Barnwell County, South Carolina Genealogy

United States  South Carolina  Barnwell County

Quick Dates
Barnwell County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Barnwell County Courthouse 141 Main Street Barnwell, SC 29812-0723 Phone: 803-541-1031

Barnwell County Probate Court Barnwell County Courthouse Room 108 Barnwell, SC 29812 Phone: 803-541-1031 Marriage and Probate records

Clerk of Court P.O. Box 723 141 Main Street Barnwell, SC 29812 Phone: 803-541-1020 Court records Will not research records but will provide a list of abstrators who will research for a fee.

Barnwell County Register of Mesne Conveyances P.O. Box 723 Barnwell, SC 29812-0723 Phone: 803-541-1020 Land records

Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Probate records (1781-87) and clerk of court's records, including deeds (1791-99), were destroyed with the records of Orangeburg County in February 1865. South Carolina Archives and History Center

History
The county was named after the Barnwell family.

Parent County
1798--Barnwell County was created in 1798 from Orangeburg District. County seat: Barnwell

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the My South Carolina Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

Neighboring Counties
Aiken | Allendale | Bamberg | Burke County, Georgia | Orangeburg

Research Guides

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

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Kelly, Wilhelmina Rhodes. The Hines Bush Family: and Other Related People of Color from Barnwell District, South Carolina, 1842-2004. Tucson, Ariz.: Hats Off Books, 2004.
 * Vandervelde, Isabel. Other Free People in Early Barnwell District. Newberry, S.C.: Art Studio Press, 2001. Digital version at Family History Archives;

Cemeteries
There are more than # burial grounds in the county. To view a list, see Barnwell County, South Carolina Cemeteries.

Census
1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Barnwell 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.

See Barnwell County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1800

 * Jarrell, Lawrence E. Early Barnwell, South Carolina Census. High Point, N.C.: Alligator Creek Genealogy Publications, 1998. 975.77 X2j

1810

 * Jarrell, Lawrence E. Early Barnwell, South Carolina Census. High Point, N.C.: Alligator Creek Genealogy Publications, 1998. 975.77 X2j

1820

 * Jarrell, Lawrence E. 1820 Barnwell District, South Carolina Census. High Point, N.C.: Alligator Creek Genealogy Publications, 1998. 975.77 X2j 1820

1820 Manufactures
The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: 1024517 - 1024518.

Published abstract:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Includes this county.]

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C.: Blair and Rives, 1841. 973 X2pc 1840;  2321; digital version at Google Books. [See South Carolina, Barnwell District on page 142.]

Church
Barnwell County Churches identifies dozens of churches in the area, courtesy: South Carolina Genealogical Society.

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
More than 40 genealogies have been published about Barnwell County families. To view a list, visit Barnwell County, South Carolina Genealogy.

Deeds
The original Barnwell County deed books are kept at the county courthouse. The years 1789 to 1851 have been microfilmed: 23282 ff.

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.

General

 * "Muster roll, 1836," News and Journal, 2001, Volume 17, Issue 3. Aiken-Barnwell Genealogical Society : Aiken, South Carolina. Seminole War
 * Pension applications, various wars," Huxford Genealogical Society Magazine, December 1985, Volume 12, Issue 4. Huxford Genealogical Society:Homerville, GA. Book 975.8 D25h or Film 1320528 and 1320535
 * Some district veterans, 1833," South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Winter 1981, volume 9, Issue 1. Brent Holcomb : Columbia, SC. Book 975.7 B2sc.
 * Manning, Edna Anderson; South Caroliniana Library, Manning Collection (Columbia, South Carolina); Daughters of the American Revolution, General John Barnwell Chapter (South Carolina); Daughters os 1812 (South Carolina). Manning Collection, Barnwell County, South Carolina records, 1717-1965. Columbia, South Carolina : South Caroliniana Library, 1988.


 * Film 1841510-11. Family histories (cont.) Index Vol. 12 Family index [i.e. table of cont.] Family histories (to p. 236) ...... 1817-1962. Family histories (cont.) Index Vol. 14 Index to fam. [i.e. table of cont.] Family histories .................. 1756-1959 Index Vol. 15 History of Barnwell County ........ 1769-1965 1850 census of Barnwell County Index History of Barnwell Co. &amp; family .. 1717-1916 histories of civil servants. Family records .................... 1763-1958 Index to last 2 items.

Revolutionary War

 * Manning, Edna Anderson; South Caroliniana Library, Manning Collection (Columbia, South Carolina); Daughters of the American Revolution, General John Barnwell Chapter (South Carolina); Daughters os 1812 (South Carolina). Manning Collection, Barnwell County, South Carolina records, 1717-1965. Columbia, South Carolina : South Caroliniana Library, 1988.


 * Film 1841506. General index Vol. 1 Contents [not quite accurate] Abstracts of old wills ............ 1787-1900 Marriage records .................. 1877-1895 Cemetery records .................. 1813-1935 Index to wills Index to cemetery records Revolutionary period residents .... 1735-1868 &amp; others Mexican War data .................. 1846-1847 Confederate veterans .............. 1861-1865.
 * Film 1841507. Vol. 3 Ancestry of members of Gen. John 1736-1914 Barnwell Chapter, DAR Family records &amp; short family ..... 1603-1911 histories Family Bible records .............. 1740-1881 A family sketch or Beaufort's ..... 1772-1905 Bridge and its People" (various families) Memoirs of Tarleton Brown, a ...... 1745-1781 revolutionary soldier.
 * Film 1841507. Court Declarations by 2 Rev. War .. 1834 veterans for benefits Voter's lists of Winton [later .... late 1700s- Barnwell] County ear. 1800s Diary of Isaac Kinney, son of ... 1789-1852 a rev. war soldier Index to Ancestry of mem....--1st item on this reel of film Index to Rev. War ancestors Misc. index Cemetery records .................. 1851-1948
 * Film 1841507. Vol. 4 Family histories .................. 1787-1959 Index Vol. 5 Barnwell County appointed officials 1880-1962 Vol. 6 Family index [table of contents] Family records (to p. 201) ........ 1750-1927.
 * Film 1841508. Family records (cont.) ............ 1750-1962 Index Vol. 7 Family index [table of contents] Family histories .................. 1764-1933 Index Vol. 8 Index of families [table of contents] Family histories (to p. 304) ...... 1790-1961.
 * Film 1840509. Family histories (cont.) Index Vol. 9 Family index [i.e. table of cont.] Family histories .................. 1730-1945 Index Vol. 10 Contents Daughters of War of 1812, elig. ... 1812-1916 for membership; rosters of men who served in War of 1812 rendering civil or military ser.

War of 1812

 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Barnwell County, p. 182. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
 * "Six bounty land warrants," News and Journal, 2001, Volume 17, Issue 3. Aiken-Barnwell Genealogical Society:Aiken, South Carolina. War of 1812.
 * Manning, Edna Anderson; South Caroliniana Library, Manning Collection (Columbia, South Carolina); Daughters of the American Revolution, General John Barnwell Chapter (South Carolina); Daughters os 1812 (South Carolina). Manning Collection, Barnwell County, South Carolina records, 1717-1965. Columbia, South Carolina : South Caroliniana Library, 1988.


 * Film 1840509. Family histories (cont.) Index Vol. 9 Family index [i.e. table of cont.] Family histories .................. 1730-1945 Index Vol. 10 Contents Daughters of War of 1812, elig. ... 1812-1916 for membership; rosters of men who served in War of 1812 rendering civil or military ser.
 * Short history of South Car. daughters of 1812 Members of the state org. of the Daughters of 1812 Index of rosters a few items back Vol. 11 Family Index [i.e. table of cont.] Family histories (to p. 187) ...... 1735-1961

Newspapers
Historic


 * Barnwell County Times (Blackville, S.C.) 1871-1875.
 * Barnwell Sentinel (Barnwell, S.C.) 185?-1925.
 * Palmetto Sentinel (Barnwell, S.C.) 1852-1860.
 * The Allendale Enterprise (Allendale, Barnwell Co., S.C.) 1889-1892.
 * The Barnwell County Banner (Barnwell, S.C.) 1986-current.
 * The Barnwell Journal (Blackville, S.C.) 1869-18??.
 * The Barnwell People (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925.
 * The Barnwell People-Sentinel (Barnwell, S.C.) 1925-current.
 * The Blackville News (Blackville, S.C.) 1876-187?.
 * The Fairfax Enterprise (Fairfax, Barnwell Co., S.C.) 1892-1908.
 * The New Sentinel (Barnwell, S.C.) 1902-1904.
 * The People (Barnwell, S.C.) 1877-1884.
 * The Williston Way (Williston, S.C.) 1921-1992.

Current

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:


 * Carolina Genealogist
 * Georgia Genealogical Magazine
 * News and Journal
 * South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research

Probate
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. They have placed Will Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.

Published tax records

 * [1787] Tax List, 1787, Georgia Genealogical Magazine, No. 49 (Summer 1973).
 * [1787] Tax List, 1787, Old Winton County, Carolina Genealogist, No. 11 (Summer 1972).
 * [1810] Tax Return, 1810, South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Spring 1991); Vol. 19, No. 3 (Summer 1991).
 * [1870] Assessor's Return of Taxable Real Property in Barnwell County Annexed by Aiken County, 1870, News and Journal, Vol. 24, No. 3 (2008).

Marriage
Langdon published marriage information recorded in Barnwell County deeds:


 * Langdon, Barbara R. Barnwell County Marriages, 1764-1859, Implied in Barnwell Co., S.C. Deeds. 1989. 975.776 V2Lb

Family History Centers
Family History Centers in South Carolina

Websites

 * Barnwell County, SCGenWeb
 * Barnwell County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Barnwell County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)