Aiken County, South Carolina Genealogy

United StatesSouth Carolina  Aiken County

Quick Dates
Aiken County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Aiken County Courthouse 109 Park Ave. SE Aiken, SC 29801

Aiken County Probate Judge Room E126 109 Park Ave. SE Aiken, SC 29801 Mailing address: P.O. Box 1576 Aiken SC 29802-1576 803-642-2002 Marriage and probate records

Register Mesne Conveyance 828 Richland Ave. West Room 100 Aiken, South Carolina 29801 Phone: 803-642-2072 Deeds and Mortgages

Clerk of Court Second Floor 109 Park Ave. SE Aiken, SC 29801 Phone: 803-642-1715 Mailing address: P.O. Box 583 Aiken, SC 29802-0583 Court records

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday

Quick Facts
Aiken County is named for (1779-1831), founder and president of the  and father of South Carolina Governor  (who served from 1844-1846). The South Carolina Railroad first brought large numbers of people to the area in the 1830s when it completed a line between Charleston and Hamburg (located on the Savannah River). The creation of a county in the area was first considered in 1857 (under the name Calhoun) but the Bill failed. Aiken was originally going to be named Woodbury and then Randolph. Learn more about the history of Aiken County from the South Carolina State Library or from Carolana.com.

Parent County/Boundary Changes

 * 10 March 1871: Aiken was created from Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, and Orangeburg Counties.
 * 1874 - Aiken exchanged with Barnwell County.

For more information as well as maps of Aiken County through time, see the South Carolina State Archives or South Carolina County Maps and Atlases.

County Seat
The county seat of Aiken County is Aiken, which was incorporated in 1835.

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Research Guides

 * South Carolina Archives Summary Guide: Aiken County, available online, courtesy: South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
 * W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of South Carolina, No. 2, Aiken County (Aiken). Columbia, S.C.: Historical Records Survey, 1938.

African Americans
United States African Americans South Carolina African Americans


 * Vandervelde, Isabel. Aiken County: The Only South Carolina County Founded During Reconstruction. Spartanburg, S.C.: Reprint Co., 1999.
 * Vandervelde, Isabel. Other Free People in Early Barnwell District. Newberry, S.C.: Art Studio Press, 2001. Digital version at Family History Archives;, includes Aiken County.

Known plantations South Carolina Plantations:
 * Airville
 * Beech Island
 * Cathwood (aka Cedar Grove, Kathwood)
 * Cedar Grove (aka Cathwood, Kathwood)
 * Faifields (at Ridge Spring)
 * Granville (at Beech Island)
 * John Glaze
 * Jumping Creek (at Aiken)
 * Kathwood (aka Cedar Grove, Cathwood)
 * Kitchin
 * Oakland (at Beech Island)
 * Oakwood
 * Pascalis (at Aiken)
 * Redcliffe (at Beech Island)
 * Rose Hill (at Beech Island)
 * Silver Bluff (at Jackson)
 * Silver Hill
 * Williams

Cemeteries
There are more than # burial grounds in the county. To view a list, see Aiken County, South Carolina Cemeteries.

Census
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Aiken 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
The Inventory of (SC) Church Archives 1937-1939 is available for free online, courtesy: South Caroliniana Library. Aiken County's W.P.A. reports are included.

Aiken County Churches identifies dozens of churches in the area, courtesy: South Carolina Genealogical Society.

Baptist


 * The First Baptist Church was organized by a small group near the site of the Palmetto Golf Club. In 1836 this organization moved to the town of Aiken. The church was completed in 1836 and named the Aiken Baptist Church. Other Baptist Churches include: Beech Island Baptist Church, organized on 21 January 1832; Belvedere Baptist Church, organized on 19 February 1922; Clearwater No.1 Baptist Church, organized in 1872; Green Pond Baptist Church, organized in 1887; The Memorial Baptist Church; The Ellenton Memorial Christian Church, was first located at Ellenton and established in 1839; Mount Beulah Baptist Church, organized in 1833; Spring Branch Baptist Church, constituted on 20 May 1871 while part of Barnwell County; Montmorenci Baptist Church, organized on 19 December 1870; Shaws Fork Baptist Church, organized in 1913; Talatha Baptist Church, one of the older churches in the Aiken Association; White Pond Church, there is no date of organization but first baptism was in 1844; Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, erected in 1834.

Catholic Church


 * Exploration in the colonial period lead to the introduction of Catholicism in the region. The Church of St. Claire of the Holy Cross was built in 1867 and was the predecesor of Saint Mary's Catholic Church of Aiken.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Churches were established in the 1950s. LDS Ward and Branch Records
 * Aiken

Episcopal Church


 * St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church was built in 1842 on land donated by the the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company.

Presbyterian


 * Coles, W.R. The Immanuel Presbyterian Mission at Aiken, S.C. 1893. Digital version at Internet Archive.

DNA
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
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 Aiken, South Carolina at World Connect, results in more than 8,000 entries.

Surname indexes to Leonardo Andrea's Files | Folders | Resources are available online, courtesy: The Andrea Files: South Carolina Genealogical Research. Learn more.


 * Rowland, Arthur Ray. Neighbors of North Augusta and Its Geographical Ancestors including Hamburg Township and Schultz Township in Edgefield County and Aiken County, South Carolina : from U.S. census records, 1850-1900. North Augusta, S.C.: RR Books, 2006.

Message Boards


 * Aiken County, SC Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Aiken County, SC Genealogy Forum (GenForum)

Bibliography


 * [Barton] Barton, Mildred Elizabeth. A Family Tree: Barton-Gingrey, Brown-Moseley. Aiken, S.C.: M.B. Barton, 1990.
 * [Finley] Finley, William Peronneau. In Memoriam, William Peronneau Finley. Augusta, Ga.: Jas. L. Gow, Pr., 1876..
 * [Holley] McCreary, Richard A. The Sovereign Evans Holley Family of Aiken County, South Carolina. Columbia, S.C.: R.A. McCreary, 1993?.
 * [Johnson] Rumph, Thedoshia Juanita Harvey and Marian Dale Harvey. Family History of Jacob E. Johnson (Birth/Death Dates Unknown) &amp; Elizabeth Johnson Born in 1809 in Virginia, Died 6-2-1895 in Aiken, S.C. Pemberton, N.J.: T.J.H. Rumph, 2001.
 * [Kirkland] The 14 Children of John &amp; Lavina Kirkland John b. 1810 d. 1889 (Aiken Co.) South Carolina.
 * [Plunkett] Ivy, Emma Plunkett. Ten Thousand Plunketts. 2 vols. Atlanta: Peachtree Letter Service, 1974. ; digital version Vol. 2 at Family History Archives.
 * [Ravenel] Childs, Arney R. The Private Journal of Henry William Ravenel, 1859-1887. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 1947..
 * [Speidel] Speidel, James L. Genealogy of Jim Speidel. Marietta, Ga.: J.L. Speidel, 19--?..
 * [Younce] Yonce, Luther V. "Yonce" Families in the United States of America: Nationality, German: Pennsylvania in 1738, Virginia about 1765, North Carolina about 1768, South Carolina before 1772, Ohio late 1788, Kentucky in 1807, Tennessee early 1800, Missouri in 1838, Mississippi mid 1800, Arkansas mid 1800, and More. Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee Valley Pub., c1993.

Historic Residences

 * Greetings from Aiken, S.C. 1909. Digital version at Internet Archive. [Includes photographs of many historic buildings.]

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 shows where you may best expect to find land records for Aiken County:

* Some Orangeburg District deeds were recorded in Charleston District and were not destroyed ** Orangeburg District, Orangeburg County, 1785 Lexington County and Lewisburg County records destroyed by fire

* Orangeburg District records destroyed by fire

* First deed book is missing

Conveyance Books
The original Aiken County Conveyance Books are kept at the South Carolina Department of Archives and Libraries. The years 1872 to 1955 have been microfilmed:.

Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868

 * Plats For State Land Grants 1784-1868 For information about the State Land Grants, see State Land Grants

History

 * Aiken, South Caorlina. A Description of the Climate, Soils, and the Nature of the Products in the Vicinity of Aiken, S.C. ... New York and Aiken: J.C. Derby, Publisher, 1870. Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Henderson, P. F. A Short History of Aiken and Aiken County (Digitization of original published: Columbia, South Carolina : R.L. Bryan, 1951) 45 pages. Includes early Aiken history, battle of Aiken, historic spots and Aiken people in books., Other Libraries.
 * MacDowell, Dorothy K. An Aiken Scrapbook: a Picture Narrative of Aiken and Aiken County, South Carolina ([S.l.: s.n.], 1982) Book found at and Other libraries
 * Maness, Harold S.  Forgotten Outpost: Fort Moore &amp; Savanah Town, 1685-1765 (Beech Island, South Carolina: Harold S. Maness Family, c1986, Beech Island, South Carolina: Beech Island Historical Society, c1986), 256 pages. Includes 1870 militia rolls of Barnwell &amp; Edgefield County residents presumed to become a part of the new Aiken County; 1868 voter registration rolls Book found at
 * Toole, Gasper Loren. Ninety Years in Aiken County : Memoirs of Aiken County and its People (Charleston? South Carolina: s.n., 1959), 401 pages. Contains descriptions of schools, newspapers and biographies. Book at ; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * Vandervelde, Isabel. Aiken County: the Only South Carolina County Founded During Reconstruction (Spartanburg, South Carolina : Reprint Co., c1999), 545. Has index with about 3000 names.Includes 1870 militia rolls of Barnwell &amp; Edgefield County residents presumed to become a part of the new Aiken County; 1868 voter registration rolls presumed relevant to the new county. Book at , Other Libraries.

Migration

 * "Marshall [Surname], Connecticut to South Carolina," The American Genealogist, Vol. 31 (1955): 216. ; digital version at New England Ancestors ($).

Early migration routes to and from Aiken County for European settlers included:


 * Savannah River pre-historic
 * Occaneechi Path pre-historic
 * Middle Creek Trading Path pre-historic
 * Fort Moore-Charleston Trail about 1716
 * Fall Line Road about 1735
 * Augusta-Savannah Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Augusta and Cherokee Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Augusta-St. Augustine Trail in Georgia 1740s
 * Great Valley Road (south fork) 1740s
 * Charleston-Ft. Charlotte Trail about 1765
 * Ft. Charlotte and Cherokee Old Path about 1765



Military
See Aiken County, South Carolina Cemeteries for military burials in the county.

General

 * Sheahan, John J. Military markers and data : cemteeries located in AIken County, South Carolina. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah..
 * Vandervelde, Isabel, Aiken County: the Only South Carolina County Founded During Reconstruction (Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Co., c1999), 545. Has index with about 3000 names.Includes 1870 militia rolls of Barnwell &amp; Edgefield County residents presumed to become a part of the new Aiken County; 1868 voter registration rolls presumed relevant to the new county. Book at ,Civil War pages 321-371. Other Libraries.

Revolutionary War

 * "Local Revolutionary fighting, 1780- 1781," Aiken County Historical Society, Journal, May 2006. Aiken County Historical Society : Aiken, SC.

War of 1812

 * 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. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, South Carolina, Aiken County, p. 181. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War, 1861-1865
Aiken County was created after the Civil War on 10 March 1871 from the counties of Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington and Orangeburg. During the Civil War, men from the area of Aiken County mostly would have served in various regiments recruited in those counties. Counties were called districts during the Civil War.


 * Maness, Harold S., Forgotten Outpost: Fort Moore &amp; Savanah Town, 1685-1765, (Beech Island, South Carolina : Harold S. Maness Family, c1986, Beech Island, South Carolina: Beech Island Historical Society, c1986), 256 pages. Includes 1870 militia rolls of Barnwell &amp; Edgefield County residents presumed to become a part of the new Aiken County; 1868 voter registration rolls Book found at

The Battle of Aiken, (accessed 6 Apr 2011).

Newspapers
Historic

The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Aiken 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.


 * Aiken County Rambler (Aiken, S.C.) 1977-1983.
 * Aiken County Register (Aiken, S.C.) 1983-1984.
 * Aiken Courier Journal (Aiken, S.C.) 1877-1880.
 * Aiken Daily Journal (Aiken, S.C.) 1871-1873.
 * Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.) 1969-current.
 * Aiken Standard and Review (Aiken, S.C.) 1935-1969.
 * Journal and Review (Aiken, S.C.) 1880-1935.
 * The Aiken County Journal (Aiken, S.C.) 1969-1969.
 * The Aiken Journal (Aiken, S.C.) 1871-1874.
 * The Aiken Press (Aiken, S.C.) 1867-186?.
 * The Aiken Recorder (Aiken, S.C.) 1881-1910.
 * The Aiken Sentinel (Aiken, S.C.) 1910-1913.
 * The Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.) 1915-1930.
 * The Aiken Standard and South Carolina Gazette (Aiken, S.C.) 1930-1935.
 * The Aiken Telegraph and Commercial Advertiser (Aiken, S.C.) 1835-1836.
 * The Aiken Times (Aiken, S.C.) 1892-1905.
 * The Aiken Tribune (Aiken, S.C.) 1871-1876.
 * The Carolina Galaxy and Commercial Gazette (Hamburg, S.C.)1834-1835.
 * The Courier-Journal (Aiken, S.C.) 1874-187?.
 * The Graniteville News (Graniteville, S.C.) 1899-1903.
 * The Hamburg Gazette (Hamburg, S.C.) 1823-18??.
 * The Hamburg Journal (Hamburg, S.C.) 1840-18??.
 * The Hamburg Republican (Hamburg, S.C.) 1845-18??.
 * The Post (North Augusta, S.C.) 1989-current.
 * The Republican (Hamburg, S.C.) 1850-185?.
 * The Star (North Augusta, S.C.) 1982-current.
 * The Valley Pioneer (Hamburg, S.C.) 1854-1???.
 * The Valley Times (Graniteville, S.C.) 1929-193?.

World Vital Records, a subscription website, offers access to the following Aiken County newspapers:


 * Aiken Courier Journal (1874-1878)
 * Aiken Journal (1874)
 * Aiken Journal and Review (1885-1923, gaps)
 * Aiken Recorder (1886-1906, gaps)
 * Aiken Tribune (1871, 1873, 1875)

Ancestry, a subscription website, offers access to the following Aiken County newspaper:


 * Aiken Standard (1969-1977). Aiken, South Carolina, United States Of America. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper. Available at Ancestry ($).

Current


 * Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.) Online edition.

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:


 * News and Journal

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.” 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 retains all original estate documents beginning with 1873 through 1903. Probate Court has a copy of those records on microfilm, available for public viewing. Aiken County Probate Court retains original estate records beginning in 1904 through the present.

Aiken County Probate Court retains Marriage License records beginning in 1911 through the present. Probate Court has a copy of those records on microfilm, available for public viewing.

Aiken County, Estate Records 1873-1927

Taxation
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.


 * [1870] Assessor's Return of Taxable Real Property in Barnwell County Annexed by Aiken County, 1870, News and Journal, Vol. 24, No. 3 (2008).
 * South Carolina Department of Archives and History tax lists for Aiken County.

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 Aiken 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 Aiken 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 - Indexes


 * 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 Aiken 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 - Indexes and Records


 * 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

 * Aiken County Public Library Address: 314 Chesterfield St. SW Aiken, SC 2980 Telephone: 803-642-2020 Hours of operation: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday 10:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday (Sept 1 - May 18) 2:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m.

The Aiken County Public Library is part of the ABBE Regional Library Sytsem. Its catalog is overseen by that organization as is its book ordering and other functions. Use the links below for the ABBE Regional Library to learn more.

Other Aiken County libraries: Jackson, Midland Valley, New Ellenton, North Augusta, Wagner. Of these facilities the Nancy Carson Library in North Augusta is the largest.


 * Nancy Carson Library in North Augusta Address: 135 Edgefield Road North Augusta, SC 29841 Telephone: 803-279-5767 Hours of operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - 10"00 a.m to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; Sunday Closed

The Nancy Carson Public Library in North Augusta is part of the ABBE Regional Library Sytsem. Its catalog is overseen by that organization as is its book ordering and other functions. Use the links below for the ABBE Regional Library to learn more.


 * ABBE Regional Library Systen A.B.B.E. Regional Library System (The Aiken-Bamberg-Barnwell-Edgefield Regional Library System) is headquaterred in Aiken and serves the four South Carolina Counties named in its title. It has 14 brances and a bookmobile.


 * Aiken County Historical Museum Address 433 Newberry St SW Aiken, SC 29801 Telephone: 803-642-2015 Email: [mailto:museum@aikencountysc.gov museum@aikencountysc.gov] Normal Hours: Normal Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Museum is housed in a 1930's Winter Colony mansion named "Banksia". Its 3.5 acre grounds are also home to a 1890's one-room schoolhouse and a log cabin built in 1808. The purpose of the museum is to collect and preserve historical material relating to Aiken County and to display and interpret such information to the public. It operates under the direction of the Aiken County Historical Commission, There is no charge to visit the Museum.

Societies - Genealogical, Historical, Lineage

 * Aiken-Barnwell Genealogical Society (ABGS)

P.O. Box 415  Aiken SC 29082   e-mail: [mailto:aikenbarnwellgenealogy@gmail.com aikenbarnwellgenealogy@gmail.com]

Family History Centers
Aiken South Carolina 358 E Pine Log Rd Aiken, Aiken, South Carolina, United States Phone: 803-648-0726 Hours: Tues, Wed, &amp; Thur 6pm-9pm / Fri 9am- 12 noon Attention: Hours may vary. Call before going.

Web Sites

 * Aiken County, SCGenWeb
 * Aiken County, South Carolina Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)