Albemarle County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1794, 1811-1818

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

Extent:
11 items
Creator:
Albemarle County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Albemarle County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1794, 1811-1818, sometimes entitled certificates of nonimportation, contain information whereby an enslaver swears that they have not imported the enslaved person from Africa and that the enslaver has not brought the enslaved person into Virginia with the purpose of selling the enslaved person. The enslaved person is sometimes named, but not always, and occasionally information is given as to age, birthdate, and the state the individuals are moving from.

This collection includes the following certificates:

1794, which verifies that Alexander Catlet brought Cuffey, Pat, Fanny, Letty, Lucy, Nancy, Walter, Celia, and Fruman (or Truman) to Virginia from an unnamed place;

1811, which verifies that Richard Franklin brought Jenny to Virginia from Maryland;

1811, which verifies that Nathaniel Wilson brought Mary to Virginia from Maryland;

1813, which verifies that Thomas Wells transported Watt, John, Peter, Jack, Tom, Davie, Sall, and Nancey from Maryland to Virginia;

1813, which verifies that Richard Franklin brought Diner to Virginia from Maryland;

1814, which verifies that John Wood transported Coots from Kentucky to Virginia;

1814, which verifies that Jacob Moon brought Isaac, Beckey, Keziah, and Eliza to Virginia from Tennessee;

1815, which verifies that Jacob Moon transported James, Black David, Lott, Belley (or Billey), Frankey, Doll, Fanney, and Mary from Tennessee to Virginia;

1815, which verifies that John R. Campbell brought Alley, Perry, David, Jim, Perry, and Jacob to Virginia from Maryland;

1818, which verifies that Thomas G. Watkins transported Jesse, Paul, Rachel, James, and Aime from Pennsylvania to Virginia;

1818, which verifies that Richard Moon brought Phill, George, Suckey, Amy, Mirah, and Esther, to Virginia from an unnamed place.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: In 1778, Governor Patrick Henry enacted legislation preventing importation of enslaved people into the commonwealth. Those that did bring their enslaved people were required to register them with the county court and sign a certificate of importation agreeing that they were not bringing enslaved people into the commonwealth with the intent to sell. The enslaved person is sometimes named, but not always, and occasionally information is given as to age, birthdate, and the state from which the individuals were moving. According to Section 3 of the act "every slave imported into this commonwealth contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, shall upon such importation become free." By this clause, those enslaved people who were brought into Virginia illegally could pursue their freedom in the local courts.

Locality History: Albemarle County was named for William Anne Keppel, second earl of Albemarle, and governor of Virginia from 1737 to 1754. It was created by a statute of 1744 and formed from Goochland County; part of Louisa County was added in 1761 and islands in the Fluvanna (now the James) River in 1770. The court met for the first time on 8 February 1745. The county seat is the city of Charlottesville.

Lost Locality Note: All order books except the first and many loose papers between 1748 and 1781 were destroyed by British general Banastre Tarleton's raid on Charlottesville in 1781 during the Revolutionary War.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Albemarle County (Va.) as part of an undated accession.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Certificates of Importation, 1794, 1811-1818, arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
Library of Virginia