Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Augusta County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781-1782. Local government records collection, Augusta County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Augusta County (Va.) Reel No. 230 was generated in February 1978 by the Library of Virginia’s Imaging Services Branch.

Processing Information

Augusta County (Va.) Certificates of Importation were originally described as Augusta County (Va.) List of Slaves Removed to Virginia from Georgia, 1781, but were removed to the present Augusta County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781-1782, record to enhance discoverability in May 2025.

During the redescription process, Local Records staff reviewed Augusta County (Va.) Reel 230. It was confirmed that the microfilm reel includes two lists of enslaved persons removed to Virginia, 1781-1782.

These records were processed and indexed by 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: July 2007; updated by C. Collins: March 2025.

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: Augusta County was named for Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who married Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and was the mother of King George III. It was formed from Orange County by a statute of 1738 that stipulated that when the population was large enough the new county government would begin to function. The county court first met on 9 December 1745. The county courthouse is in Staunton, and the county administrative offices are in Verona.

Scope and Content

Augusta County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1781-1782, 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 are comprised of two lists that enumerate enslaved persons removed to Virginia by Edward Davies and John Twig, both from Georgia. The lists document the names and ages of the enslaved persons and were submitted “Agreeable to an Act of Assembly made the first day of May 1781, for the removal of Slaves from the State of South Carolina and Georgia to the State of Virginia.” The list of people enslaved by Davies, 1781, names the following individuals: Joe (50), Abram (22), Stephen (15), Charles (14), Prince (12), Andrew (5), Carolina (3), Quassy (4), Phillis (30), Amy (26), Amaritta (24), Precilla [or Pricilla] (17), Mary (21), Betty (47), Nancey (15), Phebe (11), and Pamela (9). The list of people enslaved by Twig, 1782, includes Joe (35), Frank (35), Jack (45), Winton (20), Sam (15), Sam (8), Bob (6), Ceasar (2), Jack (5 mo.), Nancey (20), and Nann (30).

Arrangement

This collection is arranged

Related Material

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

Additional Augusta 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