Anderson County, South Carolina Genealogy

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.

Anderson County, South Carolina Record Dates
Anderson County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Anderson County Courthouse P.O. Box 8002 Main Street County Courthouse Anderson, SC 29622

Anderson County Probate Court 100 South Main Street P.O. Box 8002 Anderson, SC 29622 Phone: 864-260-4049 Marriage and probate records

Anderson County Clerk of Court 100 South Main Street P.O. Box 8002 Anderson, SC 29622 Phone: 864-260-4053 Court records

Quick Facts
Anderson County was named for Revolutionary War hero (1741-1813). Anderson was mostly settled by Scotch-Irish farmers who moved from Virginia or Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Learn more about the history of Anderson County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

Parent County/Boundary Changes

 * 26 December 1826: Pendleton District was divided into Anderson and Pickens Counties.

For more information as well as maps of Anderson County through time, see the South Carolina State Archives or For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

County Pronunciation
.

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

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: Anderson County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Pendleton District, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of South Carolina No. 4, Anderson County (Anderson) Columbia, South Carolina: Historical Records Survey, 1939.

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Megginson, W.J. Black Soldiers in World War I: Anderson, Pickens and Oconee Counties, South Carolina; with a Discussion of Pensions for Civil War Slave Labor. Seneca, S.C.: Oconee County Historical Society, 1994.
 * Williams, Bvenitta J. African-American Cemeteries, Anderson County, South Carolina. Mansfield, Ohio: Family History Services, 1997.

Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:

Cemeteries

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

Census
1790 (Pendleton), 1800 (Pendleton), 1810 (Pendleton), 1820 (Pendleton), 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Anderson 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 Anderson County, SC census assignments and Pendleton District, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files The USGenWeb Census Project®

1800
The book, 1800 Census of Pendleton District, SC by William Stewart is an excellent book. It covers present day Anderson County, Pickens County and Oconee County. The author provides many annotations of people and families listed in this census, especially migration information before 1800 from Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina and after 1800 to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas.

1810

 * Sheriff, G. Anne Campbell and Lavinia Moore. Pendleton District, South Carolina 1810 Census Present Day Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties. Central, S.C.: G.A. Sheriff, 1994.

1820 Manufactures
The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies:.

Published abstract:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. ; 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. ; digital version at Google Books. See South Carolina, Anderson District on page 143.

1890
For 1890, see: United States Census 1890.

Church History and Records
Anderson County Churches identifies dozens of churches in the area, courtesy: South Carolina Genealogical Society.

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Anderson

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
This bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)

General 

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Anderson, South Carolina at World Connect, results in more than 45,000 entries. Persons born in Pendleton, South Carolina produces 25,000 additional results.

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


 * Cheek, Linda G. Families of Old Pendleton District, South Carolina. 4 vols. Greenville, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 2006-2007.
 * Simpson, Richard Wright. History of Old Pendleton District with a Genealogy of the Leading Families of the District. Covington, Tenn.: Bradford, Jesse Lee, [1913?]. ; ; 1978 reprint: ; digital version at World Vital Records ($). Genealogy Trails hosts a free online index to biographies found in this book.
 * Via, Eva Ann Wilson. Piercetown Cousins: History of Piercetown, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1835-1993, Including Wilson, Owen and 28 Allied Families. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1993.

Message Boards 


 * Anderson County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Anderson County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)

 Bibliography 


 * Acker - Acker, George H. Descendants of Peter Acker and Wife Jane Sutherland, Settlers of 1787 in the Pendleton District of South Carolina. Cleveland, Ohio: G.H. Acker, 1966. Item 4
 * Adams - Baldwin, Emma Grace. An Adams-Goolsby Genealogy: Some Descendants of Robert Adams of Virginia, Georgia, and Texas, 1624- 1982 ; and a Shirley Genealogy: Some Descendants of Thomas Shirley of Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, 1612-1982. Tenaha, Texas: E.G. Baldwin, 1983.
 * Barnett - Parker, Suzanne Jameson. "Are These the Sons-in-Law &amp; Grandson of William Jameson Sr. &amp; His Wife Margaret of Pendleton District South Carolina?" The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2009):3-11.
 * Corbin - Whitten, William C. Peter Corbin of Pendleton S.C. District and Descendants. Clemson, S.C.: W.C. Whitten, 1988.
 * Davis - Mentzel, Laura W. Davis Families of the Savannah River Valley: Containing a Record of the Descendants of Van and Harmon Davis from 1725-1978, Covering the Counties of Newberry, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee Counties of South Carolina; Habersham, Franklin, Hart, Stephens, Polk, Paulding, Gwinnett Counties of Georgia. Salt Lake City, Utah: Hobby Press, 1978.
 * Jameson - Parker, Suzanne Jameson. "Are These the Sons-in-Law &amp; Grandson of William Jameson Sr. &amp; His Wife Margaret of Pendleton District South Carolina?" The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2009):3-11.
 * Langston - Parker, Suzanne Jameson. "Are These the Sons-in-Law &amp; Grandson of William Jameson Sr. &amp; His Wife Margaret of Pendleton District South Carolina?" The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2009):3-11.
 * Liverett - Tucker, Charlotte Green. "Thomas Liverett, 2nd Lieut. In Capt. Blackwell's Company Lunenburg County, Virginia, 1777. Using Collateral Lines to Document the Descendants of a Revolutionary War Soldier," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Summer 2005):133-137.
 * McElroy - Parker, Suzanne Jameson. "Are These the Sons-in-Law &amp; Grandson of William Jameson Sr. &amp; His Wife Margaret of Pendleton District South Carolina?" The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Winter 2009):3-11.
 * Sartor - Sartor, A.F. A Sartor-Shults Family History. Pearland, Texas: A. Sartor, 1989. 929.273 Sa77sa
 * Turner - Lennon, Rachael Mills. "The Wives of Jonathan Turner: Identification of Women in Pre-Twentieth-Century South Carolina," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 92, No. 4 (December 2004):245-255. 973 B2ng v. 92 (2004)
 * Turner - Lennon, Rachal Mills. "Jonathan Turner-More than a Name: A Carolina Case Study in Dissecting Records," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 97, No. 1 (Mar. 2009):17-28. FHL 973 B2ng v. 97
 * Wright - Kay, William D. Robert Norris Wright, Esquire: 1812-1885, His Life and Four Generations of His Family, Anderson County South Carolina. Mt. Pleasant, S.C.: W.D. Kay, 2005.

History

 * Carlisle, H. Arnett. The History of Lowndesville, S.C. (Danielsville, Georgia : Heritage Papers, c1987), 414 pages. Includes biographies, military history, cemeteries and the following census information: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910. Book found at, and.
 * Carlisle, H. Arnett. History of Old Pendleton District with a Genealogy of the Leading Families of the District (Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, c1987), 414 pages. In 1868 the area known as Pendleton District became the counties of Anderson, Pickens and Oconee..
 * Vandiver, Louise Ayer. Traditions and History of Anderson County. Atlanta, Ga.: Ruralist Press, 1928. Digital versions at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * Via, Eva Ann Wilson. Piercetown Cousins: History of Piercetown, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1835-1993, including Wilson, Owen and 28 allied families (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, c1993), 617 pages. Includes Wilson, Owen, Martin and allied families. Book at

Land and Property
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about 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 Anderson County:

* Anderson County deeds include the records of former Pendelton District/County

Conveyance Books
Some of the original Anderson County Conveyance Books have been microfilmed (1789-1901):. Early records have been published:


 * 1790-1806 - Willie, Betty. Pendleton District, S.C. Deeds, 1790-1806. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1982.
 * 1807-1812 - Pruitt, A.B. Abstracts of Deeds: Pendleton District, SC, Books IJ, K, and L (1807-1812). n.p.: A.B. Pruitt, 2006-2007.
 * 1818-1822 - Pruitt, A.B. Abstracts of Deeds: Pendleton District, SC, Books O and P (1818-1822). n.p.: A.B. Pruitt, 2007.
 * 1822-1830 - Pruitt, A.B. Abstracts of Deeds Pendleton District and Anderson District, SC: Books Q, R, and S (1822-1830). n.p.: A.B. Pruitt, 2009.
 * 1830-1836 - Pruitt, A.B. Abstracts of Deeds Anderson District SC: Books T and U (1830-1836). n.p.: A.B. Pruitt, 2010.

Land Ownership Maps
The Library of Congress created an 1877 land ownership map for Anderson County and the state created a 1897 land ownership map.

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

Clayton's M.A. Thesis analyzes some of these records:


 * Clayton, Frederick Van. The Settlement of Pendleton District, 1777-1800. M.A. Thesis, University of South Carolina, 1930. Reprint: Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988.

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


 * Savannah River pre-historic
 * Old Cherokee Path pre-historic
 * Lower Cherokee Traders' Path pre-historic
 * Coosa-Tualoo Indian Warpath
 * Tugaloo-Apalachie Bay Trail
 * Augusta and Cherokee Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Charleston-Ft. Charlotte Trail about 1765
 * Fort Charlotte and Cherokee Old Path about 1777
 * Upper Road about 1783
 * Unicoi Trail or Turnpike 1813

Revolutionary War

 * "Selected final pension vouchers index, 1818-1864," Old Pendleton District Newsletter, March 2006, Volume 20, Issue 3. Old Pendleton District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Easley, South Carolina.
 * "Veterans Bio. buried in Pickens cemetery," Carolina Herald and Newsletter, August 2001, Volume 29, Issue 3. South Carolina Genealogical Society : Greenville, SC..
 * "Siege of the town of Ninety Six, 1775," St. Lucie River Whig, Winter 2001, Volume 10, Issue 1. St. Lucie River Chapter : Lucie, Florida.
 * "Pensioners in 1840 census," Pendleton District Newsletter, April 1994, Volume 8, Issue 4. Old Pendleton District Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society : Easley, SC.
 * "Land grants, 1777-1800, Pendleton District," Jacksonville Genealogical Society Quarterly, December 1984, Volume 12, Issue 4. Jacksonville Genealogical Society: Jacksonville, FL.

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. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Anderson County, p. 181. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.
 * "Major Gen. John Floyd's Army," Anderson Record, September 1993, Volume 6, Issue 3. Anderson County Chapter, South Carolina Genealogical Society: Anderson, SC.

Civil War
Online Records
 * 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)

Regiments. Civil War service men from Anderson 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 Anderson County:


 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company B (also called Company E) and Company I
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia), Company B, Company H, and Company K
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company B
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Rifles, Company D and Company F
 * - 1st Battalion, South Carolina Sharpshooters, Company A (also known the Union Light Infantry and German Fusiliers) and Company B (also known as the Sumter Guards)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Artillery, Company A (also known as Calhoun's Battery; Sumter Light Artillery, Sumter Battery, Preston's Battery, Blake's Battery and other name variations) and Company K
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina Rifles (Orr's), Company A (also known as Kowee Riflemen), Company D (also known as Orr's Rifles), Company K (also known as Marshall Guards), and Company L (also known as Calhoun Guards)
 * - 1st Regiment, South Carolina State Troops, Company A and Company C
 * - 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company B
 * - 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company E
 * - 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Captain WR Jones' Company
 * - 2nd Battalion, South Carolina Reserves, Company G
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company F (also known as the Easley's Cavalry)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (2nd Palmetto Regiment), Company F (also known as Secession Guard)
 * - 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Rifles,Company D, Company E, Company F, Company G, Company K, and Company L
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Light Artillery (Palmetto Battalion), Company F (also known as the Chestnut Light Artillery)
 * - 3rd Regiment, South Carolina Reserves (90 days 1862-63), Company B and Company C
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers), Company A
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers), Company C
 * - 6th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Aiken's Partisan Rangers) (1st Partisan Rangers), Company I
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A (possibly called Captain Easley's Company)
 * - 3rd Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Lauren's) (James'), Company C
 * - 3rd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company A
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Rutledge's), Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company I
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry (Rutledge's), Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company B (also known as Palmetto Riflemen), Company C (also known as Dean Company), Company D (also known as Piercetown Guards), Company J (also known as The Confederate Guards), and Company K (sometimes listed as Company I) (also known as Fort Hill Guards)
 * - 9th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (Smith's) (Pee Dee Legion), Company D
 * - 9th Battalion, South Carolina infantry (Smith's) (Pee Dee Legion), Company D
 * - 5th Battalion, South Carolina Rifles, Company D and Company F
 * - 7th Regiment, South Carolina Cavalry, Company G
 * - 10th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company B
 * - 11th Batatlion, South Carolina Infantry, Yeadon Light Infantry
 * - 13th Battalion, South Carolina Infantry (4th) (Mattison's), Company A and Company E
 * - 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company A
 * - 16th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company C
 * - 18th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 18th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D
 * - 19th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company B
 * - 19th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Company E
 * - 19th Battalion, South Carolina Cavalry, Captain AC Earle's Company
 * - 20th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company M
 * - 20th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company D, Reorganized Company A, and Reorganized Company M
 * - 22nd Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G
 * - 24th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company F
 * - Jeter's Company, South Carolina Light Artillery
 * - Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, South Carolina (Jenkins') (1st Palmetto), Company B
 * - Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, South Carolina (Jenkins') (1st Palmetto), Company C
 * - Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, South Carolina (Jenkins') (1st Palmetto), Company I
 * - Palmetto Sharpshooters Regiment, South Carolina (Jenkins') (1st Palmetto), Company L
 * - South Carolina State Troop Regiments Seed Corn Units, Junior Reserves, 1st Regiment South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia) and 4th Regiment, South Carolina State Troops Junior Reserves (State Militia)

Other Resources
 * Keys, Thomas Bland. "The Federal Pillage of Anderson, South Carolina: Brown's Raid," The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 76, No. 2 (Apr. 1975):80-86. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
 * Carlisle, H. Arnett, The History of Lowndesville, S.C. (Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, c1987), 414 pages. Includes biographies, military history, cemeteries and the following census information: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910. Book found at FHL 975.735/L1 H2c, and Civil War page 137.
 * South Carolina. Confederate Pension Board.Confederate Veterans and Widows Applications for Pensions, 1916-1956. ( Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1956). Microfilm copy at
 * Anderson County Courthouse.Enrollment Book of Confederate Soldiers, Anderson County, South Carolina. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1956). Alphabetically arranged. Micsrofilm copy at

Newspapers
Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Anderson 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.


 * Anderson Independent (Anderson, S.C.) 1924-1925.
 * Anderson Independent (Anderson, S.C.) 1944-1981.
 * Anderson Independent and Tribune (Anderson, S.C.) 1925-1944.
 * Anderson Independent-Mail (Anderson, S.C.) 1981-current.
 * Blease's Weekly (Anderson, S.C.) 1925-1928.
 * Highland Sentinel (Calhoun, S.C.) 1840-1843.
 * Honea Path Plaindealer (Honea Path, S.C.) 1885-1887.
 * Miller's Weekly Messenger (Pendleton, S.C.) 1807-1812. Search online at GenealogyBank.com ($)
 * Southern Rights Advocate (Anderson, S.C.) 1852-185?.
 * Temperance Standard (Williamston, S.C.) 1878-1880.
 * The Anderson Appeal (Anderson, S.C.) 1866-186?.
 * The Anderson Daily Intelligencer (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917.
 * The Anderson Farmers' Tribune (Anderson, S.C.) 1915-1917.
 * The Anderson Free Press (Anderson, S.C.) 1953-1978.
 * The Anderson Gazette (Anderson, S.C.) 1843-1854.
 * The Anderson Gazette (Anderson, S.C.) 1858-1861.
 * The Anderson Intelligencer (Anderson, S.C.) 1860-1914. Search online at Chronicling America.
 * The Anderson Intelligencer (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917.
 * The Anderson Journal (Anderson, S.C.) 1876-1896.
 * The Anderson Tribune (Anderson, S.C.) 1917-1925.
 * The Belton and Honea Path News-Chronicle (Belton, S.C.) 1992-current.
 * The Belton Journal (Belton, S.C.) 1914-1925.
 * The Belton News (Belton, S.C.) 1912-1914.
 * The Belton News (Belton, S.C.) 1925-1992.
 * The Brushy Creek Banner (Newell, S.C.) 1896-1897.
 * The Daily Mail (Anderson, S.C.) 1899-1981.
 * The Gazette and Advocate (Anderson, S.C.) 1855-185?.
 * The Herald (Anderson, S.C.) 1957-197?.
 * The Honea Path Chronicle (Honea Path, S.C.) 1894-1992.
 * The Intelligencer (Anderson, S.C.) 1915-1917.
 * The Journal (Williamston, S.C.) 1955-current.
 * The News Leader (Anderson, S.C.) 1969-1969.
 * The Pendleton Messenger (Pendleton, S.C.) 1812-1851.
 * The Pendleton News (Pendleton, S.C.) 1912-1914.
 * The Pendleton News (Pendleton, S.C.) 1933-1933.
 * The Pendleton News and Tri-county Advertiser (Pendleton, S.C.) 1933-1934.
 * The Peoples Advocate (Anderson, S.C.) 1890-1918.
 * The Record (Anderson, S.C.) 1931-1939.
 * The South Carolina Baptist (Anderson, S.C.) 1866-1868.
 * The True Carolinian (Anderson, S.C.) 1856-1858.
 * The Williamston News (Williamston, S.C.) 1900-1906.

Current


 * Anderson Independent-Mail (Anderson, S.C.) Online edition.

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:


 * Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History

Probate Records
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 Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available. The Wills from Pendleton District were transcribed as Anderson County.


 * 1791-1907 - Will Books. South Carolina, Probate Court (Anderson County). South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Filmed by The Genealogical Society of Utah, 1956, 1972. Microreproduction of original. Each volume is individually indexed.


 * 1840-1903 - Inventories, Appraisements and Sales. South Carolina. Probate Court Anderson County. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1956. 1972.


 * 1876-1915 - Anderson County, South Carolina Estate Records, ca. 1876-1915. South Carolina. Probate Court Anderson County. Microreproduction of original manuscripts at the South Carolina Dept. of Archives History Center, Columbia, South Carolina

Online Probate Records
 * 1670-1980 - South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1797-1907 - Anderson County South Carolina list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills - free
 * 1671-1977 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1732-1964 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1791-1834 - Anderson County Wills Book A (abstracts) South Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1791-1834 - Anderson County Wills Book A (transcripts) South Carolina Pioneers $
 * 1835-1845 - Anderson County Wills Book B (transcripts) South Carolina Pioneers $

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 tax lists for Anderson County.

Anderson District tax returns, 1835-1861 (gaps), are kept at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Copies: 1835 returns have been abstracted:


 * 1835 - Property Return Abstracts, 1835, Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Dec. 1990).

The USGenWeb Archives includes an abstract of the following:


 * 1843 - Sarrett, Paul R. "Some 2,264 H/H 'Tax' Records - 1843, For persons living in present-day: ANDERSON CO. - Formed 1826 (Pendleton). Free online version, courtesy: The USGenWeb Archives - South Carolina.

To see how the Civil War financially impacted residents of Anderson County, South Carolina, compare values of real and personal estates on the 1860 Census with 1866-1867 tax records:


 * 1866-1867 - Rich, Peggy Burton and Margarette Gibbs Ogle. Pickens District, South Carolina 1866 Tax List, January 1, 1866- January 1, 1867. n.p.: South Carolina Genealogical Society. Old Pendleton Chapter, 1991.

Original tax duplicate records for the years 1871, 1873-1875, 1885, and 1890 are kept at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Copies: 1872 tax duplicates are also there. Copies:

1872 tax delinquents have been published:


 * 1872 - Delinquent Tax Notice, 1872, Upper South Carolina Genealogy and History, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jul. 1985).

Vital Records
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section.

Birth
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The Anderson 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.


 * 1766 - 1900 - at FamilySearch — images

Marriage
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.

The Anderson 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


 * 1826-1848; 1857-1871- Abstract of Marriages and Deaths from the Pendleton Messenger, 1826- 1848, the Keowee Courier, 1857-1871 by Janie Revill ▲  - index
 * 1841-1882 - Early Anderson County, South Carolina: Newspapers, Marriages, and Obituaries, 1841-1882 by Tom C. Wilkinson, - index
 * 1860-1914 - Anderson Intelligencer Newspaper on Chronicling America - index and records
 * 1882-1900 - The Anderson Intelligencer by James E. Harper  - index
 * 1911-1912 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1911-1912. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1912-1914 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1912-1914. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1914-1916 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1914-1916. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1916-1918 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1916-1918. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1918-1920 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1918-1920. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1920-1922 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1920-1922. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1922-1924 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1922-1924. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1924-1925 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1924-1925. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1925-1927 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1925-1927. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1927-1929 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1927-1929. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1929-1930 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1929-1930. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1930-1932 - Anderson County Marriage Index 1930-1932. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 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
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 Anderson County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. However, the South Carolina Room at the Anderson County Library has the South Carolina Death Index, 1915-1949 on microfilm. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.

Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records


 * 1800-1900- CSI: Dixie collects 1583 coroners reports from six South Carolina counties for the years 1800-1900.
 * 1826-1848; 1857-1871- Abstract of Marriages and Deaths from the Pendleton Messenger, 1826- 1848, the Keowee Courier, 1857-1871 by Janie Revill ▲  - index
 * 1841-1882 - Early Anderson County, South Carolina: Newspapers, Marriages, and Obituaries, 1841-1882 by Tom C. Wilkinson ▲  - index
 * 1860-1914 - Anderson Intelligencer Newspaper on Chronicling America - index and records
 * 1882-1900- The Anderson Intelligencer by James E. Harper  - index
 * 1915-1965 - at FamilySearch — index and 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.

Libraries

 * The Anderson County Library Address: 300 N. McDuffie Street Anderson, S.C. 29621. Telephone: 864 260-4500 For current hours, either telephone or check the Library website as they have seasonal hours . The South Carolina room is dedicated for genealogical research. It contains many local and family histories. The collection is primarily for research though some items may be checked out. Copy machines are available.

Staff will respond to postal mail, email, and telephone inquiries, that require checking indexes for a name. Charges for copies apply. Address requests to: Anderson County Library, PO Box 4047 Anderson, SC 29622

To obtain copies of obituaries send your request plus $1.25 per obituary and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage to cover mailing your request. Send to the address listed above. Due to staffing limitations we will not copy more than ten(10) obituaries per mail request. Please, do not send a second request while you have a pending request. Allow two to three weeks for a reply.

The genealogy collection of the Library is housed in the Anderson County Library South Carolina room. It is open during regular library hours. The collections include South Carolina Death Indexes 1815-1950, census records, various Confederate and Union military records land records, wills, and newspapers. Unique collections include the Joseph &amp; Jane Harris Major collection by Betty Daniel Robinson, the Peggy Burton Rich collection by Dr. Linville Rich, and the Holocaust Collection by Elizabeth Marvin.

A list of genealogical researchers in our area who perform fee-based research is available upon request. Please, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address listed above and the library will mail you a copy of the list, Subscriptions to Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest Online are available.

Museums

 * The Anderson County Museum Contact Us: Address: 202 E. Greenville St. Anderson, SC 29624 Telephone: 864-260-4737 Fax: 864-332-5320 The museum's 12,000 square foot Fred Whitten Gallery contains 13 permanent exhibits, a temporary exhibit gallery, and multiple changing exhibits. Exhibits range from textiles to military history to religious history. The Anderson County Museum is on Facebook and Twitter.

The Anderson County Museum (ACM) boasts over 20,000 diverse artifacts in its archives. The Reading and Research Room contains 1,600 volumes and 2,000 historic photographs for public study.

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage

 * Anderson County SCGS Chapter P.O. Box 74 Anderson SC 29622-0074


 * Anderson County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 5743 Anderson SC 29623 Source: Society Hill


 * Pendleton District Historical, Recreational, and Tourism Commission 125 East Queen Street Pendleton SC 29670 Source: Society Hill


 * Old Pendleton District SCGS Chapter P.O. Box 603 Central SC 29630-0603 E-mail: [mailto:claytonroom@swi.edu claytonroom@swi.edu] Old Pendleton District includes Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties.

Family History Centers

 * Anderson South Carolina Family History Center

Websites

 * Anderson County, SC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * Old Pendleton District
 * Anderson County, SCGenWeb
 * Anderson County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * South Carolina Pioneers South Carolina Pioneers