Brown County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Brown County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Brown County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois | |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | February 1, 1839 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Mount Sterling |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Brown County Courthouse 200 West Court Mt. Sterling, Illinois 62353 (217) 773-2011 Brown County Website |
Contents
- 1 Brown County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Boundary Changes
- 4 Record Loss
- 5 Places and Localities
- 6 Records and Resources
- 6.1 Biography
- 6.2 Cemeteries
- 6.3 Census
- 6.4 Church History and Records
- 6.5 Court Records
- 6.6 Directories
- 6.7 Ethnic Research
- 6.8 Genealogy
- 6.9 History
- 6.10 Land and Property
- 6.11 Maps
- 6.12 Military History and Records
- 6.13 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 6.14 Newspapers
- 6.15 Obituaries
- 6.16 Occupations
- 6.17 Poorhouses
- 6.18 Probate Records
- 6.19 Public Records
- 6.20 Repositories
- 6.21 Social Groups Online
- 6.22 Societies
- 6.23 Taxation
- 6.24 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
Brown County Organization[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1860 | 1841 | 1878 | 1837 | 1817 | 1839 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Brown County are kept, see the Brown County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Brown County is named for Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown who was a Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the early 1800's.
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for U.S. General Jacob Brown, who defeated the British at the Battle of Sackett's Harbor in 1813. The County Seat is Mount Sterling and was founded 1839. It is located in the West-Central area of the state.[2]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1939 Some records were lost or damaged when a fire burned the courthouse on March 8.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places and Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[4]
| Cities | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- GenealogyTrails.com. Find or add headstone transcriptions for Brown County Cemeteries.
- Interment.net has some Brown County Cemetery Records available online.
- Linkpendium. Has links to several Brown County Cemetery related websites.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 4,183 | — |
| 1850 | 7,198 | 72.1% |
| 1860 | 9,938 | 38.1% |
| 1870 | 12,205 | 22.8% |
| 1880 | 13,041 | 6.8% |
| 1890 | 11,951 | −8.4% |
| 1900 | 11,557 | −3.3% |
| 1910 | 10,397 | −10.0% |
| 1920 | 9,336 | −10.2% |
| 1930 | 7,892 | −15.5% |
| 1940 | 8,053 | 2.0% |
| 1950 | 7,132 | −11.4% |
| 1960 | 6,210 | −12.9% |
| 1970 | 5,586 | −10.0% |
| 1980 | 5,411 | −3.1% |
| 1990 | 5,836 | 7.9% |
| 2000 | 6,950 | 19.1% |
| 2010 | 6,937 | −0.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Federal[edit | edit source]
- 1840 federal census of Brown County, Illinois, pub. 200? FHL Book 977.3473 X2b 1840
- 1850 Brown County, Illinois federal census, pub. 1983 FHL Book 977.3473 X2r 1850
- Illinois 1870 census index, Brown County, pub. 1997 FHL Book 977.3473 X22i 1870, film 2055334 Item 7
- 1880 federal census, Brown County, Illinois: complete, indexed; pub. 2003 FHL Book 977.3473 X2L 1880
- Ancestry.com (FI$)
- heritagequestonline.com (LAR)
State[edit | edit source]
- Illinois State Census, 1825-1865 Ancestry.com (FI$)
1840 Pensioners[edit | edit source]
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Brown County on page 186.]
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
Some additional resources for Brown County, Illinois church records can be found in the WorldCat library which can be ordered through interlibrary loan at your local library. Explore how to search the Worldcat Online Catalog. List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Brown County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of original records
- 1837–1853 Circuit Court records FHL film 1903096 Item 3
- 1841–1895 Circuit court fee books IRAD–WIU
- 1853–1924 Chancery records FHL films 1902734 items 3-4 thru 1902734 item 1
Directories[edit | edit source]
Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
- African-American Resources for Illinois
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Mailing Lists[edit | edit source]
Message Boards[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
- Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing Biographical Sketches of Pioneers and Leading Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co., 1892. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Genealogy Trails; Internet Archive; USGenWeb (partial).
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online sources, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Brown County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Online Resources
- Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- Brown County Federal Township Plats
Abstracts
- Boyd, Gregory. Family maps of Brown County, Illinois: with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads, and more. Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Publishing Company, 2005. Other libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.3473 R22b
- 1986 Rockford Map Publishers. Land atlas and plat book, Brown County, Illinois, 1986. Rockford, Illinois: Rockford Map Publishers, 1986. Other libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.3473 E7b
Copies of original records
- 1817–1853 Lists of lands subject to taxation FHL film 1902734 Item 2
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Brown County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Brown County.
- - 3rd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G.
- - 10th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company K.
- - 16th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 50th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
- - 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
- - 119th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and E.
- - 137th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
For local newspapers, please check local town.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Occupations[edit | edit source]
Poorhouses[edit | edit source]
Brown County Almshouse Registers Index, 1882-1963, courtesy: Illinois State Archives
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Brown County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Online Probate Records
- 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1819 - 1988 Illinois Probate Records 1819-1988 at FamilySearch.org — images
- 1817-1936 An unspecified number of Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970 are available at the Family Search Records online database. The collection does not have an every name index, but the images are available to browse and may have indexes within each volume.
- SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.
Copies of original records
- 1839–1923 Probate Related records FHL first film 1901803 (first of 11 films
- 1844–1964 Probate record indexes FHL first film 1994990(first of 3 films)
- 1844–1922 Probate records FHL first film 1955659(first of 119 films)
- 1849–1936 Administrator's records FHL films 1902329 Items 2-5 thru 1902331 Item 1
- 1850–1967 Probate fee books IRAD–WIU
- 1869–1928 Executor's Records, vol. B–E FHL films 1902328 Items 2-5 thru 1902329 Item 1
- 1869–1927 Wills FHL films 1902734 Item 5–1902736
- 1873–1963 Will packets index FHL film 1903096 Item 2
- 1873–1963 Will packets FHL films 1903095 Item 2 thru 1903096 Item 1
- - Probate Index FHL book 977.3473 P22b
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Brown County probates may be found in the Illinois,Brown– Probate records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Public Records[edit | edit source]
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Inventory of the county archives of Illinois, no. 5, Brown County (Mt. Sterling), Historical Records Survey; pub. 1938 FHL Book 977.347 A5h, film 908545 Item 2
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Brown County are kept, see the Brown County Courthouse page.
Family History Center[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
There are over 4500 Family History Centers in more than 80 countries offering public access to genealogical records from all over the world. Family History Centers provide patrons with access to over a billion online records and approximately 2.5 million circulating microfilms. Centers are staffed by local volunteers who are eager to provide genealogical research assistance. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Brown County. To find the nearest Family History Center, check out the Family Search Centers page on the FamilySearch.org website.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD-WIU)[edit | edit source]
IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois.Western Illinois University houses the records for Brown County.
Public Libraries[edit | edit source]
Brown County Public Library District
143 West Main Street
Mt. Sterling, IL 62353
Telephone: 217-773-4723
Versailles Branch Library
112 West 2nd Street
Versailles, IL 62378
Telephone: 217-225-3102
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Brown County Historical Society
200 South Congress
Rushville, IL 62681
Facebook
Versailles Area Genealogical and Historical Society
113 W. First Street
Versailles, IL 62378
Telephone Number: 217-225-3401
E-mail: vaghs83@yahoo.com
Website
Taxation[edit | edit source]
- 1817–1853 Lists of lands subject to taxation FHL film 1902734 Item 2
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Brown County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Brown County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
General[edit | edit source]
Births[edit | edit source]
Copies of Original Birth Records
- 1830–1900 Birth certificates FHL first film 2184804 (first of 22 films)
- 1854–1895 Birth record index IRAD–WIU
- 1865–1895 Birth record index FHL film 2021550 Items 2-3
- 1877–1895 Birth record IRAD–WIU FHL film 2021550 Items 2-3
- 1901–1904 Birth Records FHL films 1183751-6
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- Hoffman, Laurie. Early Marriages -- Brown County Illinois 1839 - 1850, courtesy: ILGenWeb
Copies of original Marriage Records
- 1839–1850 Marriages FHL film 1688528 Item 1
- 1839–1951 Marriage record index FHL film 2021412
- 1839–1995 Marriage record index IRAD–WIU
- 1839–1951 Marriage record IRAD–WIU FHL films 2021549, 2021550 Item 1
- 1868–1951 Marriage licenses IRAD–WIU
- 1886–1951 Marriage licenses FHL first film 2021412 (first of 10 films)
Online Resources
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810–1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images. :
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1839 Brown County, IL 1839 Marriages found at USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
- Brown County Marriage Records found at USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Copies of original Death Records
- 1877–1915 Death record IRAD–WIU
- 1877–1945 Death record index IRAD–WIU
- 1877–1915 Deaths FHL film 2021550 Item 4 and 2021551 Items 1-2
- 1878–1945 Deaths index FHL film 2021550 Item 4 and 2021551 Items 1-2
Online Resources
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com (free)
Additional Resources[edit | edit source]
Additional resources for Brown births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Brown – Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Brown County ILGenWeb
- Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Brown County IL Genealogy
- Brown County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Brown County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Brown County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_County,_Illinois 4/11/2017.
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092, FHL Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Brown County, Illinios," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_County,_Illinios, Last accessed 14 October 2019.
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