Vital Records

Vital Records

Vital records – such as birth, marriage, and death – were not recorded by the county courts until 1853. Slave births and deaths were recorded with the child and mother’s names only; in the place of the father, the owner’s name was listed.

While free blacks could marry, the Commonwealth of Virginia never recognized slave marriage as legal.

• Marriage Licenses – Original marriage records from 1853-1957.
• Birth Records – Birth Registers from 1853–1897, and original birth certificates from 1912-1917.
• Death Records – Death Registers from 1853–1897, and original death certificates from 1912–1917.