Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Portsmouth (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1859-1861. Local government records collection, Portsmouth Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from the City of Portsmouth.

Historical Information

Portsmouth was located in Norfolk County, which is now extinct. It was named by its founder, William Crawford, for the English seaport and was established in 1752. Portsmouth was incorporated as a town in 1836 and as a city in 1858.

Scope and Content

Portsmouth (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1859-1861. The collection is comprised of a Free Negro Delinquent Tax List, 1859-1861, listing free negroes who were charged with failing to pay taxes for those years; and an indenture of three free negro children from the Overseers of the Poor.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Portsmouth (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Free African Americans--Virginia--Portsmouth.

Geographical Names:

• Portsmouth (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Delinquent tax lists--Virginia--Portsmouth.
• Free negro and slave records--Virginia--Portsmouth.
• Local government records--Virginia--Portsmouth.
• Overseers of the Poor records--Virginia--Portsmouth.
• Tax and fiscal records--Virginia--Portsmouth.