Abbeville County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Abbeville County, South Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The County was named for the town of Abbeville, France. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Abbeville County Courthouse 102 Court Square, Rm 103 Abbeville, SC 29620 Phone: 864-366-5312 Abbeville County Website

County Pronunciation

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:

History Timeline
Abbeville County takes its name from the town of Abbeville, which was named by Huguenot settler Dr. John de la Howe in honor of his home, Abbeville, France. Abbeville County was settled heavily by Scots-Irish settlers who migrated from Pennsylvania along the Great Wagon Road. Learn more about the history of Abbeville County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com. When Abbeville was created from the old Ninety-Six District in 1785, it inherited the former district's record collection.

Biographies

 * First Settlers of South Carolina, 1670-1680, pub. 1969,
 * First settlers of South Carolina, 1670-1700, pub. 1985,
 * Aiken, Virginia Carolina Smith, 1831-1900. Diary, 1872-1898.

Cemeteries

 * There are more than 120 burial grounds in the county.
 * To view a list, see Abbeville County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration
 * Cemetery GPS Mapping

Census Records
1779
 * 1779 Census-96th District (online)

1800
 * Ware, Lowry P. The Second Census of the United States, 1800, Abbeville District, South Carolina. 1972.

1810
 * Pursley, Larry E. Federal Census of Abbeville County, South Carolina, 1810-1840. pub. 2006.

1820
 * Pursley, Larry E. Federal Census of Abbeville County, South Carolina, 1810-1840. pub. 2006.

1820 Manufactures The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FS Library copies:.
 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufacturers Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977..


 * 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images

1830
 * Pursley, Larry E. Federal Census of Abbeville County, South Carolina, 1810-1840. pub. 2006.

1840
 * Pursley, Larry E. Federal Census of Abbeville County, South Carolina, 1810-1840. pub. 2006.


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. pub. 1841. . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See South Carolina, Abbeville District on page 142.

1850
 * Lawrence, Harold. The 1850 Census of Abbeville District, South Carolina. pub. 1981.

1860
 * McKinney, Margaret Vaughan. Abbeville County, South Carolina, 1860 Census. pub. 1991.

1890 For 1890, see: United States Census 1890.

Church Records
Baptist South Carolina Baptist Historical Collection James B. Duke Library Furman University 3300 Poinsett Highway Greenville, SouthCarolina 29613-0600 Phone: (864) 294-2194 Fax: (864) 294-2194

Methodist United Methodist Archives and History Center of the United Methodist Church Located on the campus of Drew Universtiy, Madison, New Jersey. The Inventory of (SC) Church Archives 1937-1939 is available for free online, courtesy: South Caroliniana Library. Abbeville County's W.P.A. reports are included.

Presbyterian
 * The Constitution and Bye Laws, of the Upper Long-Cane Society of Abbeville District. Abbeville, S.C.: John Taggart, 1832. Digital version at Internet Archive.

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary Abbeville County, Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Public Index – index; courts include Circuit Court, Summary Court and Masters-in-Equity; records added periodically

Emigration and Immigration

 * Moragne, W.C. An Address, Delivered at New Bordeaux, Abbeville District, S.C., November 15, 1854, on the 90th Anniversary of the Arrival of the French Protestants at that Place. James Phynney, 1857. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Porter, H. Leonard. Destiny of the Scotch-Irish: An Account of a Migration from Ballybay, Ireland to Washington County, New York; Abbeville District, South Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Preble County, Ohio; Randolph County, Illinois and the Central Illinois Prairie, 1720-1853. 1985.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans Known plantations, South Carolina Plantations:
 * 150 Years Later, Collier, Melvin J., pub. 2011. Available here: 150 Years Later. This resource will be very useful for identifying research techniques and historical documentation available for discovering ancestors who were former slaves and former slaveholders.  Specific resources often overlooked are cited and are useful for research in Abbeville County, SC.  Methods for identifying ancestors migrating to Mississippi prior to 1865 have also been cited.
 * Fair, Robert A. Our Slaves Should Have the Bible: An Address Delivered Before the Abbeville Bible Society, At Its Anniversary, July, 1854 by Robert A. Fair, Esq., Abbeville, S.C., pub. 1854. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Heinegg, Paul. "'Other Free' Heads of Household in the 1790 South Carolina Census, by County," Free African Americans.com. Includes free blacks in Abbeville County.
 * Will of George Galphin. Typescript, 2002. Chiefly the will of George Galphin of Abbeville, South Carolina. He gave all the legatees listed in his will their freedom and discharged them from all manner of slavery and bondage. He also left items to family members living in Ireland.
 * In Those Days is an oral history from elderly African Americans in Elbert County, Georgia, and Abbeville County, South Carolina.
 * Broadway
 * Cedar Hill
 * Cherry Hill
 * Clinckscales - Antreville
 * Clover Hill
 * Cotton Hill
 * Cotton Level
 * Ellington
 * Lochaber (at Long Cane)
 * Millwood (at Calhoun Falls)
 * Orange Hill
 * Rocky Grove
 * Vienna (at Mount Carmel)

Genealogies

 * [Adams] Brothers, Mary A. The History and Genealogy of the Families of Mary Catherine Adams (1920- ) and Lionel Raymon Brothers (1904-1991). DeLand, Fla.: M.A. Brothers, 1994. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Andrea] Descendants of Auguste Andrea and Mary Jane Wyatt, 1857-1970. 1970?
 * [Baker] Fowler Family Bible Records, 1788-1873. Item 4
 * [Barmore] Barmore, N. Jane. History of the Barmore Family. Typescript, 1960. Item 1
 * [Baskin] Bell, Raymond Martin. The Baskins-Baskin Family: Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina. Includes supplement
 * [Baskin] Beck, William Henry. A Family Genealogy: Harkness, Carmichael, Lester, Greene, Andrews, Brown, White, Polhill, Beck Families. Griffin, Ga.: W.H. Beck, 1958.
 * [Baskin] Bell, Raymond Martin. The Baskin(s) Family: South Carolina--Pennsylvania: With Stephens and Martin Notes. Washington, Pa.: R.M. Bell, 1975. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Bickley] Bell, John C. "Bickleys of the Pamunkey River Watershed of Virginia in the 18th Century," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1983):32-49; Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1983):90-104; Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1983):179-189; Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1983):259-264; Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1984):19-32; Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1984):88-98; Vol. 28, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1984):169-186; Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):261-274. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * [Blain] Shackleton, Bernice Close. The Blain Family, 1794-1980, from Kentucky to Kansas.
 * [Blackwell] Preston, Peter. The Children of John Blackwell: An American Odyssey. Mathews, Va.: P. Preston, 2009. FS Library CD-ROM no. 5702; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Boshell] Boshell, Muris R. Boshell Family History. [Haleyville, Ala.]: M.R. Boshell, 1987.
 * [Boyce] Boyce, Earnest. The Genealogical Record of One Branch of the Boyce Family in America. [Ann Arbor, Mich.: E. Boyce], 1972.
 * [Breckenridge] Breckenridge, Roger Carroll. The Breckenridge Papers. Apple Valley, Minn.: R.C. Breckenridge, 1994.
 * [Brown] Brown, Kenneth B. Le Brun: A Compilation of the Descendants of Julius "Jules" Brown Jr., an Immigrant from Ireland to America: and the Following Related Families: Calhoun, Hair, Jackson, Lassater, Ledbetter, Mc Kenzie, Mc Neely, Pruitt, Summerlin, Thornhill. Rancho Cordova, Calif.: K.B. Brown &amp; Assoc., 1998.
 * [Calhoun] Salley, A.S. "The Calhoun Family of South Carolina," The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1906):81-98; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1906):153-169. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Calhoun] Calhoun, Alan T. Genealogical Tree of Calhoun family of America, 1733-1912 from Donegal County, Ireland to America, 1733: James Calhoun and Catherine Montgomery, His Wife, were the First Calhouns to Emigrate from Donegal County, Ireland to America, 1735: Members of This Family Moved to Abbeville District, South Carolina, Known as "the Calhoun Settlement". Typescript, 1956. Item 2
 * [Calhoun] Dundas, Francis de Sales. The Calhoun Settlement, District of Abbeville, South Carolina. Staunton, Va.: F.S. Dundes, 1950.
 * [Calhoun] Calhoun, Robert Dabney. The Calhouns of Ninety Six, South Carolina, &amp; Their Descendants. MSS., William King Hunt Collection, Salt Lake City. Microfilmed 1958. Item 7
 * [Calhoun] Coldiron, Kara Lee. Our Calhoun and Hamilton Families: A Partial Genealogy. Lincoln, Nebraska: K.L. Coldiron, 1993.
 * [Calhoun] Johnson, Ellen R. History of the Colquhoun/Calhoun Families and Their Ancestral Homeland. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1993.
 * [Calhoun] Brown, Kenneth B. Le Brun: A Compilation of the Descendants of Julius "Jules" Brown Jr., an Immigrant from Ireland to America: and the Following Related Families: Calhoun, Hair, Jackson, Lassater, Ledbetter, Mc Kenzie, Mc Neely, Pruitt, Summerlin, Thornhill. Rancho Cordova, Calif.: K.B. Brown &amp; Assoc., 1998.
 * [Callaham] Callahan, Anna Deihls. A History of the Callaham and Carwile Families. Charlotte, N.C.: Delmar Publishers and Printers, 1976.
 * [Carwile] Callahan, Anna Deihls. A History of the Callaham and Carwile Families. Charlotte, N.C.: Delmar Publishers and Printers, 1976..
 * [Cheatham] Dennstedt, Alberta Marjorie. "The Cheatham Family of Colonial Virginia," in The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1983):163-173; Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1983):273-279; Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1984):38-43; Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1984):102-112; Vol. 28, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1984):209-216; Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):293-297; Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1985):32-40; Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1985):123-127; Vol. 29, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1985):179-185; Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):262-265; Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1986):17-23; Vol. 30, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1986):99-104. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * [Clark] Clark, Eva Turner. Jacob Clark of Abbeville, South Carolina and Some of His Descendants: Notes on Allied Families and Letters of Reverend Jacob Clark; a Family Memorial. New York, New York: Downs Printing, 1926.
 * [Clearman] Baker, Ola Grace. Flowers of the Field: A Genealogy of These Family Names: Clearman, Cotton, Gilmore, Holladay, Henderson, Hollingsworth, Phillips, Rush, Swift and Others. Montgomery, Ala.: Paragon Press, 1974. Item 3
 * [Cooper] Andrea, Leonardo. Cooper. Typescript, National Library, DAR. Microfilmed 1971. Item 10
 * [Cosby] Cosby, Karen. Sweet Remembrance: Carney Valley Childhood Memories of Flora Adella Adams Cosby. Sims, Ark.: Noah Cosby Printing, 1984.
 * [Cothran] Cothran, William Benjamin and Samuel Alexander Cothran. Cothran-Chiles Notes: and an Update After More Than a Half-century. Aiken, S.C.: S.A. Cothran, 1992.
 * [Craig] Craig, Marion Stark. The American Ancestry of Marion Stark Craig, M.D. (Born 1920) and Brother, Robert Andrew Craig, D.D.S. (Born 1922). Little Rock, Ark.: M.S. Craig, 1985. and three supplements
 * [Craig] Craig, Marion Stark. James Craig (RW Soldier) of (Now) Abbeville County, SC (Killed 1 February 1781) and Son, John Craig: A Genealogical Compilation. Little Rock, Ark.: M.S. Craig, 1991.
 * [Devlin] Soulé, Hiram Ellsworth. Genealogy of Hiram (10) Ellsworth Soulé, Jr.: Starting with George (1) Soulé, Who Came from England on the Mayflower and Landed at Plymouth in the Year 1620; to Hiram (9) Ellsworth Soulé, Sr., Then to All of His Descendants as of June 1st. 1983. Memphis, Tenn.: H.E. Soulé, 1984-1985. Item 3
 * [Dodson] Lucas, Silas Emmett. The Dodsons (Dotsons) of Southwest Virginia. [Birmingham, Ala.: Lucas, 1959].
 * [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.
 * [Elgin] Darrell, Genille. Elgin Family Records, ca. 1748-1975. Typescript, microfilmed 1987. Item 4
 * [Finley] Finley, Carmen J. "John and Mary Finley of Montgomery (Wythe) County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1990):243-255; Vol. 35, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1991):18-33; Vol. 35, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1991):122-135; Vol. 35, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1991):173-185; Vol. 35, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1991):251-262. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * [Fooshe] Geer, Samuel Taylor and James Dudley Fooshe. Soldier, Planter, Philosopher: The Life of J.D. Fooshe. [Dallas, Texas?]: S.T. Geer, 1999.
 * [Gilmer] Walker, Robert B. Our Family Genealogy. Typescript. Microfilmed 1960. Item 4
 * [Green] Russell, Lauretta Snodgrass. John Green, Pioneer Alabama Legislator and His Descendants. [San Antonio, Texas]: Russell, 1963-1966.
 * [Griffin] Sharp, Eron M. The Griffin Family. Memphis, Tenn.: E. Sharp, 197-? Item 6
 * [Hackleman] Hackleman, Phyllis Ann Clem and Burr Keith Hackleman. Hacklemans in America, 1749-1988. Rochester, N.Y.: P.A. Hackleman, 1988.
 * [Hagood] Hagood, Melvin A. Hagood Looking: Genealogy of the Hagood Family and Allied Families of Melvin A. Hagood. Corvallis, Oregon: M. Hagood, [1993].
 * [Harkness] Beck, William Henry. A Family Genealogy: Harkness, Carmichael, Lester, Greene, Andrews, Brown, White, Polhill, Beck Families. Griffin, Ga.: W.H. Beck, 1958.
 * [Harrison] Hatchett, Bessie M. Descendants of Daniel R. Harrison and Margaret Susannah (Rucker) Harrison, 1780-1952. Microfilmed 1974.
 * [Hawthorn] McBryde, Sara Chappell. Genealogy: Means--Hawthorn--Cook. 1935.
 * [Hawthorn] Bowie, C. Newell. Hawthornes of Long Cane Headwaters. Due West, S.C.: C.N. Bowie, [1987?]. Item 8
 * [Heard] Zarnowitz, Elsie L. The Heard Journal: &amp; Herd, Hird, Hurd, Too. Bellingham, Washington: Family Tree Helpers, 1984-1995.
 * [Heard] Fontenot, Eunice Fox. Heards, Logans, Wardlaws: of Old '96/Abbeville District, South Carolina. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 2002.
 * [Hodges] Griffen, William J. and Charles Dochterman. Hodges Family. Typescript, 197-. Item 6
 * [Hodges] Meier, Grace. Hodges Family Genealogical Data, 1713-1976. Typescript, Ripley County Historical Museum, Versailles, Ind., 1981. Item 42
 * [Johnson] Block, Frank E. Johnson, Dalton, Staton of Western North Carolina: Working Paper: with Some Account of Arledge, Blackwell, Boone, Capps, Corn, Henderson, Holbert, Lankford, Stover, Walker and Other Families of Western North Carolina. Atlanta, Ga.: F.E. Block, 1989.
 * [Jones] Jones, Frank Merlin. Jones of S.C. and Allied Families. Decatur, Ala.: Budget Print Center, 1981.
 * [Kay] Kay, William D. The Descendants of John Kay, 1777-1855: Abbeville County, South Carolina. [Mt. Pleasant, S.C.]: W. Kay, [1985?]. ; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Lewis] Craig, Marion Stark. John Lewis Craig (1801-1864) and wife Margaret Ann Harding (1817-1910): Ancestors, Descendants and Allied Families. Little Rock, Ark.: M. Craig, 1989.
 * [Lockridge] Walters, Robert B. and Harriet H. Walters. Descendants of James and William Lockridge: Pioneer Brothers of Early Augusta County, Virginia. 1997.
 * [Logan] Logan, Richard K. Logan: A Directory of the Descendants of Andrew and Lydia Logan of Albany, New York and Abbeville, South Carolina. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1994.
 * [Logan] Fontenot, Eunice Fox. Heards, Logans, Wardlaws: of Old '96/Abbeville District, South Carolina. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 2002.
 * [McAdams] Edgar, Kelly and Ina May Ogletree McAdams. The McAdams Family of Walker County, Texas: A Texas Sesquicentennial History Written to Honor the Memory of John McAdams, Jr., Who Fought in the Texas Revolution and His Father, John McAdams, Sr., a Methodist Circuit Rider Minister, Who in 1829 Rode into Texas from Alabama, to Preach the Protestant Gospel in Catholic ... Austin, Texas: K. Edgar, 1985.
 * [McAdams] McAdams, William H. A History of the Thomas McCadam Family: of County Down, Northern Ireland; Abbeville District, South Carolina; Fayette, Lamar &amp; Pickens Counties, Alabama and Other States, 1757-1900 and Beyond. Rockland, Maine: Penobscot Press, 2006.
 * [McBryde] MacBryde, David Caldwell. MacBryde (McBryde--Macbride) of Auchinnie, Parish of Port Montgomerie (Portpatrick) Co. of Wigton, Galloway, Scotland. Richmond, Va.: Genealogical Bureau of Virginia, 1921.
 * [McCleskey] McCleskey, Charles S. Descendants of James and Joseph McCleskey, Soldiers of the Revolution, the Texas Group. Baton Rouge, La.: C.S. McCleskey, 1978. Item 2
 * [McClinton] McClinton, Arthur T. McClinton Families of Old Ninety-six and Abbeville Districts, South Carolina: and Their Westward Movement in the Colonial and Early Years of America. Stephens City, Va.: C.M. McClinton and A.T. McClinton, 1993.
 * [McCurdy] Zook, B. Jesse. McCurdys of Long Canes, South Carolina to Upshur County, Texas. Camden, Ind.: B. Zook, 1988.
 * [McCurdy] McCurdy, John C. The McCurdys of Long Canes: "A Settlement of Ulster Scots." [Atlanta, Ga.]: J.C. McCurdy, 1989.
 * [McDill] Myer, Lois C. Descendants of John McDill and Jane Bell, Belfast, Ireland, Died in Illinois. MSS., microfilmed 1969. Item 1
 * [McGaw] Folan, Ruth Magaw. McGaw - Mcgaw Family History, 1563-1978. Typescript, 1979. Item 29
 * [McMurtrey] "Group Sheets and Support Data Pertaining to Samuel McMurtrey (1745-1796) of Augusta County, Virginia and Abbeville County South Carolina," in Richard K. McMurtry, MacMurtrie Clan Family Records, 2005 Publication. Item 4
 * [McMurtrey] "Support Data Pertaining to Samuel McMurtrey (1745-1796) of Augusta County, Virginia and Abbeville County, South Carolina," in Richard K. McMurtry, MacMurtrie Clan Family Records, 2005 Publication. Item 1
 * [McWhorter] Hinrichs, Mabel Woods. McWhorter Family. Typescript, National Library, DAR, 1965. Items 2-7
 * [McWhorter] Wright, Shirley McWhorter, E.R. McWhorter and Lottie Wherry McWhorter. Some Descendants of David McWhorter (McWhirtir) (c. 1741-1789) and His Wife, Mary Poston (Posten) McWhorter (1750-1846). Typescript, 1978. Item 2
 * [Martin] Bagwell, William. A History: The Martin Family of Abbeville District, South Carolina. Donalds, S.C.: W.F. Bagwell, c1981, 1988.
 * [Mattison] Gadbury, Ruth and Mary Hood. A Branch of the Madison Tree: With Supplements: Ware, Barley, Sample [and] Rusler. [Austin, Texas: Shelby Print], 1974.
 * [Morris] Morris, S.L. The Records of the Morris Family. Atlanta, Ga.: Hubbard Bros., 1922. Item 10
 * [Moseley] Andrea, Leonardo. Moseley Family Records, 1415-1888. Typescript, 1948.
 * [Norris] Young, Pauline. The Norris Family of Abbeville, South Carolina (Old Ninety Six District). Typescript, Iowa State Historical Society, Des Moines, Iowa, 1948. Microfilmed 1977. Item 10
 * [Parnell] Dowdey, H. Grady. Parnell -- Camp: Genealogy and Records. Fort Worth, Texas: Miran Publishers, [1975?]. ; 1989 reprint:
 * [Patterson] Egger, Marjory Ann Baldy. Reining in the Family Lines. Mesa, Ariz.: n.p., 1997.
 * [Perrin] Harrison, Thomas Perrin. The Honorable Thomas Chiles Perrin of Abbeville, South Carolina: Forebears and Descendants. Greenville, S.C.: N.M. Perrin, 1983.
 * [Pettigrew] Robberson, Richard Wilkerson and Verna Lerdall. Descendants of Abednego Robberson and Elizabeth Jane Pettigrew Robberson: with Allied Families Croak, Franssens, McClure, and Pettigrew. Oklahoma City, Okla.: V.R.W. Lerdall, 1991.
 * [Prewitt] Gephart, Reba, Ruth Pruitt, and Chelsea Orem Dinn. Moses and William Pruitt, Indiana Pioneers. Franklin, Ind.: C. &amp; R. Dinn, 1973.
 * [Pyles] Lucas, Silas Emmett. The Dodsons (Dotsons) of Southwest Virginia. [Birmingham, Ala.: Lucas, 1959].
 * [Rasor] Pattie, Grace Huffman. The Rasor Family in Indiana, 1808-1958.
 * [Reid] Reid, Wayne Alexander. The 1860 Diary of Lemuel Reid, an Abbeville District, South Carolina Planter: with His Genealogy and Descendants. Melbourne, Fla.: W.A. Reid, 1994.
 * [Richey] Richey, Frank Miller. Descendants of Andrew W. 'Andy' &amp; Mariah Park Sims Richey. Lilburn, Ga.: F.M. Richey, 1997.
 * [Sample] Franklin, Frances Sample. The Ancestry of Frances Sample Franklin. Wolfe City, Texas: Henington Pub., 1972.
 * [Shirley] Moore, Augusta Letitia Shirley. A Brief History and Genealogy of the Shirley Family. Oklahoma City: A.L.S. Moore, 1911. Item 11
 * [Shoemaker] Shoemaker, Clara and Virdie Hodnett Egger. Shoemaker, Russum, Dean, Hall, Smith, Winiford, Robertson, Norvel. Colorado City, Texas: C. Shoemaker, 1983.
 * [Sims] Sharp, Eron M. Nathan Sims of Granville Co., N.C. and Abbeville Co. S.C.: His Ancestors and Descendants. Memphis: E. Sharp, 1973. Item 6
 * [Smith] Smith, Carl Barnard. My Ancestors and Descendants. Tampa, Fla.: Rinaldi Printing, 1972. Item 11
 * [Smith] Glenn, Nell McCullough and Inez McCullough Lawson. Family Data, Records, Incidents, Traditions, and Obituary Notices Concerning: the Smiths, Fullers, Cooks, McDavids, Shumates, McCulloughs. Typescript. Microfilmed 1974. Item 18
 * [Spruill] Cox, Clarice S. Gabriel Spruill of Carroll County, Georgia - Descendants and Allied Families. Carrollton, Ga.: C.S. Cox, 1984.
 * [Stallworth] Stallworth, Hugh Wagner. Stallworths and Related Families with Their Descendants and Connections: Compiled from Original Records, Letters and Other Material. [Nashville, Tenn.]: H.W. Stallworth, 1966. Item 11
 * [Stone] Brunson, Lavorne.Derry Stones: The Family of William and Jane Stone, of Londonderry, Ireland. Wyandotte, Okla.: Gregath, 1998.
 * [Stone] Stone, Ilona Hinrichs. A Collection of Stones and Most of Them -- Gems: The Descendants of William and Jane Stone, Immigrants from Londonderry, Ireland; Including Information about the Allied Families of Graham, Gilkeyson/Gilkerson and Richey. Tucson, Ariz.: I.H. Stone, 2002.
 * [Towles] Andrea, Leonardo. Towles in S.C.Typescript, 1962. Item 1
 * [Uldrick] Bratcher, R. Wayne. The Uldrick Book. n.p.: R.W. Bratcher, 1993.
 * [Wadlington] Metzger, Donna Humphrey. That Wadlington Family and Others. Chico, Calif.: D.H. Metzger, 2007. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Wardlaw] Wardlaw, Diane. Wardlaw Chronicle: A History of the Wardlaws in America from Their Coming to America in the Early 1700's. [San Luis, Colo.: D. Wardlaw, 199?].
 * [Wardlaw] Fontenot, Eunice Fox. Heards, Logans, Wardlaws: of Old '96/Abbeville District, South Carolina. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 2002.
 * [Whitten] Alexander, Virginia Wood. Whitten and Allied Families. [Columbia, Tenn.]: V.W. Alexander &amp; W.C. Whitten, 1984.
 * [Wilson] Wilson, Barnett. The Wilson, Hallmark, Hendricks, Hewitt Families. [Fort Payne, Ala.]: B.F. Wilson, [19--].
 * [Wright] Kay, William D. Robert Norris Wright, Esquire: 1812-1885, His Life and Four Generations of His Family, Anderson County South Carolina. Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: W.D. Kay, 2005.
 * [Youngblood] Lant, Kay Freels and Kathryn Libbert Freels. Southern Indiana Youngbloods: Their Ancestors and Descendants. Evansville, Ind.: K.F. Lant, 1968. {{FSC|929.273 Y88L}; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Youngblood] Youngblood, Delois Kelley. Research and Remembrances of Youngblood, Martin, Perry, Mann, Kelley, McKinney, McWhorter. Charlotte, N.C.: Dekey Publisher, [1987?].

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records


 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

The following chart shows where you may best expect to find land records. ** Records of Pendleton/Anderson County should also be checked
 * Deeds burned in 1873 while in storage

Local Histories

 * Davis, Mary Katherine. "The Feather Bed Aristocracy: Abbeville District in the 1790s," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 80, No. 2 (Apr. 1979):136-155. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Carlisle, H. Arnett. The History of Lowndesville, S.C. (Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, c1987), 414 pages. Includes biographies, military history, cemeteries and the following census information: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910. Book found at ,

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps for Abbeville County at Library of Congress

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Abbeville County for European settlers included:
 * Savannah River pre-historic
 * Middle Creek Trading Path pre-historic
 * Augusta and Cherokee Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Charleston-Ft. Charlotte Trail about 1765
 * Fort Charlotte and Cherokee Old Path about 1765-1777

Military Records

 * Abbeville County, South Carolina Military Index (South Carolina Genealogy Trails)

Revolutionary War
 * "Battle of Cedar Springs," Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History,Feb 2006 Volume 20, Issue 1. Piedmont Historical Society: Spartansburg, SC. Revolutionary war history.
 * "Revolutionary war pensions, B", Genealogical Roots and Branches, August 1989, Volume 10, Issue 7. Old Ninety-Six Chapter, SCGS: Greenwood, SC.
 * "Pension records, Revolutionary War," Genealogical Roots and Branches, November 1987, Volume 8, Issue 9. Old Ninety-Six Chapter, SCGS Greenwood, SC.
 * "Revolutionary pension records," Genealogical Roots and Branches, October 1987, Volume 8, Issue 8. Old Ninety-Six Chapter, SCGS: Greenwood, SC.
 * "Soldiers killed, 1788," Carolina Genealogist, Winter 1977, Issue 29. Heritage Papers: Danielsville, Georgia. . Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) under CRGN.

War of 1812
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. . Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Abbeville County, p. 181. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men from Abbeville County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regimens that were formed of many men from Abbeville County.


 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company B and Company G
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Rifles, Company A
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Artillery, Company A (also known as Calhoun's Battery; Sumter Light Artillery, Sumter Battery, Preston's Battery, Blake's Battery and other name variations)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A (also known as M. T. Owens Cavalry and Albemarle, South Carolina Cavalry, and Abbeville Troop) - many men from Abbeville District (County) and Company G (also known as L. J. Johnson's Cavalry)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (6 months, 1861), Company D (also known as the Abbeville Volunteers)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company A (also called Company B and Beauregard Artillery)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (McCreary's) (1st Provisional Army), Company H (also known as Haskell's Rifle Corps)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia), Company F and Company G
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (Orr's), Company B (also known as Abbeville Minutemen or McDuffie Guards and Company E (also known as Oconee Riflemen or Oconee Rifles) and Company G (also known as Marshall Riflemen)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops, Company F and Company I
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A (also known as M. T. Owens Cavalry and Albemarle, South Carolina Cavalry and Company G (also known as L. J. Johnson's Cavalry)
 * - 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company G
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company G (also known as Bonham's Light Dragoons and Lipscomb's Troop) and Company I (also known as the Edgefield Hussars or formerly known as Company A, Cavalry Battalion, Hampton Legion, and the Edgefield Dragoons)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (2nd Palmetto Regiment), Company F (also known as Secession Guard)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Rifles, Company A, Company F, and Company K
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Lauren's) (James'), Company A and Company D
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Light Artillery (Palmetto Battalion), Company F (also known as the Chestnut Light Artillery)
 * - 3rd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company F
 * - 4th Battalion, South Carolina Reserve, Company B and Company F
 * - 5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles, Company A and Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63), Company A, Company G, and Company H
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers), Company A, Company B, Company C, Company G, and Company H
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Militia
 * - 7th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Nelson's) (Enfield Rifles), Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company G
 * - 14th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G and Company I
 * - 15th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company K
 * - 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A, Company B, Company C, and Company G
 * - 19th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company B
 * - 19th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G, Company H, and Company I
 * - 20th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (reorganized), E Company
 * - 22nd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 24th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company F

Other Resources
 * Ingram, Virginia. Confederate Veterans of Abbeville County [S.C.] from the Enrollment Books Taken About 1902. All Civil War veterans of Abbeville County are listed first by township &amp; then Alphabetically by veteran's surname. ,
 * Carlisle, H. Arnett, The History of Lowndesville, S.C. Includes biographies, military history, cemeteries and the following census information: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910. Civil War pages 2, 14, 121 &amp; 136. ,
 * South Carolina. County Court. County Enrollment Book [of] Confederate Veterans; List of Widows, 1929. Arranged by surname in alphabetical order.
 * Abbeville County Courthouse. Distribution of the State Pension Fund in Abbeville County, South Carolina for 1916-1956..

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Abbeville County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.
 * Abbeville Press (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869.
 * Abbeville Wig and Southern Nullifier (Abbeville, S.C.) 1831-1833.
 * Due West Telescope (Due West, S.C.) 1851-1867.
 * Erskine Miscellany (Due West, S.C.) 1850-1851.
 * Lowndesville Advertiser (Lowndesville, S.C.) 1888-1889.
 * The Abbeville Bulletin (Abbeville, S.C.) 1865-1865.
 * The Abbeville Medium (Abbeville, S.C) 1871-1923.
 * The Abbeville Messenger (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1888.
 * The Abbeville Press and Banner (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1925.
 * The Banner (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847.
 * The Calhoun Falls News (Calhoun Falls, S.C.) 1961-current.
 * The Calhoun Falls Times (Calhoun Falls, S.C.)1946-1959.
 * The Donalds Progress (Donalds, S.C.) 1906-1906.
 * The Due West Weekly (Due West, S.C.) 1949-1958.
 * The Independent Press (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860.
 * The Evening Medium (Abbeville, S.C.) 1923-1925.
 * The Press and Banner and Abbeville Medium (Abbeville, S.C.) 1925-current.
 * The Scimitar (Abbeville, S.C.) 1914-1918.
 * The Village Observer (Due West, S.C.) 1976-current.

University of South Carolina Library Catalog
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Periodicals
See: Periodicals for description.
 * The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research
 * The South Carolina historical and genealogical magazine (1900) Internet Archive (F)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has holdings of microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. They have placed Will Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Abbeville wills and probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:
 * 1737-1964 South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 at Ancestry - images ($)
 * 1787-1837 Abbeville Will Books 1-2(*) at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Available at South Carolina Pioneers:
 * 1787-1815 Abbeville Wills (Transcripts) South Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1776-1783 Index to Abbeville County Minutes of Court of Ordinary, Book B, South Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1782-1868 Index to Abbeville County Will Book A South Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1815-1839 Index to Abbeville County Will Book B South Carolina Pioneers ($)
 * 1839-1855 Index to Abbeville County Will Book C South Carolina Pioneers ($)

Additional Abbeville County probate records include:
 * Young, Willie Pauline. South Carolina Historical Records: Records of Will Books of County of Abbeville (Ninety-six District) South Carolina. Multi-volume, 1947. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at Findmypast — index ($) — $, index
 * 1783-1868 Abbeville County South Carolina list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free
 * 1782-2006 Archived Abbeville County Probate Court Wills

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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Published abstracts
 * 1784 Sarrett, Paul R. "1784 Tax Records - Abbeville County," available online, courtesy: The USGenWeb Archives - South Carolina.
 * 1787 Holcomb, Brent H. Two 1787 Tax Lists from Ninety Six District, S.C., 1974. 1787 tax lists from Ninety Six District, S. C. Covers the area of Edgefield and Abbeville Counties in the 1790 census
 * 1794 1794 Tax Records Abbeville County USGenWeb Archives

Birth

 * 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1915-1917 South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1917 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Records and Indexes
 * 1774-1890 7500 Marriages from Ninety-Six and Abbeville District, S.C., 1774-1890, by Larry E. Pursley, - index
 * 1777-1852 - Abbeville District, South Carolina, 1777-1852 by Silas Emmett Lucas, - index
 * 1777-1852 - Abbeville District, South Carolina Marriages, 1777-1852 by Pauline Young. - index; these marriages are taken from old wills, equity records, etc.
 * 1780-1879 Abbeville County Marriages, 1780-1879, Implied in Abbeville County, South Carolina Equity Records by Barbara R. Langdon, - index
 * 1846-1860 Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860 by E. Don Herd, - index
 * 1911-1951 Abbeville County, South Carolina Marriage Registers and Licenses,1911-1951 - index and records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
Online Death Records and Indexes
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1846-1860 Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860, - index
 * 1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * '''State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.
 * 1681-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1709-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Anderson South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Elberton Georgia FamilySearch Center
 * Greenwood South Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * High Point Public Library - an affiliate library
 * York County Libraries - Clover - an affiliate library

Libraries
Abbeville County Library 203 South Main Street Abbeville, SC Telephone: 864-459-4009 Hours: Monday, Wednesday. Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Website The Abbeville County Library system has a main county library and two branches. The county library has the largest collection of genealogical material, though the branches also have helpful material. The County Library has books, name files, old newspapers, and microfilm. The library system has an online catalog which is shared by three other counties. You can search for specific items in the search box at the top of the screen. Or you can brows the collection by clicking the starred Search tab, then limiting your search results to the genealogy collection. At the Reference tabthere are a number of genealogy resources you can search. The Abbeville County Library system is on Facebook For Genealogy Requests - please email [mailto:genealogy@abbevillecounty.org genealogy@abbevillecounty.org] including some background and specific information you are seeking. Genealogy volunteers will search for your information and respond directly to you. Erskine CollegeWebsite The McCain Library at Erskine College has records helpful to genealogists. The Archive and Special Collections located in Ried Hall serves as a central location for preserving and accessing records relating to the intertwined histories of Erskine College, Erskine Theological Seminary, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and Abbeville County, South Carolina. The genealogical collection contains information on persons having connections to any or all of these institutions and locations, as well as general resources for those doing family history research. There are census records, diaries and family histories, local newspapers, and more. It includes the Miller-Henry FamilySearch Center and the Woffard E. Baldwin Reading Room. The Library also has a Government documents section. The archival research and photocopying policies are available online. Erskine College maintains a searchable database of periodical subscriptions owned by Piedmont Technical College, Lander University, Erskine College, Greenwood County Library, and the libraries at the Greenwood Genetics Center and Self Regional Healthcare. You will be able to search for periodical holdings by title and limit your search by location. The Archivist is available Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon, or by special appointment. To Contact the Archivist: Phone: 864-379-8763 or 864-379-6576 Fax: 864.379.2900 E-mail: ebrawley@erskine.edu Mailing Address: Edith Brawley, McCain Library, Erskine College and Seminary P.O. Box 188 One Depot Street (for FedEx and UPS) Due West, SC 29639 South Carolina Digital Library - scroll down for Abbeville's online collections. The South Carolina Digital Library (SCDL) is a collaborative effort that includes South Carolina’s schools, libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions. It includes resources for ageds kindergarten through adult. Its mission is to create, maintain, and promote digital collections that represent South Carolina's historical and cultural resources. It also seeks to enhance the overall education and scholarship of South Carolina's citizens by coordinating free and unlicensed access to these digital collections through a central web presence.

Museums
Abbeville County Museum Address: Popular and Cherry Streets Abbeville, SC 29620 Telephone: 864 366 6525 or 864-459-4600 The Abbeville County Museum is part of a collection of historic sites in the Old 96 District that includes Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, and McCormick counties.Website
 * For a list of Abbeville and other South Carolina museums, Click here.

Societies

 * Abbeville County Historical Society PO BOX 12 Abbeville, SC, 29620 (864) 366-8193 E-mail: [mailto:abvcohs@gmail.com abvcohs@gmail.com] Website Facebook
 * Boonesborough Historical Society Abbeville and Anderson counties, disbanded in late 2000s Website

Websites

 * Abbeville County SCGenWeb project
 * Abbeville County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Abbeville County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * South Carolina 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.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Abbeville County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * Inventory of county archives of South Carolina no. 1, Abbeville County (Abbeville), WPA, pub. 1938., FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Research Materials in South Carolina, by John H. Moore; pub. Columbia, South Carolina, 1967
 * Bibliography of South Carolina, 1563-1950, 6 vol., Robert C. Turnbull; pub. Charlottesville, Virgina 1956-1960