Jersey County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for the state of New Jersey, from which many of the early settlers emigrated - which was itself named for the Channel Island of Jersey in Great Britain. The county seat is Jerseyville and the county was organized on February 28, 1839. The County is located in the West central part of the state.

County Courthouse
Jersey County Courthouse 201 West Pearl St Jerseyville, IL 62052 Phone: 618-498-5571 Jersey County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Jersey County are kept, see the Jersey County Courthouse page.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Census Records

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Church Records
Jersey County has many religious denominations represented. Major denominations include Evangelical Denominations, Catholic Church, American Baptist Churches, Assemblies of God, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church.  List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records. The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Maire, Jean M. Early records of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois (Springfield, Illinois:Allers and Gochanour, 1986) ;

Directories

 * Illinois state gazetteer and business directory, 1858, 1859 at Hathitrust.org
 * 1893 Historical Directory
 * 1918 Directory of Farmers and Breeders for Jersey and Greene Counties
 * 1928 Huber's Directory
 * 1947 Farm Directory"

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African Americans
 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Land and Property Records
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records. The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Jersey County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1832-1855 Deed Index 1832 to 1855 IRAD-UIS
 * 1821-1875 Entry books 1821 to 1875 IRAD-UIS
 * 1822-1924 Land records and indexes
 * BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Jersey County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence, at Ancestry ($)
 * Jersey County Federal Township Plats
 * Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Expains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry ($), this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Illinois 1788-1940
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from Jersey County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Jersey County.
 * - 14th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C and D.
 * - 97th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H and K.
 * - 122nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 124th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 133rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H.
 * - 144th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1864-65), Companies F, G and H.
 * - 154th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

 World War I IRAD holdings:
 * 1918-1966 Military discharge records 1918 to 1965
 * 1918-1967 Military discharge records index 1918 to 1967

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index and images ($)

Newspapers

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

Probate Records
Original probate records are held by the Jersey. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. Some probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS. The following copies are available in the FamilySearch Catalog: Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1839-1888 Index to Estate Papers Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1839-1933 Probate Records Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1839-1964 Probate Will RecordIRAD–UIS
 * 1839-1940 Probate Records
 * 1839-1847 Wills,Bonds,Inventories Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1852-1931 Will Record Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1873-1898 Guardian Records Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1874-1966 Probate Inventory RecordIRAD–UIS
 * 1875-1879 Inventory Record Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1879-1922 Probate Inventory Record, GuardiansIRAD–UIS
 * 1882-1914 Estate Inventory and Appraisement Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1882-1914 Probate Inventory and Appraisement RecordIRAD–UIS
 * 1894-1933 Order Book Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 1898-1940 Administrators' Record Online images. Browse for Jersey records.
 * 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

Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth (1878) and death (1878) records are kept by the Jersey while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are kept by the County Clerk from 1839 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Universtiy of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Jersey County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page. found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Jersey County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).

Birth

 * 1838-1910 Early Birth Index. Courtesy of USGenWeb.
 * 1845-1866 Birth Record, Proof of available at UIS IRAD Region search for Jersey County.
 * 1857-1967 Birth Records index available at UIS IRAD Region search for Jersey County.
 * 1867-1956 Birth Records index
 * 1878-1900 Birth Register
 * 1878-1932 Birth Records available at UIS IRAD Region search for Jersey County.
 * 1905-1932 Stillbirths available at UIS IRAD Region search for Jersey County.

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1835-1850 Illinois Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1837-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. Search for Jersey records.
 * 1839-1876, 1878–1901 Marriage register
 * 1839-1967 Marriage Record Index at UIS IRAD Regionsearch for Jersey records.
 * Marriages. Courtesy of USGenWeb.

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1878-1900 Death Record. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Jersey county.
 * 1878-1983 Death Records Index. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Jersey county.
 * 1905-1932 Death Record,Stillbirths. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Jersey county.
 * Pre-1916 Death Index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Statewide Death Index Search for Jersey County.
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * Jersey County deaths are not in the statewide pre-1916 death index. For help with using the above IRAD links, click here forhow to use IRAD

Archives
 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois. The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Cass County. The link will help you find and use the records. There address is: Illinois Regional Archives Depository LIB144 University of Illinois at Springfield Region One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407 217-206-6520

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alton Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Centralia Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Jacksonville Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Litchfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * O'Fallon Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Mississippi Valley District Library-Collinsville - an affiliate library
 * Mississippi Valley District Library-Fairmont - an affiliate library
 * O'Fallon Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Six Mile Regional Library District - Delmar Branch - an affiliate library
 * Six Mile Regional Library District - Johnson Branch - an affiliate library

Libraries
Jerseyville Public Library 105 North Liberty St Jerseyville, IL 62052 Phone: 618-498-9514 Website

Societies
Jersey County Historical & Genealogical Society 601 North State Street Jerseyville, IL 62052 Phone 618-498-3514 Email:[mailto:webmaster@jerseyusa.net webmaster@jerseyusa.net]

Websites

 * Jersey County IL Genealogy
 * Jersey ILGenWeb
 * Jersey County, IL Linkpendium
 * Illinois Genealogy Trails
 * – 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.