Williamsburg County, South CarolinaEdit This Page
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Coordinates: 33.62°0′N 79.73°0′W / 33.62°N 79.73°W
| Williamsburg County, South Carolina | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of South Carolina | |
 Location of South Carolina in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | 1802 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Kingstree |
| Courthouse | |
United States 
South Carolina Williamsburg County
Quick Dates
Williamsburg County's civil records start the following years:
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1810 | 1806 | 1806 |
County Courthouse
Williamsburg County Courthouse
125 West Main St.
Kingstree, South Carolina 29556
Clerk of Court
125 West Main St.
Kingstree, SC 29556
Phone: 843-355-9321 ext. 552
Court and land records
Probate Court
125 West Main St.
Kingstree, SC 29556
Phone: 843-355-9321 ext. 558
Probate and marriage records
Hours:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday
History
Parent County
1802--Williamsburg County was created in 1802 from Georgetown District.
County seat: Kingstree [2]
County Pronunciation
Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation South Carolina County Boundary Maps" (1682-1987) may be viewed for free at the My South Carolina Genealogy website. The maps rely on AniMap 3.0 software.
Variant Spellings
- Williamsburgh[4]
Record Loss
- Lost census: 1890
Places/Localities
Populated Places
| Andrews | Cook | Kingstree | Salters |
| Antioch | Cooper | Lane | Salters Depot |
| Ard Crossroads | Earle | Martins Crossroads | Singletary Forks |
| Baker Crossroads | Edwards | Midway Crossroads | Snow Junction |
| Bartell Crossroads | Fowler | Moore Crossroads | Snow Town |
| Blakely | Gordonville | Morrisville | Stuckey |
| Bloomingvale | Gourdin | Mouzon | Suttons |
| Brockington | Greeleyville | Muddy Creek Crossroads | Taft |
| Brunson Crossroads | Harper Crossroads | Nesmith | Terrell Crossroad |
| Bryans Crossroads | Hebron Crossroads | New Market (hist.) | Tisdale |
| Cades | Heineman | Nexsen (hist.) | Trio |
| Carris | Hemingway | Old Morrisville | Union Crossroads |
| Cedar Creek | Henry | Outland | Warsaw |
| Cedar Swamp | Hogeye Crossroads | Poplar Mill | Willtown (hist.) |
| Chandlers | Hopewell | Rock Bluff | Workman |
| Cherry Hill | Indiantown | Rome | |
| Clarks Crossroads | Kellehan Crossroads |
For further information (and links) on these populated places, please go to Populated Places, Williamsburg County, South Carolina
Neighboring Counties
Berkeley | Clarendon | Florence | Georgetown | Marion
Resources
Research Guides
- South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Williamsburg County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans
- Loyd, Kathy Dodge. A List of Slave Owners of the 1850 Williamsburg County, South Carolina Slave Schedule. Kingstree, S.C.: K.D. Loyd, 2003. FHL 975.783 X2L 1850
Cemeteries
There are more than # burial grounds in the county. To view a list, see Williamsburg County, South Carolina Cemeteries.
Census
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1810 | 6,871 | — |
| 1820 | 8,716 | 26.9% |
| 1830 | 9,018 | 3.5% |
| 1840 | 10,327 | 14.5% |
| 1850 | 12,447 | 20.5% |
| 1860 | 15,489 | 24.4% |
| 1870 | 15,489 | 0.0% |
| 1880 | 24,110 | 55.7% |
| 1890 | 27,777 | 15.2% |
| 1900 | 31,685 | 14.1% |
| 1910 | 37,626 | 18.8% |
| 1920 | 38,539 | 2.4% |
| 1930 | 34,914 | −9.4% |
| 1940 | 41,011 | 17.5% |
| 1950 | 43,807 | 6.8% |
| 1960 | 40,932 | −6.6% |
| 1970 | 34,243 | −16.3% |
| 1980 | 38,226 | 11.6% |
| 1990 | 36,815 | −3.7% |
| 2000 | 37,217 | 1.1% |
| Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. | ||
See South Carolina Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.
See Williamsburg County, SC census assignments, including links to transcribed files [The USGenWeb Census Project®]
1790-1840
- Three Rivers Historical Society. Williamsburg County [South Carolina] Census[es], 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840. Hemingsway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 19--. FHL Collection 975.783 X2w 1790-1840
1820 Manufactures
The original manufactures schedules for South Carolina are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL Collection 1024517 - 1024518.
Published abstract:
- National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL Collection 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Includes this county.]
1840 Revolutionary War 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.: Blair and Rives, 1841. FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840; FHL Collection 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See South Carolina, Williamsburg District on page 142.]
1850
- United States Census, 1850, Williamsburgh District. FHL Collection 975.783 X2u 1850
1860
- Reid, Mary Ritter. Williamsburg County, South Carolina, 1860 Federal Census Transcribed from Microfilm. 1977; reprint, Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1985. FHL Collection 975.783 X2r 1860
1870
- Reid, Mary Ritter. Williamsburg County, South Carolina 1870 Federal Census. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1977. FHL Collection 975.783 X2r 1870
1880
- Reid, Mary Ritter and Three Rivers Historical Society. Williamsburg County, South Carolina 1880 Census. Hemingway, S.C.: n.p., 1981. FHL Collection 975.783 X2r 1880
1900
- Williamsburg County, South Carolina 1900 Census. FHL Collection 975.783 X2w 1900
Church
- Wallace, James A.. History of Williamsburg Church: A Discourse Delivered on Occasion of the 120th Anniversary of the Organization of the Williamsburg Church, July 4th, 1856, Kingstree, S.C.: With Notes and an Appendix. Salisbury, N.C.: Bell & James, Printers, 1856. Digital versions at Ancestry ($) and Google Books.
Court
DNA
Genealogy
It is anticipated that 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]
General
As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Williamsburg, South Carolina at World Connect, produces more than 7,000 results.
Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.
- Jenkinson, Gordon Bubber. A History of the Homes and People of Williamsburgh District. Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2007. FHL 975.783 J7j
Message Boards
- Williamsburg County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
- Williamsburg County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
Bibliography
- [Brockington] Wells, Laurence K. "Brockington Family Origins," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Winter 2010):39-41. FHL Book 975.7 B2sc v. 38
- [Burrows] Wells, Laurence K. "Burrows of Williamsburg," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Spring 2010):63-70. FHL Book 975.7 B2sc v. 38
- [Cox] Thornton, Caroline E. Facts on the Life of George Edmond Gee Cox [and] Information on Rev. Samuel C. James, Williamsburg County, S.C. Typescript, 1990. FHL 1597813 Item 13
- [Gaskins] Hanna, Muriel K. and Gale Stanley Grainger. Gaskins / Gaskin Family Williamsburg and Kershaw County South Carolina. n.p.: M.K. Hanna & G.S. Grainger, 2002. FHL 929.273 G212h; digital version at Family History Archives.
- [James] Thornton, Caroline E. Facts on the Life of George Edmond Gee Cox [and] Information on Rev. Samuel C. James, Williamsburg County, S.C. Typescript, 1990. FHL 1597813 Item 13
- [Lee] Brown, Gerald D. A Genealogy of a Lee Family: Ancestry and Descendants of David Lee, Sr.: Mainly of Old Williamsburg District - Present Day Florence County, South Carolina. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1995. FHL 929.273 L51br
- [McKenzie] Brown, Gerald D. Descendants of Daniel and Rebecca McKenzie Old Williamsburg/Sumter Districts of South Carolina. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, 1995. FHL 929.273 M199b
- [Parker] Smith, Betty Mae James. A Parker Family History: Descendants of Willoughby Parker, Williamsburg County, S.C. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, [1996]. FHL 929.273 P223sb
- [Plowden] Plowden, Robert W. Record of Edward Plowden 1st Who Came to Williamsburg County, South Carolina in 1732 and His Descendants. Florence, Ala.: Plowden Clan of America, 1964. FHL 1027881 Item 13
- [Stubbs] Boswell, Jimmie John Stubbs. John Stubbs (1718-1788) of Williamsburg, South Carolina, and His Descendants. Bryan, Texas: J.R. Boswell, 1990. FHL 929.273 St93b
Land
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 Williamsburg County:
| Date | Government Office |
| 1868-Present | Williamsburg County |
| 1804-1865 | Williamsburg District |
| 1769-1804 | Georgetown District Records Lost |
| 1719-1769 | Charleston District |
| 1710-1719 | Proprietary Land Grants |
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.
Local Histories
- Boddie, William Willis. History of Williamsburg: Something about the People of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the First Settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923. Columbia, S.C.: State Co., 1923. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
- Boddie, William Willis. History of Williamsburg. Columbia, SC, USA: The State Company, 1923. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
Maps
Military
War of 1812
- "Captain Samuel Bigham's Co., 1812," Three Rivers Chronicle, Spring 1981, Volume 1, Issue 1. Three Rivers Historical Society : Hemingway, SC.
- List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Williamsburgh County [sic], p. 189. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
Civil War (1861 to 1865)
Civil War service men from Williamsburg County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Williamsburg County or from many of its men.
Newspapers
Historic
The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Williamsburg 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.
- The County Record (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975.
- The Hemingway Journal (Hemingway, S.C.) 1940-194?.
- The Kingstree Star (Kingstree, Williamsburg District, S.C.) 1856-1884.
- The News (Kingstree, S.C.) 1973-current.
- The Tri-County Tribune (Hemingway, S.C.) 1949-1959.
- The Weekly Mail (Kingstree, S.C.) 1901-1907.
- The Weekly Observer (Hemingway, S.C.) 1973-current.
- The Williamsburg Republican (Kingstree, S.C.) 1873-187?.
- Williamsburg Herald (Kingstree, S.C.) 1881-1884.
Periodicals
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:
- Three Rivers Chronicle
Probate
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.”[6] 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 has microfilms or typescripts of wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales records. They have placed Will Transcriptions for 1782 to 1855 online. Index searchable by name and the image is available.
Taxation
Published abstracts
- [1811] Taxpayers, 1811, Three Rivers Chronicle, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Mar. 1992).
- [1860, 1865] Tax Returns, 1860, 1865, Three Rivers Chronicle, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Mar. 1997).
- [1884-1885, 1901] Dunahoe, Rebecca Hughes, Toni Cusack Matthews, and Jason Roy Cockfield. Treasurer's Tax Report, Williamsburg County, S.C. Hemingway, S.C.: Three Rivers Historical Society, n.d. FHL Books 975.783 R4d 1885; 975.783 R4d 1884; 975.783 R4d 1901
Vital Records
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
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 Williamsburg 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.
Marriage
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 Williamsburg 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.
Newspapers are used as a substitute to locate marriage information. See South Carolina Newspapers.
Marriages and Marriage Substitutes - Indexes and Records
- 1791-1891- Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from Georgetown, South Carolina Newspapers, 1791-1861 [7] FHL Collection WorldCat - abstracts, covers Williamsburg County
- 1897-1994 - Index to Marriage Notices in Williamsburg County, South Carolina Newspapers, 1897-1994 by Three Rivers Historical Society [8] FHL Collection WorldCat - index
- 1911-1950 - Williamsburg County, South Carolina Marriage Registers, 1911-1950 [9] FHL Collection - index and records
- 1911-1950 - Williamsburg County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, 1911-1950; Petitions to Establish Marriages, with Affidavits, Prior to 1911 [10] FHL Collection - index and records
- 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
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 Williamsburg 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
- 1791-1891- Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from Georgetown, South Carolina Newspapers, 1791-1861 [11] FHL Collection WorldCat - abstracts, covers Williamsburg County
- 1914-1960 - 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.
Archives, Libraries, and Museums
Hemingway Library
Address:
East Andrews Street
Hemingway, South Carolina 29554
Telephone: 803–558–2011
Williamsburg County Library
Address:
135 Hampton Avenue
Kingstree, South Carolina 29556-3423
Telephone: 803–354–9486
Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage
Three Rivers Historical Society
P.O. Box 811
Hemingway SC 29554
source: Society Hill
Family History Centers
Family History Centers in South Carolina
Web Sites
- Williamsburg County, SCGenWeb
- Family History Library Catalog
- Williamsburg County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References
- ↑ "List of counties in South Carolina," Wikipedia.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Voice of Phillip Stalvey, resident of Myrtle Beach, S.C. (2011).
- ↑ List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883), 189. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive.
- ↑ Schweitzer, George K. , South Carolina Genealogical Research (Knoxville, Tennessee: s.p. 1985), 39-42, FHL book 975.7 D27s
- ↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."
- ↑ Holcomb, Brent H., Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from Georgetown, South Carolina Newspapers, 1791-1861, Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, c1979.
- ↑ Three Rivers Historical Society, Index to Marriage Notices in Williamsburg County, South Carolina Newspapers, 1897-1994, Hemingway, SC: Three Rivers Historical Society (South Carolina), 1995.
- ↑ Williamsburg County, South Carolina Marriage Registers, 1911-1950, Salt Lake City, UT: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2001.
- ↑ South Carolina, Probate Court, Williamsburg County, Williamsburg County, South Carolina Marriage Licenses, 1911-1950; Petitions to Establish Marriages, with Affidavits, Prior to 1911, Salt Lake City, UT: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2000-2001.
- ↑ Holcomb, Brent H., Marriage, Death, and Estate Notices from Georgetown, South Carolina Newspapers, 1791-1861, Easley, SC: Southern Historical Press, c1979.
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