DeSoto County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Hernando de Soto. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
DeSoto County Courthouse Courthouse Square 2535 Hwy 51 S Hernando, MS 38632 Phone: 662-429-1317 DeSoto County Courthouse Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records.

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:

Census Records

 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1841  at FamilySearch
 * 1845  at FamilySearch
 * 1853  at FamilySearch
 * 1870  at FamilySearch

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Local Histories

 * Matthews, Paul A. Early Families of the Memphis Area: Profiles of 135 Families of Fayette, Shelby and Tipton Counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County, Arkansas and DeSoto and Marshall Counties in Mississippi: With Historical Time Lines and Photogrpahs of Those Counties. Memphis, Tennessee: Descendants of Early Settlers of Shelby and Adjoining Counties, 2008..

Bibliography


 * A Brief History of DeSoto County, Mississippi

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 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
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch


 * - 10th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company A - Horn Lake Volunteers [formerly Co. E, 9th MS Infantry]
 * - 1st Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Johnston's)
 * Company D - DeSoto Greys
 * - 5th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company K - Ward’s Company
 * - 19th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry (Duff's)
 * Company H - Morris’ Company
 * - 8th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry (formerly 19th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry (Duff's)
 * Company H - Morris’ Company
 * - 9th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company E - Horn Lake Volunteers
 * Company G - DeSoto Guards
 * Company K - Irrepressibles
 * - 9th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (New)
 * Company A - Capt. Wallace’s Company

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry $
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch

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.

Tax Records

 * 1837-1896  at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1840-1890s DeSoto County, Mississippi Marriages. MSGenWeb
 * 1845-1916 DeSoto County Marriage Books A-I and 1-8 Index 1845-1916 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1979 - at FamilySearch for various counties — index and images

Death

 * 1822-1921 - at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1912-1943 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Societies
Genealogical Society of Desoto County Mississippi P.O. Box 607 Hernando, MS 38632-0607 (662) 469-8495 Email: [mailto:GSDCMS@hotmail.com GSDCMS@hotmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Desoto County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * DeSoto County, MS History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb DeSoto County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * – 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.