The Virginia Manumission Database by Liberty University so far has 74 collections of manumission (release from slavery) documents. The Henry County collection has six transcribed manumission documents and also the 70-page (handwritten) “Henry County Free Negro Registry 1842-1860.”
The project website’s home page explains:
“In 1782 an act of the Virginia General Assembly enabled the voluntary manumission (freeing) of thousands of slaves in the eight decades prior to the Emancipation Proclamation. The motivation of each slave holder to free their slaves varied from individual to individual and many of the ‘freedom documents’ give some indication as to their thoughts, beliefs and intentions. …
“Virginians of all backgrounds, including Quakers, free people of color, ordinary citizens, men and women, and even Founding Fathers, manumitted slaves. Through this process, men, women and children of all ages obtained freedom. The typical freedom document shows an individual slave being liberated, while the largest recorded act of manumission was carried out by Robert Carter III, freeing more than 450 individuals through deed.
“The word ‘manumit’ means ‘to release (a person) from slavery, bondage, or servitude; to set free,’ and ‘manumission’ refers to the action of manumitting. The more commonly known term ‘emancipation’ refers to the process of freeing slaves through government action whereas manumission takes place when masters free their slaves voluntarily. In the Colonial and pre-Civil War period the two terms were used interchangeably, even appearing in the same document.”
Project organizers are asking for the help of volunteers to transcribe the remaining 3,000 handwritten documents by July 4, 2026. To help, email volunteer coordinator Sydney Gilbert at sggilbert@liberty.edu.
The database is at https://manumissionproject.omeka.net.
See two Henry County manumissions on this page, following.
Mary Rowland to Will and Betty, 1789
To all to whom these presents shall come know ye that I Mary Rowland of Henry County, now in my perfect sense and memory not withstanding my last will & testament which is recorded in the county court aforesaid in the Execution of which it was stipulated and agree that provided I myself whose hand & seal is hereunto perfect & subscribed should at any time in my natural life think proper to revoke or disallow any part of such last will and testament that such revoking or disallowing should sound good and effectual in law. Now so it is upon mature deliberation I do hereby revoke and disallow of so much of my last will and testament as shall enslave two negroes to wit, Will & Betty his wife after my decease, but in every respect to receive emancipate forever from any of my heirs or legatees claiming or holding them the said Will and Betty in slavery & the said negroes as aforesaid are hereby accordingly emancipated according to law as above said. It is further my request and demand of my heirs & exors that should the said negroes or either of them survive after my decease that they have out of my estate one fourth part of the deed provision on hand to support them also a cow & or sow. Also the mare I have now in possession except her present being in foal which if it comes to maturity is the emolument of my granddaughter Lucy Ryan. Also, the said negroes are to receive and possess the choice of the iron working tools I now possess now to the end that due justice may be to the slaves above named in the premises aforesaid. I do hereby constitute and appoint George Reeves & William Turner my true and lawful attorneys touching the premises aforesaid to act and do everything that may or can be lawfully done touching the same. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affix my seal this 17th day of December 1789.
Signed sealed & delivered in presence of Mary Rowland (seal)
John Salmon
John Redd
From John Watson to John (Jack), Lucy, Brumly, Susanah & Rachel, 1794
Upon the principal of love justice mercy and truth and in obedience to the command of the Creator of all things who commands us to do unto all men as we would they should do unto us, and to break every yoke and let the oppressed go free and agreeable to the Bill of Rights by which opposed the Power of Britain, I do by these presents renounce all claim to any power over man against them be him white or black and I do upon the housetop confess my sins and hope that God for Christ sake will pardon me for what is past and yet I now freely and immediately liberate and quit claim to a negro man named John commonly called Jack, and a negro woman named Lucy his wife and a negro man named Brumly, as also a negro girl named Susanah now ten years old to go free at the expiration of eight years from this date, as also a negro girl named Rachel now eight years old to go free at the expiration of ten years from this date. In witness whereof I hereunto affix my hand and seal the 29th day of September 1794.
John Watson (seal)
At a court of quarterly sessions held for Henry County on Monday the 29th day of October 1794.
The within instrument of writing from the within named John Watson for the emancipation of the within named slaves was acknowledged by the said John Watson to be his act and deed and the same was ordered to be recorded by the court.
Teste, John Cop CHC
