Hanover County (Va.) Marriage Register of Freedmen living in Hanover County, Virginia, who were married by the Act passed by the Legislature of Virginia, February 27th, 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:

There are no restrictions. Digital images with searchable transcription available through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory website.

Preferred citation:

Hanover County (Va.) Marriage Register of Freedmen living in Hanover County, Virginia, who were married by the Act passed by the Legislature of Virginia, February 27th, 1866, Hanover County (Va.) Reel 61. Local government records collection, Hanover County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Summary

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

Hanover County (Va.) Marriage Register of Freedmen living in Hanover County, Virginia, who were married by the Act passed by the Legislature of Virginia, February 27th, 1866, Hanover County (Va.) Reel 61. Local government records collection, Hanover County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Hanover County (Va.) Marriage Register of Freedmen living in Hanover County, Virginia, who were married by the Act passed by the Legislature of Virginia, February 27th, 1866, contains similar information as that found in a cohabitation register. Recorded are date and place of marriage, full name of both parties, age and condition before marriage (year, single or widowed, slave or free), place of birth, place of residence, names of parents of both parties, occupation of husband. Marriages are recorded for the years 1816-1866.

Biographical / historical:

Hanover County was formed in 1720 from New Kent County.

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.

Most county court records, particularly deeds, wills, and marriage records, were destroyed by fire in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. The circuit court records were not moved to Richmond and were relatively unscathed. Consequently, there is a strong run of common law papers and chancery papers after 1831 that were generated by the circuit superior court of law and chancery and its successor, the circuit court.

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 10_0019.

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