South Carolina Descendancy Research

Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.

Federal Censuses State Censuses - For more information on census records, see South Carolina Census and United States Census.

Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in South Carolina statewide beginning in 1915, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.

Births
 * 1681-1935: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1766-1900: at FamilySearch; index & images; Also at Ancestry ($)
 * 1915-1917: South Carolina Births at Ancestry; index & images ($)

Marriages
 * 17thc-20thc: US Marriages at Findmypast; index only ($)
 * 1641-1965: South Carolina Compiled Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1688-1799: South Carolina Marriages at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1688-1820: Supplement to South Carolina Marriages at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1709-1913: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1732-1801: South Carolina Newspaper Marriage Notices at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1800-1820: South Carolina Marriages at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1866-1887: South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1907-2000: South Carolina County Marriage Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)

Deaths 
 * 1816-1990: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1821-1969: South Carolina Death Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1866-1887: South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1915-1943: South Carolina Deaths at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1965: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1950-1952: South Carolina Death Index at Ancestry; index only ($)

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in South Carolina, see How to Find South Carolina Birth Records, How to Find South Carolina Marriage Records, and How to Find South Carolina Death Records.

Step 3: '''Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1915. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers. - Obituaries Cemeteries
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Online South Carolina Death Indexes, Records &amp; Obituaries, index
 * ObitsArchive.com - South Carolina ($)
 * ObituariesHelp.org
 * South Carolina Obituaries
 * Findagrave.com
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
 * Billion Graves
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
 * BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
 * at FamilySearch -How to Use This Collection
 * South Carolina Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
 * South Carolina Cemetery Records at Interment
 * South Carolina Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Jewish Cemeteries in South Carolina at Find-A-Grave
 * Hebrew Cemeteries in South Carolina at Find-A-Grave
 * Charleston, SC: Inscriptions in Old Jewish Cemeteries, 1762-1903 at American Ancestors ($).
 * South Carolina Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project

For more information, see South Carolina Obituaries and South Carolina Cemeteries.

Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * South Carolina, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * South Carolina, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in South Carolina Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the South Carolina Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * South Carolina Online Genealogy Records