Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy



United States Illinois  Hamilton County

County Organization
Hamilton County's civil records start the following years:

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

Historical Facts
Hamilton County is named for Alexander Hamilton who was the first Secretary of Treasury (1789–1795), and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army in 1799.

Parent County

 * 1821--Hamilton County was created 8 February 1821 from White County. County seat: McLeansboro.


 * See an interactive map of Hamilton County boundary changes.

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

Cemeteries
The Illinois Cemeteries page provides general explanations of the following online Hamilton County resources:

The surname index to Harriet Vaught's Hamilton County, Illinois Cemetery Inscriptions (Vol. 1) is available for free online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

A volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to provide names and dates from tombstones at three Catholic churches in Hamilton County: St. John the Baptist, Pinopolis; St. John Nepomucene, Dahlgren; and St. Clement's, McLeansboro. Click here to learn more.

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

Church Records
A chapter on early Hamilton County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 322.

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from three Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Hamilton County available online (requires free registration). The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.

A volunteer is available to do cemetery look-ups at these Catholic church cemeteries, see Cemeteries.

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 copies of records may be accessed through the Family History Library


 * 1821-1839 Circuit Court record, vol. A–B

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

The following abstracts or copies of records may be accessed through the Family History Library:


 * 1818–1954 Davis, Patricia S. Index to Harriet Vaught's Early land grants of White County, Illinois, 1814-1854 and probate index, 1818-1976. Marion, Illinois: Patricia S. Davis, c1995.
 * 1818–1954 Vaught, Harriet B. Early land grants of White County, Illinois, 1814-1854, probate index, 1818-1976. Carmi, Ill. : Vaught, 1980?
 * Rockford Map Publishers (Rockford, Illinois). Land atlas and plat book, Hamilton County, Illinois, 1986. Rockford, Illinois: Rockford Map Publishers, c1986.
 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family maps of Hamilton County, Illinois.Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Pub. Co., c2007.  This book plats the land of many nineteenth-century Hamilton County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname listing.

Online Resources


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * Hamilton County Federal Township Plats
 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search
 * 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)

Military Records

 * Civil War Civil War service men from Hamilton 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 Hamilton County.


 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and G.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, F and G.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and G.
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 87th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and E.

Naturalization
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Hamilton County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1824-1860 Circuit Court Naturalization records IRAD (SIU)
 * 1824–1860; 1840–1860 Naturalization records index (3 p.)
 * 1860–1883 Naturalization records, intentions and final papers

Probate Records
Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Hamilton County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources


 * 1823–1933 The probate journals and will records for Hamilton County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select Hamilton County, and select the record type you are interested in.

Abstracts


 * 1821–1900 Index: Vaught, Harriet B. Hamilton County cemeteries probate index [1821-1900]. Carmi, Ill.: White County Historical Society, 1989?
 * 1821–1915 Neff, Hazel Lea. Abstracts of wills, Hamilton County, Illinois, 1821-1915. Wayne City, Illinois;: Family Ties, 1986 

Copies of Original Records


 * 1823-1855 Probate Case Files IRAD (SIU)
 * 1823-1969 Probate Case Files Index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1823–1970 Index of probate files
 * 1823–1838; 1847–1855 Probate files
 * 1823–1933 Will records, v. A–B and IRAD (SIU)
 * 1838-1922 Index to probate journal
 * 1838-1847; 1855-1922 Probate journals
 * 1838-1923 Probate Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1865-1923 Probate Guardian's Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1868-1925 Probate Record, Decrees IRAD (SIU)
 * 1871-1875 Probate Guardian's Dockets IRAD (SIU)

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

Illinois Regional Archives Depostitories
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. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Hamilton County.

Societies
Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Hamilton County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases and the Family History Library.

Online Resources

 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage indexfound at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916

Marriage

 * 1821–1870 Harrelson, Ralph S. Marriages, information taken from original marriage documents old marriage record books relative to marriages celebrated in Hamilton County, Illinois, 1821-1870 also a record of marriages celebrated in White County, Illinois, 1816 through 1821. Carterville, Illinois: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, c1986. 
 * 1821–1854 Felty, Harold G. Marriage records and related notes, Hamilton County, Illinois 1821-1854.Owensboro, Kentucky: Cook McDowell Publications, 1981.
 * 1858-1992 Legacy of kin, Hamilton County, Illinois: relationships, vital statistics, marriages, abstracted from obituaries and notices in Hamilton County newspapers, 1858-1992
 * 1899-1929 (with additional notices for 1930-1931) Grandma Deem's marriage notices: Hamilton County, Illinois Other Libraries (WorldCat) and

Death

 * 1852–1930 Hatton, Charles E and Ralph S. Harrelson.A history of Mary's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, 1852-1967 and school, 1882-1950 in Hamilton County, Illinois including a section giving Mary's Chapel cemetery headstone inscriptions and burial records. Danville, Illinois : Hatton House, 1973.
 * 1871–1920 Harrelson, Dessie Hunt. Record of deaths. Vol 1 and 2, Carterville, Illinois: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, c1983, c1985.

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Hamilton County, click on [Show], in the bar above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Web Sites

 * The Yesterdays of Hamilton County, Illinois. Bible records, biographies, cemeteries, census records, churches, deeds, family records &amp; essays, government/court/crime, histories, old letters, the lighter side, lists/directories, maps, marriages, military, miscellanous, news clippings, obituaries, old photos, wills, queries/researchers, books for sale, links, recent updates, area announcements, site search, lost and found. Carol Lee Yarbough is the branchild behind this valuable resource. It is one of the best places to start Hamilton County, Illinois genealogy searches.
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)