Fayette County, Illinois Genealogy

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

County Organization
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Fayette County are kept, see the Fayette County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts
The county is named after Revolutionary War hero, the {{wpd|Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette] (1757-1834).

Description
The county was named for Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the famous French General who fought for the colonies in the Revolutionary War. The county seat is Vandalia and the county was organized on February 14, 1821. The County is located in the central part of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.


 * 14 February 1821: Fayette County was created from Bond, Wayne, Clark and Jefferson Counties.

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

Biography

 * The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Fayette County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Fayette County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Cemeteries

 * Fayette County, Illinois Cemeteries. Courtesy of Hinton History and Genealogy.
 * Fayette County, IL Cemeteries &amp; Tombstone Index. Courtesy of ILGenWeb.
 * Confederate Soldiers Buried in Fayette County. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
 * Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project
 * Fayette County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site courtesy of epodunk.

Census
For information and tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

1840 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., 1841. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Fayette County on page 186-187.]

Church Records
Timeline of early churches in Fayette County :


 * 1818 - Methodists were preaching in the county since the state was admitted to the Union.
 * 1824 - Methodist church and grave yard in Sharon Twp
 * 1825 - Methodists first preach in Wilberton Twp.
 * 1828 - First Presbyterian Church organized in Vandalia
 * 1830 -Regular Baptists organized a church in Otego Twp
 * 1831 - Methodist church first built in Vandalia
 * Early 1830s - Baptist put up first church in Hurricane Twp. They were followed by Iniversalists and Methodists
 * 1834 - Methodists organized in Sefton Twp.
 * 1836 - Baptists built first church house in Wilberton Twp.
 * 1843 - Methodists organized in Otego Twp, though a preacher had been there since 1825.
 * 1844 - Lutheran Church with both English and German members organized in Vandalia
 * 1845 - Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church celebrated first Mass in the courthouse
 * 1846 - Presbyterians organized in Otego Twp.
 * 1846 - Regulat Baptists was the first church organized in Ramsey Twp. followed by Methodists the same year.
 * 1846 - German Methdists gained strength in Sefton Twp.
 * 1850 - First Church in Shelbyville, Aventa Twp. built by Methodists though the first sermons were probably preached on homes in early to mid 1830s
 * 1851 Lutheran Church in Wheatland Twp. By then there were other churches in the townshp - German Reformed, Methodist, United Brethern, and Christian Churches.
 * 1851 - Christian Church organized in Ramsey Twp.
 * 1850s - Church building erected in Kaskaskia Twp. that served Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians
 * 1855 - Catholics built a church in Avanta Twp.
 * 1857 - Cumberland Presbyterians organized in Lone Grove Twp.folloef by other dchurches in that twp.
 * 1859 - Methodist church organized in La Clede, La Clede Twp., though first preachers were Baptists in the mid 1830s.
 * 1867 - Catholics organized in Ramsey Twp.
 * 1875 - Comberland Presbyterians organized in La Clede Twp.
 * 1894 - Baptist Church established in Vandaila

For an list of current churches in Fayette County with links to their websites Click Here.

Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Fayette County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1821-1861 Circuit Clerk's Miscellaneous FilesIRAD-UIS
 * 1831-1860 Circuit Court Fee Books IRAD-UIS
 * 1836-1842 Circuit Court Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1839-1870 Justice of the Peace Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1847-1858 Jury Registers IRAD-UIS

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Fayette County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records


 * 1821-1970 Deed Index IRAD-UIS
 * 1821-1972 Deed record IRAD-UIS
 * 1852-1857 Swamp land record IRAD-UIS
 * 1852–1865 Swamp land record

Online Resources


 * BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Fayette County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales. The Illinois State Archives has an online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales fro 54740 square miles.


 * "Illinois Public Land Purchase Records" This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at ancestry.com ($)
 * "U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796 to 1907:" Available at ancestry.com Records of Illinois are among the 13 states included in this set. It includes images of the land patents which contain the information necessary for ordering the complete case files from the National Archives. This appears to be the same information that is online at the Federal Land Office site http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.


 * Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Expains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Fayette County land and property may be found online in the. Online microfilm are indicated by the camera icon in the catalog entry. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Fayette County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Fayette County.


 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company H.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company E.
 * - 14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 35th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, G, H and K.
 * - 38th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 41st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 68th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 97th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F, H and I.
 * - 143rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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:

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1819 - 1988 at FamilySearch.org — images

Original probate records are held by the circuit court clerk. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. For more information see the wiki page Illinois Probate Records. Few probate records are held at IRAD for Christian County. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS. The following copies are available at IRAD–UIS and in the FamilySearch Catalog:


 * 1821–1848Probate Court Records Online images. Browse for Fayette records.
 * 1847–1884Probate Records Online images. Browse for Fayette records.
 * 1858Probate Fee Books IRAD–UIS
 * 1859–1917Will Record Online images. Browse for Fayette records.
 * 1859–1922Will Record
 * 1867–1869Executors' Records Online images. Browse for Fayette records.
 * 1879–1908Will Execute Record Online images. Browse for Fayette records.
 * 1885–1894Guardian Records Online images. Browse for Fayette records.

County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Fayette County are kept, see the Fayette County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers
Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States) and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Fayette County.

You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site.

The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.

Alton Illinois Family History Center 6500 Humbert Rd. Godfrey, Illinois 618-466-4352

Centralia Illinois Family History Center 2241 E. Calumet St. Centralia, Illinois 618-532-3482

Litchfield Illinois Family History Center 12367 Robertson Road Litchfield, Illinois 65056 217-324-2396

O'Fallon Illinois Family History Center 255 Fairwood Hills Rd. O'Fallon, Illinois 618-632-0210

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Fayette County. The link will help you find and use the records. There address is:

Illinois Regional Archives Depository LIB144 University of Illinois at Springfield Region One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407 217-206-6520

Public Libraries
St. Elmo Public Library District 311 West Cumberland Road St. Elmo, Illinois 62458 618-829-5544 Email:Librarian@stelmolibrary.org

Evans Public Library District 215 South Fifth Street Vandalia, Illinois 62471 618-283-2824

Ramsey Public Library 401 South Superior Ramsey, Illinois 62080 618-423-2019

Social Groups Online
Fayette County Genealogical and Historical Society Vandalia, Illinois Facebook Group

Friends of the Fayette County Genealogical and Historical Society Facebook Group (ask to join)

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth (1860) and death (1878) certificates are kept by the Fayette County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are kept by the County Clerk from 1877 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

Copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Universtiy of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Fayette County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page.

found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Fayette County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).

Births

 * 1860–1925 Birth Records index available at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette County
 * 1860–1921 Birth Certificates available at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette county
 * 1877–1917 Birth and Death Records index available at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette County
 * 1877–1917 Birth Records available at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette county

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Marriages

 * 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1821–1900 Statewide Marriage Index Free Online Index. Search for Fayette Records.
 * 1821–1874 Marriage Index. Free online Book at Internet Archive.
 * 1821–1850 Illinois Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.
 * 1821–1964 Marriage Record Index at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette records
 * 1827–1964 Marriage Record Index at UIS IRAD Region search for Fayette records

Deaths

 * 1877–1917 Birth and Death Records index available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1877–1925 Death Records Index Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1877–1915 Death record Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1878–1920 Death Certificates Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1916–1950 Illinois Statewide Death Index Search for Fayette County.
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index
 * 1902–1949 Death Certificates (Vandalia City) Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1878–1920 Burial Permit Record (Vandalia City) Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Fayette County
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1850–1880 U.S. Federal Mortality Schedules. Search for Fayette County. Ancestry ($)

Websites

 * Fayette County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Fayette County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Illinois 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.
 * Fayette County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)