Mason County, Kentucky Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for George Mason. The County has Maysville as its seat and the County was created 1788. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mason County Courthouse 219 Stanley Reed Street Maysville, KY 41056-0234 Phone: 606-564-3341 Mason County Website

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:

Biographies

 * KY Biographies, Jeff Murphy's Kentucky Biographies Project

Cemeteries
The following web sites have additional information on Mason county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
 * Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
 * Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
 * ePodunk list of Mason County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Census Records

 * 1790 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.
 * Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850-1930, USGenWeb
 * Census Images, USGenWeb
 * KY Census Online, Links to online census records

Church Records

 * Kentucky Christian Church Directory, ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
 * Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville

Court Records

 * Abstracts of Early Kentucky Supreme Court Cases, KYGenWeb
 * Kentucky Court of Justice Research &amp; Reference

African Americans

 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
 * The KY African American Griots Project
 * Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
 * Sandi Gorin's Tips, Hangings in Kentucky 1792-1900

Genealogies

 * [Anderson] Black, William. "Stokes-Anderson of Lunenburg County," in John Bennett Boddie, ed., Historical Southern Families, Vol. 2 (Redwood City, Calif., 1958), 217-225.
 * [Anderson] Darnel, Michael R. "Which James Anderson Married Elizabeth Ligon?" The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1995):163-170. Digital version at American Ancestors ($)..
 * [Asbury] Holtzclaw, B.C. "Asbury of Westmoreland County, Virginia," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul. 1967):55-65; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct. 1967):77-87; Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan. 1968):10-26. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [Beeler] Pappas, Carolyn H. "Christopher Beeler, 1705-1775," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1999):243-255; Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 2000):18-30; Vol. 44, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2000):115-125. Digital version at American Ancestors ($)..
 * [Bell] Ball, Helen A. Bell Family: The Bells of Mason County, Kentucky, Charles Bell and Daniel Bell, Including Descendants and Some Related Families. East Lansing, Mich.: H.A. Ball, 1981.
 * [Collier] Boss, Lula Reed. Captain Thomas Collier of Charlotte County, Virginia, Including Records of Mason County, Kentucky. MSS. Microfilmed 1956.
 * [Day] DeVerter, Ruth Hendricks. The Day and Hendrix(cks) Families: Including Poe and Allied Lines: Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Baltimore and Cecil Counties, Maryland; Bracken and Mason Counties, Kentucky; Brown and Clermont County, Ohio; Wayne and Hendricks Counties, Indiana. Multi-volume. Baytown, Texas: R.H. DeVerter, 1963.
 * [Flinn] Taylor, Evelyn M. The Family of John Flinn (abt 1793) - Rebecca Reeves (abt 1795) of Mason County, Kentucky and Putnam County, Indiana. Salt Lake City, Utah: Taylor, R.J.Jr. Foundation, 1997. ; digital version at.
 * [Heflin] Heflin, Donald L. Reuben Heflin of Somewhere in Virginia to Mason, Fleming &amp; Mason counties, KY, 1785-1863. Georgetown, Ky.: D.L. Heflin, 1995.
 * [Levi] Pearson, Spencer. Of Turkeys and Eagles. Corpus Christi, Texas: S. Pearson, 1998.
 * [McCracken] Everett, Jeanne McCracken. McCracken Family Records: Descendants of John McCracken and Elizabeth Wood 1784-1984: John McCracken &amp; Elizabeth Wood were Married 1784 in Frederick, Maryland; Resided 1788-1817 in Mason County, Kentucky; and after 1817 in Daviess County, Indiana. Typescript. Microfilmed 1990..
 * [Marshall] Buford, Marcus Bainbridge. A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America, With Records of a Number of Allied Families. San Francisco, Calif., 1903. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
 * [Marshall] Prewitt, John Marshall. Marshall of King George Co., Va. and Mason Co., Ky: Berry -- Kercheval -- Roy and Connected Families. Cincinnati, Ohio: J.M. Prewitt, 2002.
 * [Matthews] Matthews, Mitchell Dudley. Walter Matthews (1845-1930) of May's Lick, Mason County, Kentucky and His Descendants. 1968.
 * [Owens] Owens, David Hatfield. Owens Family of Virginia (Richmond, King George, Stafford, Prince William, Fauquier Counties) and Kentucky (Mason, Lewis, Fleming, Bracken, Mercer, Boyle Counties). Ann Arbor, Mich.: D.H. Owens, 1991.
 * [Prichard] Prichard, Paul Preston. The Prichard Family: History and Genealogy of the Descendants, Antecedents and Collateral Relatives of Harmon and Nancy Purcell Prichard of Mason County, Kentucky. El Paso, Texas: P.P. Prichard, 1976.
 * [Randolph] Randolph, Blanche Willie Grace and Deborah Ann Kraemer Small. The Randolphs of Prince William County, Virginia. Little Rock, Arkansas: B. Randolph, 1979.
 * [Randolph] Small, Deborah Ann Kraemer and Blanche Willie Grace Randolph. The Randolphs of Prince William County, Virginia, Volume II. Winter Park, Florida: D. Small, 1989.
 * [Randolph] Raski, Arma, James Randolph, and Glenita Guthrie. Additions &amp; Corrections to Vol. II, the Randolphs of Prince William Co., VA by Deborah K. Small.
 * [Reeves] Taylor, Evelyn M. The Family of Samuel Reeves, Sr. (1770/1780) - 1850: of Mason County, Kentucky and Putnam County, Indiana. Salt Lake City, Utah: E.M. Taylor, 1997.
 * [Robinson] Robinson, John Bunyan. The Adin Robinson Family and Collaterals. Libertyville, Ill., 1904. ; digital version at Google Books.
 * [Rust] Rust, Ellsworth Marshall. Rust of Virginia: Genealogical and Biographical Sketches of the Descendants of William Rust, 1654-1940. Washington, D.C.: Rust, 1940..
 * [Tarvin] Torrey Alice Ellenor Herndon and Ronald Brennan. Tarvin Family Connections: Including Cowgill and Cracraft Families of Mason County and Campbell Co., Ky. Wilder, Ky.: R. Brennan, 1977.
 * [Walton] Walton, Matt Savage. Chart, Direct Line of Descent and Other Documents Pertaining to the Walton Family of Mason County and Lexington, Kentucky. Typescript, 1940s.
 * [Walton] Walton, John. "Job Walton of Fleming County, Kentucky," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 52, No. 1 (Mar. 1964):15-24. 973 B2ng v. 52

Land and Property Records

 * The KY Land Office

Local Histories

 * The Archives of Appalachia

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Kentucky (1776-1939)
 * KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
 * Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site

Military Records

 * Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War

Civil War
'''Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1912-1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Company H.
 * - 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Company H.
 * - 10th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, D, F, G, I, K and L.
 * - 14th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company C.
 * - 16th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I and K.

World War I

 * Fallen Soldiers in WWI from KY

Korean War

 * Korean War Memorial for Soldiers from KY, KYGenWeb

Newspapers

 * USNPL, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
 * World-Newspapers, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
 * Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm

Obituaries

 * Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
 * Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb
 * Links to research and locate obituaries
 * Browning Genealogy Database, Compiled by Charles Browning.
 * Kentucky Obituaries, USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas, African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot, Kentucky Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Daily Times, Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
 * Nashville Christian Advocate Death Abstracts

Other Records

 * Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb

Probate Records
'''Online Probate Records


 * 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1791-1924 have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.
 * Images of Wills, Inventories, Deeds, Affidavits: 1791-1798; 1798-1809; 1809-1815 Kentucky Pioneers ($)

Tax Records

 * 1790 - Heinemann, Charles B. "First Census" of Kentucky 1790. Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1940. 1981 reprint: ; digital version at Kentucky Kinfolks. ["1 volume of 1790 was used." (p. 2)]
 * 1800 - 1800 Tax List of Mason County, Kentucky Genealogy is included in Clift's Second Census of Kentucky 1800, digitized by Ancestry ($).
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)

Birth

 * 1839-1960 – at FamilySearch
 * 1852-1861 - Mason County Birth Index 1852-1861. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1874 - Mason County Birth Index 1874. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1911-1912 - Searchable KY Birth Index

Marriage

 * 1609-2016 - Kentucky, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1785-1979 – at FamilySearch
 * 1797-1954 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1789-1805 - Mason County Marriage Index 1789-1805. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1804-1860 - Mason County, Kentucky Marriage Records, 1804-60 Vol. II-VI at Ancestry ($)
 * 1806-1819 - Mason County Marriage Index 1806-1819. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1820-1837 - Mason County Marriage Index 1820-1837. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1852-1855 - Mason County Marriage Index 1852-1855. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1852-1860 - Mason County Marriage Index 1852-1860. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1852-1861 - Mason County Marriage Index 1852-1861. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1859-1864 - Mason County Marriage Index 1859-1864. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1864-1866 - Mason County Marriage Index 1864-1866. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1866-1872 - Mason County Marriage Index 1866-1872. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1866-1897 - Mason County Marriage Index 1866-1897. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1866-1949 - Mason County Marriage Index 1866-1949. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1872-1879 - Mason County Marriage Index 1872-1879. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1879-1885 - Mason County Marriage Index 1879-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1885-1892 - Mason County Marriage Index 1885-1892. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * 1892-1896 - Mason County Marriage Index 1892-1896. Batch at FamilySearch - free
 * Marriage Bonds, Mason County, Kentucky. Digital version at - free.
 * 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
 * 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000

Death

 * 1843-1970 – at FamilySearch
 * 1911-1965 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
 * The Social Security Death Index - Searchable
 * The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of Kentucky Death Certificates

Divorce

 * 1973-1993 - Kentucky Divorce Records 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies

 * Mason County Historical Society 319 West Third Street Maysville, KY 41056-1016
 * Mason County Genealogical Society PO Box 266 Maysville, KY 41056
 * Mason County Historical Society 215 Sutton St Maysville, KY 41056-1186 Telephone: 606-564-5865 Fax: 606-564-4372 Email: [mailto:masonmuseum@maysvilleky.net masonmuseum@maysvilleky.net] Website
 * Links and addresses to Kentucky genealogical and historical societies

Websites

 * Mason County, KY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Mason County KYGenWeb
 * KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
 * State of Kentucky Website
 * USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
 * The USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Mason County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Mason County KY Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
 * . Free - 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