Bradford County, Florida Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Starke
Organized: December 21, 1858
Parent County(s): New River (extinct), Columbia
Neighboring Counties
Alachua  • Baker  • Clay  • Putnam  • Union
See County Maps
Courthouse
FloridaBradfordCourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Fl-bradford.png
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County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for the first Confederate officer from Florida to die in the Civil War - Captain Richard Bradford.[1] The county is located in the North East area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Bradford County Courthouse
945 N. Temple Ave.
PO Box B
Starke, FL 32091-1286
Phone: 904-964-6280
Bradford County Website

County Clerk has marriage records from 1875
probate and court records from 1892, and land records from 1876[3]

Bradford County, Florida Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1899 1875 1899 1892 1876 1892 1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

1865 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.
1875 -- A second courthouse was burned in 1875.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:


Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

  • 1858-- New River County was created on December 21, 1858 from Columbia County by an act of the Florida Legislature.
  • 1861-- December 6, 1861 New River County was divided into two counties. The new county was named Baker County and New River's name was changed to BRADFORD County in honor of Captain Bradford who was killed in the Civil War.
  • County seat: Starke[5]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

In the 1860 New River population was 3,820 In 1861 the population was virtually halved by the carving of Baker from New River. The 1870 Bradford County's population was 1,325 people and the decrease was not due to a massive migration away from the area, but due to Bradford having been split into several Counties.

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:[6]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Clayno
  • Graham
  • Hampton Beach
  • Heilbronn
  • New River
  • Pleasant Grove
  • Sampson
  • Saxton
  • Theressa


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Bradford, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Florida Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites may have additional information on Bradford County cemeteries.

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 3,820 —
1870 3,671 −3.9%
1880 6,112 66.5%
1890 7,516 23.0%
1900 10,295 37.0%
1910 14,090 36.9%
1920 12,503 −11.3%
1930 9,405 −24.8%
1940 8,717 −7.3%
1950 11,457 31.4%
1960 12,446 8.6%
1970 14,625 17.5%
1980 20,023 36.9%
1990 22,515 12.4%
2000 26,088 15.9%
2010 28,520 9.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing census records online, see: Florida Census.

  • 1783 Spanish Census USGenWeb
  • 1821 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
  • 1823 Census/Tax List Index USGenWeb
  • 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos USGenWeb
  • 1885 Florida State Population Census includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality.
  • Federal Census Information from National Archives USGenWeb
  • State Census Information from Florida State Archives USGenWeb
  • Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service USGenWeb

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Florida denominations, view the Florida Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

  • NARA Ships Passenger Lists - These passenger lists cover:
    • 1834-1897 - Immigration of Russians to the United States
    • 1/12/1846-12/31/1851 - Irish Famine
    • 1850-1897 - Germans to the United States
    • 1855-1900 - Italians to the United States

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Florida Land and Property for additional information about early Florida land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for most counties. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Florida Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Baker CountyUnion CountyAlachua CountyPutnam CountyClay CountyFL BRADFORD.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Online Indexes and Records

  • 1784 – 1990 FamilySearch Florida Probate Records 1784-1990
  • 1810 – 1974 Ancestry.com $ Florida Wills and Probate Records 1810-1974

School Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Florida Taxation.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida State Archives, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Birth[edit | edit source]

  • 1880-1935 - FamilySearch Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

  • 1927-2001 - Ancestry $ Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

Starke Florida Family History Center
1305 Railford Rd
Starke FL 32091
Phone: 904-064-8145
Website

Stuart Florida Family History Center
2401 SW Matheson Ave
Palm City FL 34990
Phone: 772-287-0167
Website

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Bradford County Historical Board
PO Drawer A
Starke, FL 32091

The Bradford County Historic Preservation Society
200 East Adkins Street
Starke, Florida
Phone:904-964-6603
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

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Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Bradford County, Florida Genealogy and History”, genealogytrails accessed 04/24/2017.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bradford County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia 04/24/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Florida.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bradford County, Florida," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, wikipedia, accessed 10 Dec 2018.
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National Archives at Atlanta · Florida Health Bureau of Vital Statistics · Meek-Eaton Black Archives · State Archives of Florida · State Library of Florida · Alma C. Field Library of Florida History · Charlton W. Tebeau Library of Florida History · Florida History and Genealogy Library · Indian River County Main Library · Jacksonville Public Library Main Branch · Orlando Public Library · P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History · Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library · St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library · University of South Florida Tampa Library Special Collections · University of West Florida Archives and West Florida History Center · Volusia County Public Library Daytona Beach Regional · West Florida Public Library Genealogy Branch · West Oaks Branch Library and Genealogy Center · Dallas Public Central Library · Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library · Huxford-Spear Genealogical Library · Mobile Municipal Archives · Thomasville Genealogical, History and Fine Arts Library
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