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Northampton County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1721-1912, consists of cases concerning issues of equity brought largely by residents of the county and filed in the circuit court. These cases often involve the following actions: divisions of estates or land, disputes over wills, disputes regarding contracts, debt, divorce, and business disputes. Other less prevalent issues include freedom suits, permissions to sell property, and disputes concerning trespass. Predominant documents found in these chancery causes include bills (documents the plaintiff's complaint), answers (defendant's response to the plaintiff's complaint), decrees (court's decision), depositions, affidavits, correspondence, lists of heirs, deeds, plats, wills, records involving enslaved individuals, business records or vital statistics.

Northampton County (Va.) Commonwealth Causes, 1722-1816 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. Commonwealth causes specifically involving enslaved or freed persons prior to the abolition of slavery are in Box 1. Presentments and other types of documents referencing enslaved or freed people are among general Commonwealth Causes. Causes relating to alleged plots of insurrections of enslaved people in 1750, 1792, and 1812 are also present.

Northampton County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1833 primarily record the declarations of individuals seeking to obtain Revolutionary War pensions provided by various acts of Congress. The applicants present detailed testimony of their time of service during the Revolutionary War. Information found in the declarations include date and location applicants entered into service, names of military companies they served in, names of military commanders they served under, names of fellow soldiers they served with, length of service, their age, and their place of birth. The predominant portion of the declarations are narratives of their tours of duty during the Revolutionary War with emphasis on battles they fought. The declarations also include affidavits from witnesses who could verify information provided by applicants.

Northampton County (Va.) Ended Causes, Court Causes, and Sundry Papers, 1813-1909, consist mostly of civil suits related to matters of debt and criminal suits also known as commonwealth causes. Interfiled are other court papers such as criminal causes, fiduciary records, jury records, tax and fiscal records, marriage records, bonds, deeds, wills, and other court papers. Not every record type will be found in every bundle of papers.

Northampton County (Va.) Judgments (Freedom Suits), 1723-1845, consist of suits initiated by slaves seeking to gain their freedom on the law side of the court. Cases are identified by style of suit consisting of plaintiff and defendant names. Surnames of others involved in a suit, including secondary plaintiffs and defendants, witnesses, deponents and affiants, and family members with surnames different from the plaintiff or defendant are indexed. Also identified are names of slaves and slaveowners found in suit as well as whether slave(s) won their freedom. Predominant documents found in freedom suits include petitions, records of suits, depositions, affidavits, wills, among other items. Information found in documents include slave's argument for freedom, acquisition of slaves by slaveowners, slave ancestry, and relationship between slaves and slaveowners.

Northampton County (Va.) Lists of Tithables, 1662-1664, 1670, 1675-1677, consists of photostats of the lists of tithable heads of household in the county for the years 1662-1664, 1670, and 1675-1677.

Northampton County (Va.) Military and Pension Records, 1729-1952 (bulk 1729-1885), consist of military service records, accounts and vouchers, and claims for reimbursement by civilians and service members. These include: