A Guide to the Bath County (Va.) Register of Free Negroes, 1794-1841
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Microfilm reel number Bath County (Va.) Reel 141
Library of Virginia
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© 2006 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Library of Virginia staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
Use microfilm copy, Bath County (Va.) Reel 141.
Preferred Citation
Bath County (Va.) Reel 141, Local government records collection, Bath County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Acquisition Information
The microfilm copy of these records was generated by The Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Branch.
Historical Information
Bath County was formed in 1790 from Augusta, Botetourt, and Greenbrier (West Virginia) Counties.
An act passed by the Virginia legislature in 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
Register of Free Negroes, 1794-1841, of Bath County records the age, name, color, stature, marks or scars, in what court the person was emancipated or whether the person was born free. Some clerks recorded additional information not required by law. There is no index.
Following the Register of Free Negroes in the same volume are Certificates of Election, 1865-1866. These are certifications by the clerk of court and election commissioners of who won particular elections for county, Virginia state senate and house of delegates, and federal congressional elections. The county offices certified include justice of the peace, county surveyor, overseers of the poor, constable, and commissioners of the revenue. The election commissioners and winners of the various offices are named as are the magisterial or congressional districts to which a particular elected office belonged.
Arrangement
Chronological by registration date.
Index Terms
- Bath County (Va.). Circuit Court.
- African Americans--Virginia--Bath County.
- African Americans--Virginia.
- Election officials--Virginia--Bath County.
- Elections--Virginia--Bath County.
- Free African Americans--Virginia--Bath County.
- Local elections--Virginia--Bath County.
- Bath County--History.
- Certificates--Virginia--Bath County.
- Local government records--Virginia--Bath County.
- Registers (lists)--Virginia--Bath County.