New Norfolk County was created in 1636, then eliminated by division into Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County in 1637
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
New Norfolk County was created in 1636, then eliminated by division into Upper Norfolk County and
Lower Norfolk County in 1637
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
Two years after creating the first shires/counties in 1634, the burgesses meeting as the Grand Assembly in Jamestown took that portion of Elizabeth City County south of the James River and created New Norfolk County.
One year later in 1637, the House of Burgesses divided New Norfolk County into Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County. That division reflected the population growth in the region, as well as the difficulty of travel in reaching the courthouse from over such a large area.
The land area encompassed by New Norfolk County between 1636-1637 now consists of the cities of Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.1