Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Amelia County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781, 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

Amelia County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781. Local government records collection, Amelia County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These records were transferred to the Library of Virginia from Amelia County (Va.) in 2003 under accession number 40724.

Processing Information

Amelia County (Va.) Certificates of Importation were originally described as part of the Amelia County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1801-1866, but were removed to the present Amelia County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781, record to enhance discoverability in December 2024.

These records are believed to have been removed from Amelia County (Va.) Judgments, among other Amelia County records, by C. Freed circa 2005.

These records have been processed, scanned, and indexed by C. Freed, L. Neuroth, and LVA staff for the purposes of digitizing them for the digital project Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative.

Encoded by C. Collins: December 2024.

Historical Information

Context for Record Type: In 1778, Governor Patrick Henry enacted legislation preventing importation of enslaved people into the commonwealth. Those that did bring their enslaved people were required to register them with the county court and sign a certificate of importation agreeing that they were not bringing enslaved people into the commonwealth with the intent to sell. The enslaved person is sometimes named, but not always, and occasionally information is given as to age, birthdate, and the state from which the individuals were moving. According to Section 3 of the act "every slave imported into this commonwealth contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, shall upon such importation become free." By this clause, those enslaved people who were brought into Virginia illegally could pursue their freedom in the local courts.

Locality History: Amelia County was named for Amelia Sophia Eleanora, daughter of King George II. It was formed from Prince George and Brunswick Counties by an act passed in 1734 to take effect on 25 March 1735. The county court first met on 9 May 1735. The county seat is Amelia.

Scope and Content

Amelia County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781, sometimes entitled certificates of nonimportation, contain information whereby an enslaver swears that they have not imported the enslaved person from Africa and that the enslaver has not brought the enslaved person into Virginia with the purpose of selling the enslaved person. The enslaved person is sometimes named, but not always, and occasionally information is given as to age, birthdate, and the state the individuals are moving from.

These records include two lists, 1781, that document the "Negro Slaves" enslaved by Lyman Hall and transported to Virginia from South Carolina. The following individuals are named: Sandy, Bess, Fortune, Flora, Tom, Phillis, Bob, Dinah, Else (or Elie), Pompey, Clarinda, Monday, Linah (or Lenah), Affee (or Effee), July, Dido, Frank, Rose, Andrew, Cupit (or Cupid), and Paul. The age and sex of each person is also recorded, and several children are referenced, but not named. The lists were compiled to comply with an Act of Assembly titled "An Act to authorize the Citizens of South Carolina and Georgia to remove their Slaves into this State."

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Related Material

See also: Amelia County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1801-1866

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

Additional Amelia 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