Kemper County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Reuben Kemper. The County has De Kalb as its seat and the County was created 1833. The County is located in the east central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kemper County Courthouse Bell St; PO Box 188 De Kalb, MS 39328 Phone: 601.743.2560

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1912. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate, court and land records from 1912.

Parent County
1833--Kemper County was created 23 December 1833 from the Choctaw Cession. County seat: De Kalb

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Mississippi county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Mississippi County Boundary Maps" (1785-1918) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1882--Some records were lost in a courthouse fire.

Neighboring Counties

 * Choctaw County, Alabama
 * Lauderdale
 * Neshoba
 * Newton
 * Noxubee
 * Sumter County, Alabama
 * Winston

African Americans
Some African American records are found in slave schedules, the Freedman's Bureau, and the Freedman's Bank. Sometimes land and probate records of the slave owners will include slave names.

Cemeteries
A list of cemeteries can be found Kemper County Mississippi GenWeb

Census

 * 1805 - 1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1660 - 1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1792 - 1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1837 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1841 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1845 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1853 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1880 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.

Maps

 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military
Some military records are available on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History website, which has a searchable catalog. The types of records found here include "Confederate records, State Auditor’s Confederate pension files, Military Department/Adjutant General series, Veterans’ Affairs Board records, and U.S. military records. The archives has nearly 400 manuscript collections associated with the different wars in which Mississippians have served. The Mississippiana collection includes military history books as well as indices to service records and pension rolls. The archives also has many photographs with military subjects."

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — 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)
 * 1889-1942 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1900-1974 - at FamilySearch — images


 * Men from Kemper County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Kemper County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry Reserves
 * Company C - Lampley’s Company
 * - 2nd Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company H - Kemper Dragoons
 * - 5th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company I - Kemper Rebels, aka Kemper Guards
 * - Perrin's Battalion, Mississippi State Cavalry
 * Company A - Perrin’s Company
 * - 11th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company A - Perrin’s Company
 * Company F - Steele’s Company

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1780 – 1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1781 – 1930 at FamilySearch — images
 * Mississippi, Kemper County, Register of claims by creditors against estates of deceased persons, vol. A, 1881-1972

School Records

 * Enumeration of Educable Children of Kemper County, 1890-1923

Taxation

 * 1834-1888 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.

Birth
The state of Mississippi was not required to keep birth or death certificates by law until 1 November 1912. Birth and death records since that time have been kept by the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
 * Kemper County birth records, 1913-1935

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1911 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776 - 1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826 - 1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826 - 50 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * to 1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1912-1921 - Kemper County Marriage Book 1 Index 1912-1921. Bach at FamilySearch - free.

Divorce

 * 1915-1950 Divorce cases, 1916-1950; index ca. 1915-1950

Death

 * Kemper County death records, 1912-1935

Genealogy Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Mississippi Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Kemper County, MS History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Kemper County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.