Brown County, Illinois
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:*'''Beginning 1820''' [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabIndex=0&searchByTypeIndex=0 Land Patent Search] See [[Illinois Land and Property#State_Records|Illinois Land and Property]] for more information about this database. | :*'''Beginning 1820''' [http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabIndex=0&searchByTypeIndex=0 Land Patent Search] See [[Illinois Land and Property#State_Records|Illinois Land and Property]] for more information about this database. | ||
:*'''1796–1907''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1246 U.S. General Land Office Records] found at Ancestry.com ($) | :*'''1796–1907''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1246 U.S. General Land Office Records] found at Ancestry.com ($) | ||
| + | :*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3780 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 ($) | ||
:*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/data_lan.html Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database] | :*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/data_lan.html Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database] | ||
:*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/township_maps/brown_map.html Brown County Federal Township Plats] | :*[http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/irad/township_maps/brown_map.html Brown County Federal Township Plats] | ||
Revision as of 14:40, 9 September 2011
Coordinates: 39.95°0′N 90.75°0′W / 39.95°N 90.75°W
| 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 |
United States 
Illinois Brown County
Brown County Organization
Brown County's civil records start the following years:
| | |||||
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1878 | 1839 | 1878 | 1840 | 1817 | 1839 |
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
Brown County is named for Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown who was a Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the early 1800's.
Boundary Changes
- Interactive map of Brown County boundary changes.
Record Loss
8 March 1939: Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.
For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:
Records and Resources
Biography
Cemeteries
Published Records
- Clarke, Meribah. Cemetery Records of Brown County, Illinois. [S.l. : s.n.], 1965-1968. FHL film 928144 Items 2-5; book 977.347 V22c v. 1-4
- Clarke, Meribah. The Cemeteries of Brown County, Illinois, 1825-1972. [S.l.]: Brown County Board of the Schuyler-Brown Historical and Geneal. Society, c1975. FHL book 977.3473 V2c
Online Gravestone Transcriptions
- Brown County ILGenWeb. See the "Permanent Resident Index" and "List of Cemeteries" links for further information.
- Find A Grave.com has burial information for nearly 100 Brown County cemeteries. For a complete list of cemeteries, click Here.
- GenealogyTrails.com. Find or add headstone transcriptions for Brown County Cemeteries.
- Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project. Find or submit Brown County tombstone photos.
- Illinois Tombstone Transcription Project. Get accesss to online cemetery transcriptions for several Brown County Cemeteries.
- Interment.net has some Brown County Cemetery Records available online.
- Linkpendium. Has links to several Brown County Cemetery related websites.
Cemetery Gazetters
- Epodunk has a list of Brown County Cemeteries. The website provides name of cemetery, address and telephone number when available, Google Map with cemetery marker, and other helpful Internet links.
- The Illinois State Genealogical Society's "Cemetery Location Project" has identified many Brown County Cemeteries.
Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see Illinois Census.
Federal
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 11,557 | ||
| 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% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
- 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
- Illinois State Census, 1825-1865 Ancestry.com (FI$)
1840 Pensioners
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Brown County on page 186.]
Church History and Records
Some additional resources for Brown County, Illinois church records can be found in the WorldCat library which can be ordered through interlibrary loan at your local library. Explore how to search the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Brown County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of original records
- 1837–1853 Circuit Court records FHL film 1903096 Item 3
- 1841–1895 Circuit court fee books IRAD–WIU
- 1853–1924 Chancery records FHL films 1902734 items 3-4 thru 1902734 item 1
Directories
Ethnic Research
African American
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
- African-American Resources for Illinois
Genealogy
Mailing Lists
Message Boards
History
- Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing Biographical Sketches of Pioneers and Leading Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co., 1892. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Genealogy Trails; Internet Archive; USGenWeb (partial).
Land and Property
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
Military History and Records
Civil War
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.
- - 50th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
- - 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
For local newspapers, please check local town.
Obituaries
Occupations
Poorhouses
Brown County Almshouse Registers Index, 1882-1963, courtesy: Illinois State Archives
Probate Records
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 Resources
- 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 Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Public Records
Repositories
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
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
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)
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
Brown County Public Library District
143 West Main Street
Mt. Sterling, IL 62353
Tel: 217-773-4723
Versailles Branch Library
112 West 2nd Street
Versailles, IL 62378
Tel: 217-225-3102
Social Groups Online
Societies
Brown County Historical Society
200 South Congress
Rushville, IL 62681
Facebook
Versailles Area Genealogical & Historical Society
113 W. First Street
Versailles, IL 62378
Tel: 217-225-3401
Email: vaghs83@yahoo.com
Taxation
- 1817–1853 Lists of lands subject to taxation FHL film 1902734 Item 2
Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.
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 theIllinois 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
Births
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
- 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
- Some of the Family History Library's Collection of Brown County marriages have been digitized: Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934.
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1839 Brown County, IL 1839 Marriages found at USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
- Brown County Marriage Records found at USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
Deaths
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
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
- 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com (free)
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Brown births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Brown – Vital Records topic page of the Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Websites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Brown County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092, FHL Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
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