Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Richmond (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1827-1865 (bulk 1861-1865). Local government records collection, Richmond (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

These records came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from the city of Richmond.

Historical Information

Richmond is located between Henrico and Chesterfield Counties, was named by William Byrd (1674-1744), who envisioned the development of a city at the falls of the James River and with the help of William Mayo laid out the town in 1737. The name probably came from the English borough of Richmond upon Thames, which Byrd visited on several occasions. Richmond was established in 1742 and in 1779 was designated the capital of Virginia effective 30 April 1780. It was incorporated as a town, although "stiled the city of Richmond," in 1782 and was incorporated as a city in 1842. It served as the capital of the Confederacy from mid-1861 to April 1865. Richmond was enlarged by the annexation of Manchester (or South Richmond) in 1910, and by the addition of Barton Heights, Fairmount, and Highland Park in 1914. Further annexations from Chesterfield County occurred in 1942 and 1970.

In 1806, the General Assembly moved to remove the free Negro population from Virginia with a law that stated that all emancipated slaves, freed after May 1, 1806, who remained in the Commonwealth more than a year, would forfeit their 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.

Scope and Content

Richmond (Va.) Free Negro and Slave Records, 1827-1865 (bulk 1861-1865), includes reports of free African Americans in jail for want of register, sales of runaway slaves, slaves requisitioned for public defense, applications to remain in the commonwealth, free negro certificates, and an apprenticeship indenture.

Related Material

Additional city of Richmond records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia web site. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Richmond (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• African Americans -- History
• Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Richmond
• Slaves -- Virginia -- Richmond

Geographical Names:

• Richmond (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1827-1865 (bulk 1861-1865)

Genre and Form Terms:

• Free negro and slave records -- Virginia -- Richmond
• Judicial records -- Virginia -- Richmond
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Richmond
• Petitions -- Virginia -- Richmond

Adjunct Descriptive Data