Emanuel County, Georgia Genealogy

United States

Georgia

Emanuel County

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

County Facts County seat: Swainsboro Organized: December 10, 1812 Parent County(s): Bulloch, Montgomery Neighboring Counties Bulloch  • Burke  • Candler  • Jefferson  • Jenkins  • Johnson  • Laurens  • Montgomery  • Tattnall  • Toombs  • Treutlen See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for former Governor of Georgia David Emanuel. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Emanuel County Courthouse
201 N Main Street
PO Box 787
Swainsboro, GA 30401-2042
Phone: 912-237-8911
Emanuel County Website

Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, court and land records from 1812.

Emanuel 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	1812	1919	1812	1812	1812	1820
Statewide registration of births and death began in 1919. General compliance for births by 1928 and deaths by 1922.

Record Loss

1841 The courthouse at Swainsboro burned 10 May 1841. Most county records were lost, but significant records still survive. Fires in 1919 and 1938 damaged the courthouse but no further county records were lost. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1812 Emanuel County was created 10 December 1812 from Bulloch and Montgomery Counties. County seat: Swainsboro 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

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:

Cities
Adrian Garfield Nunez	Oak Park Stillmore Summertown	Swainsboro (county seat) Twin City
Unincorporated communities
Blundale Colemans Lake Covena Dellwood Gary	Kirby Lexsy Lombard Norristown Junction	Old Dellwood Stevens Crossing Three Points Wesley
Census-designated places
Canoochee Norristown

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Emanuel, 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 Emanuel County Cemeteries Georgia Cemetery Records
See Georgia Cemeteries for more information

The following web site may have additional information on Emanuel 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.

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 Emanuel 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.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)

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 Emanuel 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 Emanuel County:

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

- 34th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company G

- 35th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company G

- 38th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company C

- 48th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company H

- 54th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate) , Company C

• Dorsey, James Edwards. 1978. Footprints along the Hoopee: a history of Emanuel County, 1812-1900. Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company Publishers. (page 66-84)975.8684 H2dj
• Dorsey, James Edwards, and John K. Derden. 1983. Gone, but not forgotten: a tombstone registry of Emanuel County, Georgia. Swainsboro, Georgia: Magnolia Press. (Entire Book)975.8684 V3d

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 ($)
• 1815-1868 Index to Wills, Administrations, Guardians, Bonds, Book A, 1815-1868 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1825-1857 Wills 1825-1857 (digital images). See list of testators.Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1857-1907 Wills 1857-1907 (digital images). See list of testators. Georgia Pioneers ($)

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.

Birth

• 1818-1885 Emanuel County Birth Index 1818-1885. Batch C712751 at FamilySearch
• 1870-1960 - Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index

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 — index
• 1817-1860 Index to Emanuel County Marriages 1817-1860 Georgia Pioneers ($)
• 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1887-1895 Emanuel County Marriage Book B Index 1887-1895. Batch M712753 at FamilySearch

Death

• 1870-1960 - Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index
• 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.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

Websites

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