Bolivar County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Simón Bolívar. The County has Rosedale and Cleveland as its seat and the County was created 1836. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Bolivar County Courthouse 401 S Court Street Cleveland, MS 38732-2696 Phone: 662.843.2071

Clerk Circuit Court in Cleveland, Mississippi, has marriage and court records. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records. Clerk Circuit Court in Rosedale, Mississippi, has marriage records from 1866 and court records from 1870. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records. Chancery and Circuit Clerks office in both Courthouses. Rosedale records back about 20 years earlier than Cleveland.

Parent County
1836--Bolivar County was created 9 February 1836 from the Choctaw Cession. Records are housed in Rosedale and Cleveland. County seat: Cleveland

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Mississippi county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Mississippi County Boundary Maps" (1785-1918) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
Rosedale and Cleveland – Fire in 1863, Flood in 1865.

Neighboring Counties

 * Chicot County, Arkansas
 * Coahoma
 * Desha County, Arkansas
 * Phillips County, Arkansas
 * Sunflower
 * Washington

African Americans
The second series of marriage books include both white and colored marriages:


 * 1900-1903 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1900-1903. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1902-1906 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 3 and 4 Index 1902-1906. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1906-1908 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 5 and 6 Index 1906-1908. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1908-1911 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 7 and 8 Index 1908-1911. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1911-1912 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 9 and 10 Index 1911-1912. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1913-1914 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 11 and 12 Index 1913-1914. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1914-1916 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 13 and 14 Index 1914-1916. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Census

 * 1841 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.
 * 1845 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.
 * 1853 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.
 * 1866 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.
 * 1870 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.


 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry.com — index $

Maps

 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 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 — images
 * 1900-1974 - at FamilySearch — images


 * Men from Bolivar County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Bolivar County.


 * - 1st Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry (Miller's)
 * Company A - Mississippi Rifles
 * - 1st Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company H - Bolivar Troop

Obituaries

 * Selected Bolivar County Obituaries Scroll down on the page to Obituaries. USGenWeb Archives

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1780 – 1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1781 – 1930 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1836-1897 -, courtesy: FamilySearch - free.

Marriage
Marriage books 4 and 13 are missing from the Family History Library collection. In addition, marriage books 5, 6, 20, 24, and 25 (first series) were apparently skipped when the IGI was created.
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * to 1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1866-1873 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 1 thru 3 Index 1866-1873. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1883-1885 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 7 and 8 Index 1883-1885. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1886-1892 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 9 and 10 Index 1886-1892. Batches and  at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1889-1892 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 11 and 12 Index 1889-1892. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1893-1895 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 14 and 15 Index 1893-1895. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1896-1898 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 16 and 17 Index 1896-1898. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1898-1900 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 18 and 19 Index 1898-1900. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1901-1902 - Bolivar County Marriage Book 21 Index 1901-1902. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1902-1903 - Bolivar County Marriage Book 22 Index 1902-1903. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1900-1901 - Bolivar County Marriage Book 23 Index 1900-1901. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1908-1910 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 26 and 27 Index 1908-1910. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1910-1914 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 28 and 29 Index 1910-1914. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1913-1916 - Bolivar County Marriage Books 30 and 31 Index 1913-1916. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

The second series of marriage books include both white and colored marriages:


 * 1900-1903 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1900-1903. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1902-1906 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 3 and 4 Index 1902-1906. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1906-1908 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 5 and 6 Index 1906-1908. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1908-1911 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 7 and 8 Index 1908-1911. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1911-1912 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 9 and 10 Index 1911-1912. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1913-1914 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 11 and 12 Index 1913-1914. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1914-1916 - Bolivar County White and Colored Marriage Books 13 and 14 Index 1914-1916. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Genealogy Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Mississippi Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Bolivar County Historical Society 1615 Terrace Road Cleveland 38732

Websites

 * Bolivar County, MS History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Bolivar County, MSGenWeb Project
 * Bolivar County, USGenWeb Archives
 * BolivarCountyGenWeb Facebook