Cohabitation Records
Cohabitation Bonds were filed with the register of deeds of each county and legitimized the marriages of formerly enslaved people. In March 1866, the General Assembly passed “An Act Concerning Negroes and Persons of Color or of Mixed Blood,” which made it law that enslaved people who had been living together as husband and wife during slavery were considered to be legally married.
Cohabitation bonds were filed with the register of deeds and typically included the name and age of the man and woman, and the length of time they had been married. Some counties include the name of the enslaver and/or the number of children the couple had. In some instances, marriage records from 1866 may be included in the collection that do not specifically include the term “cohabitation.”
We strive to make North Carolina Digital Collections as accurate as possible. If you find any errors, please contact us at archives.webedit@dncr.nc.gov.
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