Berkeley County, South Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
The county is named for both John and William Berkeley, co-owners of the Province of Carolina. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Berkeley County Courthouse PO Box 219 300-B California Ave Moncks Corner, SC 29461 Phone: 843-723-3800 Berkeley County Website

County Pronunciation .

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:

History Timeline
Modern Berkeley County created in 1882 is not to be confused with the two previously extinct counties of the same name.

Berkeley County was named for Lord Proprieters of South Carolina and. Berkeley County has existed as three incarnations. It was created as one of the original South Carolina counties in 1682. At the time, all formal business was conducted in Charles Town and the counties were used to locate property. The original Berkeley County was abolished in 1768 after the District Court Act was passed. A second incarnation of Berkely County was created within Charleston District with the passage of the 1785 County Court Act but never became functional and was abolished in 1798. The present day Berkeley County (with boundaries similar to the original Berkeley County) was established in 1882. Learn more about the history of Berkeley County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list, see Berkeley County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census Records

 * 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images

Church Records
Berkeley County Churches identifies dozens of churches in the area, courtesy: South Carolina Genealogical Society. For documents of people who lived in this area from 1706 to 1785, look in:
 * St. Andrew's Parish since 1706
 * St. James Goose Creek Parish since 1706
 * St. John's Berkeley Parish since 1706
 * St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish since 1706

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans Berkeley County, South Carolina African Americans

Genealogies

 * [Allston] Groves, Joseph A. The Alstons and Allstons of North and South Carolina Compiled from English, Colonial and Family Records, with Personal Reminiscences, Also Notes of Some Allied Families. Selma, Ga.: J.G. Groves, 1902. 896812 Item 1
 * [Allston] Allston, Susan Lowndes. Brookgreen Waccamaw in the Carolina Low Country. Charleston, S.C.: Walker, Evans &amp; Cogswell, 1935. 929.273 AL58a
 * [Anderson] McNees, Lucien L. Descendants of Capt. Henry Anderson, Sr. of Newberry County, South Carolina. Ebenezer, Miss.: L.L. McNees, 1972. 1035998 Item 2
 * [Ball] Deas, Anne Simons. Recollections of the Ball family of South Carolina and the Comingtee plantations. Summerville, SC, 1904. Digital version at American Libraries.
 * [Ball]  John Ball and Keating Simons Ball Books, 1779-1911.The Southern Historical Collections at the Louis Round WIlson Special Collections Library.
 * [Broughton] Broughton, M. Leon. Broughton Memoirs. Dallas, Texas: M.L. Broughton, 1972. 929.273 B797b 1972
 * [Capers] MacDowell, Dorothy K. Descendants of William Capers and Richard Capers and Related Families. Aiken, S.C.: D.K. MacDowell, 1973. 929.273 C171m
 * [Carter] Pedigree of the Descendants of Thomas Cater, Planter of Berkeley County, S. C., Will Dated, 1730. FS Library US/CAN Pedigree File no. 456.
 * [Cuttino] Cuttino, G.P. History of the Cuttino Family. Atlanta, Ga.: Emory University, 1982. 929.273 C982c
 * [Dorroh] Munger, Rose McDavid. McDavid - Dorroh Families. [Birmingham, Ala.]: R.D. Munger, [196-]. 823730 Item 4
 * [Fuller] Fuller, John Beattie. Captain William Fuller (1620-1695). Astor, Fla.: Fuller Genealogy Data Bank, [2008]. 929.273 F959fjw
 * [Goble] Goble, Robert. The Cupboard in the Attic: Goble Family History - Goble's Corners to Penhurst Farm. Cobble Hill, British Columbia: Greyridge Productions, 2004. 929.271 G538g
 * [Gordon] Marshall, Erminie Northcutt. Gordons of the Deep South. Austin, Texas: [E.N. Marshall], 1961. 929.273 G653ma
 * [Haworth] Haworth, C.V. Haworths in America. ca.1600-1950: Genealogy of the Family of James Haworth, Fourth Son of George and Sarah (Scarborough) Haworth. Typescript. Microfilmed 1959. 201403 Item 5
 * [Huggins] Huggins, George Allen. Genealogy, Huggins (Huygens--Huyghens), 1682-1934. S.C.?: G.A. Huggins, Jr., 1934. 1401457
 * [Lee] Jamison, Elizabeth Ann Arledge. Past, Present and Future Generations of the Sligh and Lee Families of South Carolina. Franklin, Tenn.: E.A.A. Jamison, 1997. 929.273 L51je; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library;
 * [McCarley] McAfee, Jane Berry. The McCarley Memories. Farmersville, Texas: Search-N-Print, 1980. 929.273 M126mj
 * [McCrary] Reynolds, Harriet Dickson. Colonel Robert McCrary (1732-1804) of North Carolina and Some of His Descendants in Georgia and Alabama. Typescript. 929.273 M137rhd
 * [Mell] Mell, P.H. and Eliza Elizabeth Cooper Pell. The Genealogy of the Mell Family in the Southern States. Auburn, Ala.: Dr. &amp; Mrs. P.M. Pell, 1897. 1016937 Item 12
 * [Miller] White, Margaret Miller. The Huguenot Millers: A Family History. [Miss.]: S.M.M. White, 1986. 929.273 M612wm
 * [Mounier] White, Margaret Miller. The Huguenot Millers: A Family History. [Miss.]: S.M.M. White, 1986. 929.273 M612wm
 * [Norman] Carson, Maggie Laurie and Margaret Newman. The Normans, 1720-1976, and Information on the Walker, Clayton and Weir Families of Mississippi: A Genealogical Record, 1975-1976, in Memory of Marguerite Norman Caver, Who Kept a Family Record in Pictures Which Made Possible Our Research. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Round Table Press, 1976. 929.273 N781cm
 * [Palmer] Towles, Louis P. A World Turned Upside Down: The Palmers of South Santee, 1818-1881. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 1996. 929.273 P182wt
 * [Ramsey] Ramsey, James. Ramsey Roots and Branches. Houston, Texas: J. Ramsey, 1980. 929.273 R149rj
 * [Ravenel] Ravenel, Henry James. Ravenel Records: A History and Genealogy of the Huguenot Family of Ravenel, of South Carolina; with Some Incidental Account of the Parish of St. Johns Berkeley, which was Their Principal Location. Atlanta, Ga.: The Franklin Printing and Publishing Co., 1898. Digital version at Google Books. 1964-1973 supplements: 1486610 Items 8-9
 * [Ravenel] Ravenel, Henry Edmund. Ravenel Records New Edition with Penciled Marginal Notes and Annotations, Including a Copy of a Letter to Capt. Daniele Ravenel by Benjamin Mazÿck, 29th June 1776. Dunwoody, Ga.: Norman S. Berg, 1971. 929.273 R196r 1971
 * [Slappey] Slappey, Lennick M. and Mary T. Slappey. Hans (John) George Slappey. Americus, Ga.: L.M. Slappey, Sr., 1982. 929.273 SL13s
 * [Snelgrove] Snelgrove, Price Charles. Freeman Snelgrove and Some of His Descendants. Alford, Fla.: P.C. Snelgrove, 1993. 929.273 Sn27sp
 * [Sparks] Sparks, Kenneth Edgar. The History of a Sparks Family. Vancouver, Wash.: K.E. Sparks, 1974. 1206299 Item 21
 * [Winchester] Crowe, Winifred Winchester. Our Winchester Generation, 1975. Typescript. Microfilmed 1978. 1036648 Item 25

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records The following chart shows where you may best expect to find land records.
 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants
 * Chapman, Charles S. A Working Plan for Forest Lands in Berkeley County, South Carolina. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905. Digital version at Google Books.

Local Histories

 * Lees, William B. "The Historical Development of Limerick Plantation, a Tidewater Rice Plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina, 1683-1945," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 1 (Jan., 1981), pp. 44-62. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Bridges, Anne B. St. James Santee Plantation Parish [South Carolina]: History &amp; Records, 1685-1925 ( Spartanburg, South Carolina: The Reprint Co., c1997 ), 541 pages. Civil War pages 195-227. Includes church records for St. James Santee, 1758-1788 (Church of England); previously unpublished records, 1846-1921 (assumed to be Episcopalian). Also includes cemetery records for the church and lists of French and Swiss refugees and inhabitants. The old parish existed in today's Charleston and Berkeley counties. Book found at ▲
 * Dubose, Samuel, and Frederick A. Porcher. A Contribution to the History of the Huguenots of South Carolina, Consisting of Pamphlets ([S.l.]: T. Gaillard Thomas, c1972), 48 pages. Historical sketches of the Huguenot families which settled in the alluvial regions within fifty miles of Charleston. FS Library book at ▲ . Digital copies at Google Books and Internet Archives.
 * Easterby, James H. Wadboo Barony: Its Fate as Told in Colleton Family Papers, 1773-1793 (Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, c1952), 684 pages. The barony was located in today's Berkeley County, South Carolina. Book at FS Library ▲.
 * Orvin, Maxwell Clayton. Monck's Corner, Berkeley County, South Carolina. Charleston, S.C.?: unknown, 1950. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Stockton, Robert P. Historic Resources of Berkeley County, South Carolina (Moncks Corner, South Carolina: Berkeley County Historical Society, South Carolina, c1990 ), 71 pages. This work is based on the Berkeley County Architectural and Historical Inventory completed before Hurricane Hugo. Includes descriptions and photos of historical sites. Book found at ▲.

Historic Residences
 * Lees, William B. "The Historical Development of Limerick Plantation, a Tidewater Rice Plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina, 1683-1945," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 1 (Jan., 1981), pp. 44-62. Digital version at JSTOR ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Berkeley County for European settlers included:
 * Old South Carolina State Road 1747

Military Records
Revolutionary War
 * "Pee Dee supplies for the siege of Charleston, 1780," Darlington Flag, Fall 2006, Volume 18, Issue 4. Old Darlington District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Hartsville, SC.
 * "Battle of the Great Cane Brake on the Reedy River, 1775," Greenville County Historical Society Proceedings and Papers, 2005, Volume 12. Greenville County Historical Society: Greenville, SC.
 * "Elizabeth Jackson, Waxham women aid Revolutionary soldiers, Charleston, 1781," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, March 2003, Volume 27, Issue 1. Chester County Genealogical Society: Richburg, SC..
 * "Rebel prisoners from Charleston, 1780," Ancient City Genealogist, February 2002, Volume 13, Issue 1. St. Augustine Genealogical Society: St. Augustine, Florida.
 * "Nathanael Greene's troops attack British, 1781," St. Lucie River Whig, Summer 2000, Volume 8, Issue 3. St. Lucie River Chapter: Lucie, Florida.
 * "Dorchester its mystery fort," Americana, April 1933, Volume 27, Issue 2. American Historical Society: Somerville, New Jersey.

War of 1812
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Berkeley County, p. 182. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)

Regiments. Berkeley County did not exist during the Civil War. Present day Berkeley County was created 31 January 1882 from Charleston County. During the Civil War, men from the area of Berkeley County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in Charleston County. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.

Other Resources
 * Bridges, Anne B. St. James Santee Plantation Parish [South Carolina]: History &amp; Records, 1685-1925 ( Spartanburg, South Carolina: The Reprint Co., c1997 ), 541 pages. Civil War pages 195-227. Includes church records for St. James Santee, 1758-1788 (Church of England); previously unpublished records, 1846-1921 (assumed to be Episcopalian). Also includes cemetery records for the church and lists of French &amp; Swiss refugees &amp; inhabitants. The old parish existed in today's Charleston &amp; Berkeley counties. ▲.
 * Jervey, Susan Revenel and Revenel, Charlotte St. Julien. Diaries of '65: journals kept by Miss Susan Ravenal Jervey of Northampton Plantation and Miss Charlotte St. Julien Ravenel of Pooshee Plantation. (Johns Island, South Carolina: Philip L. Bradley, 1994). Title of original: Two diaries: from middle St. John's Berkeley, South Carolina, February-May, 1865.

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Berkeley County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.
 * South Carolina Temperance Advocate and Register of Agriculture and General Literature (Columbia, S.C.) 1841-1854.
 * The Berkeley County Gazette (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) 1882-189?.
 * The Berkeley Democrat (Monck's Corners, S.C.) 1913-1990.
 * The Berkeley Independent (Moncks Corner, S.C.) 1987-current.
 * The Echo and Press&amp; (Monck's Corner, S.C.) 1899-1917.
 * The Goose Creek Gazette (Goose Creek, S.C.) 1979-current.

University of South Carolina Library Catalog
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Periodicals
See: Periodicals for description.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. [Includes wills of residents of Christ Church Parish, St. John's Parish, and Berkeley County proved in London, see place-name index. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.]
 * Abstracts of Wills of Charleston District, South Carolina and other wills recorded in the districts, 1783-1800. By Caroline T. Moore. Includes index.
 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index & images, ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at Findmypast — index, ($) — $, index

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Berkeley County.

Published abstracts 
 * 1768 Quit Rent Rolls. Includes Berkeley County

Birth
Births and Birth Substitutes- Indexes
 * 1680-1884 St.Thomas Parish Register, South Carolina, 1680-1884 on Ancestry.com - Fee, free at FamilySearch Library and FHC; church records of birth, baptisms, marriages, and burials
 * 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1915-1917 South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1917 at Ancestry - index & images, ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Records and Indexes
 * 1680-1884 St.Thomas Parish Register, South Carolina, 1680-1884 on Ancestry.com - Fee, free at FamilySearch Library and FHC; church records of birth, baptisms, marriages, and burials
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found insome counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
Online Death Records and Indexes
 * 1680-1884 St.Thomas Parish Register, South Carolina, 1680-1884 on Ancestry.com - Fee, free at FamilySearch Library and FHC; church records of birth, baptisms, marriages, and burials
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images, ($)
 * 1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images, ($)
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Charleston South Carolina Family History Center
 * Moncks Corner South Carolina Family History Center
 * Myrtle Beach South Carolina Family History Center
 * Ridgeland South Carolina Family History Center


 * Georgetown County Library - an affiliate library
 * International African American Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries
Berkeley County Library System The Berkley County Library System comprises six libraries of Berkeley County, South Carolina. The main branch in the system is at Moncks Corner.The Berkeley County Library System is on Facebook and it has a blog.


 * Moncks Corner Library Address: PO Box 1239 1003 Hwy. 52 Moncks Corner, SC 29461 Telephone: (843) 719-4223 Fax: (843) 719-4226 Website: http://www.bcls.sc.gov The main collection of genealogical and historical materials is housed in the South Carolina Room of the Moncks Corner library. Some of their holdings include microfilm, microfiche, or book collections such as: - Death Certificates of South Carolina 1915-1960; - Census: Mortality Schedules for South Carolina counties-1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, Census of the United States 1790-1930 (Local Districts/Berkeley County Parishes/Counties), plus the Soundex to the 1930 Census for South Carolina; - Newspapers: Berkeley Democrat 27 Sept 1928 - 3 Jan 1990 (no issues available for 1966-1968), Berkeley Independent 21 Oct 1987 - 25 Sept 2002 (Note: Hard copies of the Berkeley Independent (past - present) are available in our General Ref. area- W.P.A. Tombstone Inscriptions, South Carolina Historical Society-- 1930s W.P.A. Inventories of Church Archives (Berkeley County) - Histories about Moncks Corner//Berkeley County and other areas in South Carolina - Genealogical Magazines - Some family histories - Cemetery Inscriptions Books (Local)
 * Daniel Island Library 2301 Daniel Island Drive Daniel Island, South Carolina 29492
 * Sangaree Library 595 Sangaree Parkway Summerville, South Carolina 29483
 * Goose Creek Library 325 Old Moncks Corner Road Goose Creek, SC 29445
 * Hanahan Library 1274 Yeamans Hall Road Hanahan, South Carolina 29406
 * Saint Stephen Library 1104 S. Main Street Saint Stephen, South Carolina 29479

Berkeley is located near Charleston City and County which has additional libraries with rich genealogical and historical resources.

Museums

 * Berkeley Museum 950 Stony Landing Road Moncks Corner, South Carolina 29461-2944 (843) 899-5101

Societies

 * Berkeley County-South Carolina Historical Society (843) 276-6684 Facebook

Websites

 * Berkeley County, SCGenWeb
 * Berkeley County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Berkeley County, South Carolina, courtesy: Carolana.com. Includes history.
 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Berkeley County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.