Smith County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for Major David Smith. Smith County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Smith County Courthouse Main Street PO Box 39 Raleigh, MS 39153 Phone: 601-782-9811 Smith County Website Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1912 and court records. Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate, land and military records from 1892.

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:

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1841 State Census Returns 1841 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1845 State Census Returns  1845 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1866 State Census Returns 1866 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1880 State Census Returns 1880 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1893-1928 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1911-1945 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1942 Ex-Slave narratives 1936-1942 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of Smith County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1812-1951 Military grave registrations -  Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1838-1845 Register of military commissions 1838-1845 Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry Free Index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry Free Index
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil War records 1936-1939 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 1st Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry Reserves
 * Company B - Nixon’s Company
 * - 6th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company D - Lowry Rifles
 * - 8th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company A - Yankee Terrors
 * Company C - True Confederates (also listed as Co. D)

World War I 
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

Voter List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1893-1947 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1834-1899  at FamilySearch - index and images - incomplete
 *  1834-1899 County Tax records 1834-1899 - Smith County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi, Compiled Marriages, 1800-1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * to 1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive - images of index

Societies
Smith County Mississippi Genealogical Society P.O. Box 356 Raleigh, MS 39153 Phone: 601-426-6749 Email: [mailto:scmgs@smithcountygenealogy.org scmgs@smithcountygenealogy.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Smith County Mississippi Genealogy and History Network
 * Smith County, Mississippi Genweb
 * Mississippi GenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * – 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.