Copiah County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for a Choctaw Indian word meaning calling panther. The County has Hazlehurst as its seat and the County was created 1823. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Copiah County Courthouse PO Box 507 Hazlehurst, MS 39083 Phone: 601.894.3021 Clerk Chancery Court has divorce records from 1840, probate and land records from 1825 and confederate veterans records. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1825 and court records.

Parent County
1823--Copiah County was created 21 January 1823 from Hinds County. County seat: Hazlehurst

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Mississippi county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Mississippi County Boundary Maps" (1785-1918) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Neighboring Counties

 * Claiborne
 * Hinds
 * Jefferson
 * Lawrence
 * Lincoln
 * Rankin
 * Simpson

Lists of Former Slaves in the Freedmens Bureau Records
A register of former slaves showing their former slave owners can be found at  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-892Y-QDHN?wc=9L3S-SP2%3A1078474011%2C1078474012&cc=2333768

The register was created by the Freedmen’s Bureau and contains entries for approximately 2000 slaves living in Copiah County. It is undated, but based on the ages of the former slaves, the register was created between 1865 to 1866. The register contains the following information for most of the entries: The entries are grouped by the former owner’s name. The former owners are not arranged in alphabetical order and the register. The register has not been indexed and must browsed.
 * 1) Former slave’s current name
 * 2) Former slave’s gender
 * 3) Former slave’s age
 * 4) Former slave’s color
 * 5) Former slave’s occupation
 * 6) Former slave’s current residence
 * 7) Former owner’s name
 * 8) Former residence. This can be a place name or a plantation name.

Lists of Slave Owners and Slaves compiled from Copiah County Slave Schedules for 1850 and 1860
A researcher has compiled 4 lists of the slave owners and slaves as enumerated in the 1850 and 1860 Federal Censuses for Copiah County
 * 1850 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Alphabetical
 * 1850 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Enumeration Order
 * 1860 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Alphabetical
 * 1860 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Enumeration Order

Census

 * 1805 - 1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1660 - 1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1792 - 1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1822 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1824 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1825 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1841 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1845 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1853 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1880 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1878 Enumeration of Educable Children avaialbe for free on FamilySearch (other years also available). Listing of locations and approximate image start number available here. Images also available online from the Mississippi Archives.

Land and Property

 * Copiah County, Mississippi deed records, (1823-1900; index, 1825-1988), 1823-1988 Index all viewable.

Maps

 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1889-1942 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1900-1974 - at FamilySearch — images


 * Men from Copiah County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Copiah County.


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company K - McWillie Blues
 * - 4th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company A - Terrall [Terrell] Dragoons
 * Company B - Copiah Horse Guards
 * Company E - Ramsey’s Company
 * - 6th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company F - Crystal Springs Guards
 * Company G - Rockport Steel Blades
 * - 10th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company H - Bahala Rifles
 * - 10th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company I - Bahala Rifles
 * - 12th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company A - Charlie Clark Rifles [also listed as Co. H]
 * Company D - Pettus Relief, aka Pettus Rifles


 * Roster of Confederate soldiers and sailors, 1861-1865

World War I and II

 * Honorable discharge records (Copiah County, Mississippi) 1918-1943

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1780 – 1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1781 – 1930 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1823-1899 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1911 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776 - 1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826 - 1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826 - 50 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * to 1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1823-1921 - Copiah County Marriage Books A-K and 1-25 Index 1823-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Divorce

 * Divorce records, 1882-1926

Voting Records

 * Mississippi, Copiah County, voter registration, 1876-1923

Genealogy Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Mississippi Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies


 * Copiah County Historical Genealogical Society

Websites

 * Copiah County, MS History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Copiah County, Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Copiah County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Copiah County, Mississippi County website
 * Copiah County, Mississippi County website