Hollis,

I am very grateful for your lengthy but informative explanation. Although, I have found the 1823 Court Judgment finding my ggggggrandfather (b. abt. 1750), his son my gggggrandfather (b. abt 1775), and my ggggrandfather (b. l800, Henry County, VA) free persons in Tennessee, I have been hoping to find the same for VA. My ggggggrandfather, James Lyle/Lile, is on the 1813 and 1814 Personal Property Tax List for Henry County, VA, where he's listed as a free mulatto. Your explanation enabled me to at least ask Selma, who has always been very informative and helpful, a half-way intelligent question about locating Registers for Free Persons for the VA county (there don't appear to be any). Thank you again.