Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Madison County (Va.) Petitions for Reenslavement, 1859. Local government records collection, Madison County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a shipment of court papers from Madison County.

Historical Information

Madison County was named for James Madison, a prominent Virginian and a member of Congress in 1792 when the county was formed from Culpeper County.

An act passed by the Virginia legislature in 1806 required freed slaves to leave the state within a year.

An act passed by the Virginia legislature in 1856 allowed freed slaves who desired to remain in Virginia to petition for reenslavement and choose a master or owner and remain in the state.

Scope and Content

Madison County (Va.) Petitions for Reenslavement, 1859, consists of the petitions of Jetha Chapman, Timothy Chapman, and Thadeus Chapman to give up their freedom and remain in Virginia. All three were freed by the will of Isham Tatum, Sr., and initially asked the court to assign them to Nathaniel Tatum but later requested that Nathaniel S Wayland become their master.

Related Material

Additional Madison County Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Madison County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Free African Americans--Virginia--Madison County.
• Slavery--Law and legislation--Virginia--Madison County.
• Slaves--Emancipation--Virginia--Madison County.

Geographical Names:

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

Genre and Form Terms:

• Free negro and slave records--Virginia--Madison County.
• Judicial records--Virginia--Madison County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Madison County.
• Petitions--Virginia--Madison County.
• Wills--Virginia--Madison County.

Adjunct Descriptive Data