Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy

Guide to Baldwin County, Alabama ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
 * This article is about a southwest Alabama county. For other uses, see Baldwin

Description
The County was named in honor of Senator Abraham Baldwin, though he never lived in what is now Alabama. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Baldwin County Courthouse 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10 Bay Minette, AL 36507 Phone: (251) 937-9561 Fairhope Satellite Courthouse 1100 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL 36532 Phone: (251) 928-3002 Foley Satellite Courthouse 201 East Section Avenue Foley, AL 36535 Phone: (251) 943-5061 Baldwin County Website The Probate Court has marriage records from 1810, probate records from 1809 and land records from 1808. The Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Biographies

 * Biographies of many notable residents of Baldwin County were published in Memorial Record of Alabama (1893). Digital version at . Begins on page 376.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project, Baldwin County Biographies

Census Records
Territory Census Returns
 * 1810, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1816, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1855 Population Index to the 1855 Baldwin County Census at Ancestry ($). Includes heads of household.

State Census
 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1896-1935 in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," courtesy of FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

The following have information concerning African American research.Both should be used:


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Alabama Minorities has information specific to Alabama African Americans.

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Baldwin County see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Baldwin County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..

Local Histories

 * A Brief History of Baldwin County. 1928. By L. J. Newcomb Comings and Martha M. Albers. Fairhope, Alabama : Baldwin County Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Baldwin County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1871-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History


 * - 21st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Baldwin Rifles"
 * - 23rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
 * - 32nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C

Civil War Battles Fought in Baldwin County
 * 1864 - August 2-23 Mobile Bay, also known as Passing of Forts Morgan and Gaines, (partly fought in Mobile County)
 * 1865 - March 27-April 8, 1865 Spanish Fort
 * 1865 - April 2-9 Fort Blakely

Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.

Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama, by the Heritage Preservation Services.

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1834-1981  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Baldwin County has three books:
 * Book 1
 * Book 2
 * Book 3

Probate Records
Online Probate Links
 * 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry $
 * 1809-1985  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1830-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014  at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1810-1816, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1816 Inhabitants of Alabama in 1816 Broken Arrow Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1955. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.. Includes Baldwin County.
 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Baldwin County is in District 1.

Birth

 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch — index, and some images - How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast($)
 * 1800-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
 * 1802-1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names.
 * 1809-1950   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1809-1920 Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $
 * 1810-1825; 1845–1889; 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry– ($); Index.
 * 1816-1957  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index


 * 1818-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1845-1889 "Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920"at Ancestry– ($); Index.  Contains about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.

Death

 * 1881-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry $
 * 1908-1959 Alabama Deathsat Ancestry $
 * 1908-1974 at FamilySearch] - How to Use this Collection; index

Archives

 * Alabama Department of Archives and History P.O. Box 300100 624 Washington Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-4435 website

Family History Centers

 * Daphne Alabama Family History Center

Libraries

 * The Foley Public Library 319 E. Laurel (Hwy. 98) Fax: 251.943.8637 251.943.7665 Foley, Alabama 36535-2680 Website


 * Daphne Public Library PO Box 1225, 2607 US Hwy 98, Daphne, AL 36526 Phone: 251-620-2500 website


 * Fairhope Public Library 501 Fairhope Ave Fairhope, AL 36532 Phone:(251)928-7483 (fax)(251)928-9717

Societies

 * Baldwin County Genealogical Society PO Box 108 Foley, Alabama 36536-0108 U.S.A. E-mail: [mailto:BaldwinCountyGenSociety@gmail.com BaldwinCountyGenSociety@gmail.com] Facebook Website We meet in the upstairs Public Meeting Room of the Public Library, 319 E. Laurel Ave., Foley, AL @ 10:00 am on the second Saturday of each month.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Baldwin County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
 * Wayback Machine Websites at RootsWeb - Baldwin AL
 * Genealogy Trails Baldwin Libraries
 * Random Acts of Kindness List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies
 * Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy
 * GenealogyInc Baldwin County, Alabama
 * GenealogyToday Baldwin County, Alabama
 * Linkpendium Baldwin County, Alabama: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More