Washington County, Georgia Genealogy

United States

Georgia

Washington County

Guide to Washington County, Georgia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: Sandersville Organized: February 25, 1784 Parent County(s): Creek Indian lands Neighboring Counties Baldwin  • Glascock  • Hancock  • Jefferson  • Johnson  • Warren  • Wilkinson See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for Revolutionary War general (and later President of the United States) George Washington. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Washington County Courthouse
PO Box 271
Sandersville, GA 31082-0271
Phone: 912-552-2325
Washington County Website

Probate Court has birth, marriage and probate records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, court and land records from 1865.

Washington County, Georgia Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1919	1865	1919	1865	1865	1865	1820
Statewide registration of births and death began in 1919. General compliance for births by 1928 and deaths by 1922.

Record Loss

1855 The town and courthouse at Sandersville burned on 24 March. The courthouse records were moved ahead of the fire, but that building was also destroyed. County courthouse records were a total loss. 1864 During the American Civil War the courthouse was burned on 27 November. Superior Court records were destroyed; however, the probate records were saved. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.

Boundary Changes

1784 Washington County was created 25 February 1784 from Creek Indian lands. County seat: Sandersville 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

The following are locations in Washington County, Georgia:

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Washington, Georgia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com GAGenWeb GAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Washington County Cemeteries Georgia Cemetery Records
See Georgia Cemeteries for more information

The following web site may have additional information on Washington County cemeteries.

• Interment.net Georgia cemetery records

Church Records

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.

Baptist

• Bethlehem - Minutes, financial records, etc. (1791-1912) available on microfilm at the University of NC Davis Library (Serial 1-1265 1791-1912).

Land and Property Records

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.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Washington 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.

• Mitchell, Ella. History of Washington County. Atlanta, Ga.: Byrd Print. Co., 1924. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
• Origins of Early Settlers to Washington County at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• Washington Notes by Jeannette Holland Austin at Georgia Pioneers ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)
• Map of Washington County at Georgia Pioneers ($)

Military Records

• 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 Washington 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 Washington County:

- 1st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Ramsey's) (Confederate), Company E

- 8th Regiment, Georgia Cavalry (Confederate) , Company F

- 12th Battalion, Georgia Light Artillery (Confederate), Reorganized Companies B and E, Possibly Company D

- 12th Battalion, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company B and F

- 32nd Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company E

- 49th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company C and H

- 51st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate)

- 57th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company G

- 59th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company B and D

World War I

• 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images

Other Records

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records

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 ($)
• 1829-1876 Index to Washington County Letters of Guardianship and Apprenticeships, Vol. A (1829-1876) at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1829-1876 Washington County Divisions of Estates, Letters of Administration, Guardianship, Book A (1829-1876) at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1829-1876 Washington County Letters of Administration, Testamentary, Guardianship, Book A, partial transcription (1829-1876) at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1843-1890 Index to Washington County Annual Returns, Book B (1843-1852), Book C (1851-1855), Book E (1856-1858), Book F (1858-1866), Book G (1866-1878), Book H (1878-1890) at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1846-1862 Index to Washington County Inventories, Vol. A, 1846-1862 at Georgia Pioneers ($).
• Washington County Estates (Misc.) at Georgia Pioneers ($)

Tax Records

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

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.

Marriage

• 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
• 1785-1950 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.org — index
• 1828-1851 Washington County Marriages 1828-1851 at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1828-1860 Washington County Marriage Books A and B Index 1828-1860. Batch M713921 at FamilySearch
• 1828-1885 Washington County Marriages from Newspapers 1828-1885 at Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1860-1879 Washington County Marriage Books C and D Index 1860-1879. Batch M713922 at FamilySearch
• 1879-1885 Washington County Marriage Book E Index 1879-1885. Batch M713923 at FamilySearch
• 1885-1890 Washington County Marriage Book F Index 1885-1890. Batch M713924 at FamilySearch
• 1890-1895 Washington County Marriage Book G Index 1890-1895. Batch M713925 at FamilySearch
• 1895 Washington County Marriage Book H Index 1895. Batch M713926 at FamilySearch

Death

• 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1928-1942 Georgia Deaths, 1928-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1933-1998 Georgia Death Index 1933-1998 at FamilySearch — index

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies

• Washington County Historical Society
  110 W. 1st Ave.
  Sandersville, GA 31082
  Website
• Washington Township Historical Society
  308 E Robert Toombs Ave
  Washington, GA 30673-2038
• Central Georgia Genealogical Society
  PO Box 2024
  Warner Robins, GA 31099
  Website

Websites

• Washington County GAGenWeb
• Washington County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Georgia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Washington County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• 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

• De Lamar, Marie. Records of Washington County, Georgia. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000. Digital version at Ancestry ($)