Cheraw District, South Carolina Genealogy

History
In 1768 South Carolina replaced all of her previous counties with seven court districts including the newly organized area of the Cheraw District. In 1785 South Carolina disestablished Anglican churches (St. David's and St. Mark's parishes) as government record keeping organizations, and created three subordinate counties within the overarching Cheraw District:


 * Chesterfield County
 * Darlington County
 * Marlboro County

and in 1792:


 * Salem County was added from Camden District lands

In 1800 South Carolina abolished all her overarching districts including Cheraw District. However, the remaining counties were often called districts as late as 1868.

For documents of people who lived in this area from 1768 to 1800, look in:


 * St. Mark's Parish records since 1757
 * St. David's Parish records since 1768
 * papers filed in the District Seat sometimes at Long Bluff now Society Hill, or sometimes District Seat at Cheraw (also known as Cheraw Hill, or Chatham)
 * papers filed in the early capital at Charleston, South Carolina

Boundary Changes
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.

Variant Spellings

 * Cheraws

Record Loss
A courthouse fire on 19 March 1806 destroyed most of Darlington County's records with the exception of early probate files; this fire also destroyed the early records of the Cheraw Judicial District. The negligence of a local district ordinary also resulted in the subsequent destruction of a portion of loose probate papers.

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "'Other Free' Heads of Household in the 1790 South Carolina Census, by County," Free African Americans.com. [Includes free blacks in Cheraw District.]

Census
See Cheraws District, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

Genealogy

 * [Lee] Stonecypher, Thomas E. David Lee a Revolutionary Soldier from Cheraw District, S.C., and Bulloch Co., Ga. Albany, Ga.: T.E. Stonecypher, 2002. ; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * [Tidwell] Johnson, Charles Owen. "The Tidwell Family," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1973):3-7; Vol. 17, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1973):114-121; Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1973):181-186; Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1973):295-299; Vol. 18, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1974):35-40; Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1974):129-135; Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1974):175-182; Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1974):257-264; Vol. 19, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1975):39-45. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..

Local Histories

 * Gregg, Alexander. History of the Old Cheraws: Containing an Account of the Aborigines of the Pedee, the First White Settlements, Their Subsequent Progress, Civil Changes, the Struggle of the Revolution, and Growth of the Country Afterward; Extending from about A. D. 1730 to 1810, with Notices of Families and Sketches of Individuals. New York: Richardson and Company, 1867. 1967 reprint: ; ; digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive.

Websites

 * Cheraws District, South Carolina, courtesy: Carolana.com. Includes history.
 * Old Darlington District Chapter, SCGS P.O. Box 175, Hartsville, SC 29551