Madison County, North Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
Madison County is located in the southwestern portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Tennessee. It was named for President James Madison.

County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse PO Box 66 Marshall, NC 28753 Phone: 828-649-3131 Madison County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death, burial and land records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1851.

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

 * Bible Records at North Carolina Digital Archives - index and image

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images Also at: Ancestry ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1700-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1837-1925 (*); Superior Court, Clerk of the Superior Court and County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1851-1900 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1928 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1862-1870   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1863-1872   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1874 Freedman Bank Records, 1865-1874. Database containing bank records of African-American individuals from all 29 branches of the bank. North Carolina bank locations included Wilmington, Raleigh and New Bern.

Funeral Homes

 * Blue Ridge Funeral and Cremation Service in Mars Hill.
 * Madison Funeral Services in Marshall.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * North Carolina Land Grants at NC Historical Records Online - index, requires free account to view images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Madison County Maps
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Madison County Military records (NCGenWeb Archives)

Revolutionary War 
 * 1778-1833 Delamar Transcripts of Revolutionary War Petitions at North Carolina Genealogical Society - index ($)
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1885 and 1901 1885 and 1901 Confederate Pension Applications at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and image


 * - 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry
 * - 2nd Battalion, North Carolina Infantry, Company H
 * - 5th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry, Company A
 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company G
 * - 7th Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry, Company D
 * - 16th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, Company B

World War I 
 * 1914-1918 World War I Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II 
 * 1939-1945 World Ward II Papers at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1799-1893 Madison County marriages (North Carolina Digital Collections).  May be included throughout Carrie Broughton's 6-volume index of the Raleigh Register &amp; State Gazette newspaper (1799-1893). Marriages are listed by year and PDF files are searchable.
 * Madison county newspapers (Library of Congress). A listing of newspapers published in the county and libraries that hold them. If you find a paper of interest on microfilm, you may be able to request it via Interlibrary Loan with your local public library.
 * Madison County residents in the newspaper. Name listing of people from the county as located in misc. newspaper articles; time span varies. Articles indexed in the NC People in the Papers database.
 * Madison County deaths. Listing of county area deaths reported in various newspapers; dates range from late 1700s to 1900s.
 * North Carolina Newspapers at DigitalNC

Obituaries

 * Obituaries, from The Record and The French Broad News (an ongoing project by Madison County Genealogical Society).

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1868-1898 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1663-1789 Secretary of State Wills at North Carolina Digital Collections - index and images
 * 1663-1978 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1720-1960  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1833-1943 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1851-1952  at FamilySearch at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; images only (by County)
 * 1851-1968 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1851-1969 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1928 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1874-1892 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1874-1914 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1917-1968 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * North Carolina Probate Records tips
 * Wills and Estate records of Madison County (USGenWeb Archives)

School Records

 * Mars Hill College yearbooks, from 1917-2011. (NC Digital Heritage Center)
 * Madison County College Students. Name list of students at various NC colleges with identified hometowns in the county.

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.

Vital Records

 * 1800-2000 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Uncertified copies of vital records can be ordered for a small fee from the Register of Deeds.

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1741-2004 North Carolina, United States Marriages at Findmypast
 * 1741-2004 North Carolina Marriage Index 1741-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1759-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images  Also at:  MyHeritage ($)
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

FamilySearch Centers

 * Marion North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Morganton North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Waynesville North Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Buncombe County Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Madison County Genealogical Society PO Box 155 Mars Hill, NC 28754-0155 Facebook Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society 128 Bingham Rd, Suite 950 PO Box 2122 Asheville, NC 28806-2122 Phone: 828-253-1894 Email: [mailto:info@obcgs.com info@obcgs.com] Facebook Website

Websites

 * [Madison County, NCGenWeb
 * – 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.