Loudoun County had a free black population as early as 1759 when Susanna Grimes petitioned the Loudoun County Court in a case against John Davis who unjustly detained her as a slave.[1] The number of Free Blacks in Loudoun County increased substantially following the American Revolutionary War. As a result of sentiments of freedom engendered by the war, the fledgling Virginia General Assembly passed An Act to Authorize the Manumission of Slaves in May 1782.[2]Prior to this Act, black people were free if they were born to a free mother. Beginning in 1691, if the mother was a white woman, then her children were required to serve in an indenture until they were 30 years old.[3]

In 1793, a law was passed that free black people were required to register with the county court if they lived within the limits of any city, town, or borough due to concerns that slaves were being hired who pretended to be free.[4] Free Blacks brought proof of their freedom, often sworn oaths by white neighbors, to the county court. If the court deemed the person free, an order was written into the County Order Books that the Free Black was being entered into the register. The entry included their names and physical descriptions. Papers were provided to the free black person by the County Clerk attesting that they were free so that this documentation could be produced upon demand.

The Loudoun County register(s) of free black people from 1793 to 1844 is lost. In order to recreate the missing book(s), references to free black people being emancipated and registered were obtained from the Loudoun County court order books and complied into a substitute Loudoun County Free Black Register for the period up to 1844. Information on free black people prior to 1793 is included when available.

The Loudoun County Circuit Court Archives holds originals of the free black freedom papers. These papers have been indexed and scanned. They are available online (links below). Information from the freedom papers was added to the register. When there was a reference to an emancipation in a will, the will book reference is listed.

Loudoun County Substitute Free Black Register, 1793-1844 (PDF)

Research Caution: The register was prepared for use as a research tool. Although the substitute register tries to establish connections between the Order Book entries and the freedom papers, this connection should be considered possible and not definite. Text in red is more suspect. It is possible that some people entered into the substitute register were emancipated, but never registered. When there is a question mark in the register number column, this indicates that the court order book shows that the person was to be registered, however, a register number was not provided.

Order Book A 1757-1762, Order Book B 1762-1766 Link

Order Book C 1765-1767, Order Book D 1767-1770, Order Book E 1770-1773 Link

Order Book F 1773-1776, Order Book G 1776-1783 Link

Order Book H 1783-1785, Order Book I 1785-1786, Order Book K 1787-1788 Link

Order Book L 1788-1790, Order Book M 1790, Order Book N 1790-1791 Link

Order Book O, 1791-1792, Order Book P 1792-1794, Order Book Q 1794-1796 Link

Order Book R 1796-1798, Order Book S 1798-1799, Order Book T 1799-1800 Link

Order Book U 1800-1801, Order Book V 1801-1802, Order Book W 1802-1803 Link

Order Book X 1804-1805, Order Book Y 1805-1806, Order Book Z 1806-1807 Link

Order Book 1 1807-1808, Order Book 2 1808-1809 Link

Order (Minute Book) 3 1809-1810, Order (Minute Book) 4 1810-1811, Order (Minute Book) 5 1811-1812 Link

Minute Books 1812-1813, 1813-1815, 1815-1817 Link

Order (Minute Book) Vol 2 1817-1819, Vol 3 1819-1820, Vol 4 1820-1822 Link

Order (Minute Book) Vol 5 1822-1823, Vol 6 1824-1825, Vol 7 1825-1826 Link

Minute Books 1826-1828, 1829-1830 Link

Minute Books 1830-1832, 1832-1833, 1833-1834 Link

Minute Books 1834-1836, 1836-1837, 1837-1839, 1840-1842 Link

Minute Books 1842-1843, 1843-1845 Link

Record of Free Negroes, 1844-1861 Index (PDF) Link

Record of Free Negroes, 1844-1861, Scans of Original Link

Black History Resources at the Loudoun County Circuit Court Archives Link

Freedom Papers Index (PDF) Link

Scans of Original Freedom Papers: 1759-1820 Link

Scans of Original Freedom Papers: 1821-1838 Link

Scans of Original Freedom Papers: 1839-1866 Link

Loudoun County Order Books A-1, 1757-1786 by Pat Duncan Link

Loudoun County Order Books K-W, 1787-1803 by Pat DuncanLink

End Notes