Marion County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to Marion County, South Carolina ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The County was named after "The Swamp Fox" Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Marion(c1732-1795). . The County is located in the northeast location of the state.

County Courthouse
Marion County Courthouse 100 West Court Marion, SC 29571 Phone: 843-423-8240 Marion County Website

County Pronunciation

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:

Cemeteries

 * To view a cemetery list, see Marion County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
 * National Cemetery Administration

Census Records

 * 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images

1800
 * Grant, Marty. 1800 Census of Marion District, Liberty County, South Carolina: Liberty County, South Carolina. Marion, S.C.: Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society, 2002. 975.786 X2g 1800

1810
 * Dickerson, Jo Church. 1810 Census Marion District, South Carolina. Marion, S.C.: Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society, 2002. 975.786 X2d 1810

1820
 * Silva, Lois Turner. 1820 Census of the United States, State of South Carolina, District of Marion: National Archives Microfilm Publication, Microcopy 33, Roll 121, S.C., Vol. 4. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, (1994?). 975.786 X2s 1820

1820 Manufactures The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FS Library copies: 1024517 - 1024518. Published abstract:
 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. 973 X2m 1820;

1830
 * Grant, Marvin A. 1830 Census - Marion District, South Carolina: A Full Transcription of the 1830 Census of Marion District South Carolina Encompassing All of Present Day Marion County and Dillon County and a Portion of Florence County. Kinston, N.C.: M.A. Grant, 2004. 975.78 X2g 1830
 * Ward, Carolyn Prater. 1830 Census of the United States, District of Marion [South Carolina]. 975.786 X2w 1830

1840
 * Ward, Carolyn Prater. 1840 Census of the United States, State of South Carolina, District of Marion. 1990. 975.786 X2w 1840

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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C.: Blair and Rives, 1841. 973 X2pc 1840;  2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See South Carolina, Marion District on page 143.

1850
 * Ward, Carolyn Prater. 1850 Census of Marion County, South Carolina. 1978. 975.786 X2c 1850

1860
 * Johnson, Claudia T. Marion County, South Carolina 1860 Census. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1987. 975.786 X2j 1860

1870
 * Dickerson, Jo Church and Helen B. Moody. 1870 Census: Marion County, South Carolina. Marion, SC: The Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society, 2010.

1880
 * Marsh, Steve and Mary Bingham Marsh. 1880 Marion County, S.C. Census. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1986. 975.786 X2m 1880

Church Records

 * Stanley, Victor Bland. Marion Churches and Churchmen, 1735-1935: A Narrative of the Church of England and Its Successor, the Episcopal Church. Charleston, S.C.: Southern Print. &amp; Pub. Co., 1938. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Episcopal Church Before 1785, residents of what is now Marion County were served by these colonial parishes.


 * Prince Frederick Winyaw Parish. 1734
 * St. Marks Parish 1757

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Marion County has court records from 1800 that are held in the office of the Clerk of Court. Marion County was a part of the Georgetown District from 1785 - 1800. The records of the Georgetown District court are housed with the Georgetown County Clerk of Court.
 * The South Carolina Archives and History Center has court records available on microfilm for Marion County.
 * The FamilySearch Library collection includes books and microfilm regarding court records for Marion County.
 * Dates Vary Marion County, Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Public Index – index; courts include Circuit Court, Summary Court and Masters-in-Equity, records added periodically

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:
 * United States African Americans
 * South Carolina African Americans
 * China Grove
 * Davis
 * Dogg Bluff
 * Ella's Grove
 * Oak Grove
 * Pauls - Pamplico
 * Woodlawn

Genealogies
General Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files, Folders, Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.

Bibliography
 * Bingham - Marsh, Mary Bingham. Bingham or Bigham - Ancestry and De[s]cendants of James Bingham or Bigham Sr. of Marion District, S.C. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1995.
 * Harrelson - Holcomb, Brent H. Lineage &amp; Descendants of John Wesley Harrelson, Marion County, South Carolina, 1756-1984. 1984.
 * Keeffe - Hanna, Muriel K. Keeffe/Keefe/Keith family of Florence and Marion Counties, South Carolina. Summerton, S.C.: M.K. Hanna,2004.
 * Lane - Sirmon, Marilyn Lane and William Arnold Sirmon. The Ancestry and Known Descendants of Joseph Lane (1770 - 1850) of Marion County, South Carolina and Simpson County, Mississippi. 1986.
 * Lewis Crump, Vivian Hayes. The Lewis Family of Monroe Co. and Marion Co., South Carolina. 1968. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Lewis Lewis, J.D. My Neck of the Woods: The Lewis Families of Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2002. book 929.273 L585Ljd, CD-ROM no. 1036

Land and Property Records
Also included are the Plan Books containing Plats and Plans.
 * This series consists of recorded copies of plats for state land grants for the Charleston and the Columbia Series with their certificates of admeasurement or certification.All personal names and geographic features on these plats are included in the repository's On-line Index to Plats for State Land Grants
 * The South Carolina Constitution of 1790 required the surveyor general to maintain offices in both the new capital at Columbia and in Charleston. The surveyor general began to use separate volumes for recording plats in his Columbia office in 1796. Before that, all plats were recorded in the set of volumes begun in Charleston in 1784. After 1796, most plats for land grants in the Upper Division of the state were recorded and filed in Columbia. The surveyor general chose to make the Columbia volumes a continuation of the state plat volumes begun in Charleston and gave the initial Columbia volume the number thirty-six to correspond with the number of the volume that had then been reached in the Charleston series. As a result, there are volumes numbered thirty-six through forty-three from each office, but the records in them are not duplicative.

Online Land Indexes and Records

The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records.
 * Many colonial deeds for Marion County are recorded in deed records after 1800.

Local Histories

 * Moody, Mary C. Every Name Index to W. W. Sellers: A History of Marion County, South Carolina. (Arlington, Texas Blackstone Pub., 1985), 184 pages. To make the original volume more valuable, an every name index has been compiled. This index contains over 14,500 names. In this compilation, the actual spelling of the name was retained; therefore, the name of a person may be found under more than one spelling, abbreviated or listed with a title. Book at and [3t4zeyl Other Libraries.]
 * Sellers, William W. A History of Marion County, South Carolina From its Earliest Times to the Present, 1901. (Greenville, South Carolina Southern Historical Press, c1996), 647 pages. Names and organizations of Confederate military organizations from the county, pages 572-646. Book at and microform copies at [3cmqbrl Other Libraries]. The book is also located on Archives.org. The link is [Https://ia800206.us.archive.org/2/items/cu31924028790414/cu31924028790414.pdf https://ia800206.us.archive.org/2/items/cu31924028790414/cu31924028790414.pdf]

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
General
 * "Military Pay Rolls, 1814," Pee Dee Queue, February 1987, Volume 11, Issue 2. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Veterans Burials," Pee Dee Queue, February 1987, Volume 11, Issue 2. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * Marion County Military, USGenWeb project.

Revolutionary War
 * "Levi Odom-Henry Brasswell-Phebe Rowell-Mary McIsack pension petition, 1838," Pee Dee Queue, September 2006, Volume 30, Issue 5. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "John and Rebecca Bird Booth Rev. War pension file, 1833," Pee Dee Queue, September 2005, Volume 29, Issue 5. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "T. Norwood Indent Note, 1792," Darlington Flag, Spring 2001, Volume 13, Issue 2. Old Darlington District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Hartsville, SC.

War of 1812
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Marion County, p. 186-187. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.
 * "Pee Dee Militia Companies, Roster," Pee Dee Queue, January 2000, Volume 24, Issue 1. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Soldiers Receiving Pensions or Grants," Pee Dee Queue, January 2000, Volume 24, Issue 1. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Company of Inf., Pee Dee," Pee Dee Queue, September 1999, Volume 23, Issue 5. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Militia Companies," Pee Dee Queue, July 1999, Volume 23, Issue 4. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Pension or Land Grants,"Pee Dee Queue, January 2000, Volume 24, Issue 1. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Capt. Bethea's Co.," Pee Dee Queue, May 1999, Volume 23, Issue 3. Pee Dee Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Marion, SC.
 * "Peter Caulder, Free Black Soldier," Arkansas Historical Quarterly, Spring 1999, volume 58, Issue 1. Arkansas Historical Association Hist. Dept., University of AR: Fayettville, AR.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 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)
 * "Marion County, SC in the War Between the States". SCGenWeb-Marion County Internet site. This site contains links to histories of Military units, timelines and other information about Marion County's involvement in the Civil War.

Regiments. Civil War service men from Marion County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed of men from Marion County.
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Sharpshooters, Company B - (also known as the Sumter Guards) and Company C - (also known as the Charleston Sharpshooters and Palmetto Guards)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Hagood's), 2nd Company I
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (McCreary's) (1st Provisional Army), Company E -(also known as Marion Volunteers Rifles)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (Orr's), Company H (also known as Pee Dee Guards)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Artillery, Company D
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia), Company B and Company L
 * - 3rd Regiment, South Carolina State Troops (6 months 1863-1864)
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Light Artillery (Palmetto Battalion), Company C (also known as the Wilson Light Artillery, Culpepper's Light Artillery and Culpeper Battery) and Company E (also known as the Yeadon Light Artillery)
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Rutledge's), Company E and Company F
 * -6th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Byrd's), Company A
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers), Company H and Company I
 * - 7th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company F and Company K
 * - 7th Battalion, South Carolina Reserves (Ward's), Company D Roster and Company E
 * - 8th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company H, Company I, and Company L
 * - 10th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D, Company F, Company I, and Company L
 * -20th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Reorganized Company L
 * -23rd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Hatch's Coast Rangers), Company E and Company H

Other Resources
 * Brunson, Joseph Woods. Pee Dee Light Artillery of Maxcy Gregg's (Later Samuel McGowan's) Brigade, First South Carolina Volunteers (infantry) C. S. A., a Historical Sketch and Roster, (University, Alabama Confederate Pub., c1983), 60 pages. Includes rosters of the three Pee Dee infantry companies (from Darlington, Horry and Marion counties) which were supported by the Pee Dee artillery. The battery was officially Company D of the 1st South Carolina regiment. Book found at and Other Libraries.
 * Sellers, William W. A History of Marion County, South Carolina From its Earliest Times to the Present, 1901. (Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, c1996), 647 pages. Names and organizations of Confederate military organizations from the county, pages 572-646. Book at and microfilm copies at [3cmqbrl Other Libraries].

Newspapers

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

Historic The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Marion 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. University of South Carolina Library Catalog
 * Marion Star and Mullins Enterprise (Marion County, S.C.) 1990-current.
 * Merchant and Farmer (Marion, S.C.) 1875-1885.
 * The Crescent (Marion, S.C.) 1865-1872.
 * The Enterprise (Mullins, S.C.) 1898-1990.
 * The Marion Observer (Marion, S.C.) 1874-1875.
 * The Marion Observer (Marion, S.C.) 1904-1909.
 * The Marion Star (Marion C.H., S.C.) 1852-1869.
 * The Marion Star(Marion, S.C.) 1871-1990.
 * The Messenger (Mullins, S.C.) 1910-1916.
 * The Monitor (Marion, S.C.) 1978-1981.
 * The Pee Dee Index (Marion, S.C.) 1882-1894.
 * The Pee Dee Observer (Marion, S.C.) 1981-1988.
 * The Star and Southern Real Estate Advertiser  (Marion, S.C.) 1869-1871.
 * Historic Newspapers http://historicnewspapers.sc.edu/ Currently right now the Historic Newspapers project is currently working on Marion County's newspapers. However this is a great source to use for other counties.
 * 1858-1886 Genealogical Abstracts from Marion, South Carolina Newspapers, 1858-1886 by Gloria Calhoun WorldCat - abstract
 * Historical Newspapers of South Carolina at University of South Carolina Libraries - not complete

Periodicals

 * Darlington Flag
 * Georgia Genealogical Magazine
 * Pee Dee Queue (FS Library book 975.7 D25pe .)
 * South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research (FS Library book 975.7 B2sc .)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 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. Archival records include estate papers from 1790-1893 from the court of ordinary and probate court records, along with other corollary papers. Statewide Will Transcriptions, 1782 to 1855, database is available online with a searchable index by name. Images are available.
 * Early will records of the Court of Ordinary for Marion District are available on microfilm.
 * Also see the 3-volume set of Marion County probate records, 1800-1900:
 * -Lucille Utley and Danny Smith, comp. [South Carolina], Marion County Probate Records. (Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1985.
 * -Marion County Wills 1796-1807 (transcripts). See list of testators. South Carolina Pioneers
 * -Index to Marion County Will Book I, 1796-1853. South Carolina Pioneers


 * 1670-1980 South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
 * 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images Only
 * 1737-1964 South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 at Ancestry - images ($)
 * 1782-1866 South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at Findmypast — index($) — $, index

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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Published abstracts
 * 1784 1784 Tax List, Prince Frederick's Parish, SC
 * 1786 1786 Tax List, Prince Frederick's Parish, SC
 * 1786 1786 Tax Returns from Marion County, South Carolina, Prince George Return, available online, courtesy: SCGenWeb.
 * 1787 1787 Tax List of Prince George Parish, available online, courtesy: Georgetown South Carolina Genealogy website.
 * 1809 Utley, Lucille. "1809 Marion District Tax List," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring 1980):67-72.
 * 1811, 1814, 1824 Holcomb, Brent H. and Silas Emmett Lucas. Some South Carolina County Records... 2 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1976-1989. [Includes 1811, 1814, and 1824 tax lists for Marion District.]
 * 1811 Tax List, 1811, Georgia Genealogical Magazine, No. 91 (Winter 1984), 93 (Summer 1984).
 * 1814, 1827 Tax List, 1814, 1827, Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 28, Nos. 1-2 (Winter 1988).
 * 1890 Tax Return Notice, 1890, Pee Dee Queue, Vol. 31, No. 6 (Nov. 2007). Vol. 31 Iss. 6.

Vital Records

 * 1791-1861 Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from Georgetown, South Carolina Newspapers, 1791-1861 WorldCat - index

Birth

 * 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 1915-1917 South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1917 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Marriage
Online Marriage Records and Indexes
 * 1800-1825 List of Memoranda of Marriage Licenses Granted in Marion County, South Carolina, as Found in Minute Book of the Probate Court for said County Covering the Years 1800 to 1825 - abstract
 * 1800-1829 Marriages, 1800-1829 - records
 * 1800-1829 Memoranda of Marriage Licenses Issued by the Court of Ordinary of Marion County, South Carolina Which Appears in Part of an Old Will Book - abstract
 * 1858-1886 Genealogical Abstracts from Marion, South Carolina Newspapers, 1858-1886 by Gloria Calhoun WorldCat - abstract
 * 1911-1950 Marion County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, July 1911-Dec. 1950 - records
 * 1911-1952 Marion County, South Carolina Marriage Registers Continued by Bound Marriage Licenses, 1911-1952 - index and records
 * 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
Online Death Records and Indexes
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1821-1969 South Carolina, U.S., Death Records, 1821-1969 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1943 South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index & Images
 * 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.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Camden South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Columbia South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Florence South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Myrtle Beach South Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Shallotte North Carolina FamilySearch Center
 * Sumter South Carolina FamilySearch Center


 * Georgetown County Historical Society - an affiliate library

Websites

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


 * – 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.

Research Guides

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