Perquimans County Genealogy
- Formed 1668
- Parent county / earlier Albemarle (colonial)
- County seat Hertford
- Neighbors Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Flagship hub: Hertford Albemarle early precinct roots.
- Formation 1668 from Albemarle (colonial) — for pre-formation events, use the parent jurisdiction’s paper (not later Anson-only catalogs).
- Seat: Hertford · Neighbors: Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates.
- Methods: Start here · Formation · Master guide.
Perquimans County was formed in 1668 from Albemarle (colonial). The county seat is Hertford. Neighboring counties include Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates.
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.
Perquimans County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population is 11,368. Its county seat is Hertford. Perquimans County is the home of Baseball Hall of Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter and Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity facility.
Perquimans County is part of the Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Source: Wikipedia
In-depth topics
History notes
Perquimans County (formed 1668 from Albemarle (colonial); seat Hertford) is a distinctive research problem: Hertford Albemarle early precinct roots. Genealogists who treat every NC county the same will miss how quaker and colonial farm networks shapes the paper trail here—and how chowan/pasquotank 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 Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates.
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 Hertford for 19th–20th century moves. Use the record matrix on this hub as a planning tool, not a catalog.
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 — Perquimans.
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 1668, people will not be labeled Perquimans—use Albemarle (colonial). 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 Perquimans generations—not parent-county “civil vitals.” |
| Marriage records | partial | 1741– | County marriage records improve in the 19th–20th centuries after formation (1668); earlier events often appear in church books, bonds, newspapers, or Albemarle (colonial). Confirm event-year jurisdiction vs modern address. |
| Death records | partial | 1913– | Death certificates denser after statewide registration (~1913–1915+). Earlier Perquimans deaths via obituaries, church burial, probate, and cemeteries. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1668– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle county with strong Quaker/meeting trails in some decades. Civil survival is generally better than burned mountain counties—still verify series runs. Perquimans deed/Register of Deeds series typically begin near formation (1668); pre-1668 land lives under Albemarle (colonial). 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 | 1668– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle county with strong Quaker/meeting trails in some decades. Civil survival is generally better than burned mountain counties—still verify series runs. Wills, administrations, inventories, and equity are core after 1668; pre-formation estates under Albemarle (colonial). Abstract bondsmen, sales, and widows’ petitions for FAN clubs. Pair thin years with newspaper legal notices and Archives microfilm. |
| Church & parish | good | varies | Church coverage can be unusually rich (colonial Albemarle, Moravian Wachovia, Quaker, older coastal congregations) when books survive—check local societies and denominational archives. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Hertford 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 Perquimans 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 | 1668– | Record-loss / thin-series note: Early Albemarle county with strong Quaker/meeting trails in some decades. Civil survival is generally better than burned mountain counties—still verify series runs. Common pleas, sessions, and other court series often begin near formation (1668); equity may sit with or near probate. Pre-1668 under Albemarle (colonial). |
| 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
- Hertford / Quaker and church burial grounds
- Perquimans County cemeteries (Find a Grave / surveys)
Societies & repositories
Vital records
North Carolina statewide vital registration expanded in the early 20th century. For many Perquimans 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 Hertford. Confirm current Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and library hours before visiting—offices move and digital portals change.
Public library: Perquimans County Library
Record-loss / series note: Early Albemarle county with strong Quaker/meeting trails in some decades. Civil survival is generally better than burned mountain counties—still verify series runs.
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1668
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Albemarle (colonial) — 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
- Museum of the Albemarle: Mebane’s writings shed light on undeniably fateful era in nation’s history - dailyadvance.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 — Perquimans 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 — Perquimans County
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- FamilySearch Wiki · NCGenWeb