Bond County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Bond County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. Illinois Online Genealogy Records

Bond County Organization
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Bond County are kept, see the Bond County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts
Bond County is named for the first Governor of the State of Illinois

This Historical book has been written to provide information on the County and people of Greenville and Bond Counties. Historical Stories About Greenville and Bond County Illinois

Description
The county was named for Shadrach Bond, the first Governor of the State of Illinois. The County Seat is Greenville and was founded January 4, 1817. It is located in the South-Central area of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * Bond County is divided into 9 townships: Shoal Creek, LaGrange, Mulberry Grove, Old Ripley, Central, Pleasant Mound, Burgess, Mills, and Tamalco.


 * 4 January 1817: -- Bond County was created from Madison County.

For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Bible Records
Family Bibles of the Herndon and Howell families of Bond County are included in an Ancestry database ($). The database also includes Howell tombstone inscriptions and a will.

Cemeteries

 * Cemetery Location Project of the Illinois State Genealogical Society gives the town, address, and township and range of various cemeteries in Bond County


 * In and Around Panama, Illinois.This site contains photos of all the headstones in a good number of Bond County cemeteries with birth dates, death dates, and comments when available


 * Confederate veteran buried in Illinois. This site contains the names, military data, and burial sites by county of Confederate soldiers buried in Illinois. Bond County has a number of burials.

Census
For information and tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

1840 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., 1841. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Bond County on page 186.]

Church History and Records
Early churches established in Bond County include: [
 * 1819 - First Presbyterian Church
 * 1823 - Mt. Gilead Cumberland Church, first organized as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1810 in Tennessee. A historical sketch of the church is in A Historical Sketch of a People Called Cumberland Presbyterians in Bond County, Illinois by Louis J. Narowetz. Listed at WorldCat. Another history of the Church and cemetery is Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church &amp; Cemetery History, 1819-1993 by Gerald E Jenner. Available for viewing at ExLibris Rosetta or listed at WorldCat.
 * 1825 - Bethel Presbyterian Church began when the original Shoal Creek Church, established in 1819, was divided into three churches. A list of members can
 * 1830 - Mulberry Grove United Methodist Church
 * 1833 - Mt. Nebo Primitive Baptist Church
 * 1836 - First Baptist Church
 * 1843 - Pleasant Mound Church of the Brethren
 * 1844 - United Presbyterian Church had its first congregation in Bond County, though it had its roots in Indiana around 1828.
 * 1848 - First United Methodist Church
 * 1853 - Liberty Baptist Church. A record book of the church is Record book of the Liberty Baptist Church, 1853-1887, Bond County, Illinois by Harry B. Weber. Listed at WorldCat.
 * 1859 - Woburn Church of Christ
 * 1877 - First Christian Church
 * 1880 - Greenville Free Methodist Church
 * 1880 - United Church of Christ
 * 1881 - Wilkerson A.M.E. Chapel
 * 1881 - Wisetown Baptist Church

Other records

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Perrin, William Henry. History of Bond and Montgomery County. Chicago: O.L. Baskin Historical Publishers, 1882. Internet Archive Digital Online Copy . Beginning on page 232 is a history of churches in Hillsboro. Search within township histories, beginning on page 248, for other county church information.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online or through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Bond County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1858-1961 Justice of the Peace Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1817-1965 Probate records . This record includes court records, guardianships, loose papers, and various probate related records. Many records in these series were either missing or not filmed.

Online Resources


 * Court Minutes for Bond County, Illinois

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Germans
Archives, Libraries, and Museums Biographies Church Records Cemetery Records Court Records Histories Immigration/emigration/migration Maps Newspapers Societies

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online or through the FamilySearch Library.


 * Bond County (Illinois). Recorder. Deed records, 1817-1921.
 * Family maps of Bond County, Illinois: with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads, and more, by Gregory A. Boyd. (Norman, Oklahoma;: Arphax Pub. Co., c2007) This book identifies the early land owners of Bond County, placing them on township maps with other geographic and manmade landmarks.

Online Resources


 * Original land patents for Bond County from the Government Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patent details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * "Illinois Public Land Purchase Records" This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * "U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796 to 1907:" Records of Illinois are among the 13 states included in this set. It includes images of the land patents which contain the information necessary for ordering the complete case files from the National Archives. U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)This appears to be the same information that is online at the Federal Land Office sitehttp://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Explains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Civil War
Civil War service men from Bond 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 Bond County.


 * - 3rd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company D.
 * - 22nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 35th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and F.
 * - 135th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F.
 * - 154th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index and images, ($)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch.org — images
 * Online abstracts from of Record Books A to 1, 1821 to 1838. Includes appraisals, administrations, wills, guardianships, land sales, and other records associated with probate matters. Transcribed by Donna Walton in 2007.
 * The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-University of Illinois University at Springfield (UIS) and search for Bond County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page


 * 1837-1855 Probate Minutes
 * 1837-1849 Probate Records


 * FamilySearch Library


 * Bond County (Illinois) County Court. Probate records 1817 to 1940

Circuit and County Court records are mixed in.


 * Will index 1854-1922
 * Will Books 1854-1912
 * Probate Record Books
 * Inventories and Final Accounts
 * Bonds and Letters (Executors, guardianship, administrators)
 * Appraisements
 * Miscellaneous
 * Reports (Administrators, Guardians)
 * Widow's relinquishments


 * SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.

Guardianships
The FamilySearch Library has films of some guardianship records among the the probate records listed above within the probate records.

Some guardianships are listed in the Online Abstracts described under probate records.

County Courthouse
Bond County Courthouse 200 W. College Avenue Greenville, Illinois 62246

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Bond County are kept, see the Bond County Courthouse page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alton Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Litchfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * O'Fallon Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * St Louis Missouri North FamilySearch Center


 * O'Fallon Public Library - an affiliate library
 * St. Louis Public Library - Baden Library - an affiliate library
 * Six Mile Regional Library District - Johnson Branch - an affiliate library
 * The State Historical Society of Missouri - Saint Louis - an affiliate library

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
IRAD Depository (UIS) LIB 144 University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield IL 62703-5407 Telephone: (217) 206-6520

Public Libraries
 Greenville Public Library 414 W. Main Ave. Greenville, IL 62246 Phone 618-664-3115 Fax 618-664-9442 Website
 * The Greenville Public Library is a member of the Illinois Heartland Library system comprised of 520+ members including academic, school, public and special libraries. IHLS covers 28,368 square miles and serves a population of 2,160,469. The IHLS provides technical support and inter-library loan services. The Library's Genealogy Room is run by the Bond County Genealogical Society and contains information from Bond and surrounding counties, including histories, censuses, old newspapers, genealogies, vital records and more. The room is equipped for viewing and copying records on microfilm and microfiche. The holdings of the genealogy room are not contained in the library's catalog, but there is a guidebook to the holdings in the room.

Societies
Bond County Genealogical Society PO Box 172 Greenville, Illinois 62246 Website
 * The Bond County Genealogical Society Library collection is housed on the lower floor of the Greenville Public Library.

Bond County Historical Society PO Box 376 409 S Fourth St Greenville, Illinois 62246 Phone 618-690-0469 Email: [mailto:www.bondcountyhistorical.org www.bondcountyhistorical.org] Facebook Website

Vital Records
See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

Bond County (Illinois) County Court. Births, marriages, and deaths 1817-1927.

Births
IRAD Holdings (UIS)


 * Birth Records 1877 to 1915
 * Birth Records Index 1863 to 1915
 * Delayed Birth Records Index 1863 to 1915

Marriages

 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900 - An online searchable index, is an ongoing project of the Illinois State Archives and the Illinois State Genealogical Society The Bond County index includes 1817-1915.
 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $

IRAD Holdings (UIS)


 * Marriage License Application 1891 to1916
 * Marriage Licenses 1817 to 1915
 * Marriage Records 1817 to 1915
 * Marriage Record Index 1817-1915


 * Bond county marriages in "Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860"
 * Bond County marriages in "Illinois Marriages to 1850"
 * Bond County marriages in "Illinois Marriages 1851 to 1900"


 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * Extracts of Bond County marriages without images are available on FamilySearch among the ""
 * Bond County (Illinois) County Clerk. Marriage licenses 1817-1872
 * Bond County (Illinois) County Clerk. Bond County marriage licenses (adult and minor) &amp; related material, 1873-1875, 1877-1886, 1890-1915.
 * Bond County, Illinois marriage records, 1817-1850, compiled by Robert E. and Phyllis J. Shelby. Kokamo, (Indiana: Shelby Pub., 1982).
 * Bond County, Illinois marriage records, 1851-1877, compiled by Evelyne McCracken. (Greenville, Illinois: Bond County Genealogical Society, c1984 ).
 * Bond County, Illinois marriage records, 1878-1899, compiled by Evelyne McCracken. (Greenville, Illinois: Bond County Genealogical Society, c1985 ).
 * Bond County, Illinois marriage records, 1894-1915, compiled by Evelyne McCracken. (Greenville, Illinois: Bond County Genealogical Society, c1985 ).

Deaths
IRAD Holdings (UIS)
 * Death Records 1878 to 1915
 * Death Records Index 1878 to 1915


 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index, ($)
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * Index of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950 listings the death certificates filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health

Websites

 * Bond County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Bond County ILGenWeb (The USGenWeb Project). May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Bond County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Bond County IL Genealogy
 * Bond County Fact Sheet (Illinois State Archives)