Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Campbell County (Va.) Free  Negro and Slave Records, 1784-1867, Local Government Records Collection, Campbell County Court Records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Campbell County including under accession 41133.

Historical Information

Campbell County was formed from Bedford County in 1781.

Scope and Content

Campbell County (Va.) Free  Negro and Slave Records, 1784-1867, consist of free  negro registrations and affidavits (1814-1857), deeds of emancipation and manumission (1784-1856), manumissions and free  negro certificate (copies) (1791, 1801, 1808), deed of trust (1809), list of free  negroes and mulattoes in the district of Richard Perkins (1833), list of free  negroes in the district of William Organ, Commissioner of Revenue (copy) (1850), judgment case of Milly etc. vs. Alley Draper for trespass assault and battery and false imprisonment (1852 May), patrol authorizations (1854), list of persons delinquent for nonpayment of taxes (includes free  negroes) (copy) (1855), Commonwealth vs. William Williamson (copy) (1859); lists of free  negroes arrested for not having copies of their register (1859), judgment case of Caledonia, Toby and Helen Salmons vs. William M. Jenks for illegally detaining them in slavery (1861 April), petition for exemption for requisition of slaves for public use (1862), petition of Dennis Holt for voluntary enslavement (filed 1860; dismissed 1867), and register of free  negroes and mulattoes (photostat) (1801-1850).

Free  negro registrations contain the name of the free  person, sometimes their age and a brief physical description, and whether this person was either born free  or was emancipated. If born free , reference is sometimes made to parents. If emancipated, emancipating owner, place and date of emancipation, and prior registration as a free  negro are usually mentioned. Occasionally the register number is given; this number corresponds to the entry number in the register of free  negroes kept by the clerk of court at the courthouse. Affidavits are statements 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.

Deeds of emancipation and manumission state the name of the slaveowner(s), the name of the slave(s) to be freed, the date the slave shall achieve freedom, the date the manumission was proved or certified, and sometimes a reason why the owner decided to emancipate the slave.

The deed of trust lists the two parties involved in the deed, the name of the slave who is the object of the deed, and the date of deed recordation.

The list of free  negroes and mulattoes in the district of Richard Perkins includes the names, color, sex, age and occupation of each individual on the list. The list was made for the Auditor of Public Accounts.

A list of male free  negroes of the ages of 21 years and under 55 years in the district of William Organ, Commissioner of the Revenue in the West District in the County of Campbell contains the names of men who fall into this category. The list was compiled for tax purposes.

The judgment case of Milly, Harvey, Anna, Malinda, Eliza, Randal and Franklin vs. Alley Draper (ended 1852 November) for tresspass assault and battery and false imprisonment is the final judgment of the court that the plaintiffs deserve their freedom.

Patrol authorizations list the names of persons appointed to the slave patrol, the length of the appointment, and the extent of the assigned duties.

The list of persons delinquent for nonpayment of taxes lists the names of both white and free  black  individuals, the number of county levies, the number of parish levies, and the amount of tax due.

The free  negro certificate for the Humble family is a statement from an individual that he has always known the members of the Humble family to be of free  status. The statement is certified by a justice of the peace. On the reverse of the certification are some notations regarding the free  negro registrations of other individuals including their names, ages, and a brief physical description.

Commonwealth vs. William Williamson is photocopies of a case from the Campbell County criminal Commonwealth causes (ended 1859). Charges were brought against Williamson, a free  negro, for remaining illegally in the state after he had attained the age of 21 years for more than twelve months with the permission of his county of residence. The case consists of the presentment, summons, orders, petitions, and a bond. Williamson eventually petitioned to be voluntarily enslaved and was allowed to choose his master. The name of the person he chose is included in the documents.

The list of free  negroes arrested for not having copies of their register are two lists of names from March 1859 with notations about the action of the court.

The judgment case of Caledonia, Toby and Helen Salmons, infants by their next friend vs. William M. Jenks is a petition to the court stating that Jenks detains them illegally in slavery.

The petition for exemption from requisition of slaves for public use is a petition from a single individual that lists his name, his reason for requestions the exemption, a number of names of persons who signed to support his request, the date, and the verdict.

Dennis Holt's petition for voluntary enslavement includes the circumstances of Holt's emancipation, his reason for requesting voluntary enslavement, the name of his wife, the name of his owner's wife, a request to be enslaved to his wife's owner, and a copy of the will of his father which was the instrument of his freedom.

The register of free  negros and mulattoes is a photostat copy of the original register. It lists the date registered, the name of the person, their age, status, complexion, where emancipated or if born free , and by whom emancipated.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Material

Additional Campbell County Free Negro and Slave Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. See A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm

Separated Material

Access Terms

• African Americans--Employment--Virginia--Campbell County.
• African Americans--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Authorizations--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Campbell County (Va.)--History.
• Campbell County (Va.). Circuit Court.
• Confederate States of America--Defenses.
• Criminal court records--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Deeds of manumission--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Deeds--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Free  African Americans--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Free  negro certificates--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Free  negro lists--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Free  papers--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Petitions--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Registers (lists)--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Slave records--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Slaveholders--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Slaves--Emancipation--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Summonses--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Tax collection--Virginia--Campbell County.
• Wills--Virginia--Campbell County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data