Manatee County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Manatee County Courthouse 1115 Manatee Ave W; PO Box 25400; Bradenton, FL 34206 Phone. 941.749.1800 Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1857

History
Manatee County was created in 1855 from Hillsborough County and is located on the gulf coast on the south side of Tampa Bay. It is in the semi-subtropic climate zone. Later Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Charlotte, and Glades counties were split off from Manatee County. Current records are kept at the Manatee County Courthouse

Parent County
1855--Manatee County was created 9 January 1855 from Hillsborough County. County seat: Bradenton

Description
The county was named for the Florida manatee (commonly called a “sea cow” and distantly related to the elephant), which is endangered and Florida’s official marine mammal. The County Seat is Bradenton and the county was created December January 9, 1855. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Florida County Boundary Maps" (1821-1997) 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:

Neighboring Counties

 * DeSoto
 * Hardee
 * Hillsborough
 * Polk
 * Sarasota

African American

 * USGenWeb Florida African American Griots Project
 * Afrigeneas - African Genealogy

Cemeteries
The following web site may have additional information on Manatee County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Florida cemetery records

Census

 * 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
 * 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
 * 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
 * Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
 * State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
 * Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Immigration
NARA Ships Passenger Lists These passenger lists cover: 1834 - 1897 Immigration of Russians to the United States 1/12/1846 -12/31/1851 Irish Famine 1850 - 1897 Germans to the United States 1855 - 1900 Italians to the United States

Land
Florida Territorial Land Records

Maps

 * 1821-1997 Maps of Florida
 * 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of StateUSGenWeb
 * Exploring Florida, FCIT Maps University of South Florida

Military

 * Manatee County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Florida State Military Files USGenWeb
 * Florida state pension records from various wars Pension Transcriptions USGenWeb

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1883 - Manatee County Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1885 - 1955 - at FamilySearch — images only

World War I

 * 1917 - 1918 - Manatee County Civilian Draft Registration (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * Manatee County World War II Enlistees, Names Ackerman - Darley (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Manatee County World War II Enlistees, Names Davis - Hutchinson (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Manatee County World War II Enlistees, Names Imbler - Palmer (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Manatee County World War II Enlistees, Names Parah - Strong (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Manatee County World War II Enlistees, Names Sudbury - Zipperer (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Manatee County World War II Casualties (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Korean War

 * Manatee County Korean War Casualties (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict distantcousin.com

Vietnam War

 * Manatee County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
 * Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War distantcousin.com

Newspapers

 * Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

 * U.S. Hidden Ancestors Obituaries
 * USGenWeb Obituaries Project Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1784 – 1990 Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
 * 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974
 * Florida State Archives $

Birth Records

 * 1880 - 1935 at FamilySearch — index

Death Records

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

Divorce Records

 * 1927 - 2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry.com - index $

Marriage Records

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

Obituary

 * Manatee County, Florida Obituary Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. From Various Funeral Homes in the Bradenton, Sarasota, Parrish, and Palmetto areas.
 * Obituaries published in Bradenton Herald - Obituary File 1976-present, a service of the Manatee Genealogical Society. The Card File is located at the Historical Records Library in Bradenton, FL.

Societies and Libraries
Manatee County Historical Society PO Box 1000 Bradenton 34206-1000

Manatee Genealogical Society PO Box 1194 Bradenton, FL 34206 E:mail:[mailto:mgs.society@gmail.com mgs.society@gmail.com] Website

Manatee County Historical Society 604 15th St. Bradenton, FL 34208

Manasota Genealogical Society 1405 4th Ave North Bradenton, FL 33506

Myakka City Historical Society PO Box 500 Myakka City 34252

Eaton Florida History Room Manatee County Central Library 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. Bradenton, FL 34217 Telephone: 941-748-5555

The Family Heritage House Museum 1707 15th St. East Bradenton, FL 34205 Website

Anna Maria Island Historical Society 402 Pine Ave. Anna Maria, FL 34216 Telephone: 941-778-0492 Website


 * Florida State Historical Societies -  Listing by County
 * Florida Family History Centers

Family History Centers

 * Brandenton Florida Family History Center
 * Manatee County Items at the Bradenton Family History Library. List compiled by the Manatee Genealogical Society and posted on the MGS Website.

Websites

 * Manatee County GenWeb Project, Inc.
 * Manatee County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * State of Florida
 * Manatee County, Florida,USGenWeb Archives
 * Sarasota County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Manatee County, FLGenWeb Project
 * Manatee County, Florida Genealogy Trails
 * Manatee County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * Manatee County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)

Societies and Libraries
Most Manatee County historical records (usually more than 1 year old) are transfered to the [Records Library] located at 1405 4th Ave W. Bradenton, FL 34205. Phone: (941) 741-4070. The Historical Records Library is housed within the 1918 Carnegie Library building, which was placed on the U.S. Department of the Interior's Registry of Historic Sites in 1987.


 * List of Florida Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Manatee County, FL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Florida Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Florida Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Manatee Genealogical Society