McCormick County, South Carolina Genealogy
Guide to McCormick County, South Carolina Genealogy ancestry, family history and genealogy court records, deeds, maps, immigration, maps, military records, newspapers, obituaries, plantations, probate records, slaves, local archives, libraries, museums, churches, cemeteries, and Civil War records.
McCormick County, South Carolina | |
Map | |
![]() Location in the state of South Carolina, United States Genealogy | |
![]() Location of South Carolina in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded | February 19, 1916 |
---|---|
County Seat | McCormick |
Courthouse |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 McCormick County, South Carolina Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 History
- 5 Places/Localities
- 6 Resources
- 6.1 Archives and Libraries
- 6.2 African Americans
- 6.3 Cemeteries
- 6.4 Census
- 6.5 Church History and Records
- 6.6 Court Records
- 6.7 DNA
- 6.8 Genealogy
- 6.9 Local History
- 6.10 Land and Property
- 6.11 Maps
- 6.12 Migration
- 6.13 Military
- 6.14 Newspapers
- 6.15 Obituaries
- 6.16 Periodicals
- 6.17 Probate Records
- 6.18 Taxation
- 6.19 Vital Records
- 7 Societies, Libraries and Museums
- 8 Family History Centers
- 9 Websites
- 10 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Cyrus McCormick. The County is located in the west central location of the state.
[1]
McCormick County, South Carolina Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1790 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
McCormick County Courthouse
Hwy. 28, McCormick, South Carolina
Clerk of Court
133 S. Mine St.
McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: 864-852-2195
Court and land records
Probate Court
133 S. Mine St., Rm. 101
McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: 864-852-2630
Probate and marriage records
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday
History[edit | edit source]
The county is named after American inventor Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884). [3]Parent County[edit | edit source]
1916--McCormick County was created 19 February 1916 from Greenwood and Abbeville Counties.
County seat: McCormick [4]
County Pronunciation[edit | edit source]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating South Carolina county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/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:[6]
Towns | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Resources[edit | edit source]
Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
- South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: McCormick County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
- W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of South Carolina No. 35, McCormick County. Columbia, S.C.: S.C. Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. FHL Book 975.736 A5h
African Americans[edit | edit source]
- Gilchrist, Claude. Tell Them that We Have Gone On: A Survey of African-American Cemeteries of McCormick County, South Carolina. n.p.: C. Gilchrist, 2004. FHL Book 975.736 V3g
Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:
- Badwell
- Bath
- Bradley
- Cedar Hill
- Cherry Hill
- Cotton Level
- Dornville
- Dr. Murray's
- Eden Hall
- Ivy Gates - Troy
- Mapleton
- Oak Grove
- Petigru
- Pleasant Grove
- Silk Hope
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
SCGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
SCGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
Tombstone Project | ||
Billion Graves | ||
See South Carolina Cemeteries for more information. |
There are many burial grounds in the county. To view a list, see McCormick County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
Census[edit | edit source]
- 1829-1920 - South Carolina, State and Territorial Censuses, 1829-1920 at FamilySearch — index and images
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1920 | 16,444 | — |
1930 | 11,471 | −30.2% |
1940 | 10,367 | −9.6% |
1950 | 9,577 | −7.6% |
1960 | 8,629 | −9.9% |
1970 | 7,955 | −7.8% |
1980 | 7,797 | −2.0% |
1990 | 8,868 | 13.7% |
2000 | 9,958 | 12.3% |
2010 | 10,233 | 2.8% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
1920 and 1930 federal population schedules of McCormick County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see South Carolina Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes.
See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
- An address delivered at New Bordeaux, Abbeville District, S.C., November 15, 1854: on the 90th anniversary of the arrival of the French Protestants at the place FHL Book 975.7 A1 no. 88, fiche 6104379 (1 fiche)
- The Huguenots of New Bordeaux FHL Book 975.736 F2e
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Equity records of Old 96 and Abbeville district[s] (as on file in the Abbeville Courthouse, S. C.) vol. 1 : 1791-1849 FHL Book 975.7 P2y
- South Carolina genealogical records : volume I, Abbeville District FHL Book 975.73 P2t
DNA[edit | edit source]
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Charleston County residents. FamilySearch has not independently verified the lineages of those tested.Genealogy[edit | edit source]
This bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:
- Locate publications about direct ancestors
- Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
- Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)
- The Hard Labor section. FHL Book 975.73 D2c
General
As of August 2010, a query for persons born in McCormick, South Carolina at World Connect, produces more than 900 results.
Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.
- Wood, Willie Mae G. Old Families of McCormick County, South Carolina and Dorn Families of Edgefield, Greenwood and McCormick Counties. 2 vols. 1982. FHL Book 975.736 D2w v. 1
Mailing Lists
Free - subscription required to post or reply to any message
- SCMCCORM
- SC-Genealogy
- SCBATTLES
- SCROOTS
- SC-CEMETERY
- SC-VETERANS
- SC-DISSENTERS
- SC-GHOSTTOWNS
- SC-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION
- SC-OLD-NEWS
- SC-FREEDMEN
- SC-CEMETERIES
- SC-INDIAN-TRIBES
- SOUTH-CAROLINA-TTTP
Message Boards
Free - registration/log in required, to post or reply to any message
- McCormick County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
- list of Ancestry county message boards (Ancestry)
- McCormick County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
- South Carolina Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
Bibliography
Local History[edit | edit source]
- Edmonds, Bobby F. The Making of McCormick County (McCormick, South Carolina : Cedar Hill, c1999 ). 447 pages. This is a narrative of the people during its making, how they interacted with each other, how they reacted to, failed to react to, or over reacted to the times, situations and events. Book at FHL 975.736 H2e and Other Libraries.
- Edmonds, Bobby F.McCormick County : Land of Cotton. (McCormick, South Carolina : Cedar Hill, c2001), 490 pages. The stories presented were gathered from period newspapers and journals, letters, diaries, public records, and scholarly and general works. Book at FHL 975.736 H2ed and Other Libraries.
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Because of South Carolina’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see South Carolina Land and Property.
Tracing records through South Carolina county and district changes can be difficult. In general, for earliest records begin by searching the Charleston District, then your ancestor’s residential district, then neighboring districts, then the residential county, then neighboring counties. Not all districts and counties kept records. The following chart show where you may best expect to find land records for McCormick County:
Date | Government Office |
1916-present | McCormick County |
1897-1916 | Greenwood County |
1873-1897 | Abbeville County |
1868-1873 | Abbeville County Records Lost * |
1800-1865 | Abbeville District Records Lost * |
1769-1800 | Abbeville County (old) Records Lost * |
1719-1769 | Charleston District |
1710-1719 | Proprietary Land Grants |
*Abbeville deeds burned in 1873 while in storage
** Records of Pendleton/Anderson County should also be checked
Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868
This series consists of recorded copies of plats for state land grants for the Charleston and the Columbia Series with their certificates of admeasurement or certification. All personal names and geographic features on these plats are included in the repository's On-line Index to Plats for State Land Grants
The South Carolina Constitution of 1790 required the surveyor general to maintain offices in both the new capital at Columbia and in Charleston. The surveyor general began to use separate volumes for recording plats in his Columbia office in 1796. Before that, all plats were recorded in the set of volumes begun in Charleston in 1784. After 1796, most plats for land grants in the Upper Division of the state were recorded and filed in Columbia. The surveyor general chose to make the Columbia volumes a continuation of the state plat volumes begun in Charleston and gave the initial Columbia volume the number thirty-six to correspond with the number of the volume that had then been reached in the Charleston series. As a result, there are volumes numbered thirty-six through forty-three from each office, but the records in them are not duplicative.
Also included are the Plan Books containing Plats and Plans.
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from McCormick County for European settlers included:[8]
- Savannah River pre-historic
- Occaneechi Path pre-historic
- Middle Creek Trading Path pre-historic
- Fall Line Road about 1735
- Augusta-Savannah Trail in Georgia 1740s
- Augusta and Cherokee Trail in Georgia 1740s
- Great Valley Road (south fork) 1740s
- Charleston-Ft. Charlotte Trail about 1765
- Fort Charlotte and Cherokee Old Path about 1765-1777
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - South Carolina Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 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)
Regiments. McCormick County did not exist during the Civil War. Present day McCormick County was created 19 February 1916 from Greenwood and Abbeville Counties. During the Civil War, men from the area of McCormick County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in its parent counties. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.
Other Resources
- Cook, H. T. The Hard Labor Section. (S.l.: W.C. Kirkland?, 1993). 90 [40] pages. The Hard Labor area includes Greenwood & McCormick counties. Includes lists of militiamen and confederate soldiers. Book at FHL 975.73 D2c and Other Libraries.
World War II[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Historic
The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for McCormick County, South Carolina on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.
- McCormick Messenger (McCormick, S.C.) 1902-current.
- The Advance (McCormick, S.C.) 1885-1886.
- The McCormick Advance (McCormick, S.C.) 1886-1887.
- The McCormick News (McCormick, S.C.) 1887-1894.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1846-1860: Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860 by E. Don Herd [9] WorldCat 6867370 ▲ FHL Book 975.73 V2 - index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers new to their area may not encounter. Periodicals at various levels (county, region, and state) may carry articles useful to research in this area. For this county, see:
- Annals of Edgefield District FHL Fiches
- Transactions of McCormick County Historical Society FHL Book 975.736 H25t
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”[10] Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in South Carolina.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History features a statewide Will Transcriptions, 1782 to 1855, database online. Includes a searchable index by name, with digitized images.
A probate record collection of Abbeville District, which includes early records of Marlboro County:
- South Carolina genealogical records: volume I, Abbeville District FHL Book 975.73 P2t
Online Probate Records
- 1670-1980 - South Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1670-1980 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1671-1977 - South Carolina Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes 1671-1977 at FamilySearch — images
- 1732-1964 - South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers 1732-1964 at FamilySearch — images
- 1782-1866 - South Carolina, Will Transcripts 1782-1866 at findmypast — $, index
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth, marriage, and death records were not recorded by South Carolina until the 1900s, thus leaving a lack of vital records. Substitute records, when available, are used to obtain this information. These substitute records including newspapers, court records have been added to this section, when applicable.
Birth[edit | edit source]
State-wide birth registration began in 1915. For a copy of a birth from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The McCormick County Health Department also has copies but they provide only an abbreviated form with limited information. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.
- 1766-1900 - South Carolina, Delayed Birth Certificates, 1766-1900 at FamilySearch — images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
In South Carolina, marriage licenses were not required by local governments until 1 July 1911. However, in the 1700s, the Church of England parish churches were required to record all marriages - even if the couple were not members of the denomination. Not all churches recorded these marriages and some have not survived. See South Carolina Vital Records for more information.
- The McCormick County probate court holds marriage licenses issued from 1 July 1911 to the present. Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950 and the South Carolina Division of Vital Records has copies of licenses issued after 1 July 1950 through November 2009.
- Abbeville District, South Carolina marriages, 1777-1852 FHL Book 975.7 A1 no. 72
- McCormick County, South Carolina marriage license affidavits to obtain licenses and the marriage license, ca. 1916-1952 FHL films
- McCormick County, South Carolina marriage licenses,1916-1950 FHL films
Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.
Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes and Records
- 1777-1852 - Abbeville District, South Carolina Marriages, 1777-1852 [11] FHL Book 975.7 A1 ▲ WorldCat 5800325 - McCormick was once in Abbeville District; index
- 1846-1860 - Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860 by E. Don Herd FHL Book 975.73 V2 ▲ WorldCat 6867370 - index
- There are several online marriage indexes containing miscellaneous marriage records found in some counties of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.
Death[edit | edit source]
State-wide death registration began in 1915. For a copy of the death certificates from 1915 or later, contact the South Carolina Department of Health. The McCormick County Health Department only has copies for deaths occurring in the last 5 years. For more information, see the South Carolina Vital Records page.
Deaths and Death Substitutes - Indexes and Records
- 1816-1990 - South Carolina Deaths and Burials, 1816-1990 at FamilySearch — index
- 1846-1860 - Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860 by E. Don Herd [12] FHL Book 975.73 V2 WorldCat 6867370 - index
- 1915-1965 - South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
- State-wide South Carolina Death Indexes. There are several online death indexes covering all of South Carolina listed on the South Carolina Vital Records page.
Societies, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[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 Affiliate Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
- McCormick County, SC History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
- McCormick County, SCGenWeb
- FamilySearch Catalog
- McCormick County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "McCormick County, South Carolina" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCormick_County,_South_Carolina." accessed 27/06/2019
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), McCormick County, South Carolina. Page 611-615 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), 607-608.
- ↑ List of counties in South Carolina
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092 FHL Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
- ↑ Voice of Phillip Stalvey, resident of Myrtle Beach, S.C. (2011).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "McCormick County, South Carolina," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCormick_County,_South_Carolina#Communities, accessed 27 December 2019.
- ↑ Schweitzer, George K. , South Carolina Genealogical Research (Knoxville, Tennessee: s.p. 1985), 39-42, FHL book 975.7 D27s
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 847-61. (FHL Book 973 D27e 2002) WorldCat entry., and William E. Myer, Indian Trails of the Southeast. (Nashville, Tenn.: Blue and Gray Press, 1971), 12-14, and the book's pocket map "The Trail System of the Southeastern United States in the early Colonial Period" (1923). (FHL Book 970.1 M992i) WorldCat entry.
- ↑ Herd, Jr., E. Don, Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860, (S.l. : s.n.), c1980.
- ↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."
- ↑ Lucas, Silas Emmett, Abbeville District, South Carolina Marriages, 1777-1852, Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, c1979.
- ↑ Herd, Jr., E. Don, Marriage and Death Notices from the Abbeville Banner, 1846-1860, [S.l. : s.n.], c1980.
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