Elizabeth City County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1827, consist of suits initiated by slaves seeking to gain their freedom on the law side of the court. Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Also identified are names of slaves and slaveowners found in suit as well as whether slave(s) won their freedom. Predominant documents found in freedom suits include petitions, records of suits, depositions, affidavits, wills, among other items. Information found in documents include slave's argument for freedom, acquisition of slaves by slaveowners, slave ancestry, and relationship between slaves and slaveowners.

The collection consists of a freedom suit titled Margaret, etc., versus William Wilson, etc., heard in 1827 July. The suit is actually an "issue out of chancery" that originated in the Superior Court of Chancery of Williamsburg. At issue was whether or not the owner of the plaintiffs, Willis Wilson, died with or without a will. The plaintiffs, who were not only the deceased's slaves but also his children, contend that he did and that in his will he had them emancipated. The defendants claimed he did not have a will and if he did the deceased was not in his right mind when he wrrote it. The Williamsburg directed the the Superior Court of Law of Elizabeth City County to hear the "issue out of chancery" in order to determine if the will of Willis Wilson was valid and send back their decision to the Williamsburg court so that the chancery suit could proceed.

Judgments (Freedom Suits) are useful when researching local history and genealogical information, particularly for African Americans. They are a valuable source of local, state, social, and legal history and serve as a primary source for understanding a locality's history.