Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Amherst County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1816-1826. Local government records collection, Amherst County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Amherst County (Va.) as part of an undated accession.

Processing Information

Starting in 2023, Library of Virginia archival staff in partnership with the Virginia Untold Project Manager began efforts to describe records related to free and enslaved Black and multiracial people in a manner that improved the historical context of the records. In doing so, in some cases material once described within the "Free and Enslaved" record group for a locality may no longer be described within this record. When this has occurred, please see the Processing Information and Related Materials section for records that have been described separately.

Efforts were made to locate the original order, 1816, and the corresponding report of sale, 1817, among the Amherst County (Va.) Miscellaneous Court Records. However, the records were not found at the time of reprocessing in January 2025.

During the redescription process, Local Records staff reviewed Amherst County (Va.) Reel No. 89, which was found to contain a declaration, undated, not located with the physical material.

These records have been processed and indexed by S. Nerney, L. Neuroth, and other LVA staff for the purposes of digitizing them for the digital project Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative at an unknown date.

Encoded by S. Nerney: 2008; edited by M. Mason: May 2021; updated by C. Collins: January 2025.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type:

Free and Enslaved Records

The Free and Enslaved Records collection is comprised of miscellaneous records related to the regulation and policing of both enslaved and free Black and Multiracial people in Amherst County. The localities/local government authorities were largely responsible for enforcing laws that restricted the movement of enslaved and free Black and Multiracial people and the resulting documentation was often filed in the circuit courts. The ways in which local authorities enacted legal measures against or on behalf of enslaved and free Black and Multiracial people varied from locality to locality; therefore, records were not necessarily standardized or filed and retained in a consistent manner. This collection is topical and a means by which to compile miscellaneous documents related to free and enslaved people that are not established local government record types.

See: the Virginia Untold Record Types on the Library of Virginia website for additional context concerning oyer and terminer records.

Locality History: Amherst County was named for Major General Jeffery Amherst, British commander in North America during the latter part of the French and Indian War and governor of Virginia from 1759 to 1768. It was formed from Albemarle County in 1761. Islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River were added in 1770.

Scope and Content

The Amherst County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1816-1826, consist of Patrol Records, 1826; a declaration, undated; an order of execution, 1820; and an order and report of sale, 1816-1817.

Patrol Records, 1826, include a patrol commission, in which Rowlet Gill was ordered to summon Moses Taylor, Edward Taylor, William North, and Thomas North, and “take up all suspicious persons, and all slaves, travelling from their master’s premises without proper authority and treat them as the law directs.”

The declaration, undated, pertains to Sally Nunnay [Monday]. The text is somewhat illegible, but the declaration mentions Nathan Jones, stating that “She [Sally] [illegible] is with Nathan Jones mother – has no children.” [only available on Amherst County (Va.) Reel No. 89]

The order of execution, 1820, pertains to the trial of Robin, who was accused of murdering Isaac. Both Robin and Isaac were enslaved by Charles Taliaferro. Robin was deemed guilty and sentenced to be hanged. The order is an oyer and terminer record. Oyer and terminer refers to a type of court process reserved for special circumstances. Historically in Virginia, these special circumstances were the prosecution of enslaved people.

The order, 1816, and the corresponding report of sale, 1817, concern the sale of Berry, a man enslaved by the estate of Benjamin Palmer, to Elias Wells. [Photocopies]

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Related Material

See also: Amherst County (Va.) Apprenticeship Indentures, 1806

See also: Amherst County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1814-1819

See also: Amherst County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1798-1859

See also: Amherst County (Va.) Records related to the Registration of Free Persons, 1822-1864

Records related to free and enslaved people of Amherst County (Va.) and other localities are available through the Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digital Collection on the Library of Virginia website.

Additional Amherst County (Va.) court records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Adjunct Descriptive Data