Goochland County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons Cohabiting, 1866

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Patrons may also use digital images with searchable transcription available through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory website.

Preferred citation:

Goochland County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons Cohabiting, 1866, Goochland County (Va.) Reel 73. Local government records collection, Goochland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Summary

Creator:
Goochland County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Goochland County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons Cohabiting, 1866, Goochland County (Va.) Reel 73. Local government records collection, Goochland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Goochland County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons Cohabiting, 1866, records the name and age of the husband, the name and age of the wife, the occupation of the husband, and the county of residence. There is a remarks column which mostly contains information about children that the husband had by a former wife. There is no index. It is also commonly called the Goochland County (Va.) Cohabitation Register.

At the beginning of the volume is a certification by the U.S. Secretary of War George W. McCrary that this volume is certified to be a correct transcript of the original. This certification is dated 1878 June 26.

Biographical / historical:

Goochland County was formed from Henrico County in 1728.

The Virginia legislature passed an act on 27 February 1866 to legalize the marriages of former slaves who had been cohabiting as of that date. See Virginia Acts of Assembly, 1866-1867, Chapter 18, An act to amend and re-enact the 14th section of chapter 108 of the Code of Virginia for 1860, in regard to registers of marriage; and to legalize the marriages of colored persons now cohabiting as husband and wife.

The federal Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands directed the Assistant Superintendents of the states to order the county clerks to make a registry of such cohabiting couples. See Circular No. 11, dated 19 March 1866, in Orders, Circulars, Circular Letters, and Letters of Instruction, vol. 2 (1866). Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Virginia, 1865-1869. Miscellaneous reel 3880, Library of Virginia. National Archives microfilm M1048 (reel 41), Record Group 105.

Acquisition information:

This item was microfilmed by the Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Division.

Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 110190.

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
1 microfilm reel (96 images) and digital images.