Lee County, South Carolina Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870). The County is located in the north central region of the state.

County Courthouse
Lee County Courthouse 123 S. Main Street Bishopville, SC 29010 Phone: 803-484-5341 Lee 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

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

Census Records

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

Church Records

 * St. Philip’s Church, Bradford Springs, South Carolina describes the parish records held by the South Carolina Historical Society.

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records Lee County has court records from 1902 that are held in the office of the Clerk of Court. Lee County was formed from Darlington, Kershaw and Sumter Counties so these also may need to be searched for records. The South Carolina Archives and History Center has court records available on microfilm for Lee County.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:
 * United States African Americans
 * South Carolina African Americans
 * Black - also called Josey
 * Josey - also called Black
 * Plain Hill
 * Rose Hill
 * Smith's Grove - Lynchburg - also called Tanglewood
 * Stirrup Branch - Bishopville
 * Tall Oaks - Bishopville - also called S. McLendon House
 * Tanglewood - Lynchburg - also called Smith's Grove

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

Bibliography
 * The Darlington Flag (Lydia, SC) 1851-1852
 * Locklair - Brown, Gerald D. A Genealogy of a Locklair Family Mainly of the Old Sumter District of South Carolina - Present Day Sumter and Lee Counties. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1995.
 * Smith - Smith, Jared M. The Legacy of J. Manly Smith, Sr.: First Sheriff of Lee County, South Carolina. Bishopville, S.C.: J.M. Smith, 1994. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library

Land and Property Records

 * This series consists of recorded copies of plats for state land grants for the Charleston and the Columbia Series with their certificates of admeasurement or certification.All personal names and geographic features on these plats are included in the repository's On-line Index to Plats for State Land Grants


 * The South Carolina Constitution of 1790 required the surveyor general to maintain offices in both the new capital at Columbia and in Charleston. The surveyor general began to use separate volumes for recording plats in his Columbia office in 1796. Before that, all plats were recorded in the set of volumes begun in Charleston in 1784. After 1796, most plats for land grants in the Upper Division of the state were recorded and filed in Columbia. The surveyor general chose to make the Columbia volumes a continuation of the state plat volumes begun in Charleston and gave the initial Columbia volume the number thirty-six to correspond with the number of the volume that had then been reached in the Charleston series. As a result, there are volumes numbered thirty-six through forty-three from each office, but the records in them are not duplicative.


 * Also included are the Plan Books containing Plats and Plans.

Online Land Indexes and Records The following charts show where you may best expect to find land records.
 * Some Camden District records are included with Kershaw County records
 * Sumter District records destroyed by fire 27 Nov 1801

Local Histories
A brief history of Lee Countyonline

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
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. Lee County did not exist during the Civil War. During the Civil War, men from the area of Lee County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in the counties of Darlington, Sumter and Kershaw. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.

Newspapers

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

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Lee 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.
 * Bishopville Eagle (Bishopville, S.C.) 1888-1893.
 * Bishopville Enterprise (Bishopville [S.C.]) 1886-1888.
 * Lee County Messenger (Bishopville, S.C.) 1923-1982.
 * Lee County Observer (Bishopville, S.C.) 1977-current.
 * Lee County Vindicator (Bishopville, Lee County, S.C.) 1902-1902.
 * The Leader and Vindicator (Bishopville, S.C.) 1902-1923.
 * The Mirror (Bishopville, S.C.) 1896-1897.

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * The South Carolina Department of Archives and History hasmicrofilms 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.
 * Early probate records of Lee County may be found in records of Camden and Cheraws District, which are both extinct. They may also be found in the now-defunct Craven County. See James C. Pigg's compilation of Cheraw[s]/Chesterfield District wills, 1750-1865 &amp; Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas, 1823-1869 for some Lee County probate records, formerly recorded in Cheraws District.
 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at FindMyPast — index, ($) — $, 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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Lee 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 ($)

Marriage
Marriages - Indexes and Records
 * 1911-1950 Lee County, South Carolina Marriage Registers, 1911-1950 - records
 * 1911-1950 Lee County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, 1911-1950 - index and 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
Deaths - Indexes and Records
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 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.

Family History Centers

 * Camden South Carolina Family History Center
 * Columbia South Carolina Family History Center
 * Florence South Carolina Family History Center
 * Sumter South Carolina Family History Center


 * Richland County Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies

 * Lee County South Carolina Historical Society 208 North Dennis Avenue Bishopville, SC 29010 803-484-6146

Websites

 * Lee County, SCGenWeb
 * Lee County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Old Darlington District Chapter


 * – 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: Lee County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.