Ninety-Six District, South Carolina Genealogy

United StatesSouth CarolinaNinety-Six District

Historical Facts
In 1768 South Carolina replaced all of her previous counties with seven court districts including the newly organized area of Ninety-Six District northwest of the previous counties. See the 1775 South Carolina map.

In 1785 South Carolina created six subordinate counties within the overarching Ninety-Six District: (See the 1785 South Carolina map.)


 * Abbeville County 1785
 * Edgefield County 1785
 * Laurens County 1785
 * Newberry County 1785
 * Spartanburg County 1785
 * Union County 1785


 * Greenville County was added in 1786 from previously Cherokee lands
 * Pendleton County was added in 1789 from previously Cherokee lands (See the 1790 South Carolina map.}


 * In 1791 Greenville and Pendleton counties were used to create the new overarching Washington District. Also Spartanburg and Union counties became part of the new overarching Pinckney District
 * In 1798 Washington District was renamed Pendleton District (See the 1799 South Carolina map.)

In 1800 South Carolina abolished all her overarching districts including Ninety-Six District, Pendleton District, and Pinckney District. However, the remaining counties were often called districts as late as 1868.

Records
Surviving records of old Ninety-Six District are kept at the Abbeville County Courthouse.

For documents of people who lived in this area from 1768 to 1800, look in:


 * papers filed in the District Seat 1768-1781 at Ninety-Six Town, or 1781-1800 at Cambridge
 * papers filed in the Washington/Pendleton District Seat 1791-1800 at Pickensville
 * papers filed in the Pinckney District Seat 1791-1800 at Pinckneyville
 * papers filed in the early capital at Charleston, South Carolina

Record Loss

 * A fire during the British occupation of Ninety-Six Town in 1781 destroyed most of the town, and its district records.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Ninety-Six District, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Census
See Ninety-Six District, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1779

 * Sarrett, Paul R. 1779 Census Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]


 * [Butler] Jervey, Theodore D. "The Butlers of South Carolina," The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct. 1903). ; digital version at Family History Archives.
 * [Drake] Drake, Charles E. "The Drake Family of Ninety Six District and Abbeville County, South Carolina," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Fall 2001):183-195.

Land
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Ninety-Sixth District land records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. A: 1784-1794
 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. B: 1785-1787
 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. C: 1786-1788

Websites
Ninety Six District, South Carolina, This is a great site that has maps and a history of the District.