Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Prince Edward County (Va.) Judgments(Freedom Suits), 1787, 1814. Local government records collection, Prince Edward County (Va.) County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Prince Edward County.

Historical Information

Prince Edward County was named in honor of Edward Augustus, a son of Prince Frederick Louis, a grandson of George II, and a younger brother of George III. The county was formed from Amelia County in 1753. The county seat is Farmville.

Slaves could sue for emancipation if they were descendant(s) of a free female ancestor, typically a Native American (Hening Statutes, volume 2, p.170.)

Scope and Content

Prince Edward County (Va.) County Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1787, 1814, consist of two freedom suits. One is an inkjet copy of a freedom suit heard in Pittsylvania County court in 1787 - Deborah Payne versus Walter Guild. Payne used the record of the suit to prove her freedom in Prince Edward County District Court perhaps to receive a free negro certificate. The original is filed with Prince Edward County Free Negro and Slave Records, 1783-1865 (bulk 1801-1864). The second freedom suit titled Maria (alias Murier), a slave, and others versus Mary Moore (alias Molly Moore), 1787, 1814 April. Maria and over thirty of her children and grandchildren sued for their freedom from their owner Mary Moore (alias Molly Moore) on the basis that they were descendants of a Native American on the maternal side. They successfully won their freedom. The suit includes numerous depositions.

Related Material

Additional unprocessed Prince Edward County Judgments can be found at the Library of Virginia.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Prince Edward County (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African Americans -- History -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Slaveholders -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Slavery -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.

Geographical Names:

• Prince Edward County (Va.) -- History.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Civil actions -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Freedom suits -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.
• Judicial records -- Virginia -- Prince Edward County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Prince Edward County (Va.) Superior Court of Law.

Adjunct Descriptive Data