Northampton County, Virginia Genealogy

United States   Virginia    Northampton County

Virginia county in the Eastern Shore region.





Parent County
1634--Northampton County was created in 1634 as an original shire. County seat: Eastville

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1890

Neighboring County

 * Accomack

African American
The original Northampton County Register of Free Negroes, 1853-1861 are kept at the County Courthouse. LoV microfilmed these records in 1973. Copy: 2047516 Item 4.


 * Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County, Virginia Court Orders and Minutes Relating to Free African Americans and Indians, 1654-1795," Free African Americans.com.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1814," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Latimer, Francis Bibbins. The Register of Free Negroes Northampton County, Virginia, 1853 to 1861. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1992. 975.515 F2L

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Virginia Census.

1790 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1890 Union Veterans' Census


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

Church
Church of England


 * Mason, George Carrington. Colonial Churches of Tidewater Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Whittet &amp; Shepperson, 1945. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives. [Includes Northampton County.]

Methodist


 * Stevenson, Arthur Linwood. Native Methodist Preachers of the Eastern Shore of Virginia: With Supplements Concerning Methodist Preachers and Methodist Preachers' Children Who Have Married on the Shore and a Few Others. [Va.?]: A.L. Stevenson, 1970. Available at FHL.

Court
General


 * Surname index to Northampton/Accomack Book I, 1632-1640, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Chancery Court


 * Indexed images of Northampton County, Virginia Chancery Records 1721-1816 are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
 * Surname index to Northampton Chancery Court Causes, 1721-1800, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

County Court


 * Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County, Virginia Court Orders and Minutes Relating to Free African Americans and Indians, 1654-1795," Free African Americans.com.
 * Houston, William Robert Montgomery and Jean M. Mihalyka. Colonial Residents of Virginia's Eastern Shore: Whose Ages Were Proved Before Court Officials of Accomack and Northampton Counties. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985. Three copies available at FHL. [Ages taken from court, land, and probate records.]
 * Surname index to Northampton County VA Wills Deeds &amp; Orders 1651-1654, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.
 * Surname index to Northampton County Orders &amp; Wills 1678-1710, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.
 * Surname index to Northampton County Orders 1748-1758, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Eastern Shore District Court


 * Surname index to Eastern Shore District Court 1789-1816, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Minute Books


 * Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County, Virginia Court Orders and Minutes Relating to Free African Americans and Indians, 1654-1795," Free African Americans.com.
 * Surname index to Northampton County Minute Books 1754-1765, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Orphan's Court


 * Surname index to Northampton County Orphans Accounts 1731-1813, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Genealogy
More than 30 genealogies have been published about Northampton County families. To view a list, visit Northampton County, Virginia Genealogy.

Immigration

 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Hog Island and Northampton County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * [http://www.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=Northampton&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 Northampton County, Virginia (work in progress), courtesy: Immigrant Servants Database.

Land
Deeds


 * Houston, William Robert Montgomery and Jean M. Mihalyka. Colonial Residents of Virginia's Eastern Shore: Whose Ages Were Proved Before Court Officials of Accomack and Northampton Counties. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985. Three copies available at FHL. [Ages taken from court, land, and probate records.]

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). Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes Northampton County. N.B. If Ancestry's search engine fails, try checking the printed index at the end of the book.]

Processioner's Returns


 * Surname index to Northampton County Processioner's Returns 1796-1828, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):269-274; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):121-130. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Northampton County's 1787-1790 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:269-70; 1786 Delinquent Lists appear on 22:122-123.]

Colonial Militia

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

French and Indian War

 * Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. Available at FHL. [Identifies some Northampton 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. Available at FHL; 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 Northampton County, see p. 95-96.]
 * Crozier, William Armstrong. Virginia Colonial Militia 1651-1776. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1954. Available at FHL; digital book at Ancestry ($). [Identifies some Northampton County militia officers; see place name index.]

Revolutionary War

 * 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, Northampton County on page 132.]

War of 1812

 * 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, Northampton County, p. 96. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * Surname index to The Eleventh Census of the United States 1890 - Special Schedule - Union Veterans and Widows Bundle 180, which includes Northampton County, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Native Americans

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County, Virginia Court Orders and Minutes Relating to Free African Americans and Indians, 1654-1795," Free African Americans.com.

Newspapers
Indexed images of the Virginia Gazette(1736-1780) are available online through the Colonial Williamsburgwebsite. In addition, Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in this source and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia. These newspapers are valuable resources for all regions of Virginia.

Occupations
Philip Alexander Bruce's book Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century (Vol. II, 1896, p. 334 footnote 1) includes a list of early English merchants in Northampton County.


 * Surname index to Northampton County, VA Cattlemarks 1665-1742, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Private Papers

 * [Custis] Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. Available at FHL; digital version at Google Books. [Includes a chapter titled "Transcript from the Custis (Thompkins) Bible," see pp. 328-329.]

Probate
Local Court


 * Houston, William Robert Montgomery and Jean M. Mihalyka. Colonial Residents of Virginia's Eastern Shore: Whose Ages Were Proved Before Court Officials of Accomack and Northampton Counties. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985. Three copies available at FHL. [Ages taken from court, land, and probate records.]
 * Surname index to Northampton County VA Wills Deeds &amp; Orders 1651-1654, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.
 * Surname index to Northampton County Orders &amp; Wills 1678-1710, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

District Court


 * Surname index to Eastern Shore District Court Wills &amp; Deeds 1800-1806, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

London Courts


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

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1662-1664, 1675-1677] Northampton County, Virginia Tithables, 1662-1664, 1675-1677. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; also available on microfilm at FHL.
 * [1662-1677, 1720-1769] Bell, John B. Northampton County, Virginia, Tithables [1662-1677, 1720-1769] 2 vols. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1993. Available at FHL.
 * [1666] Robertson, T.B. "List of Tithables in Northampton County, Va., August 1666," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 10 (1902/1903):194-196, 258-263. Available at FHL; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [1666] Wise, Jennings Cropper. Ye Kingdome of Accawmacke or the Eastern Shore of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century. 1911; reprint, Baltimore, 1968. [Includes 1666 tithables list for Northampton County.]
 * [1704] "Virginia Quit Rent Rolls, 1704," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 28 (1920):207-218, 328-339; Vol. 29 (1921):18-28, 337-343, 402-412; Vol. 30 (1922):21-30, 280-285, 341-347; Vol. 31 (1923):70-75, 153-163, 215-231, 314-318; Vol. 32 (1924):69-75, 144-158, 281-287, 338-343; Vol. 33 (1925):47-50, 359-370; Vol. 34 (1926):113-119, 252-258, 313, 321. Available at FHL; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL; digital version of VMHB at JSTOR ($). [Northampton County appears in 34:313-321.]
 * [1704] Quit Rent Rolls, 1704, Heritage Quest, Vol. 35 (Jul. 1991).
 * [1782] Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. Available at FHL. [1782 personal property tax list of Northampton County.]
 * [1782-1814] Heinegg, Paul. "Northampton County Personal Property Tax List, 1782-1814," Free African Americans.com. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1786-1790] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):269-274; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1978):121-130. Available at FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Northampton County's 1787-1790 Delinquent Lists appear on 20:269-70; 1786 Delinquent Lists appear on 22:122-123.]
 * [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at FHL. [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Northampton County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1788, 1800] Indexed images of the 1788 and 1800 Personal Property Tax Lists of Northampton County, Virginia are available online at Binns Genealogy.
 * [1789] Robertson, Thomas B. "Poll Vote of Northampton County, Va., 1789," William and Mary College Quarterly, 1st Series, Vol. 26 (1917):109-110. Available at FHL; reprinted in Virginia Tax Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983, which is also available at FHL; digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Jul. 2001); Vol. 45, No 4 (Oct. 2001).
 * [1810] Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax list. Northampton County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.]
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Northampton County is included in Vol. 3.]

Vital Records
Marriages


 * Nottingham, Stratton. The Marriage License Bonds of Northampton County, Virginia from 1706 to 1854. Onancock, VA: S. Nottingham, 1929. Available at FHL; digital version at World Vital Records ($).
 * Surname index to Northampton County VA Marriages 1854-1922, courtesy: Petersrow Publishers.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog