New Hanover was formed in 1729 from Craven. It was named in honor of the royal family of England, members of the House of Hanover. It is in the southeastern section of the State and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Fear River, and Brunswick and Pender counties. The present land area is l98.93 square miles and the population in 2000 was 160,327. New Town or Newton was its first county seat. It was changed to Wilmington in 1739.

Northampton was formed in 1741 from Bertie. It was named in honor of James Crompton, Earl of Northampton, an English nobleman. It is in the northeastern section of the State. It is bounded by the State of Virginia and Halifax, Bertie and Hertford counties. The present land area is 536.48 square miles and the 2000 population was 22,086. In 1806 Atherton was established as the courthouse. Jackson is currently the county seat.

Onslow was formed in 1731 from New Hanover. It was named in honor of Arthur Onslow, who for more than thirty years was speaker of the House of Commons in the British Parliament. It is in the south eastern section of the State and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Pender, Duplin, Jones and Carteret counties. The present land area is 766.82 square miles and the 2000 population was 150,355. The act creating the county ordered the justices to select a site for a courthouse. The act also validated all acts of the court held in accordance with a commission, issued (November 23, 1731) by Governor Burrington for that purpose. From July, 1734, to January, 1735, court was held "at the court house on New River." In January, 1735, it was held at Joseph Howard's. In July of that year it was held at Christian Heidleberg's and from then until 1737 it was held at Joseph Howard's. After April 1737, it was held "at the courthouse on New River." The courthouse was burned between January and April 1744. Between April, 1744, and January, 1753, court was held "at Johnston on New River." Johnston was established in 1741. It is evident that for a while court was held in private homes, as James Foyle and Thomas Black were paid for allowing the court to sit at their homes. In January, 1753, the court met at Jonathan Melton's on North East New River, a storm having destroyed Johnston in September, 17O2. In July, 1757. court was held at the new courthouse at Wantland's Ferry on New River. In 1819 a new courthouse was authorized to be established within one-half mile from the old courthouse and on the same side of the river. In 1842 Jacksonville was authorized, but it was not laid out until after 1849. It is the county seat.

Orange was formed in 1752 from Johnston, Bladen and Granville. It was named in honor of the infant William V of Orange. It is in the central section of the State and is bounded by Durham, Chatham, Alamance, Caswell and Person counties. The present land area is 399.84 square miles and the 2000 population was 115,331. The first courthouse was authorized to be established in 1754 where the western path crossed the Eno River on the land of James Watson. Childsburg was established in 1759 and was changed to Hillsborough in 1766. Hillsborough is the county seat.

Pamlico was formed in 1872 from Craven and Beaufort. It was named after the sound of the same name. Pamlico was the name of an Indian tribe in Eastern North Carolina. There was a Pamptecough Precinct in North Carolina as early as 1705, but it was changed to Beaufort about 1712. It is in the eastern section of the State and is bounded by Pamlico Sound, Neuse River and Craven and Beaufort counties. The present area is 336.94 square miles and the 2000 population was 12,934. Court was held at an old store in Vandimere until 1876. In that year, an act was passed authorizing the commissioners to submit to a vote of the people the question of moving the county seat from Vandimere to some other place. Bayboro was made the county seat. It was incorporated in 1881.

Pasquotank was formed as early as 1668 as a precinct of Albemarle County. Its name is derived from an Indian word pasketanki which meant "where the current of the stream divides or forks." It is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Albemarle Sound and Perquimans. Gates, and Camden counties. The present land area is 226.88 square miles and the 2000 population was 34,897. It is not known when the first courthouse was built, but from 1737 to 1757 the courthouse was at Brook Field. In 1758 it was moved to Belfe's Point. It remained there until 1762 or probably a little later. From 1765 until 1785 the courthouse was at Winfield. In 1784 the Assembly directed that it be moved to Nixonton, and from 1785 to 1800 Nixonton was the county seat. In 1799 Elizabeth (City) Town was named the county seat and on June 6, 1800, the first court was held there. Elizabeth City was first called Redding, which was established in 1793. Redding was changed to Elizabeth Town in 1794, and Elizabeth Town was changed to Elizabeth City in l801. It is the county seat.

Pender was formed in 1875 from New Hanover. It was named in honor of General William D. Pender of Edgecombe, a Confederate soldier who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg. It is in the southeastern section of the State and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Sampson, Duplin and Onslow counties. The present land area is 870.67 square miles and the 2000 population was 41,082. The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877 an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879 Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat.

Perquimans was formed as early as 1668 as a precinct of Albemarle County. It was named in honor of an Indian tribe. It is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Albemarle Sound and Chowan, Gates and Pasquotank counties. The present land area is 247.17 square miles and the 2000 population was 11,368. Hertford, established in 1758 on the land of Jonathan Phelps, is the county seat.

Person was formed in 1791 from Caswell. The act was to become effective February 1, 1792. It was named in honor of General Thomas Person, a Revolutionary Patriot, a member of the Council of Safety and a trustee of the University of North Carolina. He gave a large sum of money to the University, and a building was erected in his honor, which is called Person Hall. It is in the north central section of the State and is bounded by Granville, Durham, Orange and Caswell counties, and the State of Virginia. The present area is 392.31 square miles and the 2000 population was 35,623. In 1792 Pittman's was mentioned in an act as the place where the courthouse was to be established. In 1793 Roxboro was established as the courthouse and is now the county seat.

Pitt was formed in 1760 from Beaufort. The act was to become effective January 1,1761. It was named in honor of William Pitt. It is in the eastern section of the State and is bounded by Beaufort, Craven, Lenoir, Greene, Wilson, Edgecombe and Martin counties. The present land area is 651.58 square miles and the 2000 population was 133,719. The act establishing the county authorized the courts to be held at the home of John Hardy until a courthouse could be built. It also directed the justices to contract for the construction of the courthouse, prison and stocks on John Hardy's land on the south side of Tar River, near the Chapel known as Hardy's Chapel. In 1771 Martinsboro was established on Richard Evans's land, and in 1774 the courthouse, prison and stocks were moved to Martinsboro. Court was held at the home of John Lessley until the new courthouse, prison and stocks were completed. In 1787 Martinsborough was changed to Greenville. Greenville is the county seat.