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SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE SOUTH CAROLINA GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:
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Marion County History and Information
County History | Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Church & Cemeteries | Genealogy Related Sites |
Marion County Facts


Click the Image above to see a full County Map

     Marion County and its county seat, the town of Marion, were named for Revolutionary War general Francis Marion (1732-1795), known as the "Swamp Fox." In 1785 Liberty County was created as a part of Georgetown District; renamed Marion, it became a separate district in 1800. Parts of Marion later went to form Florence (1888) and Dillon (1910) counties. English settlers moved up the Great Pee Dee River into this area in the eighteenth century. During the Revolutionary War General Marion's men fought several skirmishes with the British here before retreating to their camp at Snows Island. In the twentieth century Marion County became a major tobacco growing region. Writers Virginia Durant Young (1842-1906) and Gwen Bristow (1903-1980) were natives of Marion County.

(Source: South Carolina State Library)

For information on early counties and districts, consult The Formation of Counties in South Carolina. The Official County Website is located at http://www.co.marion.sc.us/ . Marion County, South Carolina History Books at Amazon.com.

  • Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

 

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Marion County Court Records
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

   Marion County Clerk of Court has Court Records from 1800 and is located at P.O. Box 295, Marion, SC, 29571; 843-423-8240 . The Clerk of Court consist of The Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions. The Court of Common Pleas is the court of general jurisdiction over civil cases in Marion County, excepting those cases in which the amount or value of property in dispute is less than $7,500. Cases involving money or property totaling less than $7,500 are heard in Small Claims Magistrates' Courts. The Court of General Sessions is the court of general jurisdiction over criminal cases in Marion County, excepting most misdemeanor cases, which are usually adjudicated in the Magistrates' Courts.

   Marion County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1800-1859 (incomplete)/ 1911-present, Probate Records from 1790 and is located at P.O. Box 583, Marion, SC, 29571; 843-423-8244, Probate and Clerk of Court records prior to about 1906 are now located in the Marion County Archives and History Center, 101 North Main St., Marion, SC.. Probate Court has original jurisdiction over actions concerning the issuance of marriage licenses, the estate of a deceased person, the will of an individual, the estate of a minor or incapacitated person, trusts, and involuntary commitments.
   South Carolina had no law requiring marriage licenses or registration until 1 July 1911. Licenses are on file with the judge of probate in each county. Prior to 1911, marriages were legal if performed according to canonical law; common law marriages also were recognized. Many churches recorded marriages, but when compared with the vast number of marriages that took place, the number of documented marriages is small. Marriage settlements, made by a widow and her second husband to protect the heirs of her first husband, and pre-marital agreements, not necessarily involving widows, were popular for a while. These records date from about 1760 to about 1890 and may be found in county conveyance books or the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and on microfilm at the FHL. Newspapers accounts of marriages from 1732 to the present are a primary source of marriage documentation (see Newspapers).

   Marion County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1800 and is located at P.O. Box 295, Marion, SC, 29571; 843-423-8240 . The Register Of Deeds Office records land titles, leins and other documents related to property transaction in Marion County. The Register Of Deeds Office must assure that all recorded documents comply with the requirements of federal and state recording statutes and are available for public review.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: South Carolina Marriages, 1641-1965; South Carolina Marriage Notices, 1732-1801; South Carolina Baptist Marriages, 1835-65, and South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87.


Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Marion County, South Carolina Court Books at Amazon.com
  • South Carolina Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
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Marion County Vital Records
PLEASE READ!! There were no South Carolina birth or Death certificates before January 01, 1915

Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   Marion County Health Department has vital records and is located at 206 Airport Rd., Suite B
Mullins, S.C. 29574, Phone: (843) 423-8295. This office can search for birth and death records from January 01, 1915. Marriage records prior to 1950 may be available from the Probate Judge in the county where the license was issued. Divorce records since April 1949 should be available from the County Clerk in the county where the petition was filed (See Marion County Court Records for Address and Phone number)

   South Carolina DHEC, Division of Vital Records is located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201;
telephone # (803) 898-3630, fax #: (803) 799-0301. The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find."
There were no South Carolina birth or Death "certificates" before January 01, 1915.

   For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $3.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "S.C. DHEC, Division of Vital Records." Please do not send cash. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees of $5.00 are required for expedited service. The expedite fee guarantees a response leaving the Division of Vital Records within three (3) working days. A response can be in the form of a letter, a telephone call, or a certification being mailed.

   Mail all Applications to: S.C. DHEC, Division of Vital Records is located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates or Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE

There are a few online vital record databases which include: South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87 and South Carolina Baptist Marriages and Deaths, 1835-65 which are a collection of marriage and death notices is derived from Baptist newspapers in South Carolina. Also there is the South Carolina Death Index, 1915-1949 & 1850-52 from the South Carolina DHEC.

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Marion County Census Records
Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

   Federal Population Schedules that exist for South Carolina are 1790, 1800 (Part of the 1800 census for Richland District is missing), 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The first federal census was taken in 1790. The 1850 census of York and Lexington districts indicates county of birth as well as state for each person. There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

See Also Statewide Records that exist for South Carolina

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Marion County, South Carolina Census Books at Amazon.com
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Marion County Maps & Atlases

   South Carolina Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for South Carolina and other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for South Carolina showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
   You can view rotating animated maps for South Carolina showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The South Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Maps. Email us with websites containing Marion County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Marion County, South Carolina Map Books at Amazon.com
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Marion County Military Records
Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Marion County Tax Records

   With the exception of a single tax list from 1733 and occasional lists of tax collectors, no colonial tax records of South Carolina have survived. Parishes and townships functioned as tax districts until 1800; circuit court districts and their counties also functioned as tax districts from 1785–1800. Many of these tax lists are incomplete, the known tax lists, 1783–99, are as follows: 

  • Christ Church Parish, 1784, 1786, 1788, and 1793–99
  • Prince Frederick's Parish, 1784 and 1786
  • Prince George's Parish, 1786–87
  • Prince William's Parish, 1798
  • St. Andrew's Parish, 1784–85, 1787, 1789, 1791, and 1795
  • St. Bartholomew's Parish, 1783–87 and 1798
  • St. Helena's Parish, 1798
  • St. James Goose Creek, 1796
  • St. John's Berkeley Parish, 1793
  • St. Luke's Parish, 1798–99
  • St. Paul's Parish, 1783, 1785–96, and 1798–99
  • Ninety-Six District, 1787
  • OrangeburghDistrict, 1787
  • Lancaster County in Camden District, 1797
  • Lexington County in Orangeburgh District, 1788. 

  Directories for the city of Charleston date from 1782. These directories may help locate a Charleston ancestor who does not appear in other records. They are housed at the Charleston Library Society 

  • Jury List - The jury lists include men eligible to serve on juries and were compiled from tax lists. The Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778–1779  is accepted as proof of the identity of Revolutionary War patriots. The best available substitutes for colonial tax lists are jury lists.

  • Voter Registration Lists - Voter registration lists, 1867, 1868, and 1898 are another valuable substitute for tax records. The lists from 1867 and 1868 are particularly useful for Black American research because the newly freed slaves registered to vote; many blacks make their first appearance in the voter registration lists. Although voter registration was conducted by counties, the originals of the 1867, 1868, and 1898 lists are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History; counties maintained copies for their records.

   Most districts/counties have some tax records dating from 1800 to the present, with the majority of tax records dating from 1865. A fairly complete series from 1824, mostly of the Low Country districts, is available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has originals of most extant tax lists, and microfilmed copies of county tax records are available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Marion County, South Carolina Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Marion County Genealogical Addresses

   The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Marion County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Marion County Church & Cemeteries
Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

   The WPA and the DAR have compiled major collections of South Carolina tombstone inscriptions. Most South Carolina counties have historical or genealogical societies that have compiled cemetery records. See addresses for local historical and genealogical societies. Cemetery records are frequently published in the major genealogical periodicals of South Carolina

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Marion County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Marion County Tombstone Transcription Project (Coming Soon). The South Carolina Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

   Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Marion County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Search Online Click Here to Search South Carolina Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

   When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Marion County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Marion County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

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