A Guide to the Shenandoah County (Va.) Free Negro Registration of Henry Roy, 1833 Nov. 11
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode number 1156156
Library of Virginia
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
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Use Restrictions
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Preferred Citation
Shenandoah County (Va.) Free Negro Registration of Henry Roy, 1833 Nov. 11. Local government records collection, Shenandoah County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.
Acquisition Information
This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Shenandoah County.
Historical Information
Shenandoah County was named for the Shenandoah River, which passes through the county. Shenandoah is an Indian word meaning beautiful daughter of the stars. The county was named Dunmore when it was formed from Frederick County in 1772. The present name was adopted in 1778.
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. Certificates and registrations of free negroes usually include the name of the free person, sometimes their age and a brief physical description, and a statement 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.
Scope and Content
Shenandoah County (Va.) Free Negro Registration of Henry Roy, 1833 Nov. 11. The registration includes a physical description of Roy and gives his age as 37 years. It indicates that Roy recovered his freedom by the verdict of a jury in the Shenandoah County Court.
Related Material
Additional Shenandoah County Court Records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."
Index Terms
- Shenandoah County (Va.) Circuit Court.
- Free African Americans--Virginia--Shenandoah County.
- Slavery--Law and legislation--Virginia--Shenandoah County.
- Shenandoah County (Va.)--History--19th century.
- Free negro and slave records--Virginia--Shenandoah County.
- Free negro registrations--Virginia--Shenandoah County.
- Local government records--Virginia--Shenandoah County.
Corporate Names:
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Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Shenandoah County (Va.)--History--19th century.