Kemper County, Mississippi Genealogy

Guide to Kemper 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 Reuben Kemper. Kemper County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kemper County Courthouse Bell St P.O. Box 188 De Kalb, MS 39328 Phone: 601-743-2560 Kemper County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1912. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate, court and land records from 1912.

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

Cemeteries

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

Census Records

 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 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 $
 * 1837  at FamilySearch
 * 1841  at FamilySearch
 * 1845  at FamilySearch
 * 1853  at FamilySearch
 * 1880  at FamilySearch

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
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.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
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
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch


 * - 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
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


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

School Records

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

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

 * 1834-1888  at FamilySearch

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.


 * 1913-1935 Kemper County birth records, 1913-1935

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1822-1921 - at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1912-1935 - Kemper County death records, 1912-1935
 * 1912-1943 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Divorce

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

Websites

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