Step-by-Step South Carolina Research, 1850-1910

Step 1: Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History


 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2: Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Example of a census record.
 * A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
 * For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
 * Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
 * Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.



South Carolina State Censuses
- For more information, see South Carolina Census and United States Census.
 * 1790-1890: South Carolina Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index at Ancestry - index only ($)
 * 1829-1920: at FamilySearch; index & images

Step 3: Try to find additional details in death certificates, Social Security, obituary and cemetery records online.
When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.
 * Death certificates can give birth information for people born before actual birth registration began. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.


 * The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.


 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.


 * Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.



Death Indexes

 * Online South Carolina Death Indexes, Records and Obituaries, index
 * South Carolina, Death Records, 1821-1955 Index and images ($)
 * Index and images. Also at MyHeritage, index and images ($)
 * South Carolina Death Index, 1950-1952 ($)
 * South Carolina Baptist Marriages and Deaths, 1835-65 ($)
 * South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87 ($)
 * Reformed Presbyterian Marriages and Deaths, 1843-63 ($)
 * Reformed Presbyterian Marriages and Deaths, 1866-8 ($)

Writing for Full Death Certificates
The full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
 * Where to Write for South Carolina Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

U.S. Social Security Records

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Obituaries

 * Online South Carolina Death Indexes, Records &amp; Obituaries, index
 * ObitsArchive.com - South Carolina ($)
 * ObituariesHelp.org
 * South Carolina Obituaries
 * — index and images

Cemeteries

 * Online South Carolina Death Indexes, Records &amp; Obituaries, index
 * South Carolina Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * Findagrave.com South Carolina Cemetery Records
 * Billiongraves.com South Carolina Cemeteries
 * USGenWeb South Carolina Tombstone Transcription Project
 * I Dream of Genealogy South Carolina
 * South Carolina Cemetery Records
 * South Carolina Cemetery Records

For more information, see South Carolina Obituaries and South Carolina Cemeteries.

Step 4: Search for county birth and marriage records online.
'''Vital records registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1915. Prior to that the individual counties kept some records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed.'''

Online Records
Births Marriages
 * , images only.
 * South Carolina Delayed Births, 1766-1900 Index and images ($)
 * Index only Incomplete.
 * South Carolina, U.S., Births, 1915-1920 Index and images($)
 * Index only Incomplete.
 * South Carolina Marriages, 1641-1965 Index only ($)
 * South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1799 Abstracts($)
 * South Carolina Marriages, 1800-1820 Abstracts ($)
 * Supplement to South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1820 ($)
 * Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1877-1887 Index and images($) x
 * South Carolina, Newspaper Marriage Notices, 1732-1801 ($)
 * South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87 ($)
 * South Carolina, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1907-2000 Index and images($)

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: South Carolina Counties.

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in South Carolina, see How to Find South Carolina Birth Records, How to Find South Carolina Marriage Records, and How to Find South Carolina Death Records.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card.



'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
-
 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Step 6: Look for church records online.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



FamilySearch

 * 1681-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; incomplete index
 * 1709-1913 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; incomplete index
 * 1816-1990 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Ancestry.com

 * 1641-1965 South Carolina, Compiled Marriage Index, 1641-1965, index, incomplete, ($)
 * 1688-1799 South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1799 Abstracts($)
 * 1688-1820 Supplement to South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1820 ($)
 * 1800-1820 South Carolina Marriages, 1800-1820, index, incomplete, ($)

Baptist

 * 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1866-1887 South Carolina Baptist Deaths and Marriages, 1866-87 ($)

Quakers (Society of Friends)

 * 1631-1935 U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, index and images, incomplete, ($)
 * 1750-1815 Early Quaker records of South Carolina, 1750-1815, images
 * Quaker families of South Carolina & Georgia William F. Medlin. E-book.

South Carolina Digital Library

 * Search results for Keywords "Church Records
 * Search Engine
 * Browse all collections '''

-
 * For help with church records kept in South Carolina, see South Carolina Church Records.
 * To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.



Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: South Carolina
 * South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Index and images.
 * Index and images.
 * South Carolina wills and other court records, e-book
 * Indexes to the County Wills of South Carolina, ($), index
 * A genealogical collection of South Carolina wills and records. v.1, e-book

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each South Carolina county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: South Carolina Counties

For more information, see South Carolina Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.



South Carolina Immigration Records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records
 * — index and images
 * A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina 1763-1773, ($), index/images
 * The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years; Apprentices; Children Stolen; Maidens Pressed; and Others Who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700.... e-book
 * Scotch-Irish Migration to South Carolina, 1772 Rev. William Martin and His Five Shiploads of Settlers, ($)
 * Passenger Arrivals at the Port of Charleston, 1820-1829, ($)
 * South Carolina, Passenger Lists, 1906-1962, index & images ($)

South Carolina Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records
 * South Carolina, Naturalization Records, 1868-1991 ($)
 * South Carolina Naturalizations 1783-1850 ($)
 * Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents for South Carolina Citizenship, 1790-1906 ($)
 * Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Admissions to Citizenship, District of South Carolina, 1790-1906 ( ($)
 * Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - District Courts in the Southeast, 1790-1958 – covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee ($)

For more information, see South Carolina Emigration and Immigration and South Carolina Naturalization and Citizenship.

Step 9: Search land records online.
These records will give the They can contain clues to
 * names of the buyer (grantee) and seller (grantor),
 * previous or new residence of the parties to the deed
 * the date they obtained the land,
 * the description of exact location of the land, sometimes mentioning neighbors.
 * family members who shared ownership of the land,
 * sold or gave land to a child, or
 * officially witnessed the sale.

Search for any ancestor's land records.

 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: South Carolina
 * 1671-1675 Records of the Secretary of the Province and the Register of the Province of South Carolina, 1671-1675
 * 1672-1679 Warrants for Land in South Carolina, 1672-1679 at Ancestry - Index and images ($)
 * 1672-1711 Warrants for Land in South Carolina 1672-1711, e-book
 * 1680-1692 Warrants for Land in South Carolina, 1680-1692 at Ancestry - Index and images ($)
 * 1692-1711 Warrants for Land in South Carolina, 1692-1711 at Ancestry - Index and images ($)
 * 1719-1776 South Carolina as a Royal Province, 1719-1776, e-book
 * 1784-1868 South Carolina, Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 (index) at Findmypast
 * 1784-1868 State Plats for Land Grants, 1784-1868 at South Carolina State Archives and History

For more information, see South Carolina Land and Property and United States Land and Property.

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: South Carolina; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "South Carolina" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * County and Town Histories:*Internet Archive.Use keywords "South Carolina" and the county name.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use South Carolina and the name of the county.

FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
 * If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
 * Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
 * A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections

 * County and Town Histories, South Carolina with biographies
 * Men of mark in South Carolina; ideals of American life: a collection of biographies of leading men of the state. J. C. Hemphill, editor-in-chief. Illustrated with many full page photo-steel engraved portraits. v. 1,
 * Vol. 2,]
 * Vol. 3
 * County and Town Histories, South Carolina, with biographies
 * Vol. 3

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
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 * Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * South Carolina, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * South Carolina, United States Historical Images, Old Version

South Carolina Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in South Carolina Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the South Carolina Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * South Carolina Online Genealogy Records

Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in South Carolina.
This article focused more on South Carolina state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in South Carolina. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.