Clay County, Florida Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. The County is located in the Northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse PO Box 698 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-0698 Phone: 904-284-6317 Clay County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, probate, court, and land records from 1872, and divorce records from 1859. County Health Department has birth and death rec from 1973

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:

History Timeline
Additional Information

The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).

Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on Clay  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census Records

 * 1783 Spanish Census- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1885 includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality.
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service- USGenWeb Archives Project

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


 * Doctors Inlet

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * Florida African American Griots Project - USGenWeb
 * Afrigeneas - African Ancestor Genealogy
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project

Land and Property Records

 * Florida Territorial Land Records

Local Histories
History of Clay County, FLGenWeb

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Florida (1821-1997)
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of State - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of State- USGenWeb Archives Project

Military Records

 * Clay County Military Files (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Florida State Military Files - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Pension Transcriptions- Florida state pension records from various wars - USGenWeb Pension Project

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
 * 1883 1883 Pension Files for St. Johns, Duval and Clay Counties (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1885-1955 - at FamilySearch  only
 * Civil War Pensioners, Clay Co. FLGenWeb

World War I
 * 1917-1918 - Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames A-K (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1918 - Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames L-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917-1920 - at FamilySearch

World War II
 * Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Adans - Hinson (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Holcy - Young (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Clay County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch

Korean War
 * Clay County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War
 * Clay County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Newspapers

 * Digitized Newspapers relating to Clay Co, at the FLGenWeb
 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * Florida Obituaries - Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties - USGenWeb Obituaries Project

Probate Records
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1784 – 1990 at FamilySearch
 * 1810 – 1974 Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974 at Ancestry $

Birth

 * 1880-1935 - at FamilySearch

Marriage

 * 1802-1998 - Florida, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 - at FamilySearch
 * 1830-1957 - at FamilySearch
 * 1830-1993 - at FamilySearch
 * 1837-1974 - at FamilySearch
 * Florida State Archives

Death

 * 1877-1939 - at FamilySearch
 * 1877-1998 - at FamilySearch
 * 1900-1921 - at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 1927-2001 - Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $

Family History Centers
Jacksonville Florida West Family History Center 461 Blanding Blvd Orange Park FL 32073-5002 Phone: 904-272-1150 E-mail: FL_JacksonvilleWest@familyhistorymail.org website

Libraries
Clay County Public Library System There are five branches in the county library system website Fleming Island 1895 Town Center Blvd Fleming Island, FL 32003 Phone: 904-278-3720

Green Cove Springs 403 Ferris Street Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 Phone: 904-284-6315

Keystone Heights 175 Oriole Street Keystone Heights, FL 32656 Phone: 352-473-4286 Middleburg 2245 Aster Ave Middleburg, FL 32068 Phone: 904-541-5855

Orange Park 2054 Plainfield Ave. Orange Park, FL 32073 Phone: 904-278-4750

Societies
Florida Historical Society 435 Brevard Ave. Cocoa FL 32922 Phone: 321-690-1971 Website

Florida State Genealogical Society P.O. Box 940927 Maitland, FL 32794-0927 Text or voice mail: 407-494-3747 Website

Websites

 * Clay County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Clay County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Clay County, FLGenWeb Project, Inc
 * Clay County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * Clay County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.