Covington County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Leonard Covington. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Covington County Courthouse PO Box 1679 Collins, MS 39428 Phone: 601-765-6132 Covington County Courthouse Clerk Chancery Court has marriage, divorce and probate records from 1900, court and land records from 1860.

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:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at MSGenWeb
 * Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1841 State Census Returns 1841 -  Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1845 State Census Returns 1845 -  Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1870 State Census Returns 1970 -  Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Court Records

 * 1853-1863 (*); Board of Police at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1857-1904 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1857-1949 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1866 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1928 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1860-1907 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * Billy M. King Colonial Chapel in Collins.
 * Reeves Funeral Home in Mount Olive.
 * Venia Park Funeral Home in Collins.
 * Wade Funeral Home in Collins.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of Covington County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com. Free surname search.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1775-1951 Military grave registrations - Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1840-1844 Register of Military Commissions - Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1858-1861 Register of Military Commissions - Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 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
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 7th Battalion, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company G - Covington Sharpshooters
 * - 7th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company I - Covington Rifles, aka Covington Rangers

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Other Records
 State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1854-1862 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1854-1872 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1854-1889 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1854-1891 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1892-1948 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1901-1939 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Mississippi Archives. Both are free. This is a quick list of the starting pages for the districts begin.
 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1878 Enumeration of Educable Children can be found after the 1878 enumeration for Copiah County on FamilySearch and is currently (Oct. 2020) listed under Copiah, not Covington or "Mulitple Counties"- starts at image 276. The entries are indexed with an "Event Place" of Copiah, Mississippi. Images are also available online from the

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

Tax Records

 * 1819-1900 *County Tax rolls  (1819-1900) -  Covington County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry$
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch - - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties
 * 1900-1920s Covington County, Mississippi Marriage Records. MSGenWeb
 * 1904-1931 Covington County Marriage Books 1-5 Index 1904-1931 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Columbia Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Hattiesburg Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Liberty Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Red Star Mississippi FamilySearch Center


 * MaGee Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Covington County, Mississippi Genealogical and Historical Society PO Box 381 Collins, MS 39428-0381 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Covington County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Covington County, MSGenWeb
 * Covington County, MS History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Covington County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * – 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.