Hancock County, Mississippi Genealogy

Guide to Hancock 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 John Hancock. Hancock County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hancock County Courthouse 150 Main Street Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 Phone: 228-467-5404 Hancock County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage and court records. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and land records.

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:

Cemeteries
Cemeteries listed courtesy: Hancock County Historical Society
 * Barth
 * Bayou Caddy
 * Bayou Coco
 * Bayou LaCroix
 * Belle Isle
 * Breland
 * Brothers of the Sacred Heart

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 $
 * 1823  at FamilySearch
 * 1825  at FamilySearch
 * 1830  at FamilySearch
 * 1840  at FamilySearch
 * 1845  at FamilySearch
 * 1853  at FamilySearch
 * 1866  at FamilySearch
 * 1870  at FamilySearch

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Bay St. Louis

Catholic Church
 * Catholic Church Records Index: Includes Our Lady of the Gulf Church in Bay Saint Louis and the Church of the Annunciation in Kiln, Mississippi. Hancock County Historical Society.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Land and Property Records

 * Early Hancock County Land Records: Transcription of Book B. Hancock County Historical Society.

Local Histories

 * Alphabet File of newspaper articles, publications, etc. indexed by surnames and subjects by Charles H. Gray. Hancock County Historical Society.
 * Hancock County, Then and Now at Hancock County Historical Society

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
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


 * - 3rd Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company F - Shieldsboro Rifles
 * Company G - Gainesville Volunteers
 * - 17th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company B - Poitevent’s Company

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch — index
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch — index and images

Obituaries

 * Hancock County Obituary Index. Hancock County Historical Society.

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry $
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch

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

 * 1814  at FamilySearch
 * 1814-1817  at FamilySearch
 * 1850-1897  at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi, Compiled Marriages, 1800-1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1849-1956 Hancock County Marriage Index (1849-1956) at Hancock County Historical Society website
 * 1853-1918 Hancock County Marriage Books A-L Index 1853-1918 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1979 - at FamilySearch for various counties — index and images

Death

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

Divorce

 * 1916-1950 Hancock County Divorce Index (1916-1950) at Hancock County Historical Society website

Societies
Hancock County Historical Society 108 Cue Street Bay Saint Louis, MS 39520 228-467-4090 Email: [mailto:hancockcountyhis@bellsouth.net hancockcountyhis@bellsouth.net] Website Facebook

Websites

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