Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1794-1850, are digitized and available through Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digital Collection on the Library of Virginia website. Please use digital images.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1794-1850. Local government records collection, Arlington 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 Arlington County (Va.) as part of an undated accession.

Arlington County (Va.) Reel No. 226 was filmed in July 1986.

Alternative Form Available

Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation are available on microfilm, Arlington County (Va.) Reel No. 226. See microfilm for several deeds of emancipation not located with the physical material.

Processing Information

One folder of Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, dated 1794-1843, was originally described as part of the Arlington County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1788, 1801-1802, 1850-1860, but was removed to the present Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1794-1850, record to enhance discoverability in February 2025.

During the redescription process, Local Records staff reviewed Arlington County (Va.) Reel No. 226 and found several duplicated deeds of emancipation, as well as several deeds of emancipation not located with the physical materials.

These records were processed, scanned, and indexed by E. Jordan, L. Neuroth, and LVA staff for the purposes of digitizing them for the digital project Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative circa 2020.

Encoded by G. Crawford: April 2020; updated by C. Collins: February 2025.

Historical Information

Context of Record Type: Deeds of emancipation and manumission record an enslavers' intent to emancipate enslaved people from bondage. Some of the earliest legal manumissions in Virginia occurred in the early 1770s. However, there was a sharp rise following the 1782 manumission act that allowed enslavers to privately emancipate enslaved people "by last will and testament or other instrument in writing sealed." They were no longer required to seek a special act from the General Assembly. These documents sometimes include an enslavers' intent for emancipation ranging from religious and moral motivations to binding legal agreements.

Deeds of emancipation and manumission essentially provide the same information and there is little difference between the two. Both include the name of the enslaver, the name of the enslaved person to be freed, the date of anticipated freedom, the date the manumission was proved or certified, and as mentioned, sometimes a reason why the enslaver decided to emancipate the enslaved person. In a deed of manumission, an enslaver directly freed an enslaved person by manumission. In a deed of emancipation, an enslaved person could be freed after the enslaver's death by those executing a last will and testament. This collection also includes court orders that record the date or age when enslaved individuals were to be emancipated by deed as stipulated in an enslaver's will.

Locality History: Arlington County was originally named Alexandria County. It was formed from a portion of Fairfax County that Virginia in 1789 ceded to the federal government for use as the site of a new national capital. In 1801 the area officially became part of the District of Columbia, although Congress named it Alexandria County. By an act of 9 July 1846, Congress returned the county to Virginia, and the General Assembly extended the commonwealth's jurisdiction over the region effective 20 March 1847. By an act of assembly passed 16 March 1920, the county's name was changed to Arlington, the name of the Custis family mansion (the home of Robert E. Lee), which is located in the county. An urban county, Arlington contains no incorporated towns or cities. The county courthouse is in the county.

Scope and Content

Arlington County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1794-1850, are comprised of approximately 132 deeds. The deeds typically record the name of enslaver, the name of the enslaved person or persons to be freed, the date the enslaved person or persons achieved freedom, and the date the manumission was proved or certified. Sometimes, the deeds describe the reason for emancipation or manumission. Deeds of emancipation could be generated after the enslaver’s death by those executing a last will and testament.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Related Material

See also: Arlington County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1788, 1801-1802, 1850-1860

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

Additional Arlington 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