Shelby County, Alabama Genealogy

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



Description
The County was named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Shelby County Courthouse 112 N. Main St #128 PO Box 1810 Columbiana, AL 35051 Phone: 205-669-3760 Fax:205-669-3786 Shelby County Website

Probate Judge has marriage probate and land records from 1824

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at BYU Family History Library
 * Shelby County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
 * Shelby County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
 * Shelby County Bibles at USGenWeb Archives Project - Alabama

Biographies

 * Shelby County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project

Census Records
State Census


 * 1855   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1831-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Chancery Court records, 1839-1926
 * Circuit Court records, 1828-1901
 * Civil Court records, 1835-1870

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

Land and Property Records
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Shelby County see:


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Shelby County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index..


 *  Additional County Collections
 * Land records, 1880-1934
 * Deeds, 1819-1902; indexes, 1819-1905
 * Tract book, 1819-1900

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
 * Family Maps of Shelby County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject

Military Records

 * Soldier's discharge records, 1920-1946

Multiple Wars
 * ca.1918-ca.1962  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1871-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1930  at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History


 * - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company B
 * - 7th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E
 * - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C "Cahaba Valley Boys"
 * - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I (Curry Guards)
 * - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G
 * - 24th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H "Steele Guards"
 * - 25th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C
 * - 30th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and K
 * - 31st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G and K
 * - 44th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D and E

World War I
 * 1917-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
 * 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

World War II
 * 1940-1945  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Circuit Court. Naturalization records, 1846-1901
 * naturalization records

Newspapers

 * Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Other Records

 * Shelby County, Estray records, 1890-1927
 * Record of patients in the Almshouse, 1899-1913
 * Sheriff's Records, 1850-1975
 * Sherriff's Office, beat books

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1753–1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1800-1934 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1818-1851 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1818-1867 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1818-1841 Index to Will Book B at USGenWeb.org
 * 1818-1915 Probate Estate Files Index at USGenWeb.org
 * 1821-1856 Images of Estates, Book B, 1821-1839; 1828-1841 (and index); Vol. D, 1841-1856 (and index) at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * 1830-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1841-1846 Index to Will Book D at USGenWeb.org
 * 1846-1851 Index to Will Book E at USGenWeb.org
 * 1849-1854 Index to Will Book K at USGenWeb.org
 * 1852–1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Images; Includes Shelby County Final Records 1869-1927; Minutes 1852-1930; Wills 1896-1930.
 * 1856-1867 Index to Will Book H at USGenWeb.org
 * 1871-1899 Index to Record of Estates and Incorporations Book A at USGenWeb.org
 * 1896-1925 Index to Will book I at USGenWeb.org

School Records

 * 1904-1938 Shelby County Historical Society. School census
 * 1916-1924 Shelby County. School Census

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Shelby County is in District 2.
 * 1830-1924 Shelby County Historical Society, tax books

Birth

 * 1881–1930 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1930 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images

Marriage

 * 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1800–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
 * 1809–1920 Alabama Marriages,1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $
 * 1809–1950  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1816–1957  at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1811, 1818-1827, 1833-1834, 1837-1869, 1876, 1888, 1893, 1898 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry– ($)
 * 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1824-1876 Shelby County Marriage Index 1824-1876. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1824-1868 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry– ($); Contains about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
 * 1876-1895 Shelby County Marriage Index 1876-1895. Batch  at FamilySearch
 * 1890-1898 Hageness, MariLee Beatty. Marriages 1890-1898 Shelby County, Alabama. Anniston, Ala.: MLH Research, 2000.
 * 1900-1905 Thompson, Don and Mary Thompson. Marriage Records of Shelby County Alabama 1900-1905. Columbiana, Ala.: Shelby County Historical Society, Inc., n.d.
 * To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); contains over 12,000 names.

 Additional County Collections 
 * 1824-1942 Marriage records.

Death

 * 1881–1952 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry– ($); . copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. varies depending on the original record.
 * 1902-1914 Shelby County Death Index 1902-1914 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1908-1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry– ($);
 * 1908-1974  at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection; index

Voter Registration

 * Shelby County. Registration of voters, 1908-1924


 * 1834-1981  at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index and images

Family History Centers

 * Columbiana Alabama Family History Center
 * Leeds Alabama Family History Center

Libraries
Shelby County Public Library Mildred B. Harrison Regional Library – System Headquarters 50 Lester Street Columbiana, Alabama 35051 205-669-3910 Website


 * Albert L. Scott Library 100 9th Street NW Alabaster, AL 35007 Phone (205) 664-6822


 * Roy Downs Memorial Library 9700 Hwy 25 Calera AL 35040 Phone: 205-668-7200


 * Chelsea Public Library 16623 Highway 280 Chelsea AL 35043 Phone: 205-847-5750


 * Columbiana Public Library 50 Lester Street Columbiana AL 35051 Phone: 205-669-5812


 * Harpersville Public Library PO Box 370 39321 Hwy 25 Harpersville AL 35078 Phone: 205-644-6331


 * Jane B. Holmes Library PO Box 262 230 Tucker Road Helena AL 35080 Phone: 205-664-8308


 * Mt. Laurel Library 111 Olmsted Street Birmingham AL 35242 Phone: 205-991-1660


 * North Shelby Library 5521 Cahaba Valley Rd Birmingham AL 35242 Phone: 205-439-5500


 * Parnell Memorial Library 277 Park Drive Montevallo AL 35115 Phone: 205-665-9207


 * Pelham Public Library PO Box 1627 2000 Ball Park Road Pelham AL 35124 Phone: 205-620-6418


 * Vincent McGraw Public Library PO Box 3 42850 Hwy 25 Vincent AL 35178 Phone: 205-672-2749


 * Westover Public Library 3312 Westover Rd Westover AL 35147 Phone: 205-678-3375


 * Vernice Stoudenmire Public Library 9905 N. Main Street Wilsonville AL 35186 Phone: 205-669-6180

Societies
Shelby County Historical Society 1854 Old Courthouse P.O. Box 457 Columbiana, Alabama 35051 205-669-3912 Email: [mailto:schs1854@bellsouth.net schs1854@bellsouth.net] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
 * Shelby County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
 * Shelby County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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.