Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Baldwin County, Alabama ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
- This article is about a southwest Alabama county. For other uses, see Baldwin
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named in honor of Senator Abraham Baldwin, though he never lived in what is now Alabama. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Baldwin County Courthouse
312 Courthouse Square, Suite 10
Bay Minette, AL 36507
Phone: 251-937-9561
Fairhope Satellite Courthouse
1100 Fairhope Avenue
Fairhope, AL 36532
Phone: 251-928-3002
Foley Satellite Courthouse
201 East Section Avenue
Foley, AL 36535
Phone: 251-943-5061
Baldwin County Website
The Probate Court has marriage records from 1810, probate records from 1809 and land records from 1808.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records.[3]
Baldwin County, Alabama 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.
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1886 | 1810 | 1886 | 1811 | 1808 | 1809 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Baldwin County:[6]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
- Baldwin County, Alabama Bible Records at Access Genealogy
- Baldwin County, Alabama Bible Records at Alabama Genealogy
- Baldwin County Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives Project
- Family Bibles at Genealogy Trails
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Biographies of many notable residents of Baldwin County were published in Memorial Record of Alabama (1893). Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Begins on page 376.
- USGenWeb Archives Project, Baldwin County Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 1,718 | — |
| 1830 | 2,324 | 35.3% |
| 1840 | 2,951 | 27.0% |
| 1850 | 4,414 | 49.6% |
| 1860 | 7,530 | 70.6% |
| 1870 | 6,004 | −20.3% |
| 1880 | 8,603 | 43.3% |
| 1890 | 8,941 | 3.9% |
| 1900 | 13,194 | 47.6% |
| 1910 | 18,178 | 37.8% |
| 1920 | 20,730 | 14.0% |
| 1930 | 28,289 | 36.5% |
| 1940 | 32,324 | 14.3% |
| 1950 | 40,997 | 26.8% |
| 1960 | 49,088 | 19.7% |
| 1970 | 59,382 | 21.0% |
| 1980 | 78,556 | 32.3% |
| 1990 | 98,280 | 25.1% |
| 2000 | 140,415 | 42.9% |
| 2010 | 182,265 | 29.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Territory Census Returns
- 1810 1810 Territory Census Returns, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1816 1816 Territory Census Returns, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1855 Population Index to the 1855 Baldwin County Census at Ancestry ($). Includes heads of household.
State Census
- 1855 Alabama State Census, 1855 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1866 Alabama State Census, 1866 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
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 Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.
- 1831-1994 Alabama, Church Records, 1831-1994 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1810-1935 General Index to All Records, 1810-1935(*); Probate Court Records at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
- 1865-1872 Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
- 1896-1935 Baldwin County, Alabama Colored Marriage Books 3-5 in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," courtesy of FamilySearch [7] - How to Use this Collection
The following have information concerning African American research.Both should be used:
- African American Genealogy (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Alabama Cultural Groups has information specific to Alabama African Americans.
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Banks Memorial Funeral Home in Bay Minette
- Cason Funeral Service in Foley
- Mack Funeral Home and Crematory in Robertsdale
- Norris Funeral Home in Bay Minette
- Pine Rest Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Foley
- Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes and Crematory in Daphne, Elberta, Fairhope, Foley, and Gulf Shores
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 Alabama Land and Property for additional information about early Alabama land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Baldwin County see:
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Baldwin County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2006. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes surname index. FHL Book 976.121 E7bg.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Baldwin County. The histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Alabama Local Histories.
- A Brief History of Baldwin County. 1928. By L. J. Newcomb Comings and Martha M. Albers. Fairhope, Alabama : Baldwin County Historical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- Family Maps of Baldwin County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Alabama Maps and Blueprints Collection at Alabama Department of Archives and History – maps can be browsed by location or subject
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Multiple Wars
- ca.1918-ca.1962 Alabama, Military Discharge Records, ca.1918 - ca.1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
- 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1871-1880 Alabama, Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930's at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
Regiments. Men in Baldwin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Baldwin County:
- - 21st Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F "Baldwin Rifles"
- - 23rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company I
- - 32nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C
Civil War Battles Fought in Baldwin County
- 1864 - August 2-23 Mobile Bay, also known as Passing of Forts Morgan and Gaines, (partly fought in Mobile County)
- 1865 - March 27-April 8, 1865 Spanish Fort
- 1865 - April 2-9 Fort Blakely
Battle information from Civil War Battle Summaries by State, by the Heritage Preservation Services.
Map showing Civil War battles in Alabama, by the Heritage Preservation Services.
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
World War II
- 1940-1945 Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voter Registration
- 1834-1981 Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index and some images
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
Baldwin County has three books:
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1809-1934 Wills, 1809-1934; Probate Records, 1861-1929; Probate Minutes, 1822- 1928; General Index to Probate Records, 1810-1930, 1809-1930(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1809-1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
- 1830-1976 Alabama Estate Files, 1830-1976(*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1841-1950 Baldwin County, Alabama, Estate Case Files, 1841-1950(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
- 1810-1816 Territorial Tax Rolls, at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1816 Inhabitants of Alabama in 1816 Broken Arrow Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1955. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.. Includes Baldwin County.
- 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Baldwin County is in District 1.
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 Alabama State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online $.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Alabama.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1930 Alabama, Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881-1930 Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at Findmypast($)
- 1800-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
- 1802-1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names.
- 1809-1920 Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920 (Selected Counties) at Ancestry $
- 1809-1950 Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
- 1810-1825; 1845–1889; 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry– ($); Index.
- 1816-1957 Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1818-1936 Alabama County Marriages, 1818-1936 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1845-1889 "Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920"at Ancestry– ($); Index. Contains about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1952 Alabama, Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1881-1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry $
- 1908-1959 Alabama Deathsat Ancestry $
- 1908-1974 Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch] - How to Use this Collection; index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Alabama Department of Archives and History
P.O. Box 300100
624 Washington Ave
Montgomery, AL 36130
Telephone: 334-242-4435
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- 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
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Baldwin County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
- The Foley Public Library
319 E. Laurel (Hwy. 98)
Foley, AL 36535-2680
Phone: 251-943-7665
Website - Daphne Public Library
P.O. Box 1225
2607 US Hwy 98
Daphne, AL 36526
Phone: 251-620-2500
Website - Fairhope Public Library
501 Fairhope Ave
Fairhope, AL 36532
Phone: 251-928-7483
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
- Baldwin County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 108
Foley, AL 36536-0108
Email: BaldwinCountyGenSociety@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Baldwin County ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Wayback Machine Websites at RootsWeb - Baldwin AL
- Genealogy Trails Baldwin Libraries
- Random Acts of Kindness List of Alabama Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
- Baldwin County, Alabama Genealogy
- GenealogyInc Baldwin County, Alabama
- GenealogyToday Baldwin County, Alabama
- Linkpendium Baldwin County, Alabama: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Baldwin, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_County,_Alabama 05/29/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Baldwin County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_County,_Alabama, accessed 24 September 2018.
- ↑ Coverage Table, "Alabama County Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)," FamilySearch Research Wiki, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Alabama_County_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records), accessed 6 August 2012.
