Mississippi 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.

For more information on census records, see Mississippi 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 Mississippi statewide beginning in 1912, 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.

Marriages
 * 1776-1935: Mississippi Compiled Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1800-1825: Mississippi Compiled Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1800-1911: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1826-1850: Mississippi Compiled Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1826-1900: Mississippi Compiled Marriages at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1858-1979: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1894-1970: US Marriages – Mississippi at Findmypast; index & images, ($)
 * Mississippi Marriage Search at GenLookups

Deaths 
 * 1822-1921: at FamilySearch; index only
 * 1912-1943: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1912-1943: Mississippi Death Records at Virtual Genealogy
 * 1935-2014: US Social Security Death Index at Ancestry; index only
 * 1936-2007: US Social Security Applications and Claims Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1962-2014: at FamilySearch; index only

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Mississippi, see How to Find Mississippi Birth Records, How to Find Mississippi Marriage Records, and How to Find Mississippi 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 1912. 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
 * Online Mississippi Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * ObitsArchive Mississippi
 * Mississippi Obituaries Help and Genealogy Resources
 * Mississippi Obituaries
 * 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Find-A-Grave
 * 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
 * Mississippi Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
 * Mississippi Cemetery Records at Interment
 * Mississippi Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
 * Online Mississippi Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
 * Jewish Cemeteries in Mississippi at Find-A-Grave
 * Hebrew Cemetery in Mississippi at Find-A-Grave
 * Mississippi Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project

For more information, see Mississippi Obituaries and Mississippi 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.
 * Mississippi, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Mississippi, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Step 5: Search any other online records listed in Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.
 * Mississippi Online Genealogy Records