Northampton County Genealogy
- Formed 1741
- Parent county / earlier Bertie
- County seat Jackson
- Neighbors Hertford, Gates, Halifax, Bertie, Warren
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Flagship hub: Roanoke plantation plain; Jackson seat.
- Formation 1741 from Bertie — for pre-formation events, use the parent jurisdiction’s paper (not later Anson-only catalogs).
- Seat: Jackson · Neighbors: Hertford, Gates, Halifax, Bertie, Warren.
- Methods: Start here · Formation · Master guide.
Northampton County was formed in 1741 from Bertie. The county seat is Jackson. Neighboring counties include Hertford, Gates, Halifax, Bertie, Warren.
This hub combines a modern research floor—record matrix, towns, repositories, news—with local history narrative. For events before the county’s formation year, open the parent jurisdiction that owned that year—not a later statewide vital series or Anson-only catalog.
Northampton County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 22,086. Its county seat is Jackson.
Northampton County is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The county was formed in 1741 from Bertie County. It was named for James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton.
In 1759 parts of Northampton County, Bertie County, and Chowan County were combined to form Hertford County.
The county is divided into nine townships: Conway, Gaston, Jackson, Lasker, Pleasant Hill, Rich Square, Seaboard, Severn and Woodland.
Source: Wikipedia.
In-depth topics
History notes
Northampton County (formed 1741 from Bertie; seat Jackson) is a distinctive research problem: Roanoke plantation plain; Jackson seat. Genealogists who treat every NC county the same will miss how virginia border free black research shapes the paper trail here—and how halifax/hertford neighbors changes which record class to open first.
Pin the decade before the courthouse. Record the jurisdiction as cited in the original deed, estate, or church book—then map it to modern hubs. Neighbor FAN clubs frequently spill into Hertford, Gates, Halifax, Bertie, Warren.
This county rewards a fixed order: census clusters with neighbors → land and probate in the correct years → church and cemetery substitutes for pre-vital generations → newspapers and directories around Jackson for 19th–20th century moves. Use the record matrix on this hub as a planning tool, not a catalog.
Virginia border FAN clubs often complete marriages and burials that look missing in NC-only indexes—log both states for the same decade.
Session order: write person + year + place as written → formation/parent check → census FAN club → land/probate → church/cemetery → newspapers/directories when town-era → neighbors listed above. Free path: Start here · formation guide · Master NC research guide. Statewide substitutes: State Archives of North Carolina · DigitalNC · NCGenWeb — Northampton.
Record availability matrix
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules for NC; place each household in the correct county for that decade. Before 1741, people will not be labeled Northampton—use Bertie. Parent-jurisdiction notes apply only to pre-formation events—not to post-formation federal census rows. Township and city-ward labels change; re-pin every decade. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1913– | Statewide NC birth registration is late (roughly 1913–1915 for civil strength). Use delayed births, church registers, Bibles, and census for earlier Northampton generations—not parent-county “civil vitals.” |
| Marriage records | partial | 1741– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries after formation (1741); earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, newspapers, or Bertie. Confirm event-year jurisdiction vs modern address. |
| Death records | partial | 1913– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration (~1913–1915+). Earlier Northampton deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1741– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Formed 1741 from Bertie. Roanoke/VA-border research often needs multi-state pulls; colonial series are high value when they survive. Northampton deed/Register of Deeds series typically begin near formation (1741); pre-1741 land lives under Bertie. Colonial grants/plats may predate the county at State Archives of North Carolina. Always verify book/page gaps; abstract witnesses and neighbors. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1741– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Formed 1741 from Bertie. Roanoke/VA-border research often needs multi-state pulls; colonial series are high value when they survive. Wills, administrations, inventories, and equity are core after 1741; pre-formation estates under Bertie. Abstract bondsmen, sales, and widows’ petitions for FAN clubs. Pair thin years with newspaper legal notices and Archives microfilm. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church coverage varies by denomination and survival. Baptisms, membership, and burial registers often beat early civil vitals; check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Jackson and local weeklies, plus larger regional papers for legal notices and obituaries. Verify actual title runs on DigitalNC and Chronicling America before citing continuous coverage—do not invent a “County Herald” without holdings. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, militia notes, and wartime claims. Pair unit research with Northampton place context and neighboring counties when companies recruited across lines. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Published surveys, Find a Grave, churchyards, and family plots. Unmarked burials are common—use obituaries, church books, and land descriptions. |
| Court records | partial | 1741– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Formed 1741 from Bertie. Roanoke/VA-border research often needs multi-state pulls; colonial series are high value when they survive. Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation (1741); equity may sit with or near probate. Pre-1741 under Bertie. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years and thin deed decades. Coverage is uneven by locality and year—check State Archives of North Carolina and published abstracts. |
Newspapers
Cemeteries & burial research
- Jackson / county-seat cemeteries
- Northampton County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Northampton County families you will rely on marriage bonds, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, delayed births, and probate—not only a modern certificate.
Research starting points
Courthouse & contacts
The county seat is Jackson. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Northampton Memorial Library
Record-loss / series note: Formed 1741 from Bertie. Roanoke/VA-border research often needs multi-state pulls; colonial series are high value when they survive.
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1741
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Bertie — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):
What to do next
Local history & events
- Rural Health Group marks 50th anniversary with vision for future - rrdailyherald.com
- Updated Ninety Six Historic Site museum reopening with new interactive exhibits - FOX Carolina News
- Hickory Ridge History Museum to celebrate Independence Day with several activities - The Daily Reflector
- Thousands descend on Conneaut for largest WWII reenactment in North America - newsbreak.com
- Bald Head Island celebrates America 250 with live reenactment and block party - WECT
- N.C. Transportation Museum, Trains Magazine, and White River Productions partner on America 250 Locomotive Celebration - trains.com
Sources & further reading
- NCpedia — Northampton County
- David Leroy Corbitt, The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943
- William S. Powell, The North Carolina Gazetteer
- State Archives of North Carolina
- DigitalNC — Northampton County
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- FamilySearch Wiki · NCGenWeb