Marion County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Marion County

Marion County Organization
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Marion County are kept, see the Marion County Courthouse page.

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

Parent County

 * 1823--Marion County was created 24 January 1823 from Fayette and Jefferson Counties. County seat: Salem

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Marion County boundary changes.

Cemeteries
The Illinois Cemeteries page provides general explanations of the following online Marion County resources:

1840 Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Marion County on page 187.]

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from five Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Marion County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


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 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
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African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.


 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois. Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen &amp; Co., 1909. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.
 * Brinkerhoff, J. H. G. Brinkerhoff's History of Marion County, Illinois. Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen &amp; Co., 1909. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Family History Archives.

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the County Recorder. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

The following abtracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Marion County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

The following abstracts are available:

 * 1892 Kilmer, W. A. and Gerald Don Kilmer. Marion County, IL landowners index, 1892. Lubbock, Texas : Craftsman Printers, c1985. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * Rockford Map Publishers. Land atlas &amp; plat book retrospect : property information from the past, Marion County IL. Rockford, IL : Rockford Map Publishers, [20--]. Other libraries (WorldCat)

The following copies of original records are available:

 * 1823–1901 Grantee index
 * 1824–1901 Grantor index
 * 1823–1903 Deeds
 * 1870–1904 Miscellanious record
 * 1857–1916 Mortgages
 * 1873–1901 Release
 * 1832–1900 Land entry books and tract books
 * 1985 Land atlas and plat book Other libraries (WorldCat)

Online Resources

 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search
 * 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)

Military Records

 * 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.

- 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K. - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

Probate Records


Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Marion County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1823–1909 Probate records IRAD (SIU)
 * 1846–1860 Probate sale record, personal property IRAD (SIU)
 * 1850–1973 Estate index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1854–1917 Probate will record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1857–1917 Wills
 * 1866–1890 Probate executor’s record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1866–1898 Probate inventory record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1866–1909 Guardian IRAD (SIU)
 * 1868–1911 Probate guardian’s dockets IRAD (SIU)
 * 1870–1886 Probate widow’s relinquishment and selection record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1888–1906 Probate appraisement record IRAD (SIU)

County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Marion County are kept, see the Marion County Courthouse page.

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Marion County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original vital records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Marion County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources

 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage indexfound at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950

Marriages:

 * 1821-1859 Marion County Genealogical and Historical Society. Marion County, Illinois marriages, 1821–1859. Book A, B, C, book #1. Salem, Ill.: Marion County Genealogical and Historical Society, [1995]. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1888-1931 Marion County Genealogical and Historical Society. Marion County, Illinois marriages : 1888-1931 book E &amp; F - Book #2.Salem, IL Marion County Genealogical Historical Society, ©1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Births:

 * 1815–1944 Birth certificates, delayed IRAD (SIU)
 * 1854–1915 Birth certificates IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877–1915 Birth record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877–1904 Birth record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878–1904 Birth index
 * 1878–1916 Birth records
 * 1854–1915 Birth certificates and delayed births

Marriages:

 * 1821-1910 Index to marriage records index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1821–1919 Marriages
 * 1821–1931 Marriage record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1887–1891 Marriage license applications IRAD (SIU)
 * 1887–1893 Marriage applications

Deaths:

 * 1877–1909 Death record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877–1915 Death records index
 * 1877–1915 Death records IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878–1914 Death certificates IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878–1915 Deaths

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Marion County, click on [Show], in the bar above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Marion County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Marion County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)