Jefferson County, Mississippi Genealogy

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



Description
This county was named for the Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jefferson County, Courthouse 307 Main Street PO Box 145 Fayette, MS 39069 Phone: 601-786-3021 Jefferson County Website Clerk Chancery Court has marriage records from 1798, court records from 1860, probate and land records from 1798.

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

 * Jefferson County Family Bibles at Genealogy Trails

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1805 Territory Census Returns 1805 -  Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1808 Territory Census Returns 1808 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1810 Territory Census Returns 1810 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1816 Territory Census Returns 1816 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1822-1823 State Census Returns 1822-1823 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1845 State Census Returns  1845 -  Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1853  State Census Returns 1853 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1866  State Census Returns 1866 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1802-1835 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1804-1838 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1804-1954 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1806-1872 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1874 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images o
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * West Gate Funeral Home in Fayette.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1776-1941 Military grave registrations - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1836-1842 Register of Military Commissions - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1848-1860 Register of Military Commissions - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only


 * - 1st Regiment, Mississippi Light Artillery
 * Company K - Abbay’s Battery
 * - 4th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company H - Whitney’s Company
 * - 12th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company A - Charlie Clark Rifles (also listed as Co. H)

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1800-1930 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1804-1954 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1806-1872 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1830-1834 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1835-1886 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1802-1896  at FamilySearch - index and images - incomplete
 * 1802-1817 Territory Tax rolls 1802-1817 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearach - images only
 * 1818-1898 County Tax rolls 1818-1896 - Jefferson County Collection at FamilySearach - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1805-1857 Jefferson County Marriage Books A and B Index 1805-1857. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1858-1869 Jefferson County Marriage Books C and D Index 1858-1869. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1869-1875 Jefferson County Marriage Book E Index 1869-1875. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1877-1905 Jefferson County Marriage Books F thru L Index 1877-1905. Batches, , ,  at FamilySearch
 * 1894-1900 Jefferson County Marriage Books M thru O Index 1894-1900. Batches   at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1906 Jefferson County Marriage Books P thru R Index 1900-1906. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1904-1923 Jefferson County Marriage Books M and V Index 1904-1923. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1911 Jefferson County Marriage Books S and T Index 1906-1911. Batch  at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Natchez Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Red Star Mississippi FamilySearch Center

Societies
Claiborne–Jefferson Genealogical Society 6698 Redlick Rd Lorman, MS 39096 Website

Websites

 * Jefferson County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Jefferson County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * – 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.