Norfolk County, Virginia Genealogy

United States Virginia  Norfolk County

Norfolk County, Virginia genealogy and family history research page. Guide to Norfolk County (established 1691) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

County Courthouse
Because the county is now extinct, it has no existing courthouse. Records of historic Norfolk County are now found in the independent cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Portsmouth.

History


The county was named after the English county of Norfolk. Virginia's royal governor, Lord Dunsmore, whose allegiance was to the King, positioned himself in the port of Norfolk during the American Revolution. British and Patriot forces burned the city.

Parent County
1691--Norfolk County was created in 1691 from Lower Norfolk. It was changed to the Independent City of Chesapeake on 1 January 1963. County seat: Norfolk

Getting Started
Finding records about historic Norfolk County on the Family History Library Catalog can be confusing. Most appear under the Place Searches "Chesapeake (Independent City), Virginia," "Norfolk (Independent City), Virginia" and "Portsmouth (Independent City), Virginia."

African American
In 1870, Norfolk County had one of the largest African American populations in Virginia (22,320) - the towns of Norfolk and Portsmouth in particular.


 * Heinegg, Paul. "Norfolk County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1791," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * James, Edward W. "Free and Slave, Norfolk County, 1782," The Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, Vol. 5, Part 1 (1904):5-7; Vol. 5, Part 2 (1905):67-70; Vol. 5, Part 3 (1905):121-122. Digitized by Google Books - free.

See also Revolutionary War which contains information about black loyalists who left the area for Canada.

For a case study demonstrating how an African American family was traced back to the mid-1700s in Norfolk, see:


 * Ruffin, C. Bernard. "In Search of the Unappreciated Past: The Ruffin-Cornick Family of Virginia," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 2 (June 1993):126-138. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.

Heinegg's study documents free people of color living in Norfolk County before 1820 with the following surnames:


 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Abel, Africa, Allen, Alman, Anderson, Archer, Armstrong, Arnold, Artis, Ash, Bailey, Baker, Barber, Bartlett, Bass, Bazmore, Beckett, Bell, Berry, Blue, Bowman, Bowser, Bright (see introduction), Cassidy, Charity, Chavers, Churchwell, Cooper, Copeland, Cox, Cuffee, Cypress, Davis, Demery, Doby, Driggers, Duncan, Dunn, Elliott, Flood, Flora, Freeman, Fuller, Gordon, Grimes, Hall, Hamilton, Hammon, Harmon, Hatfield, Hawkins, Herbert, Hodges, Hubbard, Hunt, Hunter, Ivey, Jackson, James, Jasper, Jones, Lamb, Lang, Leviner, Lewis, Lovina, Manly, Matthews, Miller, Morris, Newsom, Newton, Nichols, Nicholas, Nickens, Page, Parrot, Perkins, Pinn, Price, Pugh, Rains, Randall, Richards (see introduction), Roberts, Robins, Robinson, Russell, Sample, Sampson, Saunders, Scott, Shoecraft, Skipper, Smith, Sparrow, Spruce, Spurlock, Stafford, Stewart, Swan, Taylor, Teamer, Temo, Thomas, Thompson, Travis, Turner, Tyler, Valentine, Wallace, Wattleton, Weaver, Webb, Weeks, White, Whitehurst, Williams, Wilson, Wise, Young.

Census
1785 Enumeration


 * Norfolk County Heads of Families - 1785 at U.S. Census Bureau - free. County begins on page 93. Continues on page 96.

1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * 1) Norfolk (1804)
 * 2) Northwest River Bridge (by 1790)
 * 3) Portsmouth (1789)
 * 4) Upper Bridge (1782)

Norfolk County fell within the bounds of the Portsmouth Association.

Church of England
See also Elizabeth River Parish See also Portsmouth Parish  See also St. Brides Parish


 * Mason, George Carrington. Colonial Churches of Tidewater Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet &amp; Shepperson, 1945. Available at ; digital version at . [Includes Norfolk County.]

Presbyterian

 * Presbyterian Church, Norfolk, Va. (built 1802). James published a list of subscribers and pew purchasers dated 1802 that is available online.

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):


 * Bennett's Creek Monthly Meeting, Portsmouth, Va. (1731-1821)
 * Bufkin's Monthly Meeting, Portsmouth, Va. (1698-1780) aka Leven Bufkin's
 * Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting, Portsmouth, Va. (1656-1768)
 * Norfolk Worship Ground Monthly Meeting, Norfolk, Va. (1656-1663, resumed 1990)
 * Portsmouth-First Evangelical Friends Church, Portsmouth, Va. (begun 1893)

Friends from Norfolk County, Virginia also attended the Chuckatuck Monthly Meeting in Nansemond County, Virginia.

County Court

 * Walter, Alice Granbery. Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Court Records: Book "A" 1637-1646 and Book "B" 1646-1651/2. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. ; digital version at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

The earliest minute books are dated 1743. They are held at Portsmouth. Copies:

Directories

 * Norfolk City Directory, 1888. Norfolk, VA: J. H. Chataigne and Co., 1888. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Norfolk City Directory, 1889. Norfolk, VA: J. H. Chataigne and Co., 1889. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Norfolk City Directory, 1890-91. Norfolk, VA: J. H. Chataigne and Co., 1891. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Family Histories

Genealogy
More than 50 genealogies have been published about Norfolk County families. To view a list, visit Norfolk County, Virginia Genealogy.

See also: Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Genealogy (identifies more than 50 published genealogies)

Immigration
Norfolk and Portsmouth have been important port towns since the colonial period. During the eighteenth century, many English transported convicts who ran away from their masters in the Northern Neck headed to Norfolk, where they impersonated sailors, and hoped to board ships bound for England.

No official passenger lists survive for the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries.


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. "Intercepted Letters Relating to America 1777-1811," The Genealogist, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Fall 2000):184-200; Vol. 15, No. 1 (Spring 2001):53-74. [Overseas correspondence of residents of Norfolk with the following surnames: Donaldson, Proudfitt, and Sutton (?).]
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Elizabeth River, Gosport, Lower Norfolk County, Norfolk County, and Portsmouth proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * [http://immigrantservants.com/search/advancedResults.php?surname=&givenName=&varientSurnameSpellings=&gender=&dateOfBirthDay=&dateOfBirthMonth=&dateOfBirthQuantifier=&dateOfBirthYear=&placeOfBirthParish=&placeOfBirthTown=&placeOfBirthCity=&placeOfBirthCounty=&placeOfBirthColony=&placeOfBirthNation=&occupations=&religions=&orphan=&familyPosition=&immigrationYearQualifier=&immigrationYear=&portOfDepartureTown=&portOfDepartureCity=&portOfDepartureCounty=&portOfDepartureNation=&placeOfArrivalTown=&placeOfArrivalCounty=&placeOfArrivalColony=&shipName=&convict=&yearOfIndentureQualifier=&yearOfIndenture=&lengthOfIndentureYears=&lengthOfIndentureMonths=&yearOfFreedomQualifier=&yearOfFreedom=&placeOfIndentureTown=&placeOfIndentureCity=&placeOfIndentureCounty=Norfolk&placeOfIndentureColony=Virginia&agentSurname=&agentGivenName=&agentTitle=&masterSurname=&masterGivenName=&masterTitle=&residenceParish=&residenceTown=&residenceCity=&residenceCounty=&residenceColony=&residenceNation=&landowner=&literate=&spouseSurname=&spouseGivenName=&spouseMarriageDateDay=&spouseMarriageDateMonth=&spouseMarriageDateQualifier=&spouseMarriageDateYear=&spouseMarriageLocationParish=&spouseMarriageLocationCounty=&spouseMarriageLocationColony=&spouseMarriageLocationNation=&deathDateDay=&deathDateMonth=&deathDateQualifier=&deathDateYear=&deathLocality=&deathCounty=&deathColony=&deathState=&testate=&proofServantStatus=&proofConvictStatus=&headright=&preServitudeSources=&postServitudeSources=&comments=&family=&sourceCitations=&interestedResearchers= List of imported servants and transported convicts from Europe] who served labor terms in Colonial Lower Norfolk and Norfolk Counties, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 52 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Norfolk Boro, Portsmouth, and Norfolk County.

Land
Early settlers maps are available for the Town of Norfolk (1682) and the Borough of Norfolk (1736). Walter plots the owners of town lots for those years. The Family History Library has copies: and.

Deeds


 * Fleet, Beverley. Lower Norfolk County, 1651-1654. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Grants and Patents


 * Nugent, Nell Marion. Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666. Vol. I (1934; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991). ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes Lower Norfolk County and Upper Norfolk County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]
 * Walter, Alice Granbery. Virginia Land Patents of the Counties of Norfolk, Princess Anne &amp; Warwick. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Local Histories

 * Burton, H. W. The History of Norfolk, Virginia: A Review of Important Events and Incidents Which Occurred from 1736-1877; Also a Record of Personal Reminiscences and Political, Commercial, and Curious Facts. Norfolk, Va.: Norfolk Virginian Job Print, 1877. ; digital versions at and Ancestry ($).
 * Forrest, William S. Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Norfolk and Vicinity: Including Portsmouth and the Adjacent Counties, During a Period of Two Hundred Years: Also, Sketches of Williamsburg, Hampton, Suffolk, Smithfield, and Other Places, with Descriptions of Some of the Principal Objects of Interest in Eastern Virginia. Philadelphia: Lindsay and Blakiston, 1853. Available at ; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and Google Books (full-view).

Military
Many War of 1812 veterans were living in Norfolk in the early 1880s.

Colonial Militia

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. [Identifies some Lower Norfolk County and Norfolk County militia officers and/or soldiers; see place name index.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. ; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Lower Norfolk County and Norfolk County militia officers; see place name index.]

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. [Identifies some Norfolk Borough, Lower Norfolk and Norfolk County militia officers, soldier enlistments, and veterans; see place name index.]
 * Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. ; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Legislative Enactments connecting the preceding historic sketch [French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War] with the adjudication of the resulting accounts that follow; with the list of officers, soldiers and civilians entitled to compensation for military and other services rendered." For Norfolk County, see p. 112.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Lower Norfolk and Norfolk County militia officers and soldiers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War
The following Revolutionary War battles took place in and around Norfolk: Battle of Great Bridge, Battle of Kemp's Landing, and the Burning of Norfolk. Regiments. Service men in Norfolk County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Norfolk County supplied soldiers for the:


 * - 4th Virginia Regiment
 * - 15th Virginia Regiment

Additional resources:


 * Black Loyalist, courtesy: The University of Sydney. Includes biographical information about approximately 1,000 black loyalists from the Norfolk, Virginia area.
 * James, Edward W. "Lord Dunmore and His Negro Followers," The Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, Vol. 5, Part 1 (1904):32-35. Digital version at Google Books - free.
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Norfolk County on page 132.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

War of 1812
Norfolk Borough men served in the 54th Regiment and Norfolk County men served in the 7th and 95th Regiments.


 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Norfolk County, pp. 92-95. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
 * Wingo, Elizabeth B. Norfolk County, Virginia (now city of Chesapeake, Virginia) Revolutionary War and War of 1812 applications for pensions, bounty land warrants and heirs of deceased pensioners (Norfolk, Virginia, E.B. Wingo, copyright 1964) pages 131 FHL Book 975.5523 M2

Civil War

 * - 3rd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Dismal Swamp Rangers), Company B (Virginia Riflemen), Company H (National Light Infantry Greys).
 * - 6th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company A (McKenney's Eyeteeth), Company B (1st) (Lamb's Herd), Company C (Woodis' Riflemen), Company D (Norfolk Light Infantry), Company D (1st), Company G (Company F, Southern Guard aka Kid Glove aka Silk Stocking Regiment).
 * - 12th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (Norfolk Juniors).
 * - 18th Battalion, Virginia Heavy Artillery. Company B (Atlantic Artillery).
 * - 20th Battalion, Virginia Heavy Artillery (Confederate). Company B (St. Bride's Artillery).
 * - 38th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Pittsylvania Regiment) (Confederate). 2nd Company I (St. Brides Artillery).

Newspapers

 * 1787-1789 - Norfolk and Portsmouth Journal at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1789 - Norfolk and Portsmouth Gazette at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1792-1794 - Virginia Chronicle (Norfolk, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1802-1803 - Norfolk Herald at Google News - free.
 * 1802-1803 - Commercial Register (Norfolk, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1804-1816 - Norfolk Gazette and Publick Ledger at Google News - free.
 * 1804-1816 - Norfolk Gazette and Publick Ledger at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1811-1859 - Norfolk &amp; Portsmouth Herald at Google News - free.
 * 1815-1820 - American Beacon (Norfolk, Va.) at Genealogy Bank ($).
 * 1820-1833 - The Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald at Google News - free.

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at . [Includes a section on Norfolk and Portsmouth silversmiths.]

Probate
Original Wills


 * Fleet, Beverley. Lower Norfolk County, 1651-1654. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1961. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * James, Edward W. "Will of Josias Mackie, Presbyterian Minister, Norfolk and Princess Anne Counties, 1716," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Apr. 1900):358-363. Available at JSTOR ($).
 * McIntosh, Charles Fleming. Brief Abstract of Lower Norfolk County and Norfolk County Wills, 1637-1710. 1914; reprint, Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1982. Available at ; digital version at Google Books (full-view).
 * McIntosh, Charles Fleming. Brief Abstracts of Norfolk County Wills, 1710-1753. Richmond, VA, USA: Colonial Dames of America, 1922. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).

London Courts


 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Elizabeth River, Gosport, Lower Norfolk County, Norfolk County, and Portsmouth proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1704] "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at ; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at ; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). [Norfolk County appears in 30:21-30.]
 * [1730-1785] Norfolk County, Virginia Tithables, 1730-1785. Original records, Chesapeake City Courthouse, Chesapeake, Virginia; also available on microfilm at.
 * [1730-1780] Wingo, Elizabeth B. and W. Bruce Wingo. Norfolk County, Virginia Tithables. [1730-1780] 3 vols. Norfolk, Va.: E.B. Wingo, W.B. Wingo, c1979-1985. . Free digital versions of Vol. II (1751-1765) and Vol. III (1766-1780) at Black Loyalist, courtesy: The University of Sydney.
 * [1730] Tithables, 1730, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1963). Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).
 * [1732-1788] Norfolk County - the Colonial Tithe Lists 1732-1788, CD, available for purchase at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1782] James, Edward W. "Free and Slave, Norfolk County, 1782," The Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, Vol. 5, Part 1 (1904):5-7; Vol. 5, Part 2 (1905):67-70; Vol. 5, Part 3 (1905):121-122. Digitized by Google Books - free.
 * [1782-1791] Heinegg, Paul. "Norfolk County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1791," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1784] Taxable Property, 1784, Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jul. 1894). Available at ; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at . [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Norfolk County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1790, 1799] Indexed images of the 1790 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Norfolk County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List of 1800, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Jul. 2000); Vol. 44, No. 4 (Oct. 2000); Vol. 45, No. 1 (Jan. 2001); Vol. 45, No. 2 (Apr. 2001).
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Norfolk County is included in Vol. 3.]

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).


 * 1706-1758 - James, Edward W. "Abstracts from Norfolk County Marriage Bonds," The Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, 1706-1725: Vol. 3, Part 1 (1899):40-42; 1727-1743: Vol. 3, Part 2 (1900):74-80; 1744-1753: Vol. 3, Part 3 (1900):95-99; 1754-1758: Vol. 3, Part 4 (1901):124-129; 1777-1778: Vol. 5, Part 1 (1904):18-22; 1779-1782: Vol. 5, Part 2 (1905):47-55; 1784: Vol. 5, Part 3 (1905):114-116; . Digitized by Internet Archive and Google Books - free.


 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).


 * 1797-1802 - James, Edward W. "Abstracts from Norfolk Marriage Bonds," The Lower Norfolk County, Virginia Antiquary, 1797: Vol. 2, Part 1 (1897):39-40; 1797: Vol. 2, Part 2 (1897):46-47; 1797: Vol. 2, Part 3 (1898):94-95; 1798: Vol. 2, Part 4 (1899):116-120; 1799: Vol. 3, Part 1 (1899):8-12; 1800: Vol. 3, Part 2 (1900):57-62; 1801: Vol. 3, Part 3 (1900):107-113; 1802: Vol. 3, Part 4 (1901):133-138. Digitized by Internet Archive - free.


 * 1797-1850 - Tucker, George Holbert. Abstracts from Norfolk City Marriage Bonds [1797-1850]. [Norfolk, Va.?]: William H. Delaney, 1934. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List