Marion County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Probate Judge has birth and death records 1909 -1919; marriage records from 1885, land records from 1887; and military discharge records from 1920

Description
The County was named in honor of Francis Marion of South Carolina, general in the American Revolutionary War. The County has Hamilton as its seat and the County was created February 13, 1818. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

History


The county is named after "The Swamp Fox" Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Marion(c1732-1795).

Parent County
1818--Marion County was created 13 February 1818 from Tuscaloosa County. County seat: Hamilton

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Alabama County Boundary Maps" (1799-1980) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
Marion County had destructive courthouse fires in 1866, and 1883. See Research in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide  page 28 for suggested alternative sources to overcome this loss.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Fayette
 * Franklin
 * Itawamba County, Mississippi
 * Lamar
 * Monroe County, Mississippi
 * Walker
 * Winston

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Marion county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

Land and Property
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Marion County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes free surname index..

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Marion County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Marion County.


 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E, F, H and K
 * - 16th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G and K
 * - 26th Regiment, Alabama Infantry (O'Neal's), Company F, G and H
 * - 42nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K

'Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — 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)
 * 1871-1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1930 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1881 Pensions. Southeastern Genealogy ($)

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Transcription of the following newspapers:

Marion County Herald - (1887 - 1890)

The Guin Dispatch - (1888-1889)

The Hamilton Free Press - 1893 - 1894

The Hamilton News Press - 1895

Marion County News (1896 - 1899)

The Hamilton Appeal 1896

The Guin Gazette - 1897

The Gazette Appeal - 1897

Marion County Democrat (1903-1904)

Marion County Republican - (1908)

Marion county articles from various newspapers around the country - 1838 - 1900

Marion County articles from various newspapers around the country - 1901 - ?

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Marion County is in District 3.

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records

Birth Records

 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881 – 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index

Marriage Records

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * Marion County Marriages at ALGenWeb - free


 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.


 * 1861, 1865, 1886-1901,1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); Index. This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.


 * 1887-1895 - Marion County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1887-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1887-1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.


 * 1809 – 1950 at FamilySearch.org — index/images


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1809 – 1920 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4192 Alabama Marriages,


 * 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry.com — index $

Death Records

 * 1881-1952 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry – ($); Index. Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.


 * 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry – ($); Index. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).


 * 1908-1974 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free


 * 1881 – 1952 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1908 – 1959 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188 Alabama Deaths,


 * 1908-59] at Ancestry.com — index $

Vital Record Substitutes

 * Obituaries and death noticesfrom the transcribed newspapers at The USGenWeb Archives - free.


 * Marriage noticesfrom the transcribed newspapers at The USGenWeb Archives - free.

Voting Registers
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Marion County has one book.

Societies and Libraries
Marion County Genealogical Society P. O. Drawer 1527 Winfield, AL 35594 Link

Marion County Historical Society P. O. Box 492 Hamilton, AL 35570 Link


 * List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies


 * Marion County, Alabama


 * Marion Co. AL


 * United States Resources: Alabama


 * Al Gen Web

Libraries
Winfield Public Library 185 Ashwood Drive Winfield, Alabama 35594 Telephone: 205-487-2484


 * The library has a genealogy section.

Marion Clyde Nix Public Library 205-921-4290

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Family History Center Locator

Marion County Alabama Genealogy Websites

 * Marion County, AL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy


 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.




 * USGenWeb Archives Project~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.


 * Marion County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.


 * Marion County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)


 * Marion County Genealogy Trails- contains transcriptions, newspaper transcriptions, obituaries and marriages from newspapers and much, much more