Madison County, Kentucky Genealogy

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

Description
Madison County was named for James Madison. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse 101 W Main Street Richmond, KY 40475-1415 Phone: 859-624-4707 Madison County Website

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:

Biographies

 * Kentucky Biographies Project

Cemeteries
The following web sites have additional information on Madison county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
 * Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
 * Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project

Census Records

 * 1790 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.
 * Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850-1930, USGenWeb
 * Census Images, USGenWeb
 * KY Census Online, Links to online census records

Church Records

 * Kentucky Christian Church Directory, ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
 * Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville

Baptist
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Old Cane Spring. Church minutes (1803-1872, 1897-1995) are available at Eastern Kentucky University: Finding Aid.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1786-1928 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1787-1852 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1789-1802 (*); Court of Quarter Sessions at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1790-1866 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1803-1865 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1894-1928 (*); Fiscal Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1925-1967 (*); Clerk of the County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Cases Heard Before the Supreme Court for the District of Kentucky 1785-1792 at KYKinFolk.com
 * Abstracts of Early Kentucky Supreme Court Cases


 * Commonwealth of Kentucky, State Board of Elections at KY.gov
 * Contact information for all Kentucky County Court Clerks. Scroll down or use index at top of page to find desired county.


 * Early Marriages Madison County, Kentucky; Harris Newsletter - V.1, No.1 (April 1976). 1976. By Walker, Elaine. Post Falls, Idaho : Genealogical Reference Builders. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Kentucky Court of Justice at KYCourts.gov
 * Madison Co., Kentucky Order Book A, 1786-1791; The Kentucky Genealogist - V. 22, No. 1 (Jan./Mar. 1980). 1980. By Bentley, James R. Louisville, Kentucky : Bentley, James R. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Madison County, Kentucky, Court Records 1798-1832 Concerning the Bentley Family; The Kentucky Genealogist - V. 23, No. 4 (Oct./Dec. 1981). 1981. By Bentley, James R. Louisville, Kentucky : Bentley, James R. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Madison County, Kentucky, Court Records, 1798-1832, Concerning the Bentley Family; The Kentucky Genealogist - V. 24, No. 2 (Apr/Jun 1982). 1982. By Bentley, James R. Louisville, Kentucky : Bentley, James R. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Madison County, Kentucky Order Book A., 1786-1791 : Continued from Vol. 22, Page 5; The Kentucky Genealogist - V. 23, No. 2 (Apr./June 1981). 1981. By Bentley, James R. Louisville, Kentucky : Bentley, James R. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * More Deeds to Madison County, Ky Land : [Phillip Hamman Deed Information]; The Phillip Hamman Echo - No.7 (Feb 1976). 1976. By Phillip Hamman Family Association (Scottsboro, Alabama). Arab, Alabama : Ralph Hammond. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

African Americans

 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
 * The African American Griots Project
 * Kentucky Minorities has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
 * Sandi Gorin's Tips, Hangings in Kentucky 1792-1900

Genealogies

 * [Ballance] Pierce, Alycon Trubey. "The Ballance Family of Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1994):3-20; Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):105-114. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * [Bates] Dorman, John Frederick. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. 3 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004-2007. Volume 1..
 * [Boone] Bryan, J.C. The Boone-Bryan History. Frankfort, Ky.: The Kentucky State Historical Society, 1913. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
 * [Collins] Collins, Gerald E. William Collins (176*-1848): of North Carolina, Madison County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Indiana and Some of His Descendants. No publication info.
 * [Crooke] Crooke, B.F. Genealogy of the Crooke and Proctor Families. 1908.
 * [Crooke] Ingalls, Osie Alice McDowell. Crooke Family: Account Book of Miss Crooke of Science Hill, Madison County, Kentucky. MSS., National Library, D.A.R. Copy:
 * [Embry] Miller, William Harris. The Embry Family of Madison County, Ky. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: n.p., 1954. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [Finley] Finley, Carmen J. "John and Mary Finley of Montgomery (Wythe) County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1990):243-255. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * [Francis] Francis: Family Genealogical Data, 1794-1927, Madison County, Kentucky. Typescript. Microfilmed 1982..
 * [Gates] Ross, Janet Morgan and Hester Gates Morgan. "Gates Families of the Colonial Virginia Counties of Henrico and Chesterfield," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2002):137-150; Vol. 46, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 2002):183-189. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($);.
 * [Hill] Hill, L. Henry. Genealogy of the Hill Family of Garrard and Madison Counties, Kentucky. Evansville, Ind.: Unigraphic, 1978.
 * [Jett] Jett, C. Otis. The Genealogy of the Breathitt, Clay and Madison County, Kentucky Branch of the Jett Family. Georgetown, Ky.: I.L. Jett, 1988.
 * [Park] Gum, Nell Marshall Park. Park of Kentucky, 1747-1929: Biographical Sketches and Genealogy of the Descendants of Ebenezer Park, Pioneer of Madison County, Kentucky. Frankfort, Ky.: Gum, 1929. ; digital version at Ancestry. ($)
 * [Park] Park, Evelyn Potter and Warren R. Park. Allen Park, 1745-1805, of Rowan County, North Carolina and Madison County, Kentucky: Including Some of His Descentants and Allied Families. Chandler, Okla.: n.p., 1970. ; 1977 supplement:
 * [Pursley] Winchester, Warren. Benjamin Pursley (Pursell): of Loudoun County, Virginia, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Madison County, Kentucky. Middletown, Ky.: W. Winchester, 1995.
 * [Robertson] Ross, Janet Morgan and Hester Gates Morgan. "Gates Families of the Colonial Virginia Counties of Henrico and Chesterfield," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2002):137-150; Vol. 46, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 2002):183-189. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($);.
 * [Shearer] Shearer, Oliver F. In Search of my Shearer Heritage in Madison and Rock Castle Countys [sic ] in Kentucky. [Winchester, Ky.]: O.F. Shearer, [199?].
 * [Turner] Sargent, Samuel S. Genealogy of the Turner Family (Especially of Madison County, Kentucky &amp; Illinois), ca. 1700-1955. MSS., 1955.

Land and Property Records

 * The KY Land Office

Local Histories

 * A Glimpse at Historic Madison County and Richmond, Kentucky. 1934. By Jonathan Truman Dorris. Richmond, Ky.: Printed by the Richmond Daily Register Co. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * Glimpses of Historic Madison County, Kentucky. 1955. By Jonathan Truman Dorris and Maud Weaver Dorris. Nashville, Tennessee : Williams Print. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; . Index: EveryNameIndex.com.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Kentucky (1776-1939)
 * KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
 * Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War

Civil War
'''Online Records
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 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)
 * 1912-1950 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * - 11th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate). Companies A, B, E, F, G, and H.
 * - Jesse's Battalion, Kentucky Mounted Riflemen (Confederate), Company C
 * - 12th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate), Company G

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Madison County:


 * August 29-30, 1862 - Richmond


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Kentucky.

World War I

 * Fallen Soldiers in WWI from KY

Korean War

 * [hhttp://sites.rootsweb.com/~kybath/korea.htm Korean War Memorial for Soldiers from KY], KYGenWeb

Newspapers

 * USNPL, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
 * World-Newspapers, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
 * Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm

Obituaries

 * Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
 * Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb


 * Browning Genealogy Database, Compiled by Charles Browning.
 * Kentucky Obituaries, USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas, African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot, Kentucky Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Daily Times, Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries including interactive search function
 * Nashville Christian Advocate Death Abstracts

Other Records

 * Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb

Probate Records
'''Online Probate Records


 * 1727-1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1787-1939 Madison County Kentucky list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free
 * 1787-1813 Will Books A-A1: 1787-1813 - Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Madison County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes.
 * 1798-1943 digitized by FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * Images of Wills, Estates, Guardianships, Inventories, Sales: Book A1, 1786-1806; Book A2, 1806-1813; Book B, 1814-19; Book C, 1819-24; Book D 1824-29. Kentucky Pioneers ($)

School Records

 * Berea College Yearbooks - approximately 40 years of yearbooks digitized and available full-text online via the Internet Archive. Years include approximately 1929-1970 (not fully inclusive).
 * Three Decades of Progress at Eastern Kentucky University (1936) - a history of the school written by the faculty.

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

 * 1787 - Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available through the FamilySearch Catalog ; [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Madison County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * 1788 Court and Tax Records. GenealogyTrails.
 * 1789 - Heinemann, Charles B. "First Census" of Kentucky 1790. Washington, D.C.: n.p., 1940. 1981 reprint: ; digital version at Kentucky Kinfolks. ["3 volumes of 1789 were used, with some duplication of names." (p. 2)]
 * 1800 - 1800 Tax List of Madison County, Kentucky Genealogy is included in Clift's Second Census of Kentucky 1800, digitized by Ancestry ($).
 * 1815 - The 1815 list is the first list (at least since 1808) in which we can build geographical clusters despite the alphabetizing of the first letter of surnames. This is done by using the regiment and company information. See FHL US/CAN Film 8,127. These alphabetical by surname lists were prepared by the Madison County clerk from records in his office.
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)

Birth

 * 1839-1960 – at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1852-1859 - Madison County Birth Index 1852-1859. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1874 - Madison County Birth Index 1874. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1875 - Madison County Birth Index 1875. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1911-1912 Searchable KY Birth Index
 * 1911-1999 Kentucky Births, 1911-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage

 * 1609-2016 Kentucky, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1785-1851 - Record of Marriages in Madison County, Kentucky for the Period of Years 1785 to 1851 Inclusive. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1785-1979 – at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1790-1843 Madison County, Kentucky Marriage Records, 1790-1843 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1797-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1852-1859 - Madison County Marriage Index 1852-1859. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1875 - Madison County Marriage Index 1875. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1875 - Madison County Marriage Index 1875. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1876-1878 - Madison County Marriage Index 1876-1878. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 1973-2000 Searchable KY Marriage Records
 * 1973-2000 Kentucky Marriage Records 1973 - 2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records - 1973 - 2000
 * 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1843-1970 – at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1911-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1911-2000 Searchable KY Death Index
 * - How to Use this Collection
 * The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of KY Death Certificates

Divorce

 * 1973-1993 Kentucky Divorce Records 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases

Archives
Archives of Appalachia East Tennessee State University Website

Family History Centers

 * Beattyville Kentucky Family History Center
 * Lexington Kentucky Family History Center
 * Owingsville Kentucky Family History Center
 * Breathitt County Library - an affiliate library.
 * The Kentucky Historical Society Library - an affiliate library.
 * Lexington Public Library - an affiliate library.

Societies
Madison County Historical Society P.O. Box 397 Richmond, KY 40476 Email: [mailto:info@madisoncountykyhistory.org info@madisoncountykyhistory.org] Website Facebook Society of Boonesborough PO Box 226 Richmond, KY 40476-0226 Website Facebook

Websites

 * http://www.kykinfolk.org/madison/ Madison County KYGenWeb]
 * KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
 * State of Kentucky Website
 * USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
 * The USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Madison County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Madison County KY Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
 * . Free - 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