Florence County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

South Carolina Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the daughter of General W. W. Harlee. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Florence County Courthouse 180 N. Irby St. Florence, SC 29501-3431 Phone: 843-665-3031

Florence County Probate Court 180 N. Irby St. Florence, SC 29501 Phone: 843-665-3085 Probate and marriage records

Florence County Clerk of Court 180 N. Irby St. Florence, SC 29501 Phone: 843-665-3031 Court and land records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

History
The county is named after Florence Harllee.

Parent County
1888--Florence County was created 22 December 1888 from Marion, Darlington, Clarendon and Williamsburg Counties. County seat: Florence

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

 * 1890 Lost census

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:

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Florence County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans

Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:


 * Blooming Grove - Florence
 * Claussen House - Florence - also called Jeffries Creek
 * Columns - Mars Bluff - also called Rankin-Harwell House
 * DeBerry - Pamplico
 * Evander Gregg House - Mars Bluff - also called Red Doe
 * Gregg - Mars Bluff - also called Wallace House
 * Jeffries Creek - Florence - also called Claussen House
 * Pauls - Pamplico
 * Rankin-Harwell House - Mars Bluff - also called Columns
 * Red Doe - Mars Bluff - also called Evander Gregg House
 * Roseville - Florence
 * Wallace House - Mars Bluff - also called Gregg

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list, see Florence County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census

 * 1829-1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Florence County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.

See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

1900


 * Tanner, Vernon M. 1900 Census of the United States, State of South Carolina, County of Florence. 2 vols. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, n.d. 975.784 X2t 1900

Episcopal Church
Before 1785, residents of what is now Florence County were served by these colonial parishes.


 * Prince Frederick Parish 1734
 * St. Mark's Parish 1757
 * St. David's Parish 1768

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Florence
 * FamilySearch Places

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.

Genealogy
This bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Florence, South Carolina at World Connect, produces more than 4,500 results.

Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.

Message Boards


 * Florence County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Florence County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)

Bibliography


 * Chisolm - Horn, John Chisolm and Ruth Marguerite Horn Thompson. The Ancestors and Descendants of Edward Traill Horn (1850-1915) - Harriet Chisolm (1861-1946), Henry Eyster Jacobs (1844-1932) - Laura Hewes Downing (1852-1936). Huntingdon, Pa.: J.C. Horn Associates, 1989..
 * The Darlington Flag (Lydia, SC) 1851-1852
 * Haynes - Christensen, Celia Langford. Haynes Heritage. Yorba Linda, Calif.: C.L. Christensen, 1998..
 * Keeffe - Hanna, Muriel K. Keeffe/Keefe/Keith Family of Florence and Marion Counties, South Carolina. Summerton, S.C.: M.K. Hanna, 2004.
 * LaMotte - Gault, Charles B. Portrait Album of the Family of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Beers Gault of Lake Waccamaw and Wilmington, North Carolina. Typescript. Microfilmed 1971:.
 * Lee - Brown, Gerald D. A Genealogy of a Lee Family Ancestry and Descendants of David Lee, Sr.: Mainly of Old Williamsburg District - Present Day Florence County, South Carolina. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1995.
 * Lewis - Lewis, J.D. My Neck of the Woods: The Lewis Families of Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. book 929.273 L585Ljd, CD-ROM no. 1036
 * McCown - Clement, Louise McCown. The McCown Family of the Peedee Section of South Carolina. Columbia, S.C.: R.L. Bruan, 1966..
 * O'Cain - Hegg, Sadie Catherine Leach. The Cain Tree and Tangled Branches: A Genealogical Record. n.p.: S.L. Hegg, 1990..
 * Stone - Rogers, Dorothy Lee and Louis Benjamin Rogers.Stone Works: Descendants of Old Austin Stone of the Three Rivers Area, with Related Families. Garden City, S.C.: D.L. Rogers, 2004..
 * Taylor - House, D.J., Norma House, and Danny House. Cox--Wheeler: and Related Families. West Columbia, S.C.: D.J. ; N. House, 1995..

Land
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.

Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records for Florence County:

* Sumter District records destroyed by fire 27 Nov 1801

* Many colonial deeds for Marion County are recorded in deed records after 1800.

Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868

This series consists of recorded copies of plats for state land grants for the Charleston and the Columbia Series with their certificates of admeasurement or certification. All personal names and geographic features on these plats are included in the repository's On-line Index to Plats for State Land Grants

The South Carolina Constitution of 1790 required the surveyor general to maintain offices in both the new capital at Columbia and in Charleston. The surveyor general began to use separate volumes for recording plats in his Columbia office in 1796. Before that, all plats were recorded in the set of volumes begun in Charleston in 1784. After 1796, most plats for land grants in the Upper Division of the state were recorded and filed in Columbia. The surveyor general chose to make the Columbia volumes a continuation of the state plat volumes begun in Charleston and gave the initial Columbia volume the number thirty-six to correspond with the number of the volume that had then been reached in the Charleston series. As a result, there are volumes numbered thirty-six through forty-three from each office, but the records in them are not duplicative.

Also included are the Plan Books containing Plats and Plans.

Local Histories

 * King, G. Wayne. "The Emergence of Florence, South Carolina, 1853-1890," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 82, No. 3 (Jul., 1981), pp. 197-209. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Gregg, Alexander. History of the Old Cheraws : Containing an Account of the Aborigines of the Pedee, the First White Settlements, their Subsequent Progress, Civil Changes, the Struggle of the Revolution, and the Growth of the Country Afterward, Extending from About A.D. 1730 to 1810 with Notices of Families and Sketches of Individuals   (Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1967 ), 629 pages. Book at
 * King, G. Wayne. Rise Up So Early : a History of Florence County, Sourth Carolina (Spartanburg, South Carolina : Reprint Company, 1981), 452 pages. Includes bibliographical references and index. Book found at

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

General

 * "Mars Bluff Light Dragoons, votes," Pee Dee Queue, November 1985, Volume 9, Issue 11. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society : Marion, SC.
 * "Mars Bluff Light Dragoons, roll, 1837," Pee Dee Queue, September 1985, Volume 9, Issue 9. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society : Marion, SC.

Civil War
Online Records
 * 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)

Regiments

Florence County did not exist during the Civil War. It was created on 22 December 1888 from Marion, Darlington, Clarendon and Williamsburg Counties. During the Civil War, men from the area of Florence County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in those counties. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.

Other Resources
 * King, G. Wayne. Rise Up So Early: a History of Florence County, South Carolina (Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company, 1981), 452 pages. Includes bibliographical references and index. Civil War pages 45-58. Book found at

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Florence County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.


 * Black Sun (Columbia, S.C.) 1977-current.
 * Florence County Journal (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1925-1929.
 * Florence Morning News (Florence, S.C.) 1945-current.
 * Florence Times (Florence, S.C.) 1876-1896.
 * Florence Times (Florence, S.C.) 1965-1970.
 * Lake City News (Lake City, S.C.) 1910-1972.
 * Lake City News and Post (Lake City, S.C.) 1972-current.
 * Morning News (Florence, S.C.) 1929-1945.
 * Pee Dee Times (Florence, S.C.) 1987-1992.
 * The Advertiser (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1934-1934.
 * The Banner Messenger (Florence, S.C.) 1896-1896.
 * The Dewey Eagle (Lake City, S.C.) 1898-1901.
 * The Evening Herald (Florence, S.C.) 1903-1904.
 * The Examiner (Florence, S.C.) 1977-1978.
 * The Farmers' Friend (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1887-1889.
 * The Florence Advertiser (Florence, S.C.) 1932-1932.
 * The Florence Daily Times (Florence, S.C.) 1894-1925.
 * The Florence Evening Star (Florence, S.C.) 1939-1941.
 * The Florence Journal (Florence, S.C.) 1978-1983.
 * The Florence Messenger (Florence, S.C.) 1889-1896.
 * The Florence Pioneer (Florence, S.C.) 1872-1876.
 * The Florence Star (Florence, S.C.) 1941-1941.
 * The Florentine (Florence, S.C.) 1957-1958.
 * The Lake City Post (Lake City, S.C.) 1968-1972.
 * The Morning News Review (Florence, S.C.) 1923-1929.
 * The Olanta Observer (Olanta, S.C.) 1915-1920.
 * The Reform Advocate (Florence, S.C.) 1893-1914.
 * The Rutledge County News (Lake City, S.C.) 1908-1910.
 * The Times (Florence, S.C.) 1992-current.
 * The Times-Herald (Lake City, S.C.) 1949-1967.
 * The Times-Messenger (Florence, S.C.) 1896-1919.
 * The Timmonsville Enterprise (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1895-1925.
 * The Timmonsville News (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1875-187?.
 * The Timmonsville News (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1925-1933.
 * The Timmonsville News (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1964-1972.
 * The Timmonsville Times (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1946-1958.
 * The Watchman and Defender (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1920-1931.
 * The Weekly News Review (Florence, S.C.) 1922-1923.
 * Timmonsville News-Argus  (Timmonsville, S.C.) 1937-1937.


 * Ancestry.com. The Morning News Review [1924-1928] (Florence, South Carolina) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Ancestry.com. Florence Morning News [1929-1977] (Florence, South Carolina) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Ancestry.com. Morning News [1936] (Florence, South Carolina) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006. Available at Ancestry ($).

University of South Carolina Library Catalog


 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Current


 * SC Now Morning News (Florence, S.C.) Online edition.
 * Florence County Information Portal

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:


 * Pee Dee Queue
 * Three Rivers Chronicle

Probate
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.


 * Florence County, South Carolina estate papers, ca. 1884-1916 at FamilySearch.
 * South Carolina, Florence County, Probate Court at Ancestry.com.
 * Cheraws or Chesterfield Distict wills, 1750-1865 and abstracts from the court of common pleas, 1823-1869. By James C. Pigg. (included today's Chesterfield, Marlboro and Darlington Counties and parts of Florence and Lee counties. These are Work Projects Administration (WPA) transcripts.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1670-1980 - South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1671-1977 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1732-1964 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1782-1866 - South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at findmypast — $, index

Taxation
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.


 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Florence County.

Published abstracts
Holcomb and Lucas's publication includes the area that later became Florence County:


 * 1811, 1814, 1824 - Holcomb, Brent H. and Silas Emmett Lucas. Some South Carolina County Records... 2 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1976-1989. Includes 1811, 1814, and 1824 tax lists for Marion District.
 * 1930s - Grandma's Trunk, Tax Receipts, 1930s, Three Rivers Chronicle, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Summer 2001).

Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.

Birth
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Florence County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.


 * 1766-1900 - at FamilySearch — images

Birth Substitutes - Indexes


 * 1800s-1900s - Births, Deaths and Marriages from Timmonsville, South Carolina Newspapers: Late 19th ; 20th Century by Robert M. DeFee  WorldCat - index

Marriage
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

The Florence County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.

Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.

Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1800s - Deaths and Marriages from 19th Century Florence, S.C. Newspapers by Robert M. DeFee WorldCat - index
 * 1800s-1900s - Births, Deaths and Marriages from Timmonsville, South Carolina Newspapers: Late 19th ; 20th Century by Robert M. DeFee  WorldCat - index
 * 1911-1955 - Florence County, South Carolina Marriage Registers: Whites ; Afro-Americans, ca. 1911-1955 - records
 * 1917-1950 - Florence County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses; Affidavits, ca. 1917-1950 - records
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Florence County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * Florence, South Carolina Area Obituaries by John M. Gregg
 * 1800s - Deaths and Marriages from 19th Century Florence, S.C. Newspapers by Robert M. DeFee, - index
 * 1800s-1900s - Births, Deaths and Marriages from Timmonsville, South Carolina Newspapers: Late 19th and 20th Century by Robert M. DeFee, - index
 * 1816-1990 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1889-1915 - Extracts from Florence County Coroner's Inquisitions, 1889-1915 by Robert M. DeFee WorldCat - Index
 * 1915-1965 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Libraries
Florence County Library System consists of a Main Library, five branch facilities, and a bookmobile. The library systen is on Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.

Florence - Main Library Address: 509 South Dargan Street Florence, South Carolina 29506 Phone: (843) 662-8424 Fax: (843) 661-7544 Hours: Monday to Thusday 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday to Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The E.N. Zeigler South Carolina History Room in the Florence Library contains many genealogical resources. Researchers will find one the largest genealogical collections in northeastern South Carolina. Cemetery surveys for most South Carolina counties, as well as deed, probate, and newspaper abstracts that include South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia. It is home to the Graham Collection, purchased in 1927 by the Library from the estate of Samuel A. Graham, State Senator from Williamsburg County. This unique collection of rare Americana is especially rich in South Carolina items and includes several exceedingly rare maps. SC Room Phone: 843-413-7073/7060 SC Room email: scroom@florencelibrary.org.

Johnsonville - Doctors Bruce ; Lee Foundation Library Address: 242 South Georgetown Highway Johnsonville, South Carolina 29555 Phone: (843) 386-2052 Fax: (843) 380-1302 Hours: Mon and Thu: 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Lake City Address: 221 East Main Street Lake City, South Carolina 29560 Phone: (843) 394-8071 Fax: (843) 394-1033 Hours: Monday to Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Olanta - Dr. John M. Thomason Public Library Address: 210 E. Hampton Street Olanta, South Carolina 29114 Phone: (843) 396-4287 Fax: (843) 396-9317 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Pamplico - Dozier M. Munn Pamplico Public Library Address: 100 East Main Street Pamplico, South Carolina 29583 Phone: (843) 493-5441 Fax: (843) 493-0361 MWF: 10:00 - 5:00 Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saurday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Timmonsville - Baker Memorial Public Library Address: 298 W. Smith Street Timmonsville, South Carolina 29161 Phone: (843) 346-2941 Fax: (843) 346-2931 Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Satuday 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m.

Family History Centers

 * Florence South Carolina Family History Center

Museums
Florence Museum Address: 558 Spruce Street Florence SC 29501 Telephone: 843.662.3351 Email: florencemuseum@me.com Hours: Tuesday to Saurday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Florence Museum contains primarily art and artifacts from many times and places. Among its collections are a few historic documents

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage

 * Old Darlington District Chapter, SCGS P.O. Box 175 Hartsville, SC 29551 Email: [mailto:leemlw@aol.com leemlw@aol.com] Website

Websites

 * Florence County SCGenWeb
 * Florence County, SC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Florence County, SCGenWeb
 * Florence County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Friends of the Florence Stockade
 * Friends of the Florence Stockade