Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Direct patrons to use digital images available at Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative .

The original commonwealth causes involving the Nat Turner Insurrection are stored at the Southampton County Circuit Court.

Preferred Citation

Southampton County (Va.) Judgments - Commonwealth Causes Ended, 1831-1832, Nat Turner Inurrection, Virginia Untold: the African American Narrative Digital Collection, Local government records collection, Southampton County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items were digitally reformatted by Backstage Library Works.

Historical Information

Southampton County was named, in the opinion of many authorities, for Henry Wriothesley, third early of Southampton and treasurer of the London Company from 1620 to 1624. It is more likely, however, that the county was named for the borough of Southampton in England. Southampton County was formed in 1749 from Isle of Wight County, and part of Nansemond County was added later.

Nat Turner led a rebellion of more than fifty enslaved and free African Americans in an insurrection in Southampton County August 21-23, 1831, killing fifty-five to sixty people. The rebellion was suppressed within 48 hours, but Turner was not apprehended until October 30. He was tried and convicted 1831 Nov. 5 and executed by hanging in the town of Jerusalem, in Southampton County 1831 Nov. 11.

Scope and Content

Southampton County (Va.) Judgments - Commonwealth Causes Ended, Nat Turner Insurrection, 1831-1832 document the trials in Southampton County Court of Nat Turner and 54 others accused of taking part in a slave insurrection in Southampton County in August 1831. The records include subpoenas, warrants, and death sentences. The warrants contain the names of the defendants (first name only), the names of the slaveholders who owned the defendants, the full names of three defendants who were free, and the charges brought. There are no records for one of the defendants.