Forrest County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for Nathan B. Forrest. Forrest County is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Forrest County Courthouse 641 Main Street PO Box 951 Hattiesburg, MS 39401 Phone: 601-545-6014 Forrest County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1893 and court records from 1906. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, land, probate and military 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:

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

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 $

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


 * Hattiesburg

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

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of Forrest County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com .($). Free surname search.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1898-1951 Military grave registrations - Forest Count Collections 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 -  Forest Count Collections at FamilySearch - images only

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

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 Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1880-1924 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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.

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 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 $
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties
 * 1892-1917 Forrest County Marriage Books 1-6A Index 1892-1917 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1920s Forrest County, Mississippi Marriages. Courtesy: Melba's Southern Families
 * 1921-1925 Forrest County, Mississippi Marriage Index. Arranged by: Brides | Grooms. MSGenWeb

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

Family History Centers

 * Hattiesburg Mississippi Family History Center

Libraries

 * McCain Library & Archives University of Southern Mississippi P.O. Box 5148 Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5148 Phone: 601-266-4345 Website

Societies
Hattiesburg Area Historical Society 723 Main Street P.O. Box 1573 Hattiesburg, MS 39403-1573 601.582.5460 Website

Websites

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