In 1643 the General Assembly changed the name of Accomac(k) County to Northampton County, perhaps as part of the purge of Native American names such as Warrosquyoake.
In 1663, there were enough English settlers travelling long distances to the monthly courts to justify dividing Northampton into two counties. The southern portion retained the name of Northampton, and the northern part adopted the old name of Accomac(k). The decision to split the counties also reflected a personal victory for Edmund Scarborough, a leader in the northern section who gained control over a county court by the decision.
However, in 1670 Scarborough over-reached and almost initiated a war with local Native American tribes. Governor Berkeley was unable to punish Scarborough because he was a member of the General Assembly representing Accomack County - so the governor abolished Accomack County and reconsolidated it with Northamption. In 1673, after Scarborough's death, the counties were split again. In 1687, Northampton managed to get the county line with Accomack moved north, so each county would have about the same amount of territory.1