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 Unntold: the African American Narrative website.

Preferred Citation

Scott County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Scott County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Local Government Records Collection, Scott 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 Scott County. Accession number 50750. Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 13_1068.

Historical Information

Scott County was named for Winfield Scott, a native of Virginia, in recognition of his victories during the War of 1812. It was formed from Lee, Russell, and Washington counties in 1814.

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

Scott County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons of Scott County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866. Also commonly called Scott 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.

Related Material

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

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Scott County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans -- Employment -- Virginia -- Scott County.
• African Americans -- Virginia -- Scott County.
• Freedmen -- Virginia -- Scott County.
• Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Scott County.

Geographical Names:

• Scott County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Local government records -- Virginia -- Scott County.
• Marriage records -- Virginia -- Scott County.
• Marriage registers -- Virginia -- Scott County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• United States. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands.

Adjunct Descriptive Data