Harrison County, Mississippi Genealogy

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



Description
This county was named for William Henry Harrison. Harrison County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Harrison County Courthouse - Judicial District 1 1801 23rd Ave P.O. Box 1461 Gulfport, MS 39502 Phone: 228-865-4000 Harrison County Website

Harrison County Courthouse - Judicial District 2 730 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. P.O. Box 235 Biloxi, MS 39533 Phone: 228-435-8251 Harrison County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1841 and court records. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records.

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:

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 $
 * 1845 State Census Returns 1845 - Harrison County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1870 State Census Returns 1870 -  Harrison 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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Biloxi

Court Records

 * 1840-1922 (*); Chancery Clerk and Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1842-1854 (*); Vice Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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 only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Homes in Biloxi, D'Iberville and Gulfport.
 * Dickey Brothers Memorial Funeral Home, LLC in Biloxi.
 * Hartwell's Christian Mortuary in Gulfport.
 * Infinity Funeral Home in Biloxi.
 * J. T. Hall Funeral Home, Inc. in Gulfport.
 * Lockett-Williams Mortuary, Inc. in Gulfport.
 * Riemann Family Funeral Homes in Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach and Pass Christian.

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
 * 1769-1951 Military grave registrations - Harrison County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1852-1861 Register of Military Commissions - Harrison 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
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Harrison County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company E - Biloxi Rifles, aka Biloxi Rifle Guards
 * Company H - Dahlgren Guards
 * - 9th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company C - Mayers’ Company
 * - 17th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company C - Evans’ Rangers
 * Company E - Mayers’ Company

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1936-1941 Certificates of naturalization, (1925-1933) - Harrison County Collection at FamilySearch - Index

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 Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1837-1927 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1838-1916 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1927 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1927 Harrison County, Mississippi, Index of Wills, 1853-1927. By Guice, Julia Cook. Biloxi, Mississippi : Guice, Julia Cook, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * 1853-1927 Wills : Harrison County, Mississippi : 1853-1927. By Nicovich, Darnell and Julia Cook Guice. Biloxi, Mississippi : Julia Guice, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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

 * 1846-1899 County Tax rolls (1846-1899) -  Harrison County Collection at FamilySearch - 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
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1841-1895 Harrison County Marriage Books 1-11 Index 1841-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1979   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties

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 - images of index

Divorce

 * 1916-1964 Divorce case files, 1916-1964; index, 1916-1950, 1916-1964

FamilySearch Centers

 * Gulfport Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * New Orleans Louisiana FamilySearch Center


 * St. Tammany Parish Public Library - an affiliate library

Museums
Historical Society and Museum of Gulfport 1419 27th Ave Union Station Depot PO Box 662 Gulfport, MS 39501 228-861-6600 E-mail: [mailto:gulfporthistory@gmail.com gulfporthistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Historical Society of Gulfport 1419 27th Ave PO Box 662 Gulfport, MS 39501 228-861-6600 E-mail: [mailto:gulfporthistory@gmail.com gulfporthistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

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