Clay County, North Carolina Genealogy

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



Description
Clay County is located in the southwest portion of North Carolina and shares a border with Georgia. It was named for Henry Clay (1777-1852), a U.S. congressional leader and presidential candidate from Kentucky.

County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse 261 Courthouse Drive, Suite 1 Hayesville, NC 28904 Phone: 828-389-2300 Clay County Website Register of Deeds has birth, death and military records from 1913, marriage records from 1879 and land records from 1870.

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:

Cemeteries

 * at FamilySearch

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1700-1970 - at FamilySearch — index
 * FamilySearch Places

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War 
 * 1779-1782  at FamilySearch

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 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
 * 1885-1953  at FamilySearch


 * - 5th Regiment, North Carolina Senior Reserves, Company G
 * - 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry, Company B
 * - 7th Battalion, North Carolina Cavalry, Company C

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch

World War II 
 * 1940-1948  at FamilySearch

Other Records
County Records
 * 1833-1970  at FamilySearch

Probate Records

 * North Carolina Probate Records tips

Online Probate Records
 * 1660-1790 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790 at Ancestry $
 * 1663-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1665-1998 North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998 at Ancestry $
 * 1735-1970  at FamilySearch
 * 1760-1800 North Carolina Will Abstracts 1760-1800 at Ancestry $

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 — index and images

Birth

 * 1800-2000  at FamilySearch
 * 1866-1964  at FamilySearch
 * 1913-1922  at FamilySearch — 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
 * 1762-1979  at FamilySearch
 * 1763-1868  at FamilySearch
 * 1870-1908 Clay County, North Carolina Early Marriages (NCGenWeb)
 * 1870-1970 Clay County Marriage Books A-Z Index 1870-1970 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

Death

 * 1898-1994  at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1930  at FamilySearch
 * 1908-2004 North Carolina Death Indexes 1908-2004 at Ancestry $
 * 1909-1975 North Carolina Death Certificates 1909-1975 at Ancestry $
 * 1931-1994  at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 1926-1975  at FamilySearch
 * 1958-2004 North Carolina Divorce Index 1958-2004 at Ancestry $

Societies

 * Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society PO Box 2122 Asheville, NC 28802-2122 Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the 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.