Ninety-Six District, South Carolina Genealogy

United StatesSouth CarolinaNinety-Six District

Historical Facts
In 1768 South Carolina replaced all of her previous counties with seven court districts including the newly organized area of Ninety-Six District northwest of the previous counties. See the 1775 South Carolina map.

In 1785 South Carolina created six subordinate counties within the overarching Ninety-Six District: (See the 1785 South Carolina map.)


 * Abbeville County 1785
 * Edgefield County 1785
 * Laurens County 1785
 * Newberry County 1785
 * Spartanburg County 1785
 * Union County 1785


 * Greenville County was added in 1786 from previously Cherokee lands
 * Pendleton County was added in 1789 from previously Cherokee lands (See the 1790 South Carolina map.}


 * In 1791 Greenville and Pendleton counties were used to create the new Washington District. Also Spartanburg and Union counties became part of the new Pinckney District
 * In 1798 Washington District was renamed Pendleton District (See the 1799 South Carolina map.)

In 1800 South Carolina abolished all her overarching districts including Ninety-Six District, Pendleton District, and Pinckney District. However, the remaining counties were often called districts as late as 1868.

For documents of people who lived in this area from 1768 to 1800, look in:


 * papers filed in the District Seat 1768-1781 at Ninety-Six Town, or 1781-1800 at Cambridge
 * papers filed in the Washington/Pendleton District Seat 1791-1800 at Pickensville
 * papers filed in the Pinckney District Seat 1791-1800 at Pinckneyville
 * papers filed in the early capital at Charleston, South Carolina

Record Loss

 * A fire during the British occupation of Ninety-Six Town in 1781 destroyed most of the town, and its district records.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Ninety-Six District, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Census
See Ninety-Six District, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1779

 * Sarrett, Paul R. 1779 Census Ninety-Six District, South Carolina, available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

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]


 * [Butler] Jervey, Theodore D. "The Butlers of South Carolina," The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 4 (Oct. 1903). ; digital version at Family History Archives.
 * [Drake] Drake, Charles E. "The Drake Family of Ninety Six District and Abbeville County, South Carolina," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Fall 2001):183-195.

Land
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Ninety-Sixth District land records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. A: 1784-1794
 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. B: 1785-1787
 * Ninety-Sixth District Land Plats, Vol. C: 1786-1788

Websites
Ninety Six District, South Carolina, This is a great site that has maps and a history of the District.