Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Charles City Co. (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1800-1859. Local government records collection, Charles City County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Charles City County.

Historical Information

Charles City County was formed in 1634. It was one of the eight original shires of Virginia.

Records have been destroyed at various times. The most damage occurred during the Civil War when the records were strewn through the woods in a rainstorm. A few pre-Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, minute books, and order books exist.

Scope and Content

Charles City County (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1800-1859, consist of lists of free negroes (1851, 1859); patrol and guards' papers (1800-1855); and registrations and certificates of free negroes (1821-1854).

Lists of free negroes (1851, 1859) were compiled by the commissioner of the revenue for tax purposes. The lists give the full name, age, sex, and trade or occupation for each person on the list.

Patrol and guards' papers (1800-1855, n.d.) consist of patrol reports, orders, and warrants as well as an order to guard the jail. The patrol reports list the names of patrollers, dates and/or hours served on the slave patrol, and occasionally the amount of money to be paid. The captain of the patrol is usually indicated. The patrol orders and warrants are directives by the justice of the peace for specifically named men to patrol the county for a specific amount of time. The order to guard the jail orders that the jail be guarded with no further information.

Certificates and registrations of free negroes (1821-1854) contain the name of the free 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 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.

Arrangement

Chronological by record type.

Related Material

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

See the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.

For more information and a listing of lost records localities see Lost Records research note .

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Charles City County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans--Employment--Virginia--Charles City County.
• African Americans--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Free African Americans--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Freedmen--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Fugitive slaves--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Slave records--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Tax collection--Virginia--Charles City County.

Geographical Names:

• Charles City County (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Authorizations--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Certificates--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Claims--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Free negro lists--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Free negro registrations--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Free papers--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Lists--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Charles City County.
• Warrants--Virginia--Charles City County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data