Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Frederick County (Va.) Free   Negro and Slave   Records  , 1795-1871. Local government records   collection, Frederick County Court Records  , The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

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

Historical Information

Frederick County was formed in 1738 from Orange County though its first government did not take its seat until 1743. Part of Augusta County was added later.

In 1806, the General Assembly moved to remove the free   negro population from Virginia with a law that stated that any emancipated slaves  , freed after May 1, 1806, who remained in the Commonwealth more than a year, would forfeit the right to freedom and be sold by the Overseers of the Poor for the benefit of the parish. Families wishing to stay were to petition the legislature through the local county court. Beginning in 1837, freed slaves   could petition the local courts for permission to remain.

Beginning in 1778, slaveholders   who brought slaves   into Virginia were required to register the slaves   with the county court and sign an oath agreeing not to bring slaves   into the commonwealth with the intent of selling them.

Scope and Content

Frederick County (Va.) Free   Negro and Slave   Records  , 1795-1871, consist of free   negro registrations, certifications and affidavits (1795-1864, n.d.); will of Nathaniel Mabry of Greensville County probably used to certify free   negro status (1795); lists of free   negroes (1851-1861); lists of free   negroes returned for non-payment of taxes and/or offered for hire to pay their taxes (1850-1860); applications and petitions to remain in the state (1816-1850); free   negro indentures (1805-1871); deeds of emancipation and manumission (1795-1836); certificates of non-importation of slaves   (1795-1822); runaway slave   matters (1822-1843); valuation and sale of runaway slaves   (1824-1845); slave   patrol commissions and claims (1820-1860, n.d.); and miscellaneous records   (1761-1859).

Free   negro registrations, certifications and affidavits contain the name of the free   person, sometimes the individual's age and a brief physical description, and a statement or affidavit based either on another person's knowledge or on other official documentary evidence seen by the certifier that this person was either born free   or was emancipated. If born free  , reference is sometimes made to parents. If emancipated, emancipating owner, place and date of emancipation, and prior registration as a free   negro are usually mentioned. Occasionally the register number is given; this number corresponds to the entry number in the register of free   negroes kept by the clerk of court at the courthouse. Sometimes other evidence such as a will or deed of manumission was also presented as evidence of free   status.

Lists of free   negroes (1851, 1854, 1858, 1859, 1861) were compiled by the commissioner of the revenue for tax purposes. One list gives only names and occupations while others give name, age, sex, and occupation.

Lists of free   negroes returned for non-payment of taxes and/or offered for hire to pay their taxes were compiled by the comissioner of the revenue (1850-1855, 1858-1860). Some lists give only the names of delinquent persons while others additionally list the amount of capitation and property taxes that remain unpaid. Virginia law allowed the commissioners of the revenue to hire out free   negro tax delinquents in order to pay off their taxes. Many of these lists note that there were no one would hire the persons on the list. The 1858 list includes both whites and free   negroes.

Applications and petitions to remain in the state include the name of the petitioner, the circumstances of free   status, and a request to remain in the county.

Free   negro indentures include both voluntary indentures of apprentice and those ordered by the Overseers of the Poor. Some of the later indentures may be for white individuals. The indentures include the name of the free   negro, often the name of parents if the individual is a child, the person to whom apprenticed, and the terms of the apprenticeship. Also included are orders from the Overseers of the Poor to bind out certain free   black children.

Deeds of manumission and emancipation state the name of the slaveowner  , the name of the slave   to be freed, the date the slave   shall achieve freedom, the date the manumission was proved or certified, and sometimes a reason why the owner decided to emancipate the slave  .

Certificates of non-importation of slaves   contain information whereby a slaveowner   swears that (s)he has not imported the slave   from Africa and that (s)he has not brought the slave   into Virginia with the purpose of selling it. The slave   is sometimes named but not always and occasionally information is given as to age or birth date.

Runaway slave   matters include an advertisement and certification regarding Cyrus, a runaway (1822); a certification regarding Harrison, a runaway (1832); an affidavit from N. C. Williams regarding slaves   Nelly and daughters Harriet and Juno who ran away in 1826 as well as slave   Rizen who was convicted in Fairfax of housebreaking in 1835(1835); and a bill from the Winchester Virginian newspaper for advertising for a runaway (1843).

Valuation and sale of runaway slaves   concern slaves   held in the jail for being runaways. The name of the slave   is noted as is the name of the purported owner if that can be determined. A group of three named men assessed the value of the slave   and their names are given on the document. Such runaways were often sold as punishment and to recover the costs of holding them in jail.

Slave   patrol commissions and claims include the names of persons appointed to serve and the amount of pay they claimed against the city for doing the patrol work.

Miscellaneous records   include an affidavit regarding a slave   suspected either runaway or stolen (1761); a bill of sale from Holliday to Graham for Emanule and Mary (1828); a relinquishment of title to slave   to George S. Haynes (1846); and free   negro Thomas Champe choose an owner/master (1859).

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Frederick County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans -- Employment -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   African Americans -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   blacks -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Freedmen -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Fugitive slaves   -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Slave   records   -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Slaves   -- Emancipation -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Tax collection -- Virginia -- Frederick County.

Geographical Names:

• Frederick County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Advertisements -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Affidavits -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Certification -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Deeds -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   negro and slave   records   -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   negro certificates -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   negro lists -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Free   negro registrations -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Local government records   -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Patrol returns -- Virginia -- Frederick County.
• Petitions -- Virginia -- Frederick County.