Chester County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

Chester County, South Carolina Record Dates
Chester County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Chester County Courthouse 140 Main Street Chester, SC 29706 Phone: 803-385-2605

Chester County Probate Court 1476 J.A. Cochran Bypass P.O. Box 580 Chester, SC 29706 Phone: 803-385-2604 Marriage and probate records

Clerk of Court 140 Main Street P.O. Box 580 Chester, SC 29706 Phone: 803-385-2605 Deeds and court records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday

Historical Facts
Chester County was named for Chester, Pennsylvania by early Scots-Irish settlers who arrived in the area as early as 1755. Many belonged to the Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church.

Chester, Pennsylvania was in turn named for Chester, England. Learn more about the history of Chester County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

Parent County/Boundary Changes

 * 1785 - Thirty three counties were created within existing South Carolina Districts. Chester County was created within Camden District.
 * 1791 - Chester was transferred to the newly created Pinckney District.
 * 1800 - Chester was re-christened a district and Pinckney District was abolished.
 * 1868 - Chester and all other districts became counties.

For more information as well as maps of Chester County through time, see the South Carolina State Archives or For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

County Seat
The county seat of Chester County is Chester.

County Pronunciation
.

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

Places / Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Chester County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Heinegg, Paul. "'Other Free' Heads of Household in the 1790 South Carolina Census, by County," Free African Americans.com. [Includes free blacks in Chester County.]
 * Berry, Faye. 1820 Census, Chester District, South Carolina. 1985. Includes 14 "Free Persons of Colour."
 * The white slave-owning Presley family kept a record of their slaves' births from 1826 to 1856. A copy is available at the Family History Library:

Known plantations - South Carolina Plantations:


 * Backstrom - Richburg - also called Key, Marion
 * Beckhamville
 * Blackjack - also called Barr
 * Brawley
 * Cedar Shoals
 * Green
 * Key - also called Backstrom, Marion
 * Landsford - Catawba
 * Marion - also called Backstrom, Key
 * McCullough
 * Mount Holly
 * Oak Grove - also called John Edward Bankhead Home
 * Oakland
 * Oaks of Mamre - Chester - also called Walker-Mills
 * Red Bank
 * Red Hill
 * Tivoli - Landsford
 * Turkey Creek
 * Walker-Mills - Chester - also called Oaks of Mamre
 * Wappetaw
 * Woodside
 * Wyoming

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list, see Chester County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census
1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Chester County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Chester County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files, The USGenWeb Census Project®

1820

 * Berry, Faye. 1820 Census, Chester District, South Carolina. 1985.

1820 Manufactures
The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies:.

Published abstract:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. ; digital version at Lineages. Includes this county.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C.: Blair and Rives, 1841. ; digital versions at Google Books. See South Carolina, Chester District on page 144.

1850

 * Myer, Lois C. Chester County, South Carolina Census 1850, 1870 and 1880.

1870

 * Myer, Lois C. Chester County, South Carolina Census 1850, 1870 and 1880.

1880

 * Myer, Lois C. Chester County, South Carolina Census 1850, 1870 and 1880.

Court Records

 * Holcomb, Brent H. et al. Chester County, South Carolina Minutes of the County Court, 1785-1799. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1979..

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.

Genealogy
More than 100 genealogies have been published about families in this county. For a list, see Chester County, South Carolina Genealogy.

Deeds
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.

Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records for Chester County:

* Records before 1772 may be found in North Carolina counties Tryon, Mecklenburg and Anson ** Some early Camden District records may be found in Kershaw County

The original Chester County deed books are kept at the county courthouse. They have been microfilmed for the years 1785 to 1867: 23320 ff. See also Cross Index, A-Z, 1776-1866: 364840. Deed Books A to F have been published:


 * 1785-1799 - Holcomb, Brent H. Chester County, South Carolina, Deed Abstracts - Volume I: Deed Books A-F: 1785-1799 [1768-1799]. Columbia, S.C.: SCMAR, 2005. 975.747 R2h
 * 1786-1793 - Thomas, Elizabeth Wood. Chester County, South Carolina Deed Book C, 1786-1793. Pass Christian, Miss.: Willo Institute of Genealogy, 1966. 975.747 R2t


 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

Local Histories

 * Collins, Anne Pickens. A Goodly Heritage : History of Chester County, South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina : Collins Pub., c1986), 354 pages. History of Chester County from the earlist to about 1986. Book at and Other Libraries
 * Editors: Collins, Ann Pickens & Louise Gill Knox. Heritage History of Chester County, South Carolina   (Chester, South Carolina : [Chester County Heritage Committee], c1982-1995 ), v.1 499 pages; v. 2 288 pages. History of Chester County from early to 1982. Includes many family histories. Books at ,975.747 H2h v. 2, and Other Libraries

General

 * "Fishing Creek cemetery, soldiers of past wars," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 2001, Volume 25, Issue. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Soldiers buried in Old Purity graveyard," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, September 1979, Volume 2, Issue 3. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.

Revolutionary War

 * "Sarah Jenkins Rev. War pension application, widow of John Jenkins, 1840," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, December 2006, Volume 30, Issue 4. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "John Craig recalls Revolutionary War in York and Chester, from 1839," Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, May 2006, Volume 20, Issue 2. Piedmont Historical Society : Spartansburg, SC 29304.
 * "John Craig recalls partisan warfare, 1776-1781," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 2005, Volume 29, Issue 2. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Battlefield at Fish Dam Ford, 1780," Old Newberry District Quarterly Winter 2005, Volume 14, Issue 4. Old Newberry District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society : Newberry, SC.
 * "Jane Thomas in Revolutionary War history," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, March 2004, Volume 28, Issue 1. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "John Bishop, Revolutionary War vet, d. 1852," Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, May 2003, Volume 17, Issue 2. Piedmont Historical Society : Spartansburg, SC.
 * "Battle of Beckhamville," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, September 2002, Volume 26, Issue 3. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Battle of Williamson's plantation," York County Genealogical and Historical Society Quarterly, June 2002, Volume 14, Issue 1, March 2002, Volume 13, Issue 4 and December 2001, Volume 13, Issue 3. York County Genealogical and Historical Society : Rock Hill, SC.
 * "David Hopkins ltr., 1780," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 2001, Volume 25, Issue 2. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Chester County Genealogical Society:Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Fishing Creek cemetery, Revolutionary soldiers," Chester District Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 2001, Volume 25, Issue 2. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "War Pensions," Branching Out From Saint Clair County, Illinois, May 2000, Volume 27, Issue 3. Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society : Marissa, Illinois.
 * "Revolutionary pensioners, 1818 and 1832," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 1983, Volume 6, Issue 1. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Revolutionary War pensions," Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Fall 1979, Issue 74. Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr. :Greenville, NC. Book 975.8 B2go.
 * "Battle of Hucks defeat," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, June 1979, Volume 2, Issue 2. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * "Revolutionary war pensions, 1840," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, Spring 1978, Volume 1, Issue. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b.
 * Collins, Anne Pickens. A goodly heritage : history of Chester County, South Carolina. Columbia, South Carolina : Collins Pub., c 1986. Book 975.747 H2c Fiche 6010905
 * Strange, Mary Wylie and Old Catholic presbyterian Church (Chester County, South Carolina). The revolutionary soldiers of Catholic Presbyterian Church, Chester County, South Carolina. [S.I.: s.n.], 1978. Book 975.747 D2s Film 1036399 item 2.

War of 1812

 * "Soldiers," Branching Out From Saint Clair County, Illinois, May 2000, Volume 27, Issue 3. Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society : Marissa, Illinois.
 * "War of 1812 soldiers," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, March 1979, Volume 2, Issue 1.Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b
 * "Chester in War of 1812," Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin, December 1978, Volume 1, Issue 4. Chester County Genealogical Society : Richburg, SC. Book 975.74 D25b
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Chester County, p. 183. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men from Chester County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies and regiments that were formed with many men from Chester County:


 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company D
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry,
 * - Company D (also known as Chester Troop)
 * - Company K (had been Company D of 1st South Carolina Cavalry Battalion)
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company E
 * - 5th Regiment, South Carolina State Troops, Company A and Company L
 * - 5th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63), Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company A, Company B, Company C, and Company D
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63), Company A, Company B, and Company C
 * - 7th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Nelson's) (Enfield Rifles), Company G and Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company C
 * - 10th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A
 * -Before Reorgination the 10th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry had the following companies: Company C
 * - 12th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 15th Battalion, South Carolina Heavy Artillery (Lucas'), Company A
 * - 17th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company A and Company D
 * - 19th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 23rd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Hatch's Coast Rangers), Company F
 * - 24th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company H

Other Resources
 * Editors: Collins, Ann Pickens & Louise Gill Knox.  Heritage History of Chester County, South Carolina   (Chester, South Carolina : Chester County Heritage Committee, c1982-1995 ), v.1 499 pages; v. 2 288 pages. History of Chester County from early to 1982. Includes many family histories. Civil War information is in volume 1, pages 486-495. Includes an alphabetical list of all confederate soldiers from chester county with their Regiment,or Battalin and Company. Books at, 975.747 H2h v. 2, and Other Libraries
 * Guevarra, Mark B., Christopher S. Prince. The Chester County Confederate Compendium : of Chester County, South Carolina (Oviedo, Florida : Artworks Gallery and Studio, c2006), 361 pages. Includes bibliographical references and index. Contents: Enrollment book of confederate veterans 1861-1865 -- Honor roll of confederate veterans of Chester County 1861-1865 -- Pension lists for Chester County 1888-1965 -- Pension applications for confederate veterans and widows 1919-1926 -- Confederate Home inmate records 1909-1957 -- Applications for artificial limbs 1867-1908 -- Cross of Honor ledger 1907-1923, Chester chapter #232, United Daughters of the Confederacy -- Members, Chester chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy -- Confederate veterans ledger 1904-1905, Walker-Gaston camp 821, United Confederate Veterans - Minutes 1904, Walker-Gaston camp, United Confederate Veterans. Book at  and Other Libraries.
 * Chester County, Clerk of Court. Enrollment Book Confederate Veterans, 1861-1865. (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1964) Includes index. Microfilm copy at

Newspapers
Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Chester County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.


 * Chester Palmetto Standard (Chesterville, S.C.) 1850-185?.
 * Chester Reporter (Chester, S.C.) 1869-1971.
 * Chester Standard (Chester, S.C.) 1853-1869.
 * News and Reporter (Chester, S.C.) 1971-current.
 * Palmetto Standard (Chester, S.C.) 1851-185?.
 * Public Opinion (Chester, S.C.) 1891-1891.
 * The Chester News (Chester, S.C.) 1917-1971.
 * The Chester Bulletin (Chester, S.C.) 1882-1899.
 * The Daily South Carolinian (Columbia, S.C.) 1849-1867.
 * The Druggist (Chester, S.C.) 1886-1886.
 * The Great Falls Reporter (Chester, S.C.) 1955-current.
 * The Lantern (Chester, S.C.) 1897-1913.
 * The Palmetto Standard (Chester, S.C.) 1895-1???.
 * The Semi-Weekly News (Chester, S.C.) 1913-1917.
 * The Semi-Weekly Standard (Chester, S.C.) 1868-18??.
 * The State Bulletin (Chester, S.C.) 1879-1882.

Current

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:


 * The Broad River Notebook
 * Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History
 * Chester County Genealogical Society Bulletin (Family History Library book 975.74 D25b .)

Probate
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. They have placed Will Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Chester 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:


 * Chester County Probate Records Vol. A: 1785-1799
 * Chester County Probate Records Vol. B: 1798-1802
 * Chester County Probate Records Vol. C: 1803-1805
 * Chester County Probate Records Vol. D: 1805-1810
 * Probate Records, 1787-1865. Chester County South Carolina, Judge of Probate. Includes index. Family History Library
 * Chester County Will Book A, 1779-1797; Book B, 1792-1802, Book C, 1803-1805 (transcripts) South Carolina Pioneers
 * Index to Chester County Will Book 1789-1819; Book A, 1789-1817; Book E,, 1810-1814; Book F, 1817; Book F2, 1815-1817; Book G, 1817-1822; Book H, 1820-1825; Book I, 1824-1826; Book J, 1826-1828; Book K, 1829-1831; Book L, 1832-1833; Book P, 1838-1839; Book 3, 1833-1853 South Caqrolina Pioneers

Online Probate Records
 * 1670-1980 - South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1671-1977 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1732-1964 - at FamilySearch — images

Taxation
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.

Published abstracts

 * 1874 - Delinquent Lands, 1874, Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Nov. 2005).

Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.

Birth
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Chester County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.


 * 1766-1900 - at FamilySearch — images

Marriage
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

The Chester County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.

Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.

Marriages and Marriage Substitutes- Indexes and Records


 * 1778-1879 - Chester County Marriages, 1778-1879, Implied in Chester County, S.C. Probate and Equity Records by Barbara R. Langdon WorldCat - index
 * Prior to 1911-1937 - Marriage Register (Chester County, South Carolina), Prior to 1911-1937   - index and images
 * 1911-1953 - Cross Index Marriage Register, Chester County, South Carolina, 1911-1953  - index
 * 1911-1950 - Chester County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, 1911-1950 - images
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Chester County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths - Indexes and Records
 * 1915-1965 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1914-1960 - State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Libraries

 * Chester County Library 100 Center Street Chester, South Carolina 29706 Telephone: 803-377-8145 FAX: 803-377-8146 Hours of operation: Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM 7:00 PM, FRI 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Sunday Closed  The Chester County library systems includes the following libraries: Chester County Library, Great Falls Community Library, Lewisville Community Library and a multi-stop Bookmobile. The Chester County Library provides cultural informational, and educational materials and access.The Chester County Library belongs to a consortium of seven libraries that share resources. Those libraries are Chester, Dillon, Darlington, Georgetown, marion, Marlboro, and Sumpter.  Their catalog system, Polaris, is shared by a number of libraries.

Museums

 * Chester County Historical Society Museum 107 McAliley St. Chester, South Carolina 29706 Telephone: (803) 385-2330 Hours: Open Wednesday 11am-3pm, and by appt. In addition to collections of historical artifacts, the museum has an extensive collection of old photos and genealogical materials on many Chester County families.

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage
Chester County Historical Society 107 McAliley St.P.O. Box 811 Chester, South Carolina 29706 Telephone: (803) 385-2332

Chester District Genealogical Society P.O. Box 336 Richburg SC 29729 Source: Society Hill

Family History Centers

 * Family History Centers in South Carolina

Websites

 * Chester County, SC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Chester County, SCGenWeb
 * Chester County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * South Carolina Pioneers South Carolina Pioneers