Clayton County, Georgia Genealogy

Guide to Clayton County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Augustin Smith Clayton. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clayton County Courthouse 9151 Tara Blvd Jonesboro, GA 30236-3694 Phone: 770-477-4565 Clayton County Website Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and land records from 1859 and court records from 1964.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * Clayton County Bible Records at Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1859-1876 (*); Inferior Court and Court of Ordinary FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1913 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1859-1914 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1859-1923 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1873-1891 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1882-1918 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Genealogical Resources in the Atlanta Area. 1994. By Gary M. Palgon. Atlanta, GA : Custom Enterprises, Ltd. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Funeral Homes

 * Anthony L. Watkins Funeral Home in Jonesboro
 * Dortch-Williamson Funeral and Cremation Services in Riverdale
 * Ford Stewart Funeral Home Inc in Jonesboro
 * Legacy Funeral Home and Life Center, Inc in Jonesboro
 * Riverdale Crematory in Riverdale
 * Tara Garden Chapel in Jonesboro
 * Thomas L. Scroggs Funeral Directors in Morrow
 * W.D. Lemon and Sons Funeral Home in Morrow

Land and Property Records

 * 1735-1866 Georgian Colonial and Headright Plat Index, 1735-1866 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - alpha index
 * 1783-1909 Headright and Bounty Plats, 1783-1909 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1805-1833 District Plats of Survey at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images organized by county and district
 * Colonial Plats and Warrants at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * 1740s-? Historic Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1866 - 1935 County Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)

Military Records

 * Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project

Civil War 

Online Records
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry— index (free)
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
 * 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1920  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county


 * - 10th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E
 * - 22nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company K
 * - 23rd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company K
 * - 30th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company I
 * - 44th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company D


 * Moore, Joseph Henry Hightower, and Alice Copeland Kilgore. 1983. A History of Clayton County, Georgia, 1821-1983. Roswell, Georgia: WH Wolfe Associates. (page 594-596)
 * Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County). 1961. Confederate pension rolls, 1890-1927. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah.
 * Muster roll of Company I: 30th Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry Army of Tennessee, C.S.A, Clayton County, Ga., "Clayton Invincibles". 2000. Salt Lake City, Utah: Digitized by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battles were fought in Clayton County.


 * August 20, 1864 Lovejoy's Station
 * August 31-September 1, 1864 Jonesborough
 * Map showing Civil War battles in Georgia.

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit

World War I World War II
 * 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
 * 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Georgia Historic Newspapers at Digital Library of Georgia

Other Records
Voting Records 
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1856-1909 at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1733-1753 Colonial Wills at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1742-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1754-1776 Colonial Will Books at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1857-1865 Wills (digital images) 1857-1865 (see names of testators) Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1857-1897, 1898-1957 Index to Clayton County Inventories, Vouchers, Sales 1857-1897; 1898-1957 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1858-1919 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1859-1939 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1957 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1872-1919 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1882-1929 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1901-1911 (*); Georgia. Court of Ordinary (Clayton County) at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images

Birth

 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry— index ($)
 * 1754-1960  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1785-1950  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1787-1962  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1808-1967  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1859-1870 Index to Clayton County Marriages 1859-1870 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1859-1880 Clayton County Marriage Books A and B Index 1859-1880. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1877-1894 Clayton County Marriage Book C Index 1877-1894. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1894-1895 Clayton County Marriage Book D Index 1894-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1927  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1919-1930 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index and images
 * 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1928-1942  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1933-1998  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection

Voter Records

 * 1856-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images

Family History Centers

 * Jonesboro Georgia Family History Center

Societies
Genealogical Society of Henry & Clayton Counties, Inc. 71 Macon Street PO Box 1296 McDonough, GA 30253-1296 Phone: 770-954-1456 Email: [mailto:genealsoc@gmail.com genealsoc@gmail.com] Genealogical Society of Henry & Clayton Counties, Inc. Website Genealogical Society of Henry & Clayton Counties, Inc. Facebook

Rabun County Historical Society 81 North Church Street Clayton, Georgia 30525 Phone: 706-782-5292 Email: [mailto:rabuncountyhistory@gmail.com rabuncountyhistory@gmail.com] Rabun County Historical Society Website Rabun County Historical Society Facebook

Websites

 * Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Clayton County, Georgia project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * GAGenWeb Archives
 * Clayton County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * - 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