Lower Norfolk County, Virginia
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Lower Norfolk County is a long-extinct county which was organized in colonial Virginia, operating from 1637 until 1691.
New Norfolk County New Norfolk County is a long-extinct county which was located in colonial Virginia from 1636 until 1637. It was formed in 1636 from Elizabeth City Shire, one of the eight original shires (or counties) formed in 1634 in the colony of Virginia by di ...
was formed in 1636 from
Elizabeth City Shire Elizabeth City Shire was one of eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. The shire and the Elizabeth River were named for Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of King James I. During the 17th century, shortly after establishment of Jamestown ...
, one of the eight original shires (or
counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
) formed in 1634 in the colony of Virginia by direction of the King of England. New Norfolk County included all the area in
South Hampton Roads South Hampton Roads is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia's Tidewater region in the United States with a total population of 1,191,937. It is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA (Metropolitan S ...
now incorporated in the five independent cities located there in modern times. The following year, in 1637, it was divided into Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County. On October 20, 1673 the "Grand Assembly" at Jamestown authorized Lower Norfolk County to construct a fort."America and West Indies: March 1676." Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 9, 1675-1676 and Addenda 1574-1674. Ed. W Noel Sainsbury. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1893. 355-365
British History Online
Retrieved 5 June 2019.
As settler population increased, in 1691 Lower Norfolk County was divided to form
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
and
Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
counties. These jurisdictions were maintained for centuries. In 1963, after approval by referendum of the voters of the City of
South Norfolk South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Long Stratton. The population of the Local Authority District was 124,012 as taken at the 2011 Census. History The district was formed on 1 April 19 ...
and of the rest of Norfolk County, and the
Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...
, these areas were combined and reorganized as a new independent city, ending the threat of additional annexations by the City of
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. The new name selected by the voters was Chesapeake, and so, the new city of Chesapeake, Virginia was organized. Also in 1963, after approval by referendum of the voters of the City of
Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
and the rest of Princess Anne County, and the
Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...
, those two areas were consolidated as an independent city, taking the better-known name of Virginia Beach.


References

* *{{cite book, title= Economic History of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century , url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Economic_History_of_Virginia_in_the_Seventeenth_Century , first=Philip Alexander , last=Bruce , year=1896 Colonial Virginia counties