Marion County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
Marion County was created on 13 February 1818 and was named for Francis Marion of South Carolina, general in the American Revolutionary War. Its county seat is Hamilton. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Marion County Courthouse 132 Military Street PO Box 1595 Hamilton, AL 35570 Phone: 205-921-1943 Fax: 205-952-9851 Marion County Website Probate Judge has birth and death records 1909 -1919; marriage records from 1885, land records from 1887; and military discharge records from 1920

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

History Timeline
The county is named after "The Swamp Fox" Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Marion(c1732-1795).

Bible Records

 * Marion County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
 * Marion County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
 * Marion County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project

Biographies

 * First Land Settlers of Marion County, Alabama, Vol 1, 1820-1850. By James C. Lawler. Hamilton, AL: J.C. Lawler, 1981. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Census Records
State Census


 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Funeral Homes

 * Bowen Funeral Home in Winfield
 * Marion County Funeral Home in Hamilton
 * Memorial Funeral Home in Guin
 * Nichols Funeral Homes in Haleyville
 * Pinkard Funeral Home in Haleyville

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Marion County see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Marion County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..

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

Local Histories

 * History of Marion, Alabama. By Samuel A. Townes. Birmingham, AL: Sanford University Library, 1985. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Marion County, Alabama. Marion County Teachers. n.p.: n.p., 1959. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Pg. 154. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Marion County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 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
 * 1871-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1881 Pensions Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History


 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E, F, H and K
 * - 16th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G and K
 * - 26th Regiment, Alabama Infantry (O'Neal's), Company F, G c H
 * - 42nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Newspapers
Transcription of the following newspapers:
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * Marion County Herald - (1887-1890)
 * The Guin Dispatch - (1888-1889)
 * The Hamilton Free Press-1893 - 1894
 * The Hamilton News Press - 1895
 * Marion County News (1896-1899)
 * The Hamilton Appeal 1896
 * The Guin Gazette-1
 * The Gazette Appeal - 1897
 * Marion County Democrat (1903-1904)
 * Marion County Republican - (1908)
 * Marion county articles from various newspapers around the country-1838 - 1900
 * Marion County articles from various newspapers around the country - 1901 - 1922
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Obituaries and death notices from the transcribed newspapers at The USGenWeb Archives
 * Marriage notices from the transcribed newspapers at The USGenWeb Archives

Other Records
Voter Registration
 * 1834-1981  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Marion County has one book.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753–1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1985 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1830-1976 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1865 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1885-1935 (*); Probate and County Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1897-1923 (*); Probate and County Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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

 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Marion County is in District 3.

Birth

 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, and some images

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1800-1969 Alabama, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1969 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1802-1825 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1825 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1920 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809–1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1816–1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1887–1895 Marion County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1887-1895. Batch at FamilySearch
 * Marion County Marriages at ALGenWeb

Death

 * 1881-1952  at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1959 Alabama, U.S., Death Index, 1908-1959 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1974   at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection

Archives
Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Ave PO Box 300100 Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-242-4435 Email: [mailto:mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov] Website Facebook

FamilySearch Centers

 * Cullman Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Jasper Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Tupelo Mississippi FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Clyde Nix Public Library 350 Bexar Avenue West PO Box 1944 Hamilton, AL 35570 Phone: 205-921-4290 Email: [mailto:clydenix@yahoo.com clydenix@yahoo.com] Website Facebook Winfield Public Library 185 Ashwood Drive PO Box 1524 Winfield, AL 35594 Phone: 205-487-2484 Email: [mailto:library@winfieldcity.org library@winfieldcity.org] Website Facebook The library has a genealogy section.

Societies
Marion County Genealogical Society PO Box 1527 Winfield, AL 35594 Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Marengo County USGenWeb Archives Project. Record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Marion County ALGenWeb. Record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Marion County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Marion County Genealogy Trails. Transcriptions, obituaries and marriages from newspapers and much, much more
 * – 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.