Clay County, Florida Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. The County is located in the Northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse PO Box 698 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-0698 Phone: 904-284-6317 Clay County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, probate, court, and land records from 1872, and divorce records from 1859. County Health Department has birth and death rec from 1973

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:

History Timeline
Additional Information

The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).

Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.

Census Records

 * 1783 Spanish Census- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service- USGenWeb Archives Project

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * FamilySearch Places


 * Doctors Inlet

Court Records

 * 1885-1925 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * Florida African American Griots Project - USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas - African Ancestor Genealogy
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project

Funeral Homes

 * Aaron and Burney Bivens Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Orange Park
 * Broadus Raines Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs
 * Hardage - Giddens Holly Hill Funeral Home in Middleburg
 * Helm Gallagher Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Green Cove Springs
 * Jacksonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery in Orange Park
 * Jones-Gallagher Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Keystone Heights
 * Russell Haven of Rest Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs

Land and Property Records

 * Florida Territorial Land Records

Local Histories
History of Clay County, FLGenWeb

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Florida (1821-1997)
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of State - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of State- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Clay County Military Files (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Florida State Military Files - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Pension Transcriptions- Florida state pension records from various wars - USGenWeb Pension Project

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1883 1883 Pension Files for St. Johns, Duval and Clay Counties (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Pensioners, Clay Co. FLGenWeb

World War I
 * 1917-1918 Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames A-K (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames L-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Adans - Hinson (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Holcy - Young (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Clay County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Korean War
 * Clay County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War
 * Clay County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Digitized Newspapers relating to Clay Co, at the FLGenWeb
 * Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * Florida Obituaries - Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties - USGenWeb Obituaries Project

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1784-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1859-1924 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1930 (*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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.

Birth

 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Florida State Archives
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

 * 1877-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
 * 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voter Records

 * 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Jacksonville Florida West Family History Center

Libraries
Clay County Public Library System Website Facebook
 * There are five branches in the county library system.

Fleming Island Library 1895 Town Center Blvd Fleming Island, FL 32003 Phone: 904-278-3720 Facebook Green Cove Springs Library 403 Ferris Street Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Phone: 904-284-6315 Facebook Keystone Heights Library 175 Oriole Street Keystone Heights, FL 32656 Phone: 352-473-4286 Facebook Middleburg-Clay Hill Library 2245 Aster Ave Middleburg, FL 32068 Phone: 904-541-5855 Facebook Orange Park Library 2054 Plainfield Ave Orange Park, FL 32073 Phone: 904-278-4750 Facebook

Societies
Clay County Florida Genealogy and Graveyards Facebook Clay County Historical Society 915 Walnut St P0 Box 1202 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Phone: 904-284-9644 Email: [mailto:historicsociety@aol.com historicsociety@aol.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Clay County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Clay County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Clay County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc
 * Clay County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * Clay County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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.