A Guide to the Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons in Westmoreland County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit, 1866 Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons in Westmoreland County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit, 1866 000381066

A Guide to the Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons in Westmoreland County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit, 1866

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Digitool number: 000381066


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Processed by: Greg Crawford

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Digitool number
000381066
Title
Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons in Westmoreland County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit, 1866
Physical Characteristics
Digital images.
Collector
Westmoreland County (Va.) Circuit Court
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Patrons are to use digital images with searchable transcription available through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Unntold: the African American Narrative website.

Preferred Citation

Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons whose Parents had ceased to cohabit which the Father recognizes to be his, 27th February 1866. Local government records collection, Westmoreland County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item was transferred to the Library of Virginia by the circuit court clerk of Westmoreland County. Accession number 51798.

Digital images were created by the Library of Virginia's Photographic and Digital Imaging Services. Photolab number 16_1123.

Historical Information

Westmoreland County was named for the English county. It was formed from Northumberland County in 1653. The county seat is Montross.

The Virginia legislature passed an act on 27 February 1866 to legalize the marriages of former slaves and provided for the legitimization of children of couples no longer cohabiting as long as the father recognized the children to be his. 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 children. 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.

Scope and Content

Westmoreland County (Va.) Register of Children of Colored Persons in Westmoreland County, State of Virginia, whose Parents had ceased to cohabit on 27th February, 1866, which the Father recognizes to be his. Also commonly called Westmoreland County (Va.) Cohabitation Register. This register lists the name of the child, age, place of birth, residence, last owner, residence of the last owner, residence of father, his age and last owner, residence of last owner of father, name of mother, her age, her residence if alive or noted if dead, last owner of mother, residence of last owner of mother, and the signature of the father. Comments under the column for the residence of the mother if alive include notations of a rough date of death, or that she has been sold away, left, or was immoral. County of residence is noted if known and is other than Westmoreland. The collection exists as inkjet prints, microfilm, and digital images with a searchable transcription through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory website.

Related Material

Additional Westmoreland County Marriage Records and Vital Statistics can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm found on the Library of Virginia's web site.

Additional cohabitation registers are available digitially with searchable transcriptions through the Library of Virginia's Virginia Unntold: the African American Narrative website.

Index Terms


Adjunct Descriptive Data

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

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