RESEARCH OUTLINE

 South Carolina

FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

This outline describes major sources of information about families
from South Carolina. Before reading this outline, study the United
States Research Outline, which will help you understand terminology
and the contents and uses of genealogical records.

 RECORDS OF THE FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY

The Family History Library has many of the records described in this
outline. The major holdings include compiled genealogies and census,
cemetery, church, land, military, probate, and vital records.

Some of the sources described in this outline list the Family History
Library's book, microfilm, and microfiche numbers. These are preceded
by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library. These numbers
may be used to locate materials in the library and to order microfilm
and microfiche at family history centers (formerly known as branch
genealogical libraries).

 FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY CATALOG

The library's records are listed in the Family History Library
Catalog found at the library and at each family history center. To
find a record, look in the locality section of the catalog for:

-	The place where your ancestor lived, such as:

UNITED STATES - CENSUS RECORDS SOUTH CAROLINA - MILITARY RECORDS
SOUTH CAROLINA, CHARLESTON - VITAL RECORDS SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, CHARLESTON - CEMETERIES

-	The record type you want to search, such as:

UNITED STATES - CENSUS RECORDS SOUTH CAROLINA - MILITARY RECORDS
SOUTH CAROLINA, CHARLESTON - VITAL RECORDS SOUTH CAROLINA,
CHARLESTON, CHARLESTON - CEMETERIES

The section headings in this outline match the names of record types
used in the library catalog.

 ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

The following archives, libraries, and societies have collections or
services to assist genealogical researchers.

-	South Carolina Department of Archives and History 1430
Senate Street P.O. Box 11669, Capitol Station Columbia, SC 29211-1669

The staff will check a few indexes for a specific name and send a
photocopy order for records in which that name appears. A useful
guide to the collection is Marion C. Chandler and Earl W. Wade, The
South Carolina Archives:  A Temporary Summary Guide, 2d ed.
(Columbia, S.C.: South Carolina Department of Archives and History,
1976; FHL book 975.7 A5c).

-	National Archives--Atlanta Branch 1557 St. Joseph Avenue
East Point, GA 30344

-	South Carolina Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2266
Charleston, SC 29403

-	South Carolina Historical Society 100 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401

A helpful guide to the manuscript collection of this society is David
Moltke-Hansen and Sallie Doscher, "South Carolina Historical Society
Manuscript Guide," South Carolina Historical Magazine, July 1979
(Charleston: South Carolina Historical Society, 1979; FHL book 975.7
B2s, vol. 80, no. 3, supp.).

-	South Caroliniana Library University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

A useful guide to the manuscript collection of this library is Allen
H. Stokes, A Guide to the Manuscript Collection of the South
Caroliniana Library (Columbia, S.C.: The Library, 1982; FHL book
975.7 A3s).

-	Charleston Library Society 164 King Street Charleston, SC
29401

A helpful guide to research institutions in South Carolina is John
Hammond Moore, Research Materials in South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.:
University of South Carolina Press, 1967; FHL book 975.7 A5m).

To learn more about the history and record-keeping systems of South
Carolina counties, use the 14 inventories of the county archives
published by the Historical Records Survey around 1940. The Family
History Library has all of the inventories.

 BIBLE RECORDS

Three volumes of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Bible
transcripts and a volume compiled by Leonardo Andrea are on FHL film
954,247. Additional DAR compilations are part of the collection
described in the "Genealogy" section of this outline. All of these
collections are partially indexed by E. Kay Kirkham, An Index to Some
of the Family Records of the Southern States (Logan, Utah: Everton
Publishers, 1979; FHL book Ref 973 D22kk vol. 1).

Another collection of original Bible records for families of South
Carolina and other Southern states is Memory Aldridge Lester, Bible
Records from the Southern States, 7 vols. in 6 (Chapel Hill, N.C.:
M.A. Lester, 1956-62; FHL book 975 D28l; film 978,067).

 BIOGRAPHY

A continuing index to all published biographical sketches is Richard
N. Cote and Patricia H. Williams, The Dictionary of South Carolina
Biography, vol. 1 (Easley, S.C.: The Southern Historical Press, 1985;
FHL book 975.7 D36c). This first volume indexes 13,300 sketches from
52 published sources. Other volumes in the set are currently being
prepared for publication.

Two representative biographical encyclopedias are:

Hemphill, J.C. Men of Mark in South Carolina...A Collection of
Biographies of Leading Men of the State. 4 vols. Washington, D.C.:
Men of Mark Publishing Co., 1907-9. (FHL film 1,000,581.)

Snowden, Yates, and H.G. Cutler. History of South Carolina. 5 vols.
Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1920. (FHL book 975.7 H2s). Volumes
3-5 are biographical.

 CEMETERIES

The best collection of South Carolina cemetery inscriptions is at the
South Caroliniana Library in transcripts made by the Work Projects
Administration. The cemeteries included in this collection are listed
in Local and Family History in South Carolina:  A Bibliography (see
the "For Further Reading" section of this outline).

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) collection contains
tombstone inscriptions from South Carolina cemeteries. This
collection and an every-name index to it are described in the
"Genealogy" section of this outline.

The Leonardo Andrea collection (see "Genealogy") also includes
inscriptions from numerous graveyards (FHL films 942,259, item 20,
and film 954,250). Another helpful collection is South Carolina
Cemetery Records, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society,
1951-54; FHL book 975.7 V22a; film 873,730).

 CENSUS

Federal

 Many federal census records are found at the Family History Library,
the National Archives, and other federal archives. The United States
Research Outline provides more detailed information about these
records.

Federal censuses were taken in South Carolina at ten-year intervals
beginning in 1790. They are available on microfilm through 1910. The
1890 schedules were destroyed, except those for Civil War veterans
and widows, which are at the South Carolina Department of Archives
and History, the National Archives, and the Family History Library.

Indexes are available for the 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840,
1850, and 1860 censuses in book and microfiche format. Microfilm
soundex (phonetic) indexes are available for part of the 1880 and all
of the 1900 and 1910 censuses. 

Mortality schedules (lists of deaths in the year preceding the
census) exist for 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 (FHL films
1,294,287-89). Indexes have been published for 1850 and 1860. The
originals are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and
History.

 Colonial and State

No colonial censuses have been preserved. See the "Taxation" section
of this outline for similiar lists of names for this time period.

An 1848 census for the city of Charleston is available at the Family
History Library (FHL 823,825). Although not available at the Family
History Library, the South Carolina Department of Archives and
History has the following state censuses: 

-	1829 state census (Fairfield and Laurens Districts)

-	1839 state census (Kershaw District)

-	1869 population returns

-	1875 agricultural and population returns

 CHURCH RECORDS

Church records and histories are critical to research in South
Carolina because of the lack of civil vital records prior to 1900.
Before 1900 the largest religious groups in South Carolina were the
Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. The Anglican Church
(later, Protestant Episcopal) was established in 1706 and was serving
25 parishes by 1778. During the colonial period the Lutheran,
Huguenot, and Quaker denominations were also represented.

The Family History Library has a large collection of Baptist,
Methodist, and Protestant Episcopal church records on microfilm. From
the Charleston area, for example, the library has copies of records
from the South Carolina Historical Society, Southern Baptist
Convention, and local churches. These materials include records of
the Methodists (1845 to 1980 on 145 microfiche), Baptists (1868 to
1955), Evangelical Lutherans (from 1778), Congregationalists (from
1732), Protestant Episcopals (from 1713), Lutherans (from 1749), and
Society of Friends (from 1719).

Many denominations have collected their records into central
repositories. Church repositories are listed in Local and Family
History in South Carolina (see the "For Further Reading" section of
this outline). You can also write to the following addresses to learn
where their records are located.

 Baptist

South Carolina Baptist Historical Collection James B. Duke Library
Poinsett Highway Furman University Greenville, SC 29613 

See also:

Bolt, Ernest C. South Carolina Baptist Churches by Association.
Nashville: Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention,
196-. (FHL film 1,001,802.)

Townsend, Leah. South Carolina Baptists, 1670-1805. Florence, S.C.:
Florence Printing Co., 1935. (FHL book 975.7 K2t.)

 Methodist

South Carolina Methodist Conference Archives Sandor Teszler Library
Wofford College N. Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29301

For a history of the Methodist church, see Albert Micajah Shipp,
History of Methodism in South Carolina (Nashville: Southern Methodist
Publishing House, 1884; FHL book 975.7 K2s; film 908,353). The
appendix includes biographical sketches.

 Presbyterian and Reformed

Historical Foundation of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches P.O.
Box 847 Montreat, NC 28757

To locate Presbyterian records see:

Inventory of the Church Archives of South Carolina Presbyterian
Churches; 1969 Arrangement with Indexes. N.p.: South Carolina
Historical Records Survey, WPA, 1969. (FHL film 906,117-18.)

Howe, George. History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina.
Columbia, S.C.: Duffie and Chapman, 1870-1883. (FHL book 975.7 K2h.)
This volume covers the history of the church to 1800.

 Roman Catholic

Charleston Diocesan Archives 119 Broad Street P.O. Box 818
Charleston, SC 29402

 COURT RECORDS

Prior to 1769, proprietary and crown courts were convened at
Charleston. These were known as the General Court and the Grand
Council. From 1769 to 1772 a circuit court system was begun. Judicial
districts began to keep records for some courts, although records
were still filed in Charleston. After 1780 the records were kept in
the various courthouses.

Major South Carolina courts that kept records of genealogical value
included the following. (Other courts are mentioned in the "Probate"
section of this outline.)

1671- 1790s

Court of Chancery handled land and inheritance matters for the entire
colony. The Family History Library has some chancery court records,
later known as equity records.

1703- pres.

Court of Common Pleas was a statewide court until 1790 when each
district established a separate court with jurisdiction over
guardianship and civil matters. The Family History Library has many
of these records.

1769- pres.

Circuit courts have had district or countywide jurisdiction in
criminal cases and some civil cases. Many of these records, on
microfilm, are at the Family History Library.

1769- 1776

Court of General Sessions was a statewide court until 1790, when each
district established a separate court. These courts had jurisdiction
over criminal cases. The Family History Library has a good collection
of these records on microfilm.

1785- 1798

County courts had jurisdiction over minor civil and criminal matters.
The Family History Library has many of these records. (The records of
the county courts temporarily established in 1683 no longer exist).

1791- 1900

Courts of equity had countywide jurisdiction over property matters.
Many of the records are available at the Family History Library.

For more information about court procedures and records see:

Bondurant, Mary. "A Guide to South Carolina Court Records," in Family
Puzzlers, no. 791 (16 Dec. 1982). Danielsville, Ga: Heritage Papers.
(FHL book 973 B2f.)

Gregorie, Anne King. Records of the Court of Chancery of South
Carolina, 1671-1779. Washington: American Historical Association,
1950. (FHL book 975.7 P2sc, fiche 6051256.)

Moore, Caroline T. Records of the Secretary of the Province of South
Carolina, 1692-1721. Columbia, S.C.: R. L. Bryan Co, 1978. (FHL book
975.7 P28m.)

Warren, Mary B. South Carolina Jury Lists, 1718 through 1783.
Danielsville, GA: Heritage Papers, 1977. (FHL book 975.7 P2w.) The
names were compiled from tax lists, as jurors were selected on the
basis of taxes they paid.

 DIRECTORIES

Directories of heads of houeholds have been published for major
cities in South Carolina. For example the Family History Library has
directories for:

-	Columbia 1843-1862	FHL fiche 6043829-36
1862-1901	FHL film 1,376,760-73 1931	FHL book 975.77
E4h

-	Charleston 1796	FHL film 000,620, item 2
1866-1901	FHL film 1,376,645-57

You can also find collections of directories in the archives
mentioned in the "Archives and Libraries" section of this outline.
The Charleston Library Society has a special collection of Charleston
directories dating from 1782.

 EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION

 The People

About 80 percent of the settlers of colonial South Carolina were of
English origin. Many of them came by way of Barbados and other
colonies rather than directly from England. A group of Dutch settlers
from New York came to South Carolina in 1671. Another smaller group
was of French origin, mostly descendants of Huguenots, who came to
the area beginning in 1680. More numerous were the Scottish
dissenters who were brought in beginning in 1682 and the Germans who
arrived during the eighteenth century. Blacks constituted a majority
of the population from early colonial times until 1930. Indian wars
drove most of the native Americans from the state, but there are
still a few Catawba Indians in York County.

 Settlement Patterns

The earliest settlements were on the coastal plain low country of
South Carolina. Pushed by a desire to escape the Revolutionary War
and pulled by a desire for land, settlers eventually poured into the
Piedmont up country. They were of Ulster Scots, German, and Welsh
descent. In 1770 the population of South Carolina was less than
50,000; by 1790 it had reached 140,000.

Almost immediately after statehood, South Carolina began to lose
population to the westward movement. In the early 1800s, slaveholders
moved to new, more fertile plantations in Alabama and Mississippi. In
the 1820s, antislavery Quakers moved to the Old Northwest, especially
Indiana.

South Carolina did not attract many overseas immigrants during the
nineteenth century. State-sponsored recruiting efforts brought in a
few hundred Germans between 1866 and 1868 and about 2,500 northern
Europeans in the early 1900s.

 The Records

The major port of entry to South Carolina was Charleston. The Family
History Library and the National Archives have fragmentary passenger
lists for Charleston for 1820 to 1828 (FHL film 830,232) and for Port
Royal for 1865 (FHL film 830,245). A few arrivals at Charleston are
included in an index to passenger lists of vessels arriving at
miscellaneous southern ports from 1890 to 1924 (FHL films
1,324,938-63).

Customs records for the ports of Charleston, Georgetown, and Beaufort
are at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Several
published records of pre-1900 immigrants are indexed in P. William
Filby, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index (Detroit: Gale Research
Co., 1981, 1985, 1986; FHL book Ref 973 W33p). The first three
volumes are a combined alphabetical index published in 1981. The next
four volumes are a cumulated 1982-1985 supplement. Supplements are
issued annually.

More detailed information on immigration sources is in the United
States Research Outline. Records of blacks are listed in the Family
History Library Catalog locality catalog under the heading SOUTH
CAROLINA - SLAVERY AND BONDAGE and under the heading SOUTH CAROLINA -


MINORITIES. Records of other major ethnic groups, including French
Huguenots, Ulster Scots, Jews, Quakers, and Catawba Indians, are
listed under SOUTH CAROLINA - MINORITIES.

 GAZETTEERS

Several gazetteers of South Carolina have been published. These
include:

Works Project Administration. Palmetto Place Names. 1941. Reprint.
Spartanburg, S.C.: The Reprint Co., 1975. (FHL 975.7 E2w; film
1,036,708, item 3.)

Cropper, Mariam D. South Carolina Waterways As They Appear in Mill's
Atlas. Salt Lake City: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1977. (FHL 975.7
E2c.) This book is very useful when a waterway is mentioned in deeds
or land grants.

A periodical devoted to the study of South Carolina place names is
Names in South Carolina, 1954- (Columbia: University of South
Carolina, 1954; FHL 975.7 B5d).

 GENEALOGY

Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have
special collections and indexes of genealogical value. These must
usually be searched in person. Some of the best manuscript
collections are at the South Carolina Historical Society, the South
Caroliniana Library, and the Charleston Library Society. Some notable
genealogical collections are:

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Collection. This
collection consists of transcripts of Bible records, cemetery
records, church records, marriages, deaths, obituaries, and wills. It
was microfilmed in 1971 at the DAR Library, Washington, D.C., and is
available on 31 films at the Family History Library. The volumes are
generally arranged by county. An every-name index of 617,000 names
has been produced by the Family History Library (FHL fiche 6052835).

Leonardo Andrea Collection. Andrea's collection of research files is
in the possession of his family but a microfilm copy is at the Family
History Library. It was 

filmed in 1974 in two alphabetical parts: "Family Files," or
correspondence (FHL films 954,524-97 and 954,241-46), and
"Genealogical Data Folders" (FHL films 954,255-61 and 947,464-77). An
inventory of the collection is Index to Genealogical Folders in the
Leonardo Andrea Collection (typescript; FHL book 975.7 D22a; film
908,685, item 6; fiche 6019560).

Motte Alston Read Collection of Colonial Families of South Carolina.
This collection of surname folders was filmed in 1952 at the South
Carolina Historical Society (FHL films 022,750-89; subject and family
index is on FHL film 022,750). The information is from newspapers,
deeds, court records, church records, and so forth. The subject
references can only be investigated through correspondence with the
South Carolina Historical Society.

Some major published genealogical collections for South Carolina
include:

South Carolina Genealogies:  Articles from the South Carolina
Historical (and Genealogical) Magazine. 5 vols. Spartanburg, S.C.:
The Reprint Co., 1983. (FHL book 975.7 D2s). Volume 5 contains an
every-name index to volumes one through four.

Wooley, James E., ed. A Collection of Upper South Carolina
Genealogical and Family Records. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern
Historical Press, 1979-82. (FHL book 975.7 D2c.) This is an
alphabetical collection for families from the Old 96 District.

Lineage Charts. 4 vols. Greenville, S.C.: Greenville Chapter, The
South Carolina Genealogical Society, 1976-81. (FHL book 975.7 D2L.)
This contains records submitted by members of the Society.

 HISTORY

The following important events affected political boundaries, record
keeping, and family movements:

1670

The first permanent English settlement was made at Albemarle Point
(Charles Town).

1713- 1719

The South Carolina region separated from North Carolina and became a
royal colony. Records were kept in Charleston.

1730

Settlers began to move into the interior when the colonial government
provided incentives for landowners in new townships.

1760- 1761

The Cherokee War ended in a treaty that opened the up country for
settlement. The Bounty Act of 1761 offered public land tax free for
ten years, and settlers from other colonies began pouring into the up
country.

1769

Nine original judicial districts were established, but records
continued to be kept in Charleston until 1780.

1788

South Carolina became a state. The state government was moved from
Charleston to Columbia in 1790, although some functions remained at
Charleston until after the Civil War.

1830- 1840

Overseas immigration to South Carolina, which had begun to decline
about 1815, virtually ceased in this decade.

1860

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. The
Civil War began there in 1861. About 63,000 men from the state served
in the Confederate armed forces.

1868

South Carolina was readmitted to the Union. Districts were now called
counties.

An especially helpful source for studying the history of South
Carolina is David Duncan Wallace, South Carolina: A Short History
(Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1951; FHL book 975.7
H2ws).

 LAND AND PROPERTY

 Proprietary Grants

Land grants were made by the Lords Proprietor from about 1670 to
1719, and recorded by the Register of the Province. Proprietary land
titles, abstracts of title, and registrations of land grants are
sometimes called "memorials." Governors issued warrants and ordered
plats and surveys, but most of these documents are lost. After 1682
an indenture was often used to deed land in exchange for quitrents.

Lists of many early landowners are found in A.S. Salley, Records of
the Secretary of the Province and the Register of the Province of
South Carolina, 1671-1675 (Columbia, S.C.: Historical Commission of
South Carolina, 1944; FHL 975.7 N2c; film 1,425,662, item 5). This
includes deeds, wills, and other records.

Land warrants were presented to the surveyor general and recorded by
the secretary of state. They are often the most complete guide to
early land settlement. Proprietary grants are listed in A.S. Salley,
Jr., Warrants for Lands in South Carolina 1672-1711, 1910-15, Reprint
(Columbia, S.C.: South Carolina Department of Archives and History,
1973; FHL 975.7 R2s or 975.7 R21h; film 845,162, items 3-4, and film
845,163).

 Royal Period

From 1719 to 1775, when South Carolina was a royal colony, grants
were recorded by the secretary of the province and deeds were
recorded separately by the public register. After land offices
suspended much of their business in the 1720s, Sir George Carteret
bought out most of the proprietors' lands in 1729. The portion
originally held by Sir George, and later held by the Earl of
Granville, remained under the proprietary system until the
Revolution. A discussion of the land system, land frauds, and
quitrents is in William Roy Smith, South Carolina as a Royal Province
(New York: Macmillan, 1903; FHL book 975.7 H2w). Also see the
"Taxation" section of this outline for further information on
quitrents.

North Carolina Records. In 1729 South Carolina was officially
separated from North Carolina, although boundaries between the states
remined unstable, and North Carolina granted some land in South
Carolina. The North Carolina counties of Anson, Lincoln, Mecklenburg,
Rutherford, and Tyron have records that pertain to South Carolina
residents. An example of a printed source for these records is Brent
H. Holcomb, North Carolina Grants in South Carolina, 2 vols.
(Clinton, S.C.: B. Holcomb, 1975, 1976; FHL book 975 R28n).

Charleston Office Records. South Carolina deeds, releases, bonds, and
mortgages from all counties were recorded at Charleston during the
years 1719 to 1786. The original documents are in the office of the
Register of Mesne Conveyance in Charleston. Copies are at the South
Carolina Department of Archives and History and the Family History
Library. They are indexed in:

Langley, Clara A. South Carolina Deed Abstracts, 1719-1772. 4 vols.
Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1983-84. (FHL 975.7 R2L.)
Witnesses, neighbors, and residences are often mentioned.

Lucas, Rev. Silas Emmett, Jr. An Index to Deeds of the Province and
State of South Carolina, 1719-1785, and Charlestown District,
1785-1800. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1977. (FHL 975.7
R2c.) This indexes the names of grantors and grantees, but gives
little additional information.

Royal land grants issued for the years 1731 to 1775 often pertain to
the four original districts of Colleton, Craven, Berkeley, and
Granville. The originals are housed at the South Carolina Department
of Archives and History, and copies are available at the Family
History Library (FHL films 022,581-97, and 361,873). Headright grants
were awarded in South Carolina, and are in the South Carolina Council
Journals (1749-1773) found at the South Carolina Department of
Archives and History.

Beginning in 1741, all persons who had received land in South
Carolina after 1719 had to deliver "memorials" to the auditor
general, stating the county, parish, location, quantity, names of
adjacent land owners, boundaries, and how the present title was
received. Originals of these records are found at the South Carolina
Department of Archives and History, and copies of them are available
at the Family History Library for the years 1704 to 1775
(023,297-305). A few of these records are published in Katie-Prince
Ward Esker, South Carolina Memorials, 1731-1776:  Abstracts of
Selected Land Records from a Collection in the Department of Archives
and History..., 2 vols. (New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1973-1977; FHL
975.7 R28e; the library has vol. 2 only).

Original plats and surveys are available at the South Carolina
Department of Archives and History. Copies of these records are at
the Family History Library for 1736 to 1861 (FHL films 022,598-625).
These records show the location of the land and give the names of
adjacent landowners.

 State Land Records

After South Carolina became a state, unclaimed land was granted by
the state. Microfilms of land grants recorded by the Surveyor
General, 1784 to 1882, are at the Family History Library (FHL film
022,531-580). The original records are at the Secretary of State's
Office at Columbia. These are partially indexed in Ronald Vern
Jackson, Index to South Carolina Land Grants, 1784-1800 (Bountiful,
Ut.: Accelerated Indexing Systems, Inc., 1977; FHL 975.7 R22j).

 County Land Records

Deeds were recorded in the counties by the clerk of the court after
1785. Most of the pre-1800 files are very incomplete. Between 1785
and 1868, land transfers were kept according to a number of old and
new districts, later called counties. For further information on the
history and organization of districts, see James M. Black, "The
Counties and Districts of South Carolina," Genealogical Journal, vol.
5, no. 3. (See the "For Further Reading" section of this outline.)

The Family History Library has microfilms of many of the surviving
pre-1865 land records of most of the districts. For example, the
library has Charleston County bills of sale, powers of attorney,
bonds, notes, contracts, pardons, commissions, accounts, and
indentures, 1719 to 1873, and Greenville County deeds, 1786 to 1865.
Most of the pre-1865 land records are missing for the districts of
Abbeville, Beaufort, Chesterfield, Colleton, Georgetown, Lexington,
Orangeburg, and Richland.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History is currently
filming deeds and plats in county courthouses up to 1920. Other
archives with land records are the South Caroliniana Library and the
South Carolina Historical Society.

 MAPS

The South Caroliniana Library has an excellent collection of maps.
Part of the collection is a series of over 400 maps for 1884 to 1935,
giving the location and construction details of buildings in 83
cities and towns in the state. The University of South Carolina and
the South Carolina Department of Archives and History also have
extensive map collections.

Atlases with maps of South Carolina for the years 1790, 1810, 1823,
1838, 1857, 1862, 1878, 1884, and 1917 are on FHL film 002,083. City
ward maps of Charleston for the years 1844, 1855, 1869, and 1883, for
use with census records, are on FHL film 1,377,700 (and FHL fiche
6016609-11).

For maps of counties and parishes, see:

Black, James. "The Counties and Districts of South Carolina," in
Genealogical Journal, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 100-113. Salt Lake City:
Utah Genealogical Association, 1976. (FHL 929.05 G286gj.)

Mills, Robert. Atlas of the State of South Carolina. [N.p.:
Legislature of South Carolina, 1825?]. (FHL book Folio 975.7 E7m;
1965 edition in Folio 975.7 E3ma.) These maps show the names of
persons who owned land during the period 1810 to 1820.

General Highway Maps. Columbia, S.C.: State Highway Dept., 1971-3.
(FHL films 924,630-31.) Includes maps for all 46 counties.

MILITARY RECORDS

 Many military records are found at the Family History Library, the
National Archives, and other federal archives. The United States
Research Outline provides more information about the federal records.
For South Carolina the following sources are also very helpful:

 Colonial Wars

Lists of soldiers who served from 1715 to about 1772 are in Leonardo
Andrea, South Carolina Colonial Soldiers and Patriots (Columbia,
S.C.: N.p., 1952; FHL book 975.7 M23a). Militia records for 1759 to
1760, including the Cherokee War, are in Murtle June Clark, comp.,
Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774 (Baltimore: Genealogical
Publishing Co., 1983; FHL book 975 M29c). The South Carolina
Department of Archives and History also has copies of records from
the British Public Record Office pertaining to the Cherokee War of
1760 to 1761.

 Revolutionary War

Lists of about 26,000 soldiers, and their service and pension
records, are in Bobby Gilmer Moss, Roster of South Carolina Patriots
in the American Revolution (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.,
1983; FHL book 975.7 M2m).

South Carolina Revolutionary War claims, 1783 to 1786, are housed in
the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. They are
indexed and on microfilm. A published index to the records is Janie
Revill, Copy of the Original Index Book Showing the Revolutionary
Claims Filed in South Carolina between August 20, 1783 and August 31,
1786, 1941, Reprint (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969;
FHL book 975.7 M2r).

The stub entries to the records issued for claims are also at the
South Carolina Department of Archives and History. With few
exceptions they have been published in a series of eleven volumes,
each of which is well indexed (FHL books 975.7 M2h; films 824,066-68;
fiche 6046914).

For an alphabetical list of pensioners see Janye C. G. Pruitt,
Revolutionary War  Pension Applicants Who Served from South Carolina.
N.p.: 1946; FHL book 975.7 M24p; film 1,425,646, item 8).

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has many
Revolutionary War records and copies of documents pertaining to
British armies. The Department of Archives and History and the Family
History Library have auditor's office files containing the claims of
South Carolina Loyalists presented to commissioners in London and in
Nova Scotia.

 War of 1812

An index to service records of volunteer soldiers who served in South
Carolina units is available at the Family History Library (FHL films
882,812-18). The library also has an index to pensioners, but the
actual service and pension records are at the National Archives.

 Civil War

An index to service records is available for Confederate soldiers
(FHL films 881,967-882,001). The service records are at the National
Archives. A published roster of Confederate soldiers is in A.S.
Salley, Jr., South Carolina Troops in Confederate Service, 3 vols.
(Columbia, S.C.: R.L. Bryan Co., 1913-30; FHL book 975.7 M23s, vols.
2 and 3 only; film 982,339).

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has the
compiled service and pension records of Confederate soldiers, musters
and payrolls of confederate units, and the 1907 to 1957 records of
the Confederate Home.

 Other Wars and Records

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has a card file
of South Carolina volunteer troops for the Spanish American War.

A published roster of soldiers who died in World War I is W.M.
Haulsee, F.C. Howe, and A.C. Doyle, Soldiers in the Great War, 3
vols. (Washington, D.C.: Soldiers Record Publishing Association,
1920; FHL book 973 M23s vol. 3; fiche 6051244).

 Other Records

Additional records at the Family History Library include copies of
veterans' enrollment records, pension applications of veterans and
widows, and pension rolls. These are described in the catalog under
the name of the county. The original records are at the local county
courthouses.

NATIVE RACES

 The Family History Library has some published documents and
histories of Indians who lived in South Carolina in the colonial era.
The Catawba, Old Cheraws, Cherokee, and other Indian nations are
chronicled in Chapman J. Milling, Red Carolinians (Chapel Hill, N.C.:
University of North Carolina Press, 1940; FHL 975.7 F2m; film
1,425,645, item 5).

NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP

 Some colonial applications for naturalization are found in the
records of the secretary of the province at the South Carolina
Department of Archives and History.

Since the Revolutionary War, naturalization papers have been filed in
the records of federal, state, and local courts. The Family History
Library has petitions to the courts of common pleas and general
sessions for some counties. A few of these records are found in the
court minutes that are listed in the library catalog under SOUTH
CAROLINA, [COUNTY] - COURT RECORDS.

Starting in the 1780s, the South Carolina legislature also granted
citizenship. Many of these petitions are in the records of the
General Assembly at the South Carolina Department of Archives and
History. Only one small volume of records, 1788 to 1839, is at both
the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the Family
History Library (film 022,673). Another source of information is
Brent H. Holcomb, South Carolina Naturalizations, 1783-1850
(Baltimore: Genealogical Publshing Co., 1985; FHL book 975.7 P4h).

Naturalizations granted by federal courts in South Carolina before
the Civil War are indexed in volume 66 of the South Carolina
Historical Magazine. The original records are at the National
Archives--Atlanta Branch, and the South Carolina Department of
Archives and History has microfilm copies. Copies of the U.S.
District Court records for the years 1790 to 1906 from the National
Archives--Atlanta Branch are also at the Family History Library (film
929,094).

For naturalization records after 1906, contact the National
Archives--Atlanta Branch or the local office of the Immigration and
Naturalization Service.

NEWSPAPERS

 The Family History Library has acquired very few copies of South
Carolina newspapers. The best collections are at the University of
South Carolina, the South Carolina Historical Society, and the
Charleston Library Society.

The library has copies of published indexes and abstracts of
genealogical information for the following newspapers:

Baptist Church papers, 1835 to 1865 Charleston Courier, 1803 to 1808
Charleston Gazette, 1732 to 1775 Charleston Observer, 1827 to 1845
Charleston Times, 1800 to 1821 Columbia newspapers, 1792 to 1839
Georgetown papers, 1791 to 1861 Greenville papers, 1826 to 1863 South
Carolina Gazette, 1732 to 1801 Southern Patriot, 1815 to 1830 York
County papers, 1823 to 1865

PERIODICALS

 The major genealogical periodicals and magazines helpful for South
Carolina research are:

Carolina Genealogist. 1969-. Published by Mary Bondurant Warren,
Danielsville, GA 30633. (FHL book 975 B2cg.)

Carolina Herald. 1974-. Published by the South Carolina Genealogical
Society, P.O. Box 16355, Greenville, SC 29606. (FHL book 975.7 B2c.)

Names in South Carolina. 1954-. Published by the Department of
English, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208. (FHL book
975.7 B5d.) Has information on persons and places whose history is
intertwined with specific localities.

South Carolina Genealogical Register. 1963-1968. Published by
Elizabeth Thomas Wood, ed., Pass Christian, MS 39571. (FHL book 975.7
B2g.)

South Carolina Historical Magazine (formerly:  South Carolina
Historical and Genealogical Magazine). 1900-. Published by the South
Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, SC 29401. (FHL book 975.7
B2s.) This has a cumulative index to 1980.

South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, 1973-. Published by
Brent Holcomb, P.O. Box 21766, Columbia, SC 29221 (FHL book 975.7
B2sc.)

Transactions of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina. 1888-.
Published by the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, 25 Chalmers St.,
Charleston, SC 29401. (FHL book 975.7 C4h.)

PROBATE RECORDS

 Probate records of South Carolina were kept by the secretary of the
province prior to 1732, and were later kept by the courts of ordinary
and probate courts of each county. Most of the original wills for the
colonial period have not survived. Pre-Civil War probate files for
Beaufort, Chesterfield, Colleton, Georgetown, Lancaster, and
Orangeburg districts were destroyed.

The Family History Library has microfilms of probate records for many
counties. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has
similar holdings of microfilms or typescripts of the existing
records. These include wills, inventories, bills of sale, power of
attorneys, bonds, notes, administrations, judgments, and sales
records.

The following are examples of publications that can help you locate
colonial records:

Holcomb, Brent H. Probate Records of South Carolina. 3 volumes.
Easley, S. C.: Southern Historical Press, 1977-. (FHL book 975.7
P2p.) This contains records from 1746 to 1821 and is fully indexed.

Houston, Martha Lou, comp. Indexes to the County Wills of South
Carolina. Originally published in 1939. Reprinted in Baltimore:
Genealogical Publishing Co., 1964. (FHL book 975.7 S2wp; film
908,509, item 3; fiche 6046877.) This is an index to most pre-1860
county wills, but does not include Charleston County wills.

Moore, Carolina T., and Agatha Aimar Simmons. Abstracts of the Wills
of the State of South Carolina. 3 vols. Columbia, S.C.: the authors,
1960-69. (FHL 975.7 P2m; film 1,035,622.) These volumes cover the
years 1670 to 1784. 

PUBLIC RECORDS

 Some records kept by town, county, and other officials can include
helpful genealogical information. Most are at the South Carolina
Department of Archives and History and are thoroughly indexed.

Some of these records have been published, such as the Journal of the
Common House of Assembly, 1736-1754 (Columbia: Historical Commission
of South Carolina, 1951-; FHL book 975.7 N2a; fiche 6051246).

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History also has
microfilms of all the surviving manuscripts in the British Public
Record Office in London for colonial South Carolina, including
correspondence, copies of laws and legislative journals, ship
clearings in and out of Charleston, and records of the British
occupation of Charleston during the American Revolution. Many of
these records are on microfilm at the Family History Library (see FHL
films 1,294,103-14). A guide to these records is Helen C. Carson,
Records in the British Public Records Office Relating to South
Carolina, 1663-1782 (Columbia, S.C.: South Carolina Department of
Archives and History, 1973; FHL book 975.7 A1 #55).

The Family History Library has microfilms of some municipal records,
such as commissioners' and town council records. These are listed in
the catalog under SOUTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - TOWN RECORDS. 

TAXATION

 Quitrent payments (colonial land taxes) were due each year to the
lords proprietor or the king. The South Carolina Department of
Archives and History has quitrents, receipts, and disbursements for
1733 to 1774. The quitrent lists for 1768 have been published and
indexed in Mary Bondurant Warren, Citizens and Immigrants:  South
Carolina, 1768 (Danielsville, Ga.: Heritage Papers, 1980; FHL 975.7
D2wm). 

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has some tax
lists for 1783 to 1799 for the low-country parishes. Lists for 1783
to 1786 were published in the South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral
Research, beginning in volume 2.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History also has an
excellent collection of county tax lists beginning about 1865. The
Family History Library has some county tax records on film, beginning
with the late 1700s in some cases.

VITAL RECORDS



Birth and Death Records

Statewide registration of vital statistics began in January 1915. For
information write to:

Office of Vital Records and Public Health Statistics 2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201

The current fees for obtaining copies of the state's records are
listed in Where to Write for Vital Records: Births, Deaths,
Marriages, and Divorces (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, 1984; updated, June 1986). Copies of this booklet
are at the Family History Library and the family history centers. You
can also write to the Office of Vital Records and Public Health
Statistics (address above) for current information.

Copies of the state records are also available at the courthouse of
each county starting in 1915. You can write to the county clerk for
information. The Family History Library has not acquired these state
records. The county clerks also have post-1915 delayed registrations
of birth.

Earlier records were kept by some of the larger cities, and are
available from the appropriate county health department, except for a
few major cities where the records are at the city health department.
From the Board of Health for the City of Charleston the Family
History Library has microfilm copies of birth records, 1877 to 1901,
and death records, 1821 to 1886.

 Marriage Records

Statewide registration of marriages began in July 1950. These records
are located at the Office of Vital Records and Public Health
Statistics (address above).

Before the statewide registration of marriages, the ordinary of the
province could issue a marriage license, or banns could be published
in the parish church. There are some marriage settlement records at
the South Carolina Department of Archives and History from the 1760s
to the 1880s. Marriage information was sometimes recorded in the
records of the probate court in the early 1800s.

Marriage settlements were legal agreements, primarily made by women
who had been married previously. The Family History Library has some
of these records, 1877 to 1889, from the Department of Archives and
History (FHL films 022,512-20). Numerous South Carolina marriages
have been abstracted from newspapers (see the "Newspapers" section of
this outline). Another helpful publication is Brent H. Holcomb, South
Carolina Marriages, 2 vols. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co.,
1980-; FHL book 975.7 V2hsc). This covers 1688 to 1820.

County marriage license records begin about 1900 to 1910 and are in
the custody of the probate judge. The Family History Library has some
county marriage records on film and in published form. Charleston
marriage records are available only from 1877 to 1887.

 Divorce Records

Divorce proceedings are kept by the county court. Divorce was illegal
in South Carolina until 1949, and there are restrictions on the
availability of the records. Write to the individual counties for
information.

FOR FURTHER READING

 These handbooks will give you more detailed information about
research and records of South Carolina:

Cote, Richard N. Local and Family History in South Carolina:  A
Bibliography. Easley: The Southern Historical Press, 1981. (FHL 975.7
H23c.)

Schweitzer, George K. South Carolina Genealogical Research.
Knoxville, Tenn.: G. Schwitzer, 1985. (FHL book 975.7 D27s.)

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

 The Family History Library welcomes additions and corrections that
will improve future editions of this outline.  Please send your
suggestions to:

Publications Coordination Family History Library 35 N. West Temple
Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150

We appreciate the archivists, librarians, and others who have
reviewed this outline and shared helpful information.

Copyright (c) 1988 by Corporation of the President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All Rights Reserved. Printed in
USA. First Edition, June 1988. Series US-STATES, No. 41.

No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without the
prior written permission of the publisher. Send all requests for such
permission to:

Copyrights and Permissions Coordinator Family History Department 50
E. North Temple Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84150