Pearl River County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for the Pearl River. Pearl River County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Pearl River County Courthouse PO Box 431 Poplarville, MS 39470 Phone: 601-795-2237 Pearl River County Website Clerk Chancery Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1890. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 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

Church Records

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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
 * 1936-1942 Ex-Slave Narratives 1936-1942 Pearl River County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Funeral Homes

 * McDonald Funeral Home in Picayune.
 * Picayune Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Picayune.
 * Trinity Funeral Services in Lumberton.
 * White Funeral Home in Lumberton.
 * White Funeral Home in Poplarville.

Land and Property Records

 * 1795-1859 Transcriptions of State Land Office records 1795-1859 - Pearl River County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1806-1847 Land Records  1806-1847 -  Pearl River County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1812-1951 Military grave registrations 1812-1951 - Pearl River 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 free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 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 1936-1939 - Pearl River County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

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 Probate 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
 * 1899-1948 (*); Chancery Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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

 * 1890-1900  at FamilySearch - index and images - incomplete
 * 1890-1900 County Tax records 1890-1900 - Pearl River 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
 * 1890-1904 Pearl River County Marriage Books 1 and 2 Index 1890-1904. Batches 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 - images of index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Columbia Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Hattiesburg Mississippi FamilySearch Center
 * Liberty Mississippi FamilySearch Center

Societies
Pearl River County Historical Society PO Box 966 Picayune, MS 39466 Facebook

Websites

 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Pearl River County Mississippi Genealogy and History Network
 * Pearl River County, Mississippi Genweb
 * – 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.