Jefferson County, Kentucky Genealogy

United States   Kentucky    Jefferson County

Guide to Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Jefferson County Kentucky Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 527 W Jefferson Street Louisville, KY 40202-2814 Phone: 502.574.5700

Jefferson County Kentucky History


The county was named after Declaration of Independence Author Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) who became President in 1797.

Parent County
1780--Jefferson County was created on 1 May 1780 as a Virginia county when Kentucky County (Virginia) was abolished to form Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln counties. See County Formations Database (Kentucky Land Office)

County seat: Louisville

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Kentucky county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Kentucky County Boundary Maps" (1776-1939) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1905 -- Fire partially destroyed the Jefferson County Courthouse on Dec. 26. Fireman saved the county's records.

For a list of record loss in Kentucky counties see: Kentucky Counties with Burned Courthouses

Neighboring Counties

 * Bullitt County, Kentucky
 * Clark County, Indiana
 * Floyd County, Indiana
 * Hardin County, Kentucky
 * Harrison County, Indiana
 * Oldham County, Kentucky
 * Shelby County, Kentucky
 * Spencer County, Kentucky

African American Research
The following have information concerning African American research. Both should be used:


 * the KY African American Griots Project ~ The Kentucky African American Griots Project
 * Sandi Gorin's Tips ~ Hangings in Kentucky 1792 - 1900
 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.

Biographies

 * KY Biographies ~ Jeff Murphy's Kentucky Biographies Project

Cemeteries
Kentucky cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Jefferson Co. KY USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.
 * The KY Historical Society’s Cemetery Database
 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
 * Cemetery Junction ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions
 * Naming the Forgotten ~ Naming the Forgotten - The Eastern State Hospital Project
 * Kentucky Cemeteries lists the national cemeteries in Kentucky with links to their web sites. The first link under Online Kentucky Cemeteries goes to the Kentucky section of Interment.net
 * The Metro Louisville-Jefferson County KyGenWeb Project Cemetery Directory has the largest cemetery listing. Jefferson County once had over 500 public cemeteries and family graveyards, but many have been lost through the ravages of time.  This site identifies 235 of them.
 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.
 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Jefferson County and links to the information for the individuals buried there,
 * TheFamilySearch Catalog lists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
 * ePodunk list of Jefferson County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Individual cemeteries:


 * Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Louisville

Census
1790 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1793  Tax List

1810  Index, Transcription

1859  Louisville City Directory

1911  Louisville City Directory


 * USGenWeb Census Project ~ Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850 - 1930
 * The USGenWeb Census Images ~ The USGenWeb Census Images Project
 * Kentucky Census Transcriptions ~ The USGenWeb Census Project
 * Census Online ~ Census Online

Church Records



 * Kentucky Christian Church Directory ~ ChurchAngel

Christ Church

 * 1850 - Christ Church, Louisville, Birth Index 1850. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1885 - Christ Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

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


 * Louisville

Episcopal
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Louisville


 * 1839-1962 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Louisville, Birth Index 1839-1962. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1837-1960 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1837-1960. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Evangelical
St. John's Evangelical Church, Louisville


 * 1850 - St. John's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Birth Index 1850. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1885 - St. John's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville


 * 1840-1859 - St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Baptism Index 1840-1859. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1857-1884 - St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Baptism Index 1857-1884. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1874-1885 - St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Baptism Index 1874-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1841-1890 - St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1841-1890. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1871-1895 - St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1871-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

St. Peter's Evangelical Church, Louisville


 * 1847-1885 - St. Peter's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Baptism Index 1847-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1847-1885 - St. Peter's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1847-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1870-1895 - St. Peter's Evangelical Church, Louisville, Marriage Index 1847-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Roman Catholic

 * Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
 * Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville

United Church of Christ
Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1891-1984 - Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Louisville, Baptism Index 1891-1984. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1891-1987 - Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1891-1987. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1891-1987 - Bethlehem United Church of Christ, Louisville, Death Index 1891-1987. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Christ Evangelical United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1879-1982 - Christ Evangelical United Church of Christ, Louisville, Baptism Index 1879-1982. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1879-1982 - Christ Evangelical United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1879-1982. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1879-1982 - Christ Evangelical United Church of Christ, Louisville, Death Index 1879-1982. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Lynnhurst United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1908-1953 - Lynnhurst United Church of Christ, Louisville, Baptism Index 1908-1953. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1908-1953 - Lynnhurst United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1908-1953. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1908-1953 - Lynnhurst United Church of Christ, Louisville, Death Index 1908-1953. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

St. John's United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1851-1867 - St. John's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Baptism Index 1851-1867. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851-1867 - St. John's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1851-1867. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1851-1867 - St. John's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Death Index 1851-1867. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

St. Luke's United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1857-1885 - St. Luke's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Baptism Index 1857-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1850-1895 - St. Luke's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1850-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

St. Matthew's United Church of Christ, Louisville


 * 1890-1895 - St. Matthew's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Marriage Index 1890-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1889-1939 - St. Matthew's United Church of Christ, Louisville, Death Index 1889-1939. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Court

 * Abstracts of Early KY Court Cases Abstracts of Early Supreme Court Cases ~ KYGenWeb Special Project
 * Kentucky Court of Justice Research &amp; Reference

Directories

 * Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky Directory, 1832 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

Fold3.com ($) has Louisville City Directories 1861, 1864-1923 available online.
 * Louisville, Kentucky Directories, 1890 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky Directory, 1886 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Louisville, Kentucky Directory, 1887 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

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]

Land

 * The KY Land Office

Local Histories

 * Metro Louisville, Jefferson County, KyGenWeb Project History Links
 * ~ The Archives of Appalachia
 * Middletown's days and deeds : the story of 150 years of living in an old Kentucky town at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Descendants of General Jonathan Clark : Jefferson County, Kentucky, 1750-1811 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)
 * Stage-coach days in the bluegrass : being an account of stage-coach travel and tavern days in Lexington and central Kentucky, 1 at Ancestry.com (Free /$)

Maps

 * Maps of Kentucky (1776-1939)
 * KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
 * Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site

Military

 * Military Resources ~ Revolutionary War through Civil War
 * Korean War Memorial Korean War Memorial for Soliders from KY ~ KYGenWeb
 * Fallen Soldiers in WWI from KY ~ Fallen Soldiers in WWI from Kentucky
 * The 1890 Census Veterans Schedules for all of Jefferson County were destroyed except those for the Central Kentucky Lunatic Asylum in Lakeland, Ky listing eight individuals. For information on the 1890 Veterans Schedules see Union Census Records.

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company A.
 * - 1st Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company F.
 * - 1st Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D and E.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, C, H, I, J, L and M.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, C, G, H, J, L and M.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Kentucky Veteran Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, H, I, K and L.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M.
 * - 4th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company H.
 * - 4th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies B, C, D and G.
 * - 4th Regiment, Kentucky Mounted Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I and K.
 * - 4th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company A.
 * - 4th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies E and F.
 * - 5th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and K.
 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies D, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M.
 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company E.
 * - 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company D.
 * - 7th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company C.
 * - 7th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies G, H and M.
 * - 8th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company G.
 * - 8th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company B.
 * - 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies D, K and L.
 * - 10th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company K.
 * - 11th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H.
 * - 12th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies B, C, D, E, H, K, L and M.
 * - 12th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company F.
 * - 22nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Enrolled Militia)(Union), Company I.
 * - 13th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Company A.
 * - 13th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies B and K.
 * - 15th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company A
 * - 17th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M.
 * - 20th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies F, H, I and K.
 * - 22nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company I.
 * - 26th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies C, D, E, H and I.
 * - 27th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company F.
 * - 28th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company A.
 * - 34th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 37th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company K.
 * - 52nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company F.
 * - 54th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies D, E and K.
 * - 55th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies D, E, F, G, H and K.


 * 1912-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images

Miscellaneous

 * Kentucky Postcards ~ The USGenWeb Archives Penny Postcard Project
 * The KYGenWeb Footsteps ~ The Kentucky Footsteps Archives ~ KYGenWeb Special Project

Newspapers

 * Kentucky News -  Kentucky Newspaper Index with links
 * Another Kentucky Newspaper Index with links
 * Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm  -   Kentucky Newspapers Available On Microfilm

Obituaries

 * KY Footsteps Archives ~ KY Footsteps List Archives - thousands of obituaries here ~ KYGenWeb Project
 * KY Obituary Sources ~ Kentucky Obituary Sources ~ Compiled by the KYGenWeb Project
 * Links to research and locate obituaries
 * Browning Genealogy Database ~ The Browning Genealogy Database - A Collection of Obituaries Compiled by Charles Browning.
 * USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project ~  Kentucky Obituary Project
 * Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot ~ Kentucky Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Daily Times ~ Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
 * Nashville Advocate ~ Death Abstracts from the Nashville Christian Advocate

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1774 – 1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1727 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1784-1901 - have been digitized by FamilySearch - free.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Jefferson County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Will Book 1: 1784-1813
 * 2) Will Book 2: 1805-1833
 * 3) Will Book 3: 1833-1846

Taxation

 * 1789-1790 - Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available at . [The sources of this publication are the 1789 and 1790 [?] personal property tax lists, and substitutes for 1786 through 1788. Jefferson County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * 1789 - Heinemann, Charles B. "First Census" of Kentucky 1790. Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1940. 1981 reprint: ; digital version at Kentucky Kinfolks. ["6 volumes of 1789 were used, and some duplications were found." (p. 2)]
 * 1800 - 1800 Tax List of is included in Clift's Second Census of Kentucky 1800, digitized by Ancestry ($).

Vital Records
See also How to order Kentucky Vital Records

Birth

 * 1839-1960 - KY Births and Christenings ~ Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960 Family Search
 * 1852-1859 - Jefferson County Birth Index 1852-1859. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * Searchable KY Vital Records ~ Searchable databases of KY Births, Deaths and Marriages

Marriage

 * 1783-1979 - KY Marriage Records ~ KY Marriages 1783 - 1979 ~ Family Search
 * 1797-1954 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1852-1860 - Jefferson County Marriage Index 1852-1860. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973 - 2000  ~ Kentucky Marriage Records - 1973 - 2000
 * Searchable KY Vital Records ~ Searchable databases of KY Births, Deaths and Marriages

Death

 * 1843-1970 - KY Deaths and Burials ~ KY Deaths and Burials 1843 - 1970
 * The Kentucky Vital Records Project Transcriptions of and Images of KY Death Certificates - A Work in Progress ~ The KY Vital Records Project
 * Searchable KY Vital Records ~ Searchable databases of KY Births, Deaths and Marriages
 * The Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index - Searchable

Divorce

 * 1973-1993 - KY Divorces 1973 - 1993 ~ Kentucky Divorce Records 1973 - 1993 ~ University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

Jefferson County Kentucky Genealogy Societies and Libraries

 * Links and addresses to Kentucky genealogical and historical societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Louisville Kentucky Family History Center
 * Shawnee Kentucky Family History Center

Jefferson County Kentucky Genealogy Websites

 * Jefferson County, KY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Jefferson County Metro KYGenWeb
 * KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
 * State of Kentucky Website
 * USGenWeb Kentucky Archives ~ Kentucky in the USGenWeb Archives ~ Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
 * The USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Jefferson County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Jefferson County Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
 * Jefferson County Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)