Norfolk County (Va.) Free Negro Registers, 1809-1861

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

Summary

Creator:
Chesapeake (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Norfolk County (Va.) Free Negro Registers, 1809-1861. The collection contains a Register of Free Negroes and Mulattoes, 1809-1852 (Reel 133) and a Register of Free Negroes, 1852-1861 (Reel 105). The registers dcoument the name, and age of free negroes who registered with the county court from 1809 to 1861. Each entry also includes a brief physicial description and a reference to whether the person was born free, and where, or the circumstances of the person's emancipation. Additional information, such as names of spouses or parents or county of birth, is sometimes included.

Biographical / historical:

Norfolk County (extinct) probably was named by Adam Thoroughgood, a local resident, for his native county in England. It was formed from Lower Norfolk County in 1691. Norfolk County became extinct in 1963, when it was consolidated with the city of South Norfolk to form the city of Chesapeake. The county seat was Portsmouth.

Acts passed by the Virginia legislature in 1793 and 1803 required every free negro or mulatto to be registered and numbered in a book to be kept by the county clerk.

Acquisition information:
These items were microfilmed 12 Jan. 1975 by the Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Division.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
2 microfilm reels (232 images)