Genealogy Resources
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Beginning in January, 2007, the Reference Room will be open to the public
from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. every Saturday

Information about records at the Archives: Vital Records Confederate Military Records Census Records On-Line Indexes   Selected Bibliography of County, City & Town Histories   Research Queries   Guide to Collections   Selected Readings in SC History   Cemetery Preservation          Archives & History Center 8301 Parklane Road Columbia, SC 29223 Tele: (803) 896-6100 Fax: (803) 896-6198  Map to our location

We have developed this outline to give you a selected checklist of the more useful records indexes, guides, and publications for genealogical research at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The best government records to consult for establishing relationships among people are census records, county probate records, county land records, county equity court records, and state death certificates. The state of South Carolina required marriage licenses beginning in 1911 and birth and death certificates beginning in 1915. The outline is by the following subjects: Federal Census Records for SC Colonial and State Records County Records Military Records Citizenship Records Extant State Census Records Church and Cemetery Records Tax Records Newspapers Locations and History of Place Names Guides to Genealogical Research in South Carolina Other Sources Federal census records for S. C. Population Schedules and Indexes, 1790-1880, 1900-1930. Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 (Indexes 1850 and 1860). Agricultural Schedules, 1850-1880. Slave Schedules, 1850 and 1860. Industrial Schedules, 1820, 1850-1880. Social Statistics, 1850-1880. 1835 Census of the Cherokee Indians East of the Mississippi. 1840 Census-Pensioners for Revolutionary or other Military Service. 1890 Special Census Schedules, Civil War Union Veterans and their Widows (National Archives microfilm). Colonial and state records Combined Alphabetical Index, 1675-1919 (computer output microfilm and on-line). Green's Land Index, 1675-1766. Warrants for Lands in South Carolina, 1672-1711, edited by A. S. Salley, Jr.  Records in the British Public Records Office Relating to South Carolina 1663-1782 (two-volume index). First Settlers of South Carolina, 1670-1700 by Agnes Baldwin.   Charleston County Will Transcripts 1671-1868 (one-volume index). Transcripts of South Carolina Wills, Inventories and Miscellaneous Records, 1687-1746 (one-volume index). Probate Records of South Carolina: Volume 1, Index to Inventories, 1746-1785 by Brent Holcomb.  South Carolina Council Journals 1671-1775 (guide at reference desk). A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina 1763-1773 compiled by Janie Revill.  Miscellaneous Records, Indexes 1729-1870. General Assembly Index, 1782-1866 (computer output microfilm and on-line). State Grants and State Plats, Indexes 1784-1882. Combined Alphabetical Index to State Plats, 1784-1868 (computer output microfilm and on-line). Marriage Settlements, Indexes 1775-1887. Voter Registrations, 1868 and 1898. Death Certificates, 1915-1952 (microfiche index 1915-1949). For a complete listing of state records, please consult the web version of the Summary Guide to State Records or the State Summary Guide notebooks in the Reference Room. County records South Carolina County Will Transcripts, 1785-1853 (one-volume index). Charleston County Will Transcripts, 1671-1868 (one-volume index). Abstracts of Old Ninety Six (estate records) by W.P. Young.  * Estate Papers 1785- (microfilmed indexes). * Conveyances 1785- (microfilmed grantor and grantee indexes). * Equity Records 1785- (microfilmed indexes). Judgment Rolls (civil court cases) 1785- (microfilmed indexes). General Sessions Rolls (criminal court cases) 1785- (microfilmed indexes). *For individual county indexes and for a complete listing of records by county, please consult: The web version of The Summary Guide to Local Records, The reference room microfilm cabinets,  The Local Records summary Guide notebooks and microfilm lists in the Reference Room,  And A Guide to Local Records in the South Carolina Archives (one volume, at reference desk). Military records Colonial Soldiers of the South by Murtie Jean Clark Expedition to Fort Prince George, 1759-1760 (card index). Accounts Audited for Revolutionary Services in South Carolina (card index). Revolutionary War Pension Applications (federal pensions for all states, one-volume index). Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution by Bobby Moss.   Loyalists of the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War (two volumes) by Murtie Jean Clark.  South Carolina Pay Lists, War of 1812 (card index). Compiled Service Records, South Carolina, War of 1812 (index only, National Archives microfilm). Service Records of Veterans of the War of 1812 South Carolina by Edna Manning.  South Carolina Mexican War Records (card index). South Carolina Confederate War Records (card index). Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, South Carolina (National Archives microfilm; the microfilmed index includes all states). Confederate States Army Casualties: Lists & Narrative Reports, 1861-1865 (National Archives microfilm; roll 3 includes South Carolina). "Roll of the Dead South Carolina Troops" Civil War (National Archives microfilm). Honor Roll of South Carolina Confederate Troops. Confederate Pension Applications (computer-generated index and on-line) Annual Reports of the Comptroller General, Pension Rolls, 1889-1920 Applications for Artificial Limbs, Civil War Veterans. Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. South Carolina Spanish American War Records (card index). South Carolina in the Spanish American War by J. W. Floyd  The Official Roster of South Carolina Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the World War, 1917-18.  The Official Roster of South Carolina Servicemen and Servicewomen in World War II, 1941-1946.  Combat Connected Naval Casualties World War II by States, Volume II South Carolina.  For other military records, please consult the Temporary Summary Guide listing of state records at the Reference Desk. Citizenship records South Carolina Naturalizations, 1783-1850 by Brent Holcomb  General Assembly Index, 1782-1866 (computer output microfilm and on-line). Citizenship Records Card Index (reference room). County Citizenship Indexes 1785- "Federal Naturalization Oaths, Charleston S.C., 1790-1860," in the South Carolina Historical Magazine, Volume 66, 112-24, 183--92, 218-28.   Records of Admissions to Citizenships, District of South Carolina, 1790-1906 (National Archives microfilm) Extant state census records 1829-Population, Fairfield and Laurens Districts. 1839-Population, Beaufort, Chesterfield, Kershaw and Lexington Districts. 1868-Agriculture, twenty-six counties. 1869-all counties except Clarendon, Oconee, and Spartanburg. 1875-complete population schedules for Clarendon, Newberry, and Marlboro counties; partial population schedules for Abbeville, Beaufort, Fairfield, Lancaster, and Sumter counties; also scattered agriculture returns. Church records The web version of the Guide to Church Records. Listing of Church Records in the Baptist Historical Collection, Furman University. For published church records and church histories, please consult our card catalog Cemetery records WPA Tombstone Inscription Index for South Carolina (microfiche). For published cemetery records, please consult our card catalog and the index to the South Carolina Historical Magazine. Tax records Treasurer of the Lower Division, Tax Returns, 1783-1799 (finding aid at reference desk). Comptroller General, Tax Returns, 1800-1867 (mostly 1860-1867, finding aid at reference desk). Comptroller General, 1824 Tax Returns (indexed on Combined Alphabetical Index 1675-1919 and on-line). County Tax Records: Auditor's and Treasurer's Tax Duplicate Books, primarily post-Civil War (for these and other local tax records, please consult the listing of county records at the reference desk). Newspapers The South Carolina Gazette, 1732-1782 (microfilm). South Carolina Gazette, 1732-1775 by Cohen Hennig.  The Virginia Gazette, 1736-1780 by Lester J. Cappon and Stella F. Duff (two-volume index, microfilm).  The Georgia Gazette. University Microfilms International (microfilm). The Remembrance. University Microfilms International (microfilm). South Carolina Newspapers by John H. Moore  For death and marriage notices taken from newspapers and published in book form, please consult our card catalog. For a complete listing of newspapers in our holdings, please consult the web version of The Guide to Newspaper Records or the List of Newspaper Records in the Summary Guide to Private Records notebook in the Reference Room. Locations and history of place names Names in South Carolina, Volumes I-XXX.  Palmetto Place Names.  Towns of South Carolina.  Mills Atlas Place Name Index.   Combined Alphabetical Index Place Name List (reference desk). Research Cards for a South Carolina Gazetteer (microfilm). South Carolina in the 1880s: A Gazetteer compiled and edited by John H. Moore.   South Carolina Map Collection (card index). Mills Atlas (1825 district maps). South Carolina Topographic Maps (index in reference room). 1883 Agriculture Department Map of South Carolina (shows townships). 1989 South Carolina Highway Map (reference room). South Carolina: A Geography by Charles F. Kovacik and John J. Winberry.  Guide Maps to the Development of South Carolina Parishes, Districts and Counties (reference desk). Union County Historical Foundation Land Grant Maps (index at reference desk). The formation of counties in South Carolina (pamphlet, at reference desk). Guides to Genealogical Research in South Carolina Local and Family History in South Carolina: A Bibliography by Richard N. Cote.  "Genealogical Research in South Carolina" by Ge Lee C. Hendrix, National Genealogical Society Quarterly 75 (December 1987), 249-70.  "Regional Genealogy: South Carolina" by Alexia J. Helsley in Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources, 303-11.  Hunting Your Ancestors in South Carolina: A Guide for Amateur Genealogists by Evelyn Frazier (subject file Q-1). South Carolina Genealogical Research by George K. Schweitzer.  A Guide to South Carolina Genealogical Research and Records by Brent Holcomb.   South Carolina: A Guide for Genealogists by Theresa Hicks.   Other Sources Web version of the South Carolina Archives Summary Guide to Holdings Records Indexes to Key Series on Web A guide to Local Records in the South Carolina Archives (reference desk). South Carolina Department of Archives and History: Selected Readings in South Carolina History (pamphlet and on-line). South Carolina Historical Magazine 1900 to present (three-volume index).  Dictionary of South Carolina Biography by Richard N. Cote.  Biographical Directory of the South Carolina Senate 1776-1985 by N. Louise Bailey et al (three volumes).  Biographical Directory of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Volume I, Session Lists 1692-1973 edited by Walter Edgar.  Biographical Directory of the South Carolina House of Representatives, Volumes II-V, 1692-1828 edited by N. Louise Bailey and Alexander Moore.  Guide to the Study and Reading of South Carolina History: A Bibliography by J. H. Easterby.   Research Materials in South Carolina: A Guide by John H. Moore.  Research in the South Carolina Archives. A Guide to the Manuscript Collection of the South Caroliniana Library by Allen H. Stokes, Jr.   South Carolina Historical Society Manuscript Guide by David Moltke-Hansen and Salley Doscher.  Directory of South Carolina Historical Organizations (on-line and at reference desk). Directory of Archives and Manuscript Repositories in the United States (second edition) by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission  Selected bibliography of county, city, and town histories and related published records in the South Carolina Archives reference library by Robert H. Mackintosh, Jr.  (on-line version) Directory of South Carolina Repositories For additional published sources, please consult our card catalog.

Page last updated: 12/13/2006