Chatham County, Georgia Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. The County is located in the Atlantic coast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Chatham County Courthouse 124 Bull Street Savannah, GA 31401-3230 Phone: 912-652-7127 Chatham County Website Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records from 1783, land records from 1785 and naturalization records from 1801.

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:

Bible Records

 * Chatham County Bible Records at Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

St. John's Church, Savannah


 * 1846-1885 St. John's Church, Savannah, Baptism Index 1846-1885. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1846-1903 St. John's Church, Savannah, Marriage Index 1846-1903. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Baptist
 * Thomas, Edgar Garfield. The First African Baptist Church of North America. Savannah, Ga.: unknown, 1925. Digital version at Ancestry

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Savannah

Episcopal St. Paul's, Savannah


 * 1883-1911 St. Paul's Church, Savannah, Baptism Index 1883-1911. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1892-1911 St. Paul's Church, Savannah, Marriage Index 1892-1911. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Presbyterian Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah


 * 1805-1850 Chatham County Marriages (white 1805-1850)Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah
 * 1828-1866 Savannah Independent Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1828-1866. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1829-1866 Savannah Independent Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1829-1866. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Colonial Records

 * 1738 Savannah Residents; 1735-1738 Savannah Baptisms; 1738 List of Savannah Malcontents; Savannah Town Lots 1745-1747; 1756; Savannah Town Lots at Yamacraw Bluff 1760; Savannah Wharf Lots 1759 Georgia Pioneers $

Court Records

 * 1782-1900 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1790-1873 (*); Inferior, City Court, and Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1795-1845 (*); Inferior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1800-1901 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1800-1901 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1804-1816 (*); Inferior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1810 (*); Inferior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1813-1827 (*); Inferior and Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1822-1826 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1849 (*); City Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1856-1867 (*); City Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1860 (*); Inferior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1861-1868 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1866-1868 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1873-1901 (*); County Commissioners at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1889-1898 (*); City Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1890-1900 (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1890-1950 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1892-1909 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1900-1912 (*); Court of OrdinaryE at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images


 * (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1888-1891 Savannah, Georgia Directories, 1888-1891 at Ancestry ($).
 * 1898-1899 Savannah City Directory at Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1960 Polk's Savannah, Georgia, City Directory, 1960 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Emigration and Immigration
Inward and outward slave manifest lists:


 * Savannah, Georgia: Coastwise Slave Manifests, 1801-1860. ARC 1151775, U.S. Customs Service, Record Group Number 36. National Archives Southeast Region, Morrow, Georgia. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * Savannah, Georgia, Slave Manifests, 1811-1860 at Ancestry ($). This is a database of manifests for slaves arriving in Savannah, Georgia from 1811-1860.The manifests include: Name of ship, Master, Port of departure, Port of destination, List of slaves on board. The slave information includes: First name, Sex, Age, Stature, Name of shipper/owner, Shipper/owner’s place of residence.
 * Perdue, Robert Eugene. The Negro in Savannah, 1865-1900. New York, Exposition Press, [1973]. 156 p. (An Exposition university Book) F294.S2 P47
 * Savannah, Georgia, Registers of Free Persons of Color, 1817-1864 available at Ancestry ($)
 * — index — How to Use this Collection

Funeral Homes

 * Adams Funeral Services in Savannah
 * Baker McCullough Funeral Home and Cremation in Savannah and Garden City
 * Bonaventure Funeral Home in Savannah
 * Bynes-Royall Funeral Home, Inc. in Savannah
 * Campbell and Sons Funeral Home in Savannah
 * Families First Funeral Care and Cremation Center in Savannah
 * Fidelity Memorial Group in Savannah
 * Fox and Weeks Funeral Directors in Savannah
 * Gamble Funeral Service in Savannah
 * Sexton Hall Funeral Homes in Port Wentworth
 * Sylvania Funeral Homes, Inc. in Savannah

Land and Property Records

 * 1735-1866 Georgian Colonial and Headright Plat Index, 1735-1866 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - alpha index
 * 1783-1909 Headright and Bounty Plats, 1783-1909 at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1805-1833 District Plats of Survey at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images organized by county and district
 * Colonial Plats and Warrants at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index

Deeds and Probate Records


 * The Georgia historical quarterly
 * Georgia. Superior Court (Chatham County) are available on microfilm through a local family history center.
 * Chatham County Deed Books (1785-1806), index and images online at the Georgia Deed Books.

Grants


 * Court of Ordinary (Effingham County)
 * Bryant, Pat
 * Hemperley, Marion R.

Headright Surveys:

Public land given to the head of a household or to an individual who paid another person's passage to America. Headright grants were given to early colonists of America and to early citizens of Texas. See.

Homestead Records (See also Probate Records)

Superior Court (Chatham County)

Land Lottery


 * Learn more about Land Lotteries here: Land Lottery (Georgia Archives)
 * Surveyor General

Oyster Leases


 * (Chatham County)
 * County Commissioners

Mortgages

Superior Court (Chatham County)

Pony Homestead Records

Court of Ordinary (Chatham County)

Local Histories

 * Gamble, Thomas. Bethesda: An Historical Sketch of Whitefield's House of Mercy in Georgia, and of the Union Society, His Associate and Successor in Philanthropy. Savannah, Ga.: Morning News Print, 1902. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Gamble, Thomas. Savannah Duels and Duellists, 1733-1877. Savannah, Ga.: Review Pub. &amp; Print. Co., 1923. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Granger, Mary. . Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Harden, William. A History of Savannah and South Georgia. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1913. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Harden, William. Recollections of a Long and Satisfactory Life. New York: Negro Universities Press, 1968, c1934. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Jones, Charles Colcock. History of Savannah, Ga.: From Its Settlement to the Close of the Eighteenth Century. Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason &amp; Co., 1890. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Lattimore, Ralston B. Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 1954. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Lee, F. D. Historical Record of the City of Savannah. Savannah Ga.: Printed and published by J.H. Estill, Morning News Steam-powered Press, 1869, c1868. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Lichtenstein, Gaston. Early History of Tarboro, North Carolina: Also, Collated Colonial Public Claims of Edgecombe County, and Easter Sunday in Savannah, Ga. Richmond: W.E. Jones, Book and Job Printer, 1908. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Piechocinski, Elizabeth Carpenter. . Includes marriages and other vital records for Island residents, family history information for Island residents, listings of Island-born Blacks, grave sites, victims of hurricanes, Union soldiers involved in the skirmish on Whitemarch Island, plantation owners, and freed Blacks who obtained land in the Islands.
 * Savannah. Savannah, Ga.: Review Print. Co., 1937. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Sholes, A. E. Chronological History of Savannah: From Its Settlement by Oglethorpe Down to December 31, 1899: Together with a Complete Record of the City and County, and Savannah's Roll of Honor, A Roster of the Soldiers Who Have in Three Wars Gone Forth at Their Country's Call, from This City. Savannah, Ga.: Morning News Print., 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wilson, Adelaide. Historic and Picturesque Savannah. Boston: Published for the subscribers by the Boston Photogravure Co., 1889. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * 1740s-? Historic Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1866 - 1935 County Map File at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)
 * Map of Chatham County Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * Map of the Savannah River Plantations Georgia Pioneers ($)

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Chatham County for European settlers included:


 * Atlantic Ocean 1733
 * Savannah River 1733
 * Charleston-Savannah Trail late 1730s (an extension of the King's Highway)
 * Augusta-Savannah Trail 1739
 * Savannah-Jacksonville Trail 1740s

Military Records
Civil War  Online Records
 * Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1795 Military Muster at Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry— index (free)
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
 * 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
 * 1863-1864 Wayside Poor Home Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1920  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county


 * - 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Olmstead's) (Confederate), Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K
 * - 8th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company B
 * -11th Battalion, Georgia Infantry (State Guards) (Confederate), Company E
 * - 25th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies H and I
 * - 29th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F
 * - 31st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C
 * - 35th Battalion, Georgia (Confederate), Company C
 * - 47th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies A and E
 * - 54th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company F
 * - 63rd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies B, F and K
 * - Wheaton's Company, Georgia Artillery (Chatham Artillery) (Confederate)

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Chatham County.


 * April 10-11, 1862 Fort Pulaski
 * Map showing Civil War battles in Georgia.

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit

World War I World War II
 * 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
 * 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Savannah, Georgia, Naturalization Records, 1790-1910 available at Ancestry ($)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Georgia Historic Newspapers at Digital Library of Georgia
 * Savannah Morning News at Live Oak Public Libraries
 * The Bull Street Branch has the Savannah Morning News from 1763-present in microfilm.
 * The Georgia Room has the index to this paper for 1763-1986 except: 1846-1849; 1892-1895 (spotty); 1896-1929.
 * The Georgia Death Index (1919-1994) is available at Ancestry ($)

Other Records
Jail Records
 * 1855-1873 at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection

Voting Records 
 * 1867-1868  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1856-1909  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1733-1753 Colonial Wills at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1742-1955 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1742-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1754-1776 Colonial Will Books at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images with alpha index
 * 1759-1776 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1773-1817 Abstracts of Wills, Chatham County, Georgia, 1773-1817. By Lafar, Mabel Freeman and Caroline Price Wilson. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society, 1936. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * 1775-1861 Names of Families in Chatham County Wills, Estates, Inventories, Annual Returns, Probate at Georgia Pioneers] ($)
 * 1775-1927 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1775-1927 Chatham County, Georgia Will Records at SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1777-1852 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1783-1791 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1783-1927 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1814-1902 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1818-1922 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1818-1924 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1830-1936 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1845-1920 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1845-1924 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1852-1936 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1855-1922 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1855-1925 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1856-1913 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1856-1920 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1856-1924 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1860-1925 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1873-1951 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1876-1944 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1876-1952 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1885-1907 (*); Court of Ordinary at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1939 (*); The Georgia Historical Quarterly at FamilySearch Catalog — images

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. —How to Use this Collection
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1788-1789 - Images of of Tax Digests 1788-1789 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1793 - Chatham County Tax Digest for 1793 (digital images) Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * Tax Records, Georgia Archives
 * 1793-1798 - Images of Tax Records for 1793 and 1798 Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, index and images

Vital Records

 * 1803-1966 - Savannah, Georgia, Vital Records, 1803-1966 available at Ancestry ($)
 * 1828-1991 at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection

Birth

 * 1862-1865 Chatham County Birth Index. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection

The City of Savannah (Chatham County) has birth records beginning in 1890. They were recorded state-wide beginning in 1919.

Chatham County Health Department P. O. Box 14257 Savannah, GA 31416 Phone: 912-356-3438

Marriage

 * 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1754-1960  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1785-1950  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1787-1962  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1805-1836 Chatham County Marriage Index 1805-1836. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1808-1967  Name index to marriage records from the state of Georgia. — How to Use this Collection
 * 1808-1967  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection
 * 1827-1837 Chatham County Marriage Index 1827-1837. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1830-1842 Chatham County Marriage Index 1830-1842. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1838-1852 Chatham County Marriage Index 1838-1852. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1842-1861 Chatham County Marriage Index 1842-1861. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1852-1861 Chatham County Marriage Index 1852-1861. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1862-1866 Chatham County Marriage Index 1862-1866. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1877-1878 Chatham County Marriage Book A Index 1877-1878. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1878-1882 Chatham County Marriage Books B and C Index 1878-1882. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1882-1884 Chatham County Marriage Book D Index 1882-1884. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1884-1886 Chatham County Marriage Book E Index 1884-1886. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1886-1887 Chatham County Marriage Book F Index 1886-1887. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1887-1889 Chatham County Marriage Book G Index 1887-1889. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1889-1891 Chatham County Marriage Book H Index 1889-1891. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1891-1892 Chatham County Marriage Book I Index 1891-1892. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1892-1894 Chatham County Marriage Book J Index 1892-1894. Batch  at FamilySearch.
 * 1894-1895 Chatham County Marriage Book K Index 1894-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch.

Death

 * 1870-1960  at FamilySearch — index, and some images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1927  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1919-1930 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index and images
 * 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
 * 1928-1942  at FamilySearch — index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1933-1998  at FamilySearch — index — How to Use this Collection

Voter Records

 * 1856-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, index and images

Archives
Savannah Diocesan Archives 2170 East Victory Drive Savannah, GA 31404 912-201-4070 Email: [mailto:archives@diosav.org archives@diosav.org] Website Facebook

FamilySearch Centers

 * Savannah Georgia Family History Center

Museums
Fort Pulaski National Monument 101 Fort Pulaski Road Savannah, GA 31410 912-786-5787 Email: [mailto:fopu_information@nps.gov fopu_information@nps.gov] Website Facebook

Societies
Bonaventure Historical Society 330 Bonaventure Rd PO Box 5954 Savannah, GA 31414 912-412-4687 Website Facebook

Coastal Heritage Society 303 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Savannah, GA 31401 912-651-6840 Email: [mailto:info@chsgeorgia.org info@chsgeorgia.org] Website Facebook

Coastal Museums Association PO Box 11362 Savannah, GA 31412 Email: [mailto:cmapresident84@gmail.com cmapresident84@gmail.com] Website

Coastal Scottish Heritage Society PO Box 5053 Savannah, GA 31414 912-356-0491 Facebook

Georgia Historical Society in Savannah Georgia 501 Whitaker Street Savannah, GA 31401 912-651-2125, 877-424-4789 Website

Historic Savannah Foundation 321 E York St Savannah, GA 31401 912-233-7787 Email: [mailto:info@myhsf.org info@myhsf.org] Website Facebook

Savannah Area Genealogical Association PO Box 15385 Savannah, GA 31416 Email: [mailto:gasaga@comcast.net gasaga@comcast.net] Website

Savannah Jewish Federation 5111 Abercorn Street Savannah, GA 31405 912-355-8111 Email: [mailto:jea_federationhotline@savj.org jea_federationhotline@savj.org] Website Facebook

Society for the Preservation of Laurel Grove PO Box 10315 Savannah, GA 31412-0515 912-231-8166 Website

Thunderbolt Museum Society 2702 Mechanics Ave Thunderbolt, GA 31404 912-351-0836 Email: [mailto:selmore@thunderboltga.org selmore@thunderboltga.org] Website Facebook

Tybee Island Historical Preservation Commission 403 Butler Ave Tybee Island, GA 31328-0366 912-472-5071 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Chatham County, Georgia project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * GAGenWeb Archives
 * Chatham County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Lane Library Digital Collections (Armstrong Atlantic State University)
 * Georgia Pioneers Georgia Pioneers ($)
 * - 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