Copiah County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for a Choctaw Indian word meaning calling panther. Copiah County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Copiah County Courthouse PO Box 507 Hazlehurst, MS 39083 Phone: 601-894-3021 Copiah County Website Clerk Chancery Court has divorce records from 1840, probate and land records from 1825 and confederate veterans records. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1825 and court 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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 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 $
 * 1822, 1825, 1841, 1845, 1853, 1880 State Census Return;  (1822, 1825, 1841, 1845,  1853, 1880) - Copiah County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

A researcher has compiled 4 lists of the slave owners and slaves as enumerated in the 1850 and 1860 Federal Censuses for Copiah County

A register of former slaves showing their former slave owners can be found at Mississippi Freedmen's Bureau Office Records, 1865-1872. The register was created by the Freedmen’s Bureau and contains entries for approximately 2000 slaves living in Copiah County. It is undated, but based on the ages of the former slaves, the register was created between 1865 to 1866. The register contains the following information for most of the entries:
 * 1850 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Alphabetical
 * 1850 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Enumeration Order
 * 1860 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Alphabetical
 * 1860 Copiah Co., Mississippi – Slave Owners Enumeration Order
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription


 * 1) Former slave’s current name
 * 2) Former slave’s gender
 * 3) Former slave’s age
 * 4) Former slave’s color
 * 5) Former slave’s occupation
 * 6) Former slave’s current residence
 * 7) Former owner’s name
 * 8) Former residence. This can be a place name or a plantation name.

The entries are grouped by the former owner’s name. The former owners are not arranged in alphabetical order in the register. The register has not been indexed and must browsed.

Land and Property Records

 * Copiah County, Mississippi deed records, (1823-1900; index, 1825-1988), 1823-1988 Index

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of Copiah County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1775-1951 Military grave registrations - Copiah County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1860-1861 Register of Military Commissions - Copiah County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 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 - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Copiah County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company K - McWillie Blues
 * - 4th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company A - Terrall [Terrell] Dragoons
 * Company B - Copiah Horse Guards
 * Company E - Ramsey’s Company
 * - 6th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company F - Crystal Springs Guards
 * Company G - Rockport Steel Blades
 * - 10th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company H - Bahala Rifles
 * - 10th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Old)
 * Company I - Bahala Rifles
 * - 12th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company A - Charlie Clark Rifles [also listed as Co. H]
 * Company D - Pettus Relief, aka Pettus Rifles


 * 1861-1865 Roster of Confederate soldiers and sailors, 1861-1865

World War I and II 


 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1918-1943 Honorable discharge records (Copiah County, Mississippi) 1918-1943

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1876-1923 Mississippi, Copiah County, voter registration, 1876-1923

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry $
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1878 Enumeration of Educable Children at FamilySearch (other years also available). Listing of locations and approximate image start number available here. Images also available online from the Mississippi Archives.

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

 * 1823-1899 County Tax rolls (1823-1899) - Copiah County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1823-1921 Copiah County Marriage Books A-K and 1-25 Index 1823-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1858-1979 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties

Death

 * 1822-1921 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Divorce

 * Divorce records, 1882-1926

Libraries

 * Red Star Mississippi Family History Center

Societies
Copiah County Historical and Genealogical Society PO Box 111 Crystal springs, MS 39059 Email: [mailto:cchgsinfo@gmail.com cchgsinfo@gmail.com] Facebook

Websites

 * Copiah County, Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Copiah County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Copiah County, Mississippi County website
 * – 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.