Hancock County, Indiana Genealogy

Guide to Hancock County, Indiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. Indiana Online Genealogy Records

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed January 26, 1827 from Madison County
 * County Seat:  Greenfield

Description
The county was named for John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, who signed his name prominently to the Declaration of Independence. There it was forced to surrender, ensuring American independence. It's county seat is Greenfield and was founded March 1, 1828. It is located in the Central area of the state.

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:

Neighboring Counties
Hamilton •  Madison  •  Henry  •  Rush  •  Shelby  •  Marion

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Indiana County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Indiana County Boundary Maps" (1790-1873) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

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

Cemeteries

 * Cauldwell (Jackson) Cemetery
 * Gillium Chapel (Methodist) Cemetery
 * McCordsville-I.O.O.F. Cemetery
 * Reeves (Mount Gilead) Cemetery
 * Simmons Cemetery
 * Wynn Cemetery

Census Records

 * Index to Mortality Schedule (1860) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories

 * History of Hancock County, Indiana : From its Earliest Settlement. 1882. By John H. Binford. Greenfield, Ind. : King & Binford. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * History of Hancock County, Indiana, its People, Industries, and Institutions. 1916. By George J. Richman. Indianapolis, Indiana : Federal Publishing. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books; . Note: Two histories of Hancock County by George J. Richman were published in 1916 by two different publishers, one was 860 pages and the other was 1,252 pages. The additional pages were biographical sketches. The smaller book was reprinted in 1978. The additional pages from the second book were reprinted separately in 1979. The 1978 reprint includes an index to all of the pages. This index was prepared by the WPA in 1941. Both books should be consulted, as neither one is complete.

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana
 * Hancock County, Indiana: Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium

Military Records

 * Veterans in Hancock County, Indiana (1886) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Mexican War, 1846-1848

 * Men of Hancock County in The Mexican -Genealogy Trails

Civil War, 1861-1865
Civil War service men from Hancock 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 Hancock County


 * 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company G
 * 8th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, G, and Reorganized Company G
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company B
 * 12th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B, and Reorganized Company G
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company E
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
 * 51st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 53rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 69th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C, and D
 * 75th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 105th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 132nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies F, and I
 * 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
 * 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, and I

Civil War Sources for Hancock County


 * Men of Hancock County in The Civil War - Genealogy Trails


 * "Military Annals" Chapter 7 in Richman, George J.History of Hancock County, Indiana; Its People, Industries and Institutions. (Greenfield, Ind: Wm. Mitchell Printing Co, 1916.) (page 255-328 Regiment, Company, Name) 977.258 H2r FHL US/CAN Book  other library INTERNET ARCHIVE Google books

World War I (The Great War), 1914-1918

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Hancock County Ancestry.com Hancock Roll Honor


 * A Record of Indiana Men and Women who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War. 1914-1918 -Genealogy Trails
 * Residents of Hancock County, Indiana Who Served in World War I Indiana Genealogical Society


 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II, 1941-1945

 * Hancock County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps Access Genealogy

Newspapers
Many Hancock County residents were covered in the Knightstown Banner. See their obituary archive and genealogy columns at Banner Online

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1798 – 1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

School Records

 * Graduates of Mount Comfort High School (1902-1929) Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Graduates of Wilkinson High School (1898-1926) Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Directory of Teachers for Hancock County (1936) Indiana Genealogical Society)

Courthouse
Hancock County Courthouse 9 E Main Street Greenfield, IN 46140 Phone: 317.462.1109

County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1828. County Recorder has land records. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882.

Societies
Hancock County Historical Society PO Box 375 28 Apple St. Greenfield, IN 46140 E-mail: [mailto:hancockhistory@live.com hancockhistory@live.com] Website

Hancock County, Indiana, Genealogical Society, Inc. 700 N. Broadway Greenfield, IN 46140

Genealogical Society of Hancock, IN Inc. PO Box 122 Greenfield, IN 46140-0122 Website

Family History Centers

 * Fishers Indiana Family History Center

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.

Marriage Records

 * 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1780-1992 - FamilySearch
 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 - Ancestry.com $
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1828-1836 Hancock County, Indiana Marriages Genealogy Trails

Death Records

 * 1750-1993 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry - ($), index and images
 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Websites

 * Hancock County, Indiana INGenWeb
 * Hancock County, IN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Hancock County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Hancock County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)