Goochland County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1813

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:

Goochland County (Va.) Certificates of importation, 1813, are digitized and available through Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digital Collection on the Library of Virginia website. Please use digital images.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Goochland County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1813. Local government records collection, Goochland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Summary

Extent:
2 items
Creator:
Goochland County (Va.) Circuit Court
Abstract:
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Goochland County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1813. Local government records collection, Goochland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Background

Scope and content:

Goochland County (Va.) certificates of Importation, 1813, consists of two certificates containing information whereby an enslaver swears that they have not imported the recorded enslaved individual(s) from Africa and that the enslaver has not brought the enslaved individual(s) into Virginia for the purpose of selling them.

Enslaved individuals referenced include: Reubin (brought to Virginia by John Ware of Caswell County, NC. In 1813); and Aaron, Lewis, and Jacob (brought by Benjamin Anderson of Kentucky in 1813)

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: Goochland County was named for Sir William Gooch, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. It was formed from Henrico County in 1728.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Goochland County in an undated accession.
Processing information:

Certificates of Importation were removed from the larger Goochland County (Va.) Free and Enslaved records and moved to this Goochland County (Va.) Certificates of Importation, 1813 record in June 2024

These records were processed and indexed by LVA staff for the purposes of digitizing them for the digital project Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative.

Encoded by M. Mason, June 2024

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Certificates of Importation,1813, arranged chronologically

arranged chronologically

Physical location:
Library of Virginia
Physical description:
.