Hi Hollis,

I took have been struck by the movement of free blacks in many of these counties. I have taken a look at all of the records at the LVA for 1833 for the counties that I listed in the previous post..most resemble the Commissioner Lists done before that date, name, age, occupation, residence, but of those that include the column "willing to emigrate" 98% are not going anywhere. I thought this note in the Princess Anne County records was interesting:

Princess Anne County Oct. 12, 1833
...It appears by the last census that there were at the time in this county 343 free negroes and mulattoes (viz 172 mailes and 171 females) of which 128 were children under the age of 10 years of age and 87 between 10 and 24 years of age. By the return of the Commissioner of the Revenue for the present year 84 free persons only are on the list, he says he did not deem it necessary to include those under 16 years of age, consequently but two under that age are on that list - he states also that of those 84 freepersons - 36 are heads of families - that there are very few mulattoes say 1/10th the balance are negroes that he has seen most of them, but that none are willing to go away. The undersigned would farther state that since the insurrection in Southampton County, many free negroes have removed from the County and we presume there are not this time over 300 in the County....

2nd day September 1833
"an act making appropriations for the removal of free persons of Color" and having ascertained as far as they may conveniently can from the free negroes in their respective neighborhoods that there are none willing to emigrate to the Western coast of Africa....
J.J. Burroughs C.C.

Selma

Selma