Hancock County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for John Hancock. Hancock County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hancock County Courthouse 150 Main Street Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 Phone: 228-467-5404 Hancock County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and court records. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records.

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:

Cemeteries
Cemeteries listed courtesy: Hancock County Historical Society
 * Barth
 * Bayou Caddy
 * Bayou Coco
 * Bayou LaCroix
 * Belle Isle
 * Breland
 * Brothers of the Sacred Heart

Census Records
Federal Census


 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1840 State Census Returns 1830 - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1853 State Census Returns 1853 - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1866 State Census Returns 1866 - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1870 State Census Returns 1870 - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Bay St. Louis

Catholic Church
 * Catholic Church Records Index: Includes Our Lady of the Gulf Church in Bay Saint Louis and the Church of the Annunciation in Kiln, Mississippi. Hancock County Historical Society.

Court Records

 * 1840-1903 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1907 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1953 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1859-1892 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1882-1899 (*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * Edmond Fahey Funeral Home in Bay St. Louis.
 * Riemann Family Funeral Homes in Waveland.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Early Hancock County Land Records: Transcription of Book B. Hancock County Historical Society.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Alphabet File of newspaper articles, publications, etc. indexed by surnames and subjects by Charles H. Gray. Hancock County Historical Society.
 * Hancock County, Then and Now at Hancock County Historical Society

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1846-1951 Military grave registrations - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1836 Register of Military Commissions - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1848-1849 Register of Military Commissions - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company F - Shieldsboro Rifles
 * Company G - Gainesville Volunteers
 * - 17th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company B - Poitevent’s Company

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Obituaries

 * Hancock County Obituary Index. Hancock County Historical Society.

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1853-1907 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1924 (*); Probate and Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1860-1916 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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

Tax Records

 * 1814 Territory tax rolls 1814 - Hancock, Jackson, Moble County Collection
 * 1814, 1816-1817 Territory Tax returns (1814, 1816, 1817) - Hancock County Collection at FamilySearch -  images only
 * 1818-1897 County Tax rolls (1818-1897) -  Hancock County Collection at  FamilySearch - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi, Compiled Marriages, 1800-1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1849-1956 Hancock County Marriage Index (1849-1956) at Hancock County Historical Society website
 * 1853-1918 Hancock County Marriage Books A-L Index 1853-1918 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Divorce

 * 1916-1950 Hancock County Divorce Index (1916-1950) at Hancock County Historical Society website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Gulfport Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * New Orleans Louisiana FamilySearch Center


 * St. Tammany Parish Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Hancock County Historical Society 108 Cue St Bay Saint Louis, MS 39520 228-467-4090 Email: [mailto:hancockcountyhis@bellsouth.net hancockcountyhis@bellsouth.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Hancock County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Hancock County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Hancock County Historical Society
 * – 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.