Richland County, South Carolina Genealogy

United States  South Carolina  Richland County

Quick Dates
Richland County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Richland County Courthouse 1701 Main Street Columbia, South Carolina 29202

Clerk of Court 1701 Main St., Room 205 Columbia, SC 29202 Phone: 803-576-1950 Court records

Probate Court 1701 Main St. Suite 207 Columbia, SC 29201 Probate and marriage records

Register of Deeds 1701 Main St. P.O. Box 192 Columbia, SC 29202 Phone: 803-576-1910 Land records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

History
The county is named after its rich soil.

Parent County
1799--Richland County was created in 1799 from Kershaw District. County seat: Columbia

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the My South Carolina Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss

 * A fire during the federal occupation of Columbia in February 1865 destroyed the courthouse and most of the records in it. Most of the equity and probate records, however, had been safely removed.

Neighboring Counties
Calhoun | Fairfield | Kershaw | Lexington | Newberry | Sumter

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Richland County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of South Carolina No. 40, Richland County (Columbia). Columbia, S.C.: S.C. Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. ; digital version at Family History Archives.

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Heinegg, Paul. "'Other Free' Heads of Household in the 1790 South Carolina Census, by County," Free African Americans.com. [Includes free blacks in Richland County.]

Cemeteries
There are more than # burial grounds in the county. To view a list, see Richland County, South Carolina Cemeteries.

Census
1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Richland County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Richland County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1820 Manufactures
The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: 1024517 - 1024518.

Published abstract:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Includes this county.]

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C.: Blair and Rives, 1841. 973 X2pc 1840;  2321; digital version at Google Books. [See South Carolina, Richland District on page 142.]

1850

 * Buff, L.H. The Richland District (SC) 1850 Census. Lexington, S.C.: Lexington Genealogy Society, 2000. 975.771 X2r 1850

Church
The Inventory of (SC) Church Archives 1937-1939 is available for free online, courtesy: South Caroliniana Library. Richland County's W.P.A. reports are included.

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Columbia

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

Family Histories at the Columbia SC Stake Famliy History Center by Surname is linked to WorldCat where possible and includes histories of families from surrounding counties.

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Richland, South Carolina at World Connect, produces more than 9,000 results.

Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.

Message Boards


 * Richland County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Richland County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)

Bibliography


 * [Adams] Campbell, Julia Courtenay. Descendants of Joel Adams and Grace Weston of The Fork, Richland County, South Carolina. Typescript, microfilmed 1971. Item 7
 * [Adams] Hopkins, Laura Jervey. Lower Richland Planters: Hopkins, Adams, Weston and Related Families of South Carolina. Hopkins, S.C.: Hopkins, 1976. Reviewed in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 78, No. 2 (Apr. 1977):153. Digital version of review at JSTOR ($).
 * [Adams] Massingill, Jim and Audrey Jean Cannady Massingill. The Adams and Morton Family Histories. Amarillo, Texas: J. &amp; A. Massengill, 2009.
 * [Benson] Smith, Leonard H. "Enigmas #6: Joshua Benson of Massachusetts and Joshua Benson of South Carolina: Coincidence or Bigamy?" The American Genealogist, Vol. 69, No. 3 (Jul. 1994):165-170.
 * [Brown] Terrar, Edward. Genealogical Information about the Brown and Related Gibson, Raines, Tompkins, Mann Families in Blythewood/Doko (Richland/Fairfield, Co.), South Carolina. Silver Spring, Md.: E. Terrar, 1992.
 * [Dreher] Sulton, Nancy Evelyn Dreher Reid and Ophelia Dreher Owens. Root Tracer: The Joyful Journey Backward. Grawn, Mich.: Kinseeker Pub., 1998.
 * [Fox] Steadman, Joseph Earle and Shirley Faucette. Ancestry of the Fox Family of Richland and Lexington Counties, South Carolina.
 * [Fox] McCain, William D. Eight Generations of the Family of Henry Fox (1768-1852) and His Wife, Sarah Harrell Fox (1772-1848) of South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. Hattiesburg, Miss.: n.p., 1975-. ; digital version at Family History Archives.
 * [Frick] Ratliff, Annie Lee T. Frick. Columbia, S.C.: A.L.T. Ratliff, 1995. (?)
 * [Goodwyn] "Dinwiddie Co., Va., Richland and Orangeburg Districts, S. C., Goodwyns," The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 2, Supplement (Oct. 1899):26-37. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * [Hamiter] Hamiter, Aletha Barker. John Hamiter, 1802-1864: Some Ancestors and Descendants. Bradley, Ark.: A.B. Hamiter, 1955. ; digital version at Family History Archives.
 * [Hopkins] Hopkins, Laura Jervey. Lower Richland Planters: Hopkins, Adams, Weston and Related Families of South Carolina. Hopkins, S.C.: Hopkins, 1976. Reviewed in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 78, No. 2 (Apr. 1977):153. Digital version of review at JSTOR ($).
 * [Howell] "An Early Richland Planter: William Howell," The State Newspaper (Columbia, S.C.), November 1927.
 * [Leland] Leland, E. Cater. The Leland Magazine. 5 vols. Saluda, N.C.: E.C. Leland, Jr., 1978-1981.
 * [Smith] Smith, Dorothy Emma. Daddy's Relatives. Salt Lake City, Utah: n.p., 1960.
 * [Turkett] Ratliff, Annie Lee T. Turket/Turquette and Some Descendants. Columbia, S.C.: A.L.T. Ratliff, [1995?].
 * [Turkett] Turkett, A. Keith. Turkett Genealogy. Batesburg, S.C.: Turkett Family, 1995.
 * [Weston] Hopkins, Laura Jervey. Lower Richland Planters: Hopkins, Adams, Weston and Related Families of South Carolina. Hopkins, S.C.: Hopkins, 1976. Reviewed in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 78, No. 2 (Apr. 1977):153. Digital version of review at JSTOR ($).
 * [Weston] Hamrick, Elizabeth McRae. "Some Notes on the Weston Family," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Summer 1983):138-140.
 * [Weston] Colson, Lucy O'Gilvia Wiggins. Weston Family History, 1818-1872. Allied Family: Wiggins. Huntsville, Ala.: L.O.W. Colson, 1997.

Land
Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868

This series consists of recorded copies of plats for state land grants for the Charleston and the Columbia Series with their certificates of admeasurement or certification. All personal names and geographic features on these plats are included in the repository's On-line Index to Plats for State Land Grants

The South Carolina Constitution of 1790 required the surveyor general to maintain offices in both the new capital at Columbia and in Charleston. The surveyor general began to use separate volumes for recording plats in his Columbia office in 1796. Before that, all plats were recorded in the set of volumes begun in Charleston in 1784. After 1796, most plats for land grants in the Upper Division of the state were recorded and filed in Columbia. The surveyor general chose to make the Columbia volumes a continuation of the state plat volumes begun in Charleston and gave the initial Columbia volume the number thirty-six to correspond with the number of the volume that had then been reached in the Charleston series. As a result, there are volumes numbered thirty-six through forty-three from each office, but the records in them are not duplicative.

Also included are the Plan Books containing Plats and Plans.

Local Histories

 * Moore, John Hammond. Columbia and Richland County: A South Carolina Community, 1740-1990. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 1993. 975.771 H2m.


 * Reviews:
 * By Edward J. Cashin in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 94, No. 3 (Jul. 1993):213-214. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * By G. Wayne King in The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 60, No. 2 (May 1994):366-367. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * By Rodger E. Stroup in The Journal of American History, Vol. 81, No. 1 (Jun. 1994):242-243. Digital version at JSTOR ($).

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Richland County for European settlers included:


 * Occaneechi Path pre-historic
 * Camden-Charleston Path 1732
 * Fall Line Road about 1735 (overlapped Occaneechi Path in Richland County)
 * Great Valley Road (south fork) 1740s (overlapped Occaneechi Path in Richland County)
 * Old South Carolina State Road 1747

General

 * "Fort Jackson Military Reservation Cemetery List," Columbia Chronicle, April 1999. Columbia Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society : Columbia, SC.
 * "Seminole War troops, 1836," Columbia Journal, December 1984, Issue 9. Columbia Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society : Columbia, SC.

Revolutionary War

 * "Revolutionary Soldiers Receiving Pensions, Lists, 1818, 1832," Columbia Chronicle, April 2004. Columbia Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society : Columbia, SC.
 * "Annuities for Those Injured in Service, 1778-86," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, September 1985, Volume 8, Issue 3. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC.

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. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Richland County, p. 188. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War
Civil War service men from Richland County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies and regiments that were formed of men from Richland County.


 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry
 * - Company C (also known as Hapmton Detachment and Congree Mounted Riflemen)
 * - Company H (also known as Congaree Troops)
 * - 5th Battalion, South Carolina Reserves (Brown's), Company A
 * - Garden's Company, South Carolina Light Aritillery (Palmetto Light Battery)
 * - Shiver's Company, South Caroline Local Defense Troops

Newspapers
Richland County Public Library Obituary Index

Richland County Public Library offers an online obituary index for The State and the Palmetto Leader newspapers. The index is a work in progress. Additional years are added as they are completed. An online request form is available to request the full text of an obituary.

Richland County Public Library Local Magazine and Newspaper Index

This index contains records from several Columbia magazines and clippings found in the Walker Local History Room vertical files.

The State

The following Columbia newspapers have been digitized by the South Caroliniana Library and made available online for free through the Chronicling America website:


 * Columbia Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865
 * Columbia Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865
 * The Columbia Daily Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865
 * Tri-Weekly Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1875
 * The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878

Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Richland 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.


 * Black on News (Columbia, S.C.) 1972-1977.
 * Black on to the Bone (Columbia, S.C.) 1973-1973.
 * Black Voice (Columbia, S.C.) 1977-current.
 * Carolina Afro-Weekly (Columbia, S.C.) 1969-1974.
 * Carolina Free Press (Columbia, S.C.) 1930-1940.
 * Carolina Panorama (Columbia, S.C.) 1978-current.
 * Carolina Telegraph (Columbia, S.C.) 1816-1817.
 * Christian Neighbor (Columbia, S.C.) 1868-1901.
 * Columbia Banner (Columbia, S.C.) 1852-1864.
 * Columbia Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865. Search online at Chronicling America
 * Columbia's Black News (Columbia, S.C.) 19??-????.
 * Columbia's Northeastern Observer (Columbia, S.C.) 1971-1971
 * Columbia Semi-Weekly Record (Columbia, S.C.) 18??-1???.
 * Columbia Semi-Weekly Union (Columbia, S.C.) 1874-1876.
 * Columbia Telescope (Columbia, S.C.) 1819-1821.
 * Columbia Telescope (Columbia, S.C.) 1828-1839.
 * Columbia Telescope, and South Carolina State Journal (Columbia, S.C.) 182?-1828.
 * Cotton News (Columbia, S.C.) 1920-19??.
 * Daily Southern Light (Columbia, S.C.) 1857-1857.
 * Daily State-Rights Republican (Columbia, S.C.) 1852-1???.
 * Five Point News (Columbia, S.C.) 1941-1941.
 * Horizon Newspaper (Columbia, S.C.) 1982-1983.
 * Illustrated Family Friend (Columbia, S.C.) 1851-18??.
 * Labor Advocate (Columbia, S.C.) 1919-1919.
 * Lighthouse and Informer (Charleston, S.C.) 1941-1954. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * Lower Richland Chronicle (Hopkins, S.C.) 1978-1979.
 * Lutheran Church Visitor ([Columbia, S.C.]) 1904-1919.
 * New Era (Columbia, S.C.) 1855-1856.
 * Palmetto-State Banner (Columbia, S.C.) 1850-1852.
 * Palmetto Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1962-1964.
 * Palmetto Yeoman (Columbia, S.C.) 1879-1883.
 * Reporter (Edgewold - Columbia, S.C.) 1910-1919.
 * Richland Chronicle (Columbia, S.C.) 1979-1980.
 * Richland Northeast (Columbia, S.C.) 1976-1993.
 * Samuel Sanders' Journal (Columbia, S.C.) 1972-19??.
 * Short Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1968-197?.
 * South Carolina Republican (Charleston, S.C.) 1868-1870.
 * South-Carolina State Gazette, and Columbian Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 1818-182?.
 * South-Carolina State Gazette, and Columbia Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 182?-1830.
 * South Carolina State Journal and Columbia Telescope (Columbia, S.C.) 1822-182?.
 * South-Carolina Temperance Advocate (Columbia, S.C.) 1839-1841.
 * South Carolina Temperance Advocate and Register of Agriculture and General Literature (Columbia, S.C.) 1841-1854.
 * South-Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1838-1852.
 * SouthCarolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1987-current.
 * Southern Christian Herald (Columbia, S.C.) 1834-1838.
 * Southern Presbyterian (Columbia, S.C.) 18??-1???.
 * Southern Presbyterian (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1847-1908.
 * Southern Times State Gazette (Columbia, S.C.) 1830-1838.
 * State Gazette, and Columbian Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 1816-1818.
 * Straight-Out Democrat (Columbia, S.C.) 1878-1879.
 * Tailspin Topics (Columbia, S.C.) 1942-19??.
 * Temperance Advocate (Columbia, S.C.) 1870-1876.
 * Temperance Banner (Columbia, S.C.) 1876-1876.
 * Temperance Worker (Columbia, S.C.) 1883-1888.
 * The Business Newspaper (Columbia, S.C.) 1978-1979.
 * The Carolina Free Press (Columbia, S.C.) 1923-1924.
 * The Christian Soldier (Columbia, S.C.) 1898-1900.
 * The Church Herald (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1881-1884.
 * The Citizen (Columbia, S.C.) 1983-1984.
 * The Columbia Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 1867-1868.
 * The Columbia Daily Phoenix (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865. Search online at Chronciling America
 * The Columbia Daily Register (Columbia, S.C.) 1875-1898.
 * The Columbia Daily Sun (Columbia, S.C.) 1873-1873.
 * The Columbia Daily Union (Columbia, S.C.) 1872-1873.
 * The Columbia Free Press and Hive (Columbia, S.C.) 1831-1832.
 * The Columbia Gazette (Columbia [S.C.]) 1794-1794. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The Columbia Hive (Columbia, S.C.) 1832-1837.
 * The Columbia Inquirer (Columbia, S.C.) 1932-1932.
 * The Columbia Journal (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1895.
 * The Columbia Monitor (Columbia, S.C.) 1883-1???.
 * The Columbia Record (Columbia, S.C.) 1913-1988.
 * The Columbia Telescope and Southern Political and Literary Register (Columbia, S.C.) 1821-1822.
 * The Confederate Baptist (Columbia, S.C.) 1862-1865.
 * The Daily American Patriot (Columbia, S.C.) 1866-1866.
 * The Daily Carolina Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1854-1860.
 * The Daily Chronicle (Columbia, S.C.) 1867-1867.
 * The Daily Evening Herald (Columbia, S.C.) 1873-1873.
 * The Daily Index (Columbia, S.C.) 1913-1916.
 * The Daily Phoenix  (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878. Search online at Chronicling America
 * The Daily Record (Columbia, S.C.) 1885-1893.
 * The Daily Record (Columbia, S.C.) 1897-1913.
 * The Daily Republican (Columbia, S.C.) 1868-186?.
 * The Daily South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1849-1867.
 * The Daily South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1872-1872.
 * The Daily Southern Guardian (Columbia, S.C.) 1857-18??.
 * The Daily Southern Guardian (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1870.
 * The Daily Telegraph (Columbia, S.C.) 1847-1851.
 * The Daily Union (Columbia, S.C.) 1871-1872.
 * The Daily Union-Herald (Columbia, S.C.) 1873-1875.
 * The Eagle (Columbia, S.C.) 1882-1882.
 * The Evening News (Columbia, S.C.) 1895-1897.
 * The Evening Palmetto Yeoman (Columbia, S.C.) 1883-1885.
 * The Jacksonian (Columbia, S.C.) 1917-19??.
 * The Light (Columbia, S.C.) 1916-1928.
 * The Lutheran and Visitor (Columbia, S.C.) 1868-1869.
 * The Lutheran Visitor (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904.
 * The Palmetto Leader (Columbia, S.C.) 1925-196?.
 * The Palmetto Post (Columbia, S.C.) 1970-1971.
 * The Palmetto Post (Columbia, S.C.) 1984-current.
 * The Palmetto-State Banner (Columbia, S.C.) 1846-1852.
 * The Palmetto Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1983-1983.
 * The People's Recorder (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1925. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The Portfolio (Columbia, S.C.) 1861-1865.
 * The Public Defender (Columbia, S.C.) 1921-1922.
 * The Recorder-Indicator (Columbia, S.C.) 1925-1931.
 * The Shandon Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1987-????.
 * The Soldier (Columbia, S.C.) 1892-1895.
 * The South Carolina Gazette (Columbia, S.C.) 1792-1794. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The South Carolina Gazette (Columbia, S.C.) 1925-1930.
 * The South-Carolina Gazette, and Columbian Advertiser (Columbia [S.C.]) 1799-1800.
 * The South Carolina Observer (Columbia, S.C.) 1960-1960.
 * The South-Carolina State Gazette, and Columbian Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 1800-1816.
 * The South-Carolina State Gazette, and General Advertiser (Columbia, S.C.) 1795-1799.
 * The South Carolina Weekly (Columbia, S.C.) 1948-1948.
 * The South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1872-1873.
 * The Southern Afro-Chronicle (Columbia, S.C.) 1966-1972.
 * The Southern Chronicle (Columbia, S.C.) 1840-1848.
 * The Southern Herald and Working Man (New York and Columbia, S.C.) 1873-1878.
 * The Southern Indicator (Columbia, S.C.) 1903-1925. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The Southern Sun (Columbia, S.C.) 1902-1909.
 * The Southern Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1830-1830.
 * The St. Andrews News (Columbia, S.C.) 1968-1985.
 * The Standard (Columbia, S.C.) 1919-1927.
 * The Star-Reporter (Columbia, S.C.) 1963-1998. Search online at Footnote.com ($)
 * The State (Columbia, S.C.) 1891-current. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The State Gazette (Columbia, S.C.) 1795-1795.
 * The State-Rights Republican (Columbia, S.C.) 1850-1852.
 * The Sunday Record (Columbia, S.C.) 1918-1932.
 * The Sunday Sun (Columbia, S.C.) 1876-1876.
 * The Telegraph (Columbia, [S.C.]) 1847-1851.
 * The Telescope (Columbia, S.C.) 1815-1818. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * The Trade Review (Columbia, S.C.) 1919-1920.
 * The Transcript (Columbia, S.C.) 1851-1851.
 * The Tri-Weekly Register (Columbia, S.C.) 1876-1886.
 * The Tri-Weekly Southern Guardian (Columbia, S.C.) 1857-1862.
 * The Truth (Columbia, S.C.) 1919-1919.
 * The Union-Herald (Columbia, S.C.) 1876-1877.
 * The Way of Faith and Neglected Themes (Columbia, S.C.) 1890-1931.
 * The Weekly Carolina Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1855-1860.
 * The Weekly Gleaner, A Home Companion (Columbia, S.C.) 1866-1872.
 * The Weekly Register (Columbia, S.C.) 1876-1898.
 * The Weekly Southern Guardian (Columbia, S.C.) 1857-1865.
 * The Weekly Union (Columbia, S.C.) 1870-187?.
 * The Working Man (Columbia, S.C.) 1873-1875.
 * Tri-Weekly Carolina Times (Columbia, S.C.) 1854-1860.
 * Tri-Weekly Chronicle (Columbia, S.C.) 1867-1867.
 * Tri-Weekly Guardian (Columbia, S.C.) 1862-1865.
 * Tri-Weekly Phoenix ([Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1875. Search online at Chronciling America
 * Tri-Weekly South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1849-1865.
 * Venture (Columbia, S.C.) 1978-1979.
 * Weekly South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1838-1853.

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:


 * Columbia Chronicle

Probate
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. They have placed Will Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.

Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.

Birth
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Richland County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Marriage
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

The Richland County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.

Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.

Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1838-1860 - Marriage and Death Notices from Columbia, South Carolina Newspapers, 1838-1860 by Brent Holcomb and Shelley Palmer WorldCat, Digital version at Ancestry.com($) - abstracts
 * 1911 to Present - Marriage License Inquiry by Richalnd County Probate Court - online index
 * 1911-1952 - Richland County, South Carolina Registers, 1911-1952; Marriage Licenses, 1911-1922   - records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Richland County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1838-1860 - Marriage and Death Notices from Columbia, South Carolina Newspapers, 1838-1860 by Brent Holcomb and Shelley Palmer WorldCat - abstracts
 * 1859-1877 - Record of Deaths in Columbia, South Carolina and Elsewhere as Recorded by John Glass, 1859-1877 by Brent Holcomb WorldCat, digital version at Ancestry.com($) - abstracts
 * 1914-1960 - 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.

Archives, Libraries, and Museums
South Caroliniana Library 910 Sumter St. University of South Carolina Columbia, S.C. 29208

Telephone for Main Office: (803) 777-3131 FAX South Caroliniana Library: (803) 777-5747 Email sclref@mailbox.sc.edu with any questions regarding South Caroliniana Library and its holdings.

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage
Columbia Chapter SCGS P.O. Box 11353 Columbia SC 29211-1353 Historic Columbia Foundation 1601 Richland Street Columbia SC 29201-2633 source: Society Hill

Family History Centers
Columbia South Carolina 4440 Jackson Blvd Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, United States Phone: 803-782-7141 Hours: Tue 10:00am-2:00pm; Wed 9:00am-9:00pm Closed: July, week of Thanksgiving, and last two (2) weeks of December Attention: Hours may vary. Call before going.

Web Sites

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




 * The Dead Librarian Walker Local History Room Librarian, Debbie Bloom, keeps South Carolina researchers up to date on new online resources for genealogical research. The blog highlights online obituary indexing provided by South Carolina public libraries.


 * Richland County Public Library Walker Local History Room
 * Richland County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * South Caroliniana Library (About SCL)