Jefferson County, Kentucky Genealogy

United States &gt; Kentucky &gt; Jefferson County

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 1 May 1780 from Kentucky County (Virginia). This county was abolished in 1780. County seat: Louisville

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


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


 * Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. Local volunteers through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness may take photographs of headstones found in county cemeteries.


 * Kentucky Historical Society Cemetery Search can be searched by name, place and/or date. This database has hundreds of thousands of names transcribed from gravestones across Kentucky.
 * 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,


 * 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
 * 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 Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Jefferson County. 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.

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

1793  Tax List

1810  Index, Transcription

1859  Louisville City Directory

1911  Louisville City Directory

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Louisville

Local Histories
Metro Louisville, Jefferson County, KyGenWeb Project History Links

Probate
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 FHL. [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: FHL US/CAN 976.9 X2ph 1981; digital version at Kentucky Kinfolks. ["6 volumes of 1789 were used, and some duplications were found." (p. 2)]

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Jefferson County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)