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Norfolk County (Va.) Board of School Commissioners Records, 1820-1872, are comprised mostly of reports documenting attendance, tuition, and teacher salaries at schools established by the Board for the purpose of educating poor children in the county. The records also include scattered receipts and attendance records, 1827-1830, a survey of school districts in the county, 1845, and copies of resolutions pertaining to the assessment of a schools tax, 1845-1847, including a resolution exempting free African Americans from the school tax, 1845.

Materials in the Library of Virginia's collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Norfolk County (Va.) Criminal/Commonwealth Causes, circa 1797-1939 are criminal court cases and consist primarily of warrants, summons, indictments, and verdicts handed down by grand juries and other legal authorities in order to prosecute individuals who violated the penal code. These offenses ranged in severity from murder, rape, assault and battery, and larceny to tax evasion and slander. Criminal offenders and victims who appear in cases prior to the abolition of slavery in Virginia in 1865 included both free and enslaved persons.

Norfolk County (Va.) Lists of Tithables and Taxable Property, 1732-1783. Consists of manuscript lists of tithable heads of household in the county for the years 1732 through 1781 and taxable property lists for 1782 and 1783. Information recorded includes name of head of hosehold, name of slave owners, and names of enslved people. Also included are loose and partial lists of tithables. The former were used to compile the final lists. The loose and partial lists are arranged at the end of each box.

Norfolk County (Va.) Minute Book, 1814-1815, record all matters brought before the court on a daily basis when it was in session including but not limited to: civil and criminal suits, appointments of county officers, appointments of guardians and administrators, deed recordings, free negro registrations, naturalization registrations, and court fees. Clerks would transfer information from minute books to appropriate order book, deed book, fiduciary book, free negro register, etc.

Norfolk County (Va.) Muster Roll in the War with Germany, 1901-1919 (bulk 1917-1918), is a listing of men who served in one of the several branches of the armed services during World War I. Information included in the muster roll includes name, address (name of town), age, color, selective service (date drafted), volunteers for army, navy and marine corps (date accepted and which branch), National Guard and naval militia (date and where mustered), rank, branch, and remarks which include notations about date discharged, reason and date of deaths, whether someone was a chaplain, etc.

Norfolk County Roll of Registered Voters, records the roll of registered voters in Norfolk County. The volume is divided by precincts: Hall's Corner, E. Berkley, W. Berkley, Deep Creek, Bethel, Hickory Grove, Indian Creek, Churchland, Bower's Hill, and Glebe; and within each precinct on the basis of color. Information found in the volumes includes date of registration; number of registered voter; name of registered voter; date of birth; age; occupation; residence; length of residence in state, county, and precinct; whether exempt from poll tax; if naturalized, and if so, date of papers and by what court issued; if transferred from another precinct, and if so, when and to what precinct.

Norfolk County (Va.) Wills, 1744-1910, record the deceased's plan for how his or her estate was to be divided among his or her heirs following his or her death. Information commonly recorded in wills include the name of the deceased, also referred as the testator; names of heirs; a listing of real and personal property (including slaves) and how it was to be divided among the heirs; names of individuals who were to be the will's executors; the date will was written; and the date will was recorded at the court house. Additional record types may be found in this collection such as fiduciary records (inventories and accounts.) Individuals dying with a written will died testate. After the death of an individual, his or her will was brought into court, where two of the subscribing witnesses swore that the document was genuine. After the will was proved, the executor was bonded to carry out his or her duties to settle the estate. The court then ordered the will to be recorded.