Cohabitation Records (Marriage Records)

Collection Status: Open for Transcription

Transcription Difficulty Rating: Intermediate

About the Collection

In March 1866, the General Assembly passed “An Act Concerning Negroes and Persons of Color or of Mixed Blood,” which included a statute that recognized enslaved people who had been living together as man and wife during slavery as legally married. These records, known as cohabitation bonds, were filed with the register of deeds and were retroactive, legitimizing the marriages of former enslaved individuals.

Cohabitation bonds typically include the name and age of the bride and groom and the length of time they had been married. Some counties also document the name of the enslaver and/or the number of children the couple may have had. While many original records explicitly reference “cohabitation bonds,” other marriage records from 1866 are included in this collection, even if the term “cohabitation” is not specified. In some cases, the race of the couple cannot be determined.

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• Constitution, 1776
• Local Draft Board Records, Macon County
• Appalachian Training School

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