In March 1999, I posted on another bulletin board a list of cohabitation
registers compiled by the LVA Manuscript Division.  It is in the binder
that is a finding aids for Free Negro and Slave Records.  Not all of the
"cohabitation records are housed at the Library of Virginia and some
were done by the Freedman's Bureau.  This list is as of October 1998.
As for the abbreviations, C.H. is Courthouse, LVA is Library of Virginia
and NARA is National Archives.  It would be helpful if all of these
records were microfilmed together as a series an made available to
researchers.

The Cohabitation records vary in information from county to county.
Some registers look just like the marriage registers listing the names,
age, place of birth and parents of the couple.  Some list the names and
ages of the parents and the names and ages of the children.  It is
possible that there is some other name for the registrations that list
the parents and children like Census, but I am using cohabitation
records to refer to all of them.

Known Surviving Cohabitation Registers and 1865 Census (As of 1998
October):

Amelia - Freedmen's marriage license book 1865-1869 (LVA)
Augusta - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H.)
Caroline - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H.)
Floyd - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H.)
Goochland - Freedmen's cohabitation register (LVA)
Hanover - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H.)
Henry - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H. and transcript at Blue
Ridge Reg Lib)
Louisa - Freedmen's cohabitation register (NARA)
Lynchburg - Register of colored population, 1865 (LVA)
Montgomergy - Register of colored population, 1865 (NARA)
Nelson - Freedmen's cohabitation register (NARA)
New Kent - 1866 list of male freed negroes and former owners (LVA)
Prince Edward - Freedmen's cohabitation register (LVA)
Princess Anne - Freedmen's cohabitation register (LVA)
Rappahannock - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H. and LVA film)
Richmond County - Freedmen's cohabitation register (LVA)
Roanoke County - Freedmen's cohabitation register (LVA)
Rockbridge - Freedmen's cohabitation register (NARA)
Surry - Freedmen's cohabitation register (C.H. and LVA film)
York - Register of colored population, 1865 (NARA & film at Yorktown
Library)

Lori Hunter
Washington, DC

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