Deloris,

Thank you for checking. Your advice on loking at the county records is well received. I was hoping your search would give me a reference when I request a copy from the Edgecombe County Court(s).

My past experience with emancipation and/or manumission papers and freedom registration papers has been at the county level.

A 3rd great-grandfather was emancipated at Shelby County, KY and his papers were on file in Shelbyville, KY at the county courthouse.

http://mydatabase.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=mydatabase&view=62&sort=0&albumid=3&photoindex=6&rand=37705005

He left KY and migrated to Ohio, where according to the Ohio Black Codes, he was required to register as an FPOC and prove he was in fact an FPOC and not a fugitive/runaway slave. That record was also located at the county level in Urbana, Ohio at the Champaign County courthouse.

http://mydatabase.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=mydatabase&view=62&albumid=3&sort=0&rand=619505022&photoindex=8

I guess the lesson here is that, on-line is great, but we still can't get away from in-house research at the county level.

Again, thanks for your help,

Art Thomas