Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859

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:

Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859, 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:

Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859. Local government records collection, Hampton, City of/Elizabeth City County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
9 items
Creator:
Elizabeth City County (Va.) Circuit Court.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859. Local government records collection, Hampton, City of/Elizabeth City County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859, are comprised of nine deeds. The deeds typically record the name of the enslaver, the name of the enslaved person or persons to be freed, the date the enslaved person or persons achieved freedom, and the date the manumission was proved or certified. Sometimes, the deeds describe the reason for emancipation or manumission. Deeds of emancipation could be generated after the enslaver’s death by those executing a last will and testament.

These records include the following deeds: 1830, in which Polly (or Mary) Mallory freed Primus Mallory; 1839, in which Nancy Tarrant freed James Baley; 1840, in which Courtney Brough emancipated Tom Barber; 1854, in which Anne Payne freed Jane; 1855, in which John Simpson freed Hercules; 1856, in which Charles L. Smith emancipated Sam Ridley; 1858, in which K. Whiting freed Charles Dixon; 1859, in which George W. Semple emancipated Catherine Combs; and 1859, in which William R. Willis and William Taylor freed Mary Ann.

Biographical / historical:

Context of Record Type: Deeds of emancipation and manumission record an enslavers' intent to emancipate enslaved people from bondage. Some of the earliest legal manumissions in Virginia occurred in the early 1770s. However, there was a sharp rise following the 1782 manumission act that allowed enslavers to privately emancipate enslaved people "by last will and testament or other instrument in writing sealed." They were no longer required to seek a special act from the General Assembly. These documents sometimes include an enslavers' intent for emancipation ranging from religious and moral motivations to binding legal agreements.

Deeds of emancipation and manumission essentially provide the same information and there is little difference between the two. Both include the name of the enslaver, the name of the enslaved person to be freed, the date of anticipated freedom, the date the manumission was proved or certified, and as mentioned, sometimes a reason why the enslaver decided to emancipate the enslaved person. In a deed of manumission, an enslaver directly freed an enslaved person by manumission. In a deed of emancipation, an enslaved person could be freed after the enslaver's death by those executing a last will and testament. This collection also includes court orders that record the date or age when enslaved individuals were to be emancipated by deed as stipulated in an enslaver's will.

Locality History: Elizabeth City County (extinct) was named for Elizabeth, daughter of King James I, and was one of the original shires, or counties, first enumerated in 1634. It became extinct on 1 July 1952 when it was incorporated into the city of Hampton, which was the county seat. See the city of Hampton.

Locality History: Hampton was located in Elizabeth City County, which is now extinct. It takes its name from Hampton Creek, earlier called Southampton River in honor of the earl of Southampton, an important figure in the Virginia Company of London. An Indian town stood on the site in 1607, when Captain John Smith visited the area. The colonists established a village there in 1610 and a trading post in 1630. Hampton was established by an act of assembly in 1680 and was designated as a port of entry in 1705. It was first incorporated as a town in March 1849, but the act was repealed the following December. It was incorporated again in 1852, but the act of incorporation was repealed in 1860. The General Assembly incorporated the town of Hampton in 1887 for a third time, and it became a city by court order on 4 March 1908. It was greatly enlarged on 1 July 1952 by a merger with Elizabeth City County and the town of Phoebus; the county and town thereby became extinct.

Lost Locality Note: Records were burned and/or destroyed during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Additional records were burned in Richmond on 3 April 1865, where they had been moved for safekeeping during the Civil War. A few pre–Civil War volumes such as deed books, will books, and order books exist.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Hampton, City of/Elizabeth City County (Va.) as part of an undated accession.
Processing information:

Elizabeth City County Deeds of Emancipation were originally described as part of the Elizabeth City County (Va.) Free and Enslaved Records, 1846-1852, but were removed to the present Elizabeth City County (Va.) Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859, record to enhance discoverability in May 2026.

These records have been processed, scanned, and indexed by L. Neuroth and LVA staff for the purposes of digitizing them for the digital project Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative.

Encoded by C. Collins: May 2026.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged

  • Series I: Deeds of Emancipation, 1830-1859, arranged chronologically.

Arranged chronologically

Physical location:
Library of Virginia