citizens who can testify to the free status or who support the request of the petitioner to remain. Free registrations and other supporting documents may also be included.

"Runaway slave papers", 1845, include court documents such as notices and orders and include the name of the enslaved. The enslaver is sometimes recorded.

Arrangement

Chronological by record type.

Related Material

Records related to free and enslaved people of Albemarle County amd other localities are available on Virginia Untold .

Albemarle County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Albemarle County Court Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia .

Digitial records may be found in the Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digitial Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digitial Collection Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digitial Collection available at Virginia Memory.

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