Alabama, Sumter County Circuit Court Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1840 to 1950.

Record Description
The collection consists of circuit court civil case files from the courthouse in Livingston, Alabama. The files include some records from the Chancery Court. The court cases include divorces and disputed estates. This collection is being published as images become available.

For a list of localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Sumter County, Alabama, was created on Dec. 18, 1832 from the former Choctaw Indian territory. Court Records have been kept since 1840. The Circuit court has jurisdiction in cases of more than $5,000.00 but less than $15,000.00.

Record Content
The records generally contain the following information:




 * Names of interested parties
 * Date of court proceeding or transaction
 * Details of the case
 * Amount of monies exchanged or paid
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The place of residence
 * The court date
 * The names of interested individuals

Compare the information you find in the probate records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine which record is about your ancestor. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the date and locality to search for census and church records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * Witnesses in court cases may be close relatives.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local historical and genealogical groups also compile indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Why the Record Was Created
The records were created as a permanent copy of the court's proceedings.

Record Reliability
The records are very reliable.

Related Websites

 * Guide to Alabama Court Records
 * Sumter County Court Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Alabama History
 * Alabama Court Records
 * Sumter County, Alabama

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection
"Alabama, Sumter County Circuit Court Files, 1840-1850," digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 27 March 2012); Sumter > Estate case files, ca. 1840-1950, Parker, Beulah C. – Ragland, John > Image 1 of 1890, Buelah C. Parker, Case no. 640, 1874; citing Sumter County Clerk of the Courts, Livingston, Alabama.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.