Spartanburg County, South Carolina Genealogy

United States South Carolina  Spartanburg County

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

County Courthouse
Spartanburg County Courthouse 180 Magnolia St. Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306

Clerk of Court 180 Magnolia St., 2nd floor. Suite 500 Spartanburg, SC 29306 864-596-2591 Court and land records

Probate Court 180 Magnolia St., 1st Floor, Suite 302 Spartanburg, SC 29306 Phone: 864-596-2556 Probate and marriage records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

History
The county is named after the Spartan Regiment. Known in history as the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Cowpens.

Parent County
1795--"Spartan District" was created in 1795 from Ninety-Six District. In 1791 at the request of the citizens the legislature renamed the same place Spartanburg District (county) in honor of the district/county seat. in 1868 all districts including Spartanburg were renamed counties. County seat: Spartanburg

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken

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

Variant Spellings

 * Spartanburgh
 * Spartenburg

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Research Guides

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

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Eelman, Bruce W. "'An Educated and Intelligent People Cannot Be Enslaved': The Struggle for Common Schools in Antebellum Spartanburg, South Carolina," History of Education Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Summer, 2004), pp. 250-270. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Heinegg, Paul. "'Other Free' Heads of Household in the 1790 South Carolina Census, by County," Free African Americans.com. [Includes free blacks in Spartanburgh County.]

Biography

 * Boggs, John. The Southern Christian; Exemplified in the Memoirs of Anthony Jefferson Pearson, Who Died August 31st, 1834 in Spartanburgh, South Carolina. New York: Ezra Collier, 1835. Digital version at Internet Archive.

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

Census
1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Spartanburg 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 Spartanburg County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

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 versions at Google Books. [See South Carolina, Spartanburgh [Spartanburg] District on page 143.]

1850

 * Gilbert, Horace Elbert and Rodney Dusterhoft. An Enhanced 1850 Census, Spartanburg District, South Carolina. Spartanburg, S.C.: Pinckney District Chapter, SCGS, 1994. 975.729 X2g 1850

1860

 * Emory, Mary Mills and Lorene Burton Ambrose. 1860 Census, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Vol. 1. 975.729 X2p 1860 v. 1

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Spartanburg

Court

 * Racine, Philip N. "The Spartanburg District Magistrates and Freeholders Court, 1824-1865," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 87, No. 4 (Oct., 1986), pp. 197-212. Digital version at JSTOR ($).

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 20 genealogies have been published about Spartanburg County families. To view a list, visit Spartanburg County, South Carolina Genealogy.

Immigration

 * Howe, George. The Scotch-Irish and Their First Settlements on the Tyger River and Other Neighboring Precincts in South Carolina a Centennial Discourse, Delivered at Nazareth Church, Spartanburg District, S.C., September 14, 1861. 1861; reprint, Greenville, S.C.: A Press, 1981.

Early migration routes to and from Spartanburg County for European settlers included:


 * Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
 * Lower Cherokee Traders' Path pre-historic
 * Catawba Trail pre-historic
 * Old South Carolina State Road 1747
 * Upper Road about 1783 (overlapped Lower Cherokee Traders' Path)

Land and Property
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information abou types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.

Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart shows where you may best expect to find land records for Spartanburg County:

* Some early records may be found in North Carolina counties Anson, Mecklenburg, or Tryon

Orignial deed books are located at the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

Abstracted deeds in Spartanburg County/District, South Carolina, deed abstracts, books A-T, 1785-1827 (1752-1827), A.B. Pruitt

Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868


 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

Local Histories

 * History of Spartanburg County. Spartanburg, S.C.?: Band &amp; White, 1940. Digital version at Ancestry($).
 * Landrum, J.B.O. Colonial and Revolutionary History of Upper South Carolina, Embracing for the Most Part the Primitive and Colonial History of the Territory Comprising the Original County of Spartanburg with a General Review of the Entire Military Operations in the Upper Portion of South Carolina and Portions of North Carolina. Greenville, S.C.: Shannon &amp; Co., Printers and Binders, 1897. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Landrum, J.B.O. History of Spartanburg County: Embracing an Account of Many Important Events and Biographical Sketches of Statesmen, Divines and Other Public Men, and the Names of Many Others Worthy of Record in the History of Their County. Atlanta, Ga.: Franklin Printing, 1900. ; ; digital versions at Internet Archive; World Vital Records($); another World Vital Records($) version.
 * Spartanburg City and Spartanburg County, South Carolina, 1903. 1903. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Waldrep, G.C. Southern Workers and the Search for Community: Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2000.


 * Reviews:


 * 1) By John Hennen in The American Historical Review, Vol. 106, No. 4 (Oct. 2001):1397-1398. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * 2) By Annette C. Wright in The Journal of American History, Vol. 88, No. 4 (Mar. 2002):1580-1581. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * 3) By R. Phillip Stone II in The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 68, No. 3 (Aug. 2002):738-379. Digital version at JSTOR ($).


 * Harris, David Golightly. Piedmont Farmer, The Journals of David Golightly Harris, 1855-1870. (Knoxville, Tennessee : University of Tenn. Press, c1990. 597 pages. David Harris, the owner of 10 slaves records life on his farm, in his neighborhood, and the society of Piedmont. Book found at and Other Libraries.

Military
Over the years, many veterans have lived in Spartanburg County. The area receives a lot of attention, as being the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Cowpens. Spartanburg County, South Carolina Military identifies various military records and histories.

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

9th Regiment, South Carolina Reserves, Company I


 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Confederate Pension Records, 1889,1896, 1916-1935  (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1954, 1971).  6 FHL Microfilms Pension applications, A-I (veterans), 1919-1920's. Pension applications, J-Z (veterans), 1919-1920's. Pension applications, A-N, (widows), 1919-1920's  Pension application,   O-Z (widows), 1919-1920's Pension record, 1889, 1896, 1916-1919. Pension rolls,(widows), 1920-1935 (includes some applications). Microfilm copies at
 * Harris, David Golightly. Piedmont Farmer, The Journals of David Golightly Harris, 1855-1870. (Knoxville, Tennessee : University of Tenn. Press, c1990), 597 pages. David Harris, the owner of 10 slaves records life on his farm, in his neighborhood, and the society of Piedmont. Civil War pages 171-356. Book found at and Other Libraries.
 * Gorski, Eddie L. Civil War abstracts from the Gaffney ledger : from the local newspaper. (Gaffney, South Carolina : E.L. Gorski, c1989-c1991). 2 volumes. These abstraction also contain some of those who were living in near by counties such as Union, York and Spartanburg"--Vol. 1, pref., 1st prelim. p. Names are in alphabetical order by surname. Vol. 2 includes information from the Union Times. Books found at

Newspapers
Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Spartanburg County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.


 * Black Star (Columbia, S.C.) 1977-current.
 * Chesnee Tribune (Chesnee, S.C.) 1971-current.
 * Cowpens-Pacolet Tribune (Cowpens, S.C.) 1971-current.
 * Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1989-current.
 * Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1982-1989.
 * Spartanburg Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1900-1906.
 * Spartanburg Tribune (Chesnee, S.C.) 1969-current.
 * Star Tribune (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1980-1992.
 * The Carolina Citizen (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1922-1924.
 * The Carolina Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 185?-189?.
 * The Carolina Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1???-1913.
 * The Church Herald (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1881-1884.
 * The Clifton Chronicle (Converse, S.C.) 1908-1931.
 * The Daily Herald (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1890-1982.
 * The Evening Star (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1898-1900.
 * The Free Lance (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1899-1919.
 * The Inman Times (Inman, S.C.) 1920-current.
 * The Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1906-1913.
 * The Journal and the Carolina Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1913-1920.
 * The Landrum Leader (Landrum, S.C.) 1955-1974.
 * The News Leader (Landrum, S.C.) 1974-current.
 * The News Review (Una, S.C.) 1929-1971.
 * The Orphans' Friend (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1873-1875.
 * The Paper (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1984-current.
 * The Piedmont Headlight (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1892-1905.
 * The Spartan (Camp Croft [Spartanburg], S.C.) 1944-19??.
 * The Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1843-185?.
 * The Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 189?-1???.
 * The Spartanburg Express (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1854-1866.
 * The Spartanburg Gazette (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1869-1870.
 * The Spartanburg Herald (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1875-1920.
 * The Spartanburg Journal and the Carolina Spartan (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1920-1982.
 * The Spartanburg Republican (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1870-1871.
 * The Sun and the Carolina Citizen (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1924-1925.
 * The Woodruff News (Woodruff, S.C.) 1916-1928.
 * The Woodruff News (Woodruff, S.C.) 1950-current.

Current


 * Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.) Online edition.

Spartanburg Herald Spartanburg Journal Obituary Search Engine

Obituaries
Spartanbury County Public Libraryhas Indexes to various newspaper obituaries as well as a miscellaneous death index. The obituaries and index covers various years ranging from 1844 to 2009.

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:


 * Pinckney District Chapter Quarterly
 * Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History
 * Old Spartanburg District Genealogy 

Probate
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.

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 Transcriptionsfor 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Spartanburg County wills. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * Spartanburg Wills Book A-D 1810-1858

Probate records for Spartanburg County are found in the court of ordinary, the probate court, and the court of equity. Some estate records and indexes also available on microfilm, including the following:


 * Index to Estate Papers, 1787-1971.


 * Index to Real Estate Papers, 1825-1971.


 * Brent H. Holcomb, comp. Spartanburg County, South Carolina will abstracts, 1787- 1840. Columbia, South Carolina: B.H. Holcomb, c1983.

Schools

 * First Annual Catalogue of the Instructors and Pupils in the Limestone Springs Female High School, Spartanburg, S.C., August, 1846. New York: Leavitt, Trow &amp; Company, 1846. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Catalogue of the Instructors and Pupils in the Limestone Springs Female High School, Spartanburg, S.C., 1855. Charleston, S.C.: James and Williams, 1855. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Catalogue of the Instructors and Pupils in the Limestone Springs Female High School, Spartanburg, S.C., 1856. Columbia, S.C.: Steam Power-Press of R.W. Gibbes, 1856. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Catalogue of the Instructors and Pupils in the Limestone Springs Female High School, Spartanburg, S.C., 1857. Columbia, S.C.: Steam-Power Press of R.W. Gibbes, 1857. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Taxation
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.


 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History online tax lists for Spartanburg County.

Published abstracts

 * [1788] Iron Works of Spartanburg Sheriff's Sale 2nd Notice, July 14, 1788, Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Aug. 2005).
 * [1844] Tax Return, 1844, Spartanburg Dist., W, Pinckney District Chapter Quarterly, Vol.16, No. 1 (Spring 1992).
 * Freedmen Tax List, Pinckney District Chapter Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Sep. 2008).

Vital Records
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

Birth
Birth records do not begin in Spartanburg until 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Spartanburg County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Marriage
In South Carolina, marriage records were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.

The Spartanburg County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.

Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.

Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes


 * 1785-1911 - Spartanburg County Marriages, 1785-1911 Implied in Spartanburg County, South Carolina Probate Records by Barbara R. Langdon WorldCat - abstracts
 * 1866-1869 - Marriages from the Carolina Spartan Newspapers, 1866-1869 by Faye Berry Emory WorldCat - abstracts
 * 1911 to 1950s - Spartanburg County Marriage Records by the Spartanburg County, SC USGenweb page - index, incomplete
 * There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Death
The town of Spartanburg began recording deaths in 1895. These records can be obtained from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Spartanburg County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1849-Present - Obituary Online Index  by the Spartanburg County Public Library - index, INCOMPLETE between 1916 to1930s
 * 1895-1897; 1903-1914 - South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1955 Available at Ancestry ($) - index and records, includes Spartanburg City death records;
 * 1914-1960 - State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Archives, Libraries, and Museums
Spartanburg County Public Libraries

Digital items: The Spartanburg County Public Libraries Digitization Program creates digital collections of local history materials from the Kennedy Room of Local and South Carolina History and Cleveland Genealogical Department and makes them available online

Headquarters Library Address: 151 South Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29306 Telephone: 864-596-3500 Hours: Sunday 1:30 PM -6:00 PM; Monday Friday 9:00 AM -9:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM -6:00 PM

The Kennedy Room of Local and South Carolina History and Cleveland Genealogy Department on the top floor of the headquarters Library houses an extensive collection of source material for genealogy and history researchers. In addition to books, types of materials in our collection include microform, maps, media clippings, manuscripts, visual arts and access to several online genealogy databases. The materials’ focus is on Spartanburg County but also includes South Carolina and regional information.

The best way to access this material is through personal visits and by viewing our online information. We offer limited assistance to long-distance researchers through email, postal mail or telephone.

Boiling Springs Library Address: 871 Double Bridge Road Boiling Springs, SC29316 Telephone: 864-578-3665 Hours: Sun. 1:30 PM -6 PM; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed., Fri. &amp; Sat. 10 AM -6 PM

Chesnee Library Address: 100 Pickens Avenue Chesnee, SC 29323 Telephone: 864-461-2423 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed. &amp; Fri. 10 AM -6 PM; Sat. 10 AM -4 PM

Cowpens Library Address:  181 School Street Cowpens, SC 29330 Telephone: 864-463-0430 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon. &amp; Tues. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed., Thurs. &amp; Fri. 10 AM -6 PM; Sat. 10 AM -4 PM

H. Carlisle Bean Law Library Address:  180 Magnolia Street, 3rd floor Spartanburg, SC 29306 Telephone: 864-596-2511 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon. - Fri. 8:30 AM -12:15 PM &amp; 1:15 PM -5 PM; Sat. CLOSED

Inman Library Address:  50 Mill Street Inman, SC 29349 Telephone: 864-472-8363 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed. &amp; Fri. 10 AM -6 PM; Sat. 10 AM -4 PM

Landrum Library Address: 111 East Asbury Drive Landrum, SC 29356 Telephone: 864-457-2218 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 9 AM -8 PM; Wed. &amp; Fri. 9 AM -6 PM; Sat. 9 AM -2 PM

Middle Tyger Library Address: 170 Groce Road Lyman, SC 29365 Telephone: 864-439-4759 Hours: Sun. 1:30 PM -6 PM; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed, Fri. &amp; Sat. 10 AM -6 PM

Pacolet Library Address: 390 West Main Street Pacolet, SC 29372 Telephone: 864-474-0421 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon. &amp; Tues. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed., Thurs. &amp; Fri. 10 AM -6 PM; Sat. 12 noon-4 PM

Westside Library Address:  525 Oak Grove Road Spartanburg, SC 29301 Telephone: 864-574-6815 Hours: Sun. 1:30 PM -6 PM; Mon.-Thurs. 9 AM -9 PM; Fri. 9 AM -6 PM; Sat. 10 AM -6 PM

Woodruff Library Address: 270 East Hayne Street Woodruff, SC 29388 Telephone: 864-476-8770 Hours: Sun. CLOSED; Mon., Tues. &amp; Thurs. 10 AM -8 PM; Wed. 10 AM -6 PM; Fri. 12 noon-6 PM; Sat. 10 AM -4 PM

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage
Pinckney District Chapter SCGS P.O. Box 5281 Spartanburg SC 29304-5281 Spartanburg Historical Association 501 Otis Blvd. Spartanburg SC 29306 source: Society Hill  Piedmont Historical Society P.O. Box 8096 Sparanburg SC 29305-8096 source: Society Hill

Family History Centers
Spartanburg South Carolina 121 Quail Dr Spartanburg, Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States Phone: 864-585-5943 Hours: Tues 9:00-5:00; Wed 6:30-8:30; Thurs 6:30-8:30; Fri 10-2 Closed: Week of Thanksgiving, and last two (2) weeks of December Attention: Additional hours opened by appointment. Contact Tracy Terry 864-580-8731

Web Sites

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