A Guide to the Surry County (Va.) "Free Negro Register", 1794-1803 Surry County (Va.) "Free Negro Register", 1794-1805 1138349

A Guide to the Surry County (Va.) "Free Negro Register", 1794-1803

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode Number 1138349

Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Processed by: Carl Childs

Repository

Library of Virginia

Barcode number

1138349

Title

A Guide to the Surry County (Va.) "Free Negro Register", 1794-1805

Physical Characteristics

1 volume; negative photostat.

Creator

Surry County (Va.)

Physical Location

Library of Virginia

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Surry County "Free Negro Register", 1794-1805. Local Government Records Collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Negative photostat copy made from the original volume housed in Surry County clerk's office.

Historical Information

Surry County was formed in 1652 from James City County.

An act passed by the Virginia legislature in 1803 required every "free Black" and "free persons of color" to be registered and numbered in a book to be kept by the county clerk.

Deed Book 10, 1835–1838, is missing and order books for 1718–1741 and various other early volumes are fragmentary. Most loose records prior to 1806 are missing. Courthouse fires in 1906 and 1922 did not result in loss of records, however, because at that time records were housed in a separate clerk’s office.

Scope and Content Information

Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Surry County (Va.) "Free Negro Register", 1794-1805, records the age, name, color, stature, marks or scars of registered "free Black" and "free persons of color" and in what court the person was emancipated or whether the person was born free. Some clerks recorded additional information not required by the law.

Volume was also used to record guardians' accounts, 1783-1804.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Material

Surry County is one of Virginia's Lost Records Localities. Additional Surry County Records may be found in the Virginia Lost Records Localities Collection at the Library of Virginia. Search the Lost Records Localities Digital Collection available at Virginia Memory.