Ebook: Fauquier County, Virginia Register of Free Negroes 1817-1865

"All counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia were required by the law of 1793 to register all Freed Negroes. This law covered the period through 1865. Many Counties kept separate registers, however, many registers were lost during the Civil War.

While doing research in July 1991 Karen White, co-founder of the Afro-American Historical [Association] of Fauquier County, was made aware that the Register for Free Negroes was housed at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond.

When visiting the Historical Society in January 1992 we were awestruck and we reverently leafed through the document marveling at names, dates, and descriptions of the Freed Negroes of Fauquier County. To our amazement we found relatives in this register.

We view this book with mixed emotions, sorry that the Freed Negroes had to register, yet glad that detailed descriptions are given. We have thus been enabled to almost visualize exactly how each person looked, their age at time of registering, height, stature, color, and descriptions denoting uniqueness to that person.

We hope this book will inspire many to research their family histories." - preface

Includes index.