Clarendon County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Clarendon County, South Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Clarendon County was named for Edward Hyde, who was a Lord Proprietor and earl of Clarendon. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clarendon County Courthouse 102 South Mill Street Manning, SC 29102 Phone: 803-435-4443 Clarendon County Website

County Pronunciation .

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:

Cemeteries

 * Clarendon County, South Carolina Cemeteries
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census Records

 * 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images

1860
 * Teel, Dorothy Owens. 1860 Census, Clarendon District, South Carolina. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society (South Carolina), 1983. 975.781 X2t 1860

1870
 * Thomas, Irene Miles. Clarendon County, SC 1870 Federal Census Extract. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 2004. 975.781 X2ti 1870

Agricultural Census 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. This resource lists the name of farmer, size of ranch or farm, value of property, crop, livestock, and more.Agricultural rolls are not indexed and are available at South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Mortality Census Schedules Available from June 1 to May 31 for the following years: 1859, 1869, 1879.Information is provided for people who died during the year before the 1st of June of each census year.Informatin included: names, age, sex, occupation, birth place.The Mortality Census Schedules are available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the National Archives.

Slaveholder Census The 1850 and 1860 Slaveholder Census lists the names of the slaveholders and the number, age, and sex of slaves. It does not list the names of slaves.

Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Service Taken in 1840. A list of pension holders. Not complete and contains some errors.

Civil War Union Veterans Taken in a speial census in 1890. Some Confederate veterans are included.Listed by county on one roll of microfilm.Gives veteran's name and widow's name, rank, company, regiment, and more.

1875 State Census Other state censuses exist for South Carolina. The 1875 SC State Census is complete for Clarendon County. Available at South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Church Records
Most church records can be obtained by contacting the individual church. If you know your ancestor's church, look for information in the following resources: R. N. Cote, Local And Family History in SC, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1981, pp. 15-47, 381-419. A. H. Stokes, Jr. A Guide to the Manuscript Collection of South Caroliniana Library, University of SC, Columbia, SC, 1982. J. H. Moore, Research Materials in SC, University of SC Press, Columbia, SC 1967, pp. 18, 21-28, 32, 36-37, 45-46, 55-61, 66-138, 148, 154, 174.

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary Clarendon County, Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Public Index – index; courts include Circuit Court, Summary Court and Masters-in-Equity, records added periodically

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:
 * United States African Americans
 * South Carolina African Americans
 * Free Negro Tax Defaulters List, 1800-1801, Carolina Herald and Newsletter, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Jul. 2006).
 * Big Home
 * Black River
 * Cedar Grove
 * Elmswood
 * Farmingdale
 * Fullwood
 * Gilman
 * Hickory Hill
 * Holladay
 * Ox Swamp
 * Pineland
 * Rambay
 * Sycamore Grove
 * Taw Caw - Summerton
 * Woodside
 * Wyboo

Genealogies
General Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders| Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.

Bibliography
 * Cobia - Selleneit, Minnie Lee Cobia. My Life Story. 1977. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Graham - Graham, Ernest and Frances Oralee Jones Graham. The Rembert Ernest Graham Family Book of Remembrance, ca. 1570-1962. MSS. Microfilmed 1986:.
 * Humphrey - Marshall, Vera Lee Kearl. Proud to Remember: Genealogy and History of Four Ancestral Lines of Lula Barzilla Humphrey Kearl: Paternal -- Humphrey-Thames; Maternal -- Brunson-Marshall; Contains All the Data Procurable on the Generations from the First Known to the Present; Some Data on the Kirk and Gerald Families; Statements of Unsolved Problems and Questions. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1964..
 * Nelson - Huggins, George Allen. The Nelson Family of Clarendon County, South Carolina. Typescript.
 * Richardson - Esker, Katie-Prince W. Billups and Allied Families. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1984..
 * Sheriff - Sheriff, Pauline Callaway. Faith of the Prairies: A Sheriff - Burt - Spriggs History. Hollis, Okla.: P.C. Sheriff, 1977..
 * Williams Womack, Andrina S. David Williams of Saint Marks Parish, South Carolina. Charlotte, N.C.: Catawba, 2007..
 * Williams Womack, Andrina S. David Williams of Saint Marks Parish, South Carolina. 2 vols. n.p.: A.S. Womack, 2009..

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records.
 * Sumter District records destroyed by fire 27 Nov 1801

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

Local Histories
The county is named after one of the original Lord Proprietors of South Carolina (and High Chancellor of England) Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674). Clarendon has existed in two different incarnations (see below). Learn more about the history of Clarendon County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.


 * Clark, Sylvia H. Shadows of the Past an Illustrated History of Clarendon County SC. (Virginia Beach, Virginia Donning Company Publishers, c2005), 203 pages. History of Clerendon from about 1855 to 1960 & beyond. Book at and Other Libraries

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
War of 1812
 * 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.  Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Clarendon County, p. 183-184. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men from Clarendon County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Clarendon County or from many of its men:
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Sharpshooters, Company B - (also known as the Sumter Guards)
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Light Artillery (Palmetto Battalion),
 * - Company C (also known as the Wilson Light Artillery, Culpepper's Light Artillery and Culpeper Battery)
 * - Company G (also known as the DeSaussure Light Artillery and the DePass Light Battery)
 * - Company K (also known as Richardson's Company)
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Rutledge's), Company D, Company F, and Company I
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina State Troops, Company D
 * - 5th Battalion, South Carolina Reserves (Brown's), Company F
 * - 6th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Byrd's), Company B
 * - 7th Battalion, South Carolina Reserves (Ward's), Company E
 * - 7th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Nelson's) (Enfield Rifles), Company E
 * - 7th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company G, Company I, and Company K
 * - 8th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves
 * - 9th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D and Company I
 * - 14th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A


 * Clarendon County Military Data (scroll down page) - USGenWeb Project -Shows links for the history and rosters of the following units:
 * - Company I- 25th Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
 * - Company I- 23rd Regiment South Carolina Volunteers
 * - Company H- 5th Cavalry South Carolina Volunteers
 * - Company K- 6th Infantry South Carolina Volunteers

Other Resources
 * Clark, Sylvia H. Shadows of the Past: an Illustrated History of Clarendon County SC. (Virginia Beach, Virginia: Donning Company Publishers, c2005), 203 pages. History of Clerendon from about 1855 to 1960 & beyond. Chapter 4, page 45 has Civil War information. Book at and Other Libraries

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Clarendon 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.
 * Clarendon Banner (Manning, S.C.) 1859-18??.
 * The Banner of Freedom (Sumter, S.C.) 18??-18??.
 * The Clarendon Enterprise (Manning, S.C.) 1881-1895.
 * The Clarendon Chronicle (Manning, S.C.) 1973-1983.
 * The Clarendon Press (Manning, S.C.) 1867-1880.
 * The Clarendon Recorder (Manning, S.C.) 1865-1866.
 * The Herald (Manning, S.C.) 1913-1919.
 * The Manning Times (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current.
 * The Summerton Advance (Summerton, S.C.) 1906-1907.

University of South Carolina Library Catalog
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Periodicals

 * The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records

Claredon County Estate Records, ca. 1899-1926. Microreproduction of original estate packages at the South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina
 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1737-1964 South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 at Ancestry - images ($)
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at Findmypast — index ($) — $, index

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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records See also African Americans
 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Claredon County.

Birth

 * 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1915-1917 South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1917 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Birth Substitutes
 * Bible
 * Biographical records
 * Cemetery records
 * Census
 * Church records
 * Newspapers
 * Wills and probate records

Marriage
Online Marriage Records and Indexes
 * 1862-1878 Newspaper Abstracts from the Southern Christian Advocate by Sumter County, SC USGenWeb page - abstracts - INCLUDES Clarendon County
 * 1911-1950 Clarendon County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, ca. 1911-1950  - records only
 * Bibles
 * Church records
 * Court records
 * Land records
 * Wills and probate records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found insome counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
Online Death Records and Indexes
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1862-1878 Newspaper Abstracts from the Southern Christian Advocate by Sumter County, SC USGenWeb page - abstracts, INCLUDES *1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)Clarendon County
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 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.
 * Bible records
 * Biographies
 * Cemetery records
 * Census
 * Church records
 * Pension records
 * Wills and probate records

Divorce
Some separations were recorded during Reconstruction 1869-1870. Divorce records began to be officially recorded April 1949 with the Clerk of Court in the county the divorce was made official.Divorces occuring after July 1962 were filed with the state and are available from the Office of Vital Records.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Columbia South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Florence South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Sumter South Carolina FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Clarendon County Archives and History Center 211 N. Brooks Street Manning, SC 29102 803-435-0328 clarendonarchives@clarendoncountygov.org Website

Societies
Clarendon County Historical Society and Museum 211 N Brooks Street Manning, South Carolina, 29102 803-433-0328 Email: [mailto:clarendonmuseum@gmail.com clarendonmuseum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Clarendon County, SCGenWeb Home Page: Excellent resources for Clarendon County!
 * Clarendon County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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.

Research Guides

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