Liberty County, Georgia Genealogy
Guide to Liberty County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the American ideal of liberty. The County is located in the southeast area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Liberty County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
PO Box 829
Hinesville, GA 31313-3240
Phone: 912-876-2164
Liberty County Website
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records from late 1700s, birth records from 1919 and death records from 1927.
Clerk of Court has divorce, court and land records from 1756 (some early records were lost).[3]
Liberty County, Georgia 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 |
| 1919 | 1700s | 1927 | 1756 | 1756 | 1700s | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.[5] |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Georgia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Georgia County Boundary Maps" (1758-1932) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may have additional information on Liberty County cemeteries.
- Interment.net Georgia cemetery records
- Liberty County Genealogy, Wills, Estates, Cemeteries, Maps ($)
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 5,355 | — |
| 1800 | 5,313 | −0.8% |
| 1810 | 6,228 | 17.2% |
| 1820 | 6,695 | 7.5% |
| 1830 | 7,233 | 8.0% |
| 1840 | 7,241 | 0.1% |
| 1850 | 7,926 | 9.5% |
| 1860 | 8,367 | 5.6% |
| 1870 | 7,688 | −8.1% |
| 1880 | 10,649 | 38.5% |
| 1890 | 12,887 | 21.0% |
| 1900 | 13,093 | 1.6% |
| 1910 | 12,924 | −1.3% |
| 1920 | 12,707 | −1.7% |
| 1930 | 8,153 | −35.8% |
| 1940 | 8,595 | 5.4% |
| 1950 | 8,444 | −1.8% |
| 1960 | 14,487 | 71.6% |
| 1970 | 17,569 | 21.3% |
| 1980 | 37,583 | 113.9% |
| 1990 | 52,745 | 40.3% |
| 2000 | 61,610 | 16.8% |
| 2010 | 63,453 | 3.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Georgia denominations, see the Georgia Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Congregational
The TheyHadNames.net project has created a spreadsheet containing the names of all African Americans from the Midway Congregational Church's quarterly session records from 1752-1867.
- Midway Congregational Church Records, Liberty County, Georgia. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
- Stacy, James. History of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia. 1951. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
- 1746-1828 Congregational Church, Midway, Baptism Index 1746-1828. Batch C505921 at FamilySearch
- 1748-1788 Congregational Church, Midway, Baptism Index 1748-1788. Batch C505923 at FamilySearch
- 1754-1898 Congregational Church, Midway, Baptism Index 1754-1898. Batch C505924 at FamilySearch
- 1844-1863 Congregational Church, Midway, Baptism Index 1844-1863. Batch C505921 at FamilySearch
- 1864-1867 Congregational Church, Midway, Baptism Index 1864-1867. Batch C505922 at FamilySearch
- 1753-1858 Congregational Church, Midway, Marriage Index 1753-1858. Batch M505921 at FamilySearch
- 1753-1785 Congregational Church, Midway, Marriage Index 1753-1785. Batch M505923 at FamilySearch
- 1754-1898 Congregational Church, Midway, Marriage Index 1754-1898. Batch M505924 at FamilySearch
- 1859-1867 Congregational Church, Midway, Marriage Index 1859-1867. Batch M505922 at FamilySearch
Congregational/Methodist
Transcription of early records of Pleasant Grove Church, an offshoot of the Midway Congregational Church. Includes names of both white and black members.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1787-1834 Master petit and grand jury list (not including all years) Genealogy Trails
- 1870 Residents, physical descriptions of Persons (digital images) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1880's - List of Court Officials Genealogy Trails
- 1800's - List of Court Abbreviations Genealogy Trails
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans
- They Had Names - Documentation of names of African Americans mentioned in the 1790-1865 wills, estate inventories, bills of sale, collateral mortgages, deeds of gift, marriage settlements, and estate settlements of white slaveholders in Liberty County, Georgia. Also contains transcription of 1846 census of all African American church members in Liberty County's 15th District, church records of Midway Congregational Church and Pleasant Grove Methodist Church, list of free persons of color, colored orphan bonds, etc.
- Liberty County Superior Court's deeds and mortgages (including bills of sale for enslaved people) are digitized online in FamilySearch.org's catalog under the title "Deeds and mortgages 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages 1777-1958" at this link. (If the link does not work, search the catalog for the title.) They are not yet searchable but there are several types of printed indexes (overall direct and reverse and for each record book) that can be paged through. The researcher will need to know the name of the slaveholder to find a particular record in the indexes, but the record books are identified by date ranges and can be paged through. Each entry will give the record book letter and page number. Use that to find the record in the digitized record books at this same link.
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- Liberty County Historical Society website contains references to many prominent local families.
- The Midway Museum has books of genealogies/lineages contributed by local families. Call 912-884-5837 for more information. Midway Museum website
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 Georgia Land and Property for additional information about early Georgia land grants from the government. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions (generally buying and selling deeds) were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
A digital copy of "English Crown Grants in St. Andrew Parish in Georgia 1755-1775," by Pat Bryant is available here.
The They Had Names site has searchable abstracts of deeds naming enslaved people in Liberty County Superior Court Deed Books M, N, O & P (including the years 1838-1865). This includes bills of sale, mortgages, deeds of gift, marriage contracts, estate settlements, etc, with the names of the enslaved people and their slaveowners. These deeds often included identifying data such as ages and family relationships.
Liberty County Superior Court's deeds and mortgages (including bills of sale for enslaved people) are digitized online in FamilySearch.org's catalog under the title "Deeds and mortgages 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages 1777-1958" at this link. (If the link does not work, search the catalog for the titles.) They are not yet searchable but there are several types of printed indexes (overall direct and reverse and for each record book) that can be paged through. Each entry will give the record book letter and page number. Use that to find the record in the digitized record books at this same link.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Liberty County, Georgia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Georgia Local Histories.
- The Liberty County Historical Society website contains pictures and extensive historical and genealogical information.
- Taylors Creek: Story of the Community and Her People Through 200 years. Pearson, Ga.: Press of the Atkinson County Citizen, 1963. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
- List of published histories for the Liberty County area
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Georgia USGenWeb Archives Project
Civil War
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 Georgia Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
- 1879-1920 Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index
Regiments. Service men in Liberty County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Liberty County:
- - 14th Battalion, Georgia Infantry (State Guards) (Confederate),
- - 20th Battalion, Georgia Cavalry (Confederate)
- - 25th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Companies E and F
World War I
- 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Southern Claims Commission case files
The TheyHadNames.net project is transcribing Southern Claims Commission case files from Liberty County, and has an index of all the Liberty County cases with links to the completed transcriptions. Some transcriptions also include genealogical research on the claimant.
Voting Records
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
- 1856-1909 - Georgia, County Voter Registrations, 1856-1909 at FamilySearch — index and images
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Colonial courts kept some early probate records. From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records. The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.
Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library on microfilm.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).
Online Probate Records
- 1742-1990 Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1763-1873 Index to Wills and Appraisements, Book C, 1863-1873 Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1772-1887 Wills 1772-1887 (abstracts) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1779-1823 Wills 1779-1823 (digital images) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1784-1791 Index to Estates 1784-1791, by surname (digital images) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1786-1823 Wills (abstracts), includes names of enslaved people Genealogy Trails
- 1786-1865 Transcripts and summaries of wills, estate inventories and other probate documents naming enslaved people They Had Names
- 1789-1823 Index to Wills and Appraisements, Book A, 1789-1823 Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1790-1865 Abstracts of all estate inventories naming enslaved people They Had Names
- 1790-1823 Index to Estate Appraisals Genealogy Trails
- 1823-1829 Estates 1823-1829 (digital images) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1823-1848 Wills (abstracts), includes names of enslaved people Genealogy Trails
- 1824-1850 Index to Estate Appraisals Genealogy Trails
- 1824-1850 Index to Wills and Appraisements, Book B, 1824-1850 Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1848-1865 Wills (abstracts & transcripts), inc names of enslaved people Genealogy Trails
- 1848-1966 Index to Wills 1864-1876 Alexander, E-Dorsey, J. (actually 1848-1966, includes other probate records) Genealogy Trails
- 1848-1966 Index to Wills 1869-1917 Miller, Melissa-Zoucks, D. (actually 1848-1966, includes other probate records) Genealogy Trails
- 1848-1966 Index to Wills 1925-1957 Deen, Thomas-Miller, E.C. (actually 1848-1966, includes other probate records) Genealogy Trails
- 1863-1873 Index to Wills and Appraisements, Book C, 1863-1873 Georgia Pioneers ($)
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and all slaves up to age 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Georgia State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Georgia.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
- 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1754-1960 Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1785-1895 Owen, Clint. Liberty County, Georgia Marriages, 1785-1895 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
- 1785-1950 Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1787-1962 Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962 at FamilySearch — index
- 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
- 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1867-1895 Liberty County Marriage Index 1867-1895. Batch M713191 at FamilySearch
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
- 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1919-1930 Georgia Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - index and images
- 1928-1930 Georgia Non-Indexed Death Certificates at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault - images
- 1928-1942 Georgia Deaths, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1933-1998 Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch — index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Liberty County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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 Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Liberty County. For state-wide library facilities, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.
The Hinesville branch of the Live Oak Public Libraries has the Wyman May Genealogy Room, open during library operating hours. Library branch website.
Museums[edit | edit source]
- Midway Museum
491 N. Coastal Hwy
Midway, GA 31320
Website
Has a library and can do look-ups.
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Liberty County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Georgia Societies.
- Liberty County Historical Society
PO Box 982
Hinesville, GA 31310
Website
Facebook page: Liberty County Historical Society - Midway Heritage Association
Highway 17
Midway, GA 31320
Website - Midway Museum
491 N. Coastal Hwy
Midway, Georgia 31320
Phone: 912-884-5837
Email: midwaymuseum@yahoo.com
Website
Facebook page: Midway Museum
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Liberty County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Georgia Genealogy Trails Liberty County
- They Had Names: African Americans in Early Liberty County Ga Records
- Liberty County Historical Society
- Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb Liberty County, Georgia project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Liberty County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Georgia Pioneers Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 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), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Liberty County, Georgia" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_County,_Georgia accessed 1 Nov 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Liberty County, Georgia. Page 151-163 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 155-160.
- ↑ Paul K. Graham, Georgia Courthouse Disasters (Decatur, Georgia: Genealogy Co., 2013), 38-39. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Georgia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Liberty County, Georgia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_County,_Georgia, accessed 1 September 2019.
