Jefferson County, Alabama Genealogy

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

Description
Jefferson County was created on 13 December 1819 and was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. Its county seat is Birmingham. It is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jefferson County has two official County seats - Birmingham and Bessemer.

Jefferson County Courthouses Birmingham Division 716 Richard Arrington Blvd. N., Rm 400 Birmingham, AL 35263 Phone:205-325-5355 Bessemer Division 1801 3rd Avenue Bessemer, AL 35020 Phone: 205-481-4110 Jefferson County Website Probate Judge has marriage records from 1818 Probate Records from 1870 and land records for 1820

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Bible Records

 * Jefferson County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
 * Jefferson County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
 * Jefferson County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project

Biographies

 * The Book of Birmingham and Alabama. Birmingham, Ala.: The Birmingham Ledger Publishers, 1914. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Jefferson County and Birmingham Alabama, Historical and Biographical. By John Witherspoon DuBose. Birmingham, Ala.: Teeple and Smith, 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Jefferson County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

Census Records
State Census

CENSUS
 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptists
 * Hageness, MariLee Beatty. Mount Hebron Church Minutes 1819-1857. Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama Anniston, Ala.: MLH Research, 1998.
 * Huey, Thomas E. Ruhama: The Story of a Church, 1819-1945 Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham Print. Co., c1946. Digital version at Ancestry $

Episcopalians
 * McDavid, Mittie Owen. Church of the Advent: Its History and Traditions Birmingham, Ala.: Press of Birmingham Pub. Co., 1943. Digital version at Ancestry $

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

Court Records

 * 1870-1916   at at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1916 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

These records from the Jefferson County Circuit Court are loose papers pertaining to disputed estates and property. They also include some divorce records

Directories

 * 1888-1890 Birmingham, Alabama Directories, 1888-90 at Ancestry $

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1896-1935 in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Funeral Homes

 * Arrington Funeral Home in Birmingham
 * Aubrey Bushelon Funeral Directing and Cremation Services in Birmingham
 * Bell Funeral Home Forestdale in Birmingham
 * Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home in Bessemer
 * Brooks Family Funeral Home in Hueytown
 * Chambers Funeral Home in Bessemer
 * Crestview Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home in Adamsville
 * Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Hoover
 * Dante Jelks Funeral Home in Birmingham
 * Davenport and Harris Funeral Homes in Birmingham
 * Eastside Funeral Home in Birmingham
 * Faith Memorial Chapel Funeral Services in Bessemer and Birmingham
 * Gardendale Heritage Funeral Home in Gardendale
 * Grey-Bushelon Funeral Services in Birmingham
 * Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home and Gardens in Birmingham
 * Johns-Ridouts Mortuary Elmwood Chapel and Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum in Birmingham
 * Kilgroe Funeral Home in Leeds
 * Kirksey's Mortuary in Birmingham
 * Messmer Goodwin Funeral Home in Warrior
 * Mullins Funeral Service in Birmingham
 * NJMW Funeral Hone in Birmingham
 * Patterson-Forest Grove Funeral Home in Pleasant Grove
 * Poole's Funeral Chapel in Birmingham
 * Ridout's Valley Chapel in Homewood
 * Serenity Chapel in Birmingham
 * Smith and Gaston Funeral Services in Birmingham
 * Walker Chapel Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Fultondale
 * Westside Funeral Home in Fairfield

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Jefferson County see:

You can research land records in the Probate office of the Jefferson County, Alabama Courthouse. To learn more about accessing land records held in the Jefferson County Courthouse, see: Our genealogy journey to the Jefferson County, Alabama courthouse.
 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Jefferson County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Arphax Publishing ($). Website includes surname index..

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Early Days in Birmingham: A Printing of the Original Papers of the Pioneers Club. Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham Pub. Co., 1937. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Jefferson County and Birmingham Alabama, Historical and Biographical. By John Witherspoon DuBose. Birmingham, Ala.: Teeple and Smith, 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Northern Alabama, Historical and Biographical. Birmingham, Ala.: Smith and De Land, 1888. Pg. 141.Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Jefferson County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Jefferson County Historical Maps.
 * Jefferson County MapStats ~  Alabama Dept. Archives and History.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records
Multipal Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and  image
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
 * 1871-1880 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B "Jefferson Volunteers"
 * - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C (Cahaba Valley Rangers)
 * - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G (Yancey Guards [or Yancey Rangers])
 * - 19th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C (Jefferson Warriors)
 * - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C and G
 * - 28th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D, G and H
 * - 30th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K
 * - 43rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G
 * - 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C and D

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
 * Obituary Index Birmingham Area Newspapers(Birmingham News, May 1929 - January 1980;Birminham World, September 1940 - December 1996; Methodist Christian Advocate / Alabama Christian Advocate, January 1929 - December 1979; Shelby County Reporter, January 1932 - December 1979)
 * Alabama Citizen - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1913-1918
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Obituaries
USGenWeb Archives Project - transcribed obituaries for Jefferson County.
 * Alabama, Birmingham Obituaries at MyHeritage - index & images

Other Records
Voting Records 
 * 1834-1981 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection, index and images

Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Jefferson County has one book.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1985 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1818-1840 Images of Loose Wills (and Index) at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1818-1912 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1818-1928 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1830-1976 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1852-1936 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1856-1880 Wills (with Index) 1856-1880 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1866-1928 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1937 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1916 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1870-1916 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1870-1928 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1948 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1954 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1871-1881 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1871-1928 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1891 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1885-1915 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1898-1933 (*); Probate Court 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

 * Birmingham Southern College: 1914-2008 (via the Internet Archive)
 * Howard College Student Catalogs (currently Samford University): 1847-1908 (via the Internet Archive)

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
Jefferson County Tax Payment Records ~  County of Jefferson (searchable database)


 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry $

Birth

 * 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, and some images

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1800-1969 Alabama, U.S., Marriage Index, 1800-1969 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1802-1825 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1825 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1920 Alabama, U.S., Compiled Marriages from Selected Counties, 1809-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1818-1928 Jefferson County Marriage Books 1-28 Index 1818-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1818-1845 Orena V. Grant Genealogical Collection (Marriages and Cemetery Records): From Southeastern, North and South Central States at Ancestry ($)
 * 1819-1875 Jefferson County, Alabama Marriages 1819 to 1875 at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1881-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1959 Alabama, U.S., Death Index, 1908-1959 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection; index

Archives
Alabama Department of Archives and History 624 Washington Ave PO Box 300100 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-242-4435 Email: [mailto:mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov mark.palmer@archives.alabama.gov] Website Facebook Birmingham Public Library, Archives & Manuscripts 2100 Park Place Birmingham AL 35203-2744 205-226-3630 Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bessemer Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Birmingham 2nd Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Birmingham Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Gardendale Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Leeds Alabama FamilySearch Center
 * Howard Gardner Nichols Memorial Library - an affiliate library
 * Birmingham Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Birmingham Public Library 2100 Park Place Birmingham, AL 35203 Phone: 205-226-3610 Website Facebook

Societies
Alabama Genealogical Society Samford University 800 Lakeshore Drive PO Box 293921 Birmingham, AL 35229 Email: [mailto:president@algensoc.org president@algensoc.org] Website Facebook Birmingham African American Genealogy Group Inc PO Box 12011 Birmingham, AL 35202 Email: [mailto:info@baagginc.org info@baagginc.org] Website Facebook Birmingham Genealogical Society PO Box 2432 Birmingham, AL 35201 Email: [mailto:birminghamgenealogy@yahoo.com birminghamgenealogy@yahoo.com] Website Facebook Publication: Pioneer Trails Birmingham Historical Society 1 Sloss Quarters PO Box 321474 Birmingham, AL 35232 Phone: 205-251-1880 Email: [mailto:bhistorical@gmail.com bhistorical@gmail.com] Website Facebook Publication: Birmingham Historical Society Journal Hoover Historical Society 2020 Valleydale Road #108 PO Box 360233 Hoover, AL 35236 Phone: 205-739-7316 Email: [mailto:info@hooverhistoricalsociety.org info@hooverhistoricalsociety.org] Website Facebook Hueytown Historical Society PO Box 3313 Hueytown, AL 35053 Website Facebook Jefferson County Historical Association PO Box 130285 Birmingham, AL 35213-0285 Phone: 205-967-1740 Email: [mailto:info@jeffcohistory.com info@jeffcohistory.com] Website Facebook Jefferson County Historical Commission 4700 7th Ct South Birmingham, AL 35222 Phone: 205-592-6610 Email: [mailto:info@jeffersonhistorical.org info@jeffersonhistorical.org] Website Southeast Alabama Genealogical and Historical Society PO Box 246 Dothan, AL 36302-0246 Phone: 334-794-8378 Email: [mailto:rdvalky@aol.com rdvalky@aol.com ] Publication: Wiregrass Roots SEAGHS Magazine West Jefferson County Historical Society PO Box 184 Bessemer, AL 35021 Phone: 205-426-1633 Email: [mailto:wjeffcohistsoc@gmail.com wjeffcohistsoc@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project may have maps, name indexes, history, or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project. Record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Jefferson County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Jefferson County AL Genealogy (Alabama 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.