Sumter County, Alabama Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Probate Judge has a few birth records from 1888-1918 marriage and probate record from 1833, land records and historical voters maps

Description
The County was named in honor of General Thomas Sumter, of South Carolina. The County has Livingston as its seat and the County was created December 18, 1832. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Parent County
1832--Sumter County was created 18 December 1832 from the Choctaw Cession of 1830. County seat: Livingston

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Alabama County Boundary Maps" (1799-1980) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
Sumter County had a destructive courthouse fire in 1901.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Choctaw
 * Greene
 * Kemper County, Mississippi
 * Lauderdale County, Mississippi
 * Marengo
 * Noxubee County, Mississippi
 * Pickens

African American

 * 1867-1895 - Sumter County Colored Marriage Books 2-7 Index 1867-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Sumter county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.


 * Additional Sumter County cemeteries are included in Alabama Cemetery Records at FamilySearch Books Online - free.

Census
State Census


 * 1866 - at FamilySearch — index

Court Records
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Alabama, Sumter County Circuit Court Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Land and Property
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Sumter County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes free surname index..

Maps

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Sumter County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Sumter County.


 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B
 * - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Cahaba Rifles"
 * - 36th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A
 * - 40th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A and C

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 - at FamilySearch — images

World War I

 * 1917-1919 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1809 – 1985 at FamilySearch — images

Taxation

 * 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Sumter County is in District 2.

Vital Records
See also How to order Alabama Vital Records

Birth Records

 * 1913-1919 - Sumter County Marriage Index 1913-1919 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * Dec 1916–May 1918 - Index for White Birth Records in the Alabama State Archives found at ALGenWeb - free.


 * 1881 – 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index

Marriage Records

 * 1733-2013 - Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.


 * 1833-1895 - Sumter County Marriage Books 1-6 Index 1833-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1833-1838, 1847-1901, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); Index. This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.


 * 1847-1900 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.


 * Marriages at ALGenWeb - free.


 * 1809 – 1950 at FamilySearch.org — index/images


 * 1816 – 1957 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1809 – 1920 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4192 Alabama Marriages,


 * 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry.com — index $

Death Records

 * 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry – ($); Index. Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.


 * 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry – ($); Index. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).


 * 1908-1974 - at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection. - free


 * 1913-1918 - Sumter County Death Index 1913-1918 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * Sumter County Deaths at ALGenWeb - free


 * 1881 – 1952 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 – 1974 at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1908 – 1959 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188 Alabama Deaths,


 * 1908-59] at Ancestry.com — index $

Societies
Sumter County Historical Society p.o. Box 213 Livingston, Alabama 35470


 * List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Libraries
Hightower Memorial Library 630 Ave. A York, Alabama 36925 Telephone: 205-392-2004

Ruby Pickens Tartt Public Library 201 Monroe St. Livingston, Alabama 35470 205-652-2349

Family History Centers
Family History Centre Locator
 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Sumter County, AL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Sumter County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Sumter County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Sumter County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)