Henry County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Henry County

County Organization
Henry County's civil records start the following years:

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henry County are kept, see the Henry County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts


Henry County is named for Patrick Henry who was an orator and statesman of the Revolutionary War period.

Parent County

 * 1825--Henry County was created 13 January 1825 from Fulton County. County seat:Cambridge

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Henry County boundary changes.

Neighboring Counties

 * Bureau
 * Knox
 * Mercer
 * Rock Island
 * Stark
 * Whiteside

Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Henry County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * Henry Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.


 * Illinois Cemeteries by county.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Henry County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Church Records

 * 1857–1887 Gifford, B.R. Clergyman's private register. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980.

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 Henry County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records


 * 1840–1927 Probate Record books


 * 1847–1872 Circuit Court Record IRAD–WIU
 * 1849–1923 County court Minutes
 * 1857–1928 Circuit Court Case Files, Criminal IRAD–WIU
 * 1872–1961 County Court Record, Criminal IRAD–WIU
 * 1873–1963 Circuit Court Record, Criminal IRAD–WIU
 * starting 1892 Index to probate records
 * 1915–1940 Circuit Court Record, Chancery IRAD–WIU

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

Land and Property
Copies of original records


 * 1818–1901 Deed records
 * 1836–1903 Grantee index
 * 1840–1898 Grantor index
 * 1850 Taxable Lands Lists IRAD–WIU
 * 1987 Land atlas and plat book Many libraries (WorldCat)

Additional Resources
Additional resources for Henry County land and property may be found in the and. 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.

Local Histories

 * The History of Henry County, Illinois: Its Tax-payers and Voters: Containing also a Biographical Directory, a Condensed History of the State, Map of the County, a Business Directory, an Abstract of Every-day Laws, War Record of Henry County, Officers of Societies, Lodges, etc., etc.. Chicago: H.F. Kett &amp; Co., 1877. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive; Internet Archive.
 * Kiner, Henry L. History of Henry County, Illinois. Chicago: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1910. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive.
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Henry County, Illinois: Containing Full-page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Governors of Illinois, and of the Presidents of the United States: Also Containing a History of the County, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Chicago: Biographical Pub. Co., 1885. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

General

 * 1860–1975 Military Discharge Record Index IRAD–WIU

Civil War

 * 1862–1865 Civil War bounty order registers IRAD–WIU

Civil War service men from Henry 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 Henry County.


 * - 17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 19th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 42nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and B.
 * - 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and H.
 * - 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), Company D.
 * - 83rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.

Poor House Records

 * 1903–1932 Blind Relief Application Record IRAD–WIU
 * 1889–1902 Almshouse Registers IRAD–WIU

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 Henry County records. For information on how to use IRAD see theWIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources


 * 1860–1926 Probate records, and widows relinquishment records for Henry County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select Henry County, and select the record type you are interested in.

Copies of original records


 * starting 1892 Index to probate records
 * 1840–1927 Probate Record books
 * 1851–1900 Probate Case Files IRAD–WIU
 * 1852–1924 Will records and index
 * 1856–1928 Guardian's records and index
 * 1856–1930 Administrator's records {FHL|533470|item|disp=FHL first film 1435953 Item 1(first of 2 films)}}
 * 1858–1923 Executor's records
 * 1860–1926 Widow's relinquishments and selections
 * 1907–1930 Conservator's bonds and letters

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Henry County probates may be found in the 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.

County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henry County are kept, see the Henry County Courthouse page.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
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 Henry County.

Taxation

 * 1850 Taxable Lands Lists IRAD–WIU
 * 1873 State Tax Refunding Record IRAD–WIU

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 Henry 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 Henry County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

The website of the Henry County Clerk/Recorder explains how to order birth, marriage, civil union, and death records. Downloadable Vital Records Forms.

Births
Copies of Original Birth Records
 * 1860–1915 Birth Record Index IRAD–WIU
 * 1860–1900 Birth Certificates, Delayed IRAD–WIU
 * 1877–1900 Birth Record IRAD–WIU
 * 1877–1901 Register of Births
 * 1942–1975 Delayed births
 * Prior to 1916 Index to births

Marriages
Copies of original Marriage Records


 * 1837–1985 Marriage Record index IRAD–WIU
 * 1837–1923 Index to Marriages and Marriage Records IRAD–WIU
 * 1867–1922 Marriage License Applications IRAD–WIU

Deaths
Copies of original Death Records


 * Prior to 1916 Death index
 * 1877–1902, 1905 Register of deaths, v. 1
 * 1870–1905 Coroner's Inquest Record IRAD–WIU
 * 1877–1902 Death Record IRAD–WIU
 * 1877–1915 Death Record Index IRAD–WIU

Additional Resources
Additional resources for Henry County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the and the  topic page 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.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Henry County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Henry County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)