Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Originals were retuned to Isle of Wight County Circuit Court. Patrons are to use digital images found at Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative .

Preferred Citation

Isle of Wight County (Va.) Free Negro Registrations, 1833-1861, Local Government Records Collection, Isle of Wight County Court Records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Isle of Wight County.

Historical Information

Isle of Wight County was named probably for the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England. It was first known as Warrosquyoake for an Indian tribe living in the area whose name means "swamp in a depression of land," and was one of the original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. The present name was given in 1637. Parts of Nansemond County were added in 1769 and 1772. The county seat is Isle of Wight.

Acts passed by the Virginia legislature in 1793 and 1803 required every free negro or mulatto to be registered and numbered in a book to be kept by the county clerk.

Scope and Content

Isle of Wight County (Va.) Free Negro Registrations, 1833-1861, include numbered certificates that recorded the free person's name, sometimes age, a brief physical description and the circumstances of the person's freedom or emancipation. If born free, a reference is sometimes made to the parents. If emancipated, the emancipating owner, place and date may be mentioned. There are affidavits that were given by individuals affirming a free person's status. There are written descriptions of free persons. Lastly, you will find registrations which are loose papers that match information found in the bound volumes of registered "free negroes" kept in the court house.

Arrangement

Chronological by record type.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Isle of Wight County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Free African Americans--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Slaveholders--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Slavery--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.

Geographical Names:

• Isle of Wight County (Va.)--History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Affidavits--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Certificates--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Free negro registrations--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Free papers--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.
• Local government records--Virginia--Isle of Wight County.