Amite County, Mississippi Genealogy

United States

Mississippi

Amite County

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

County Facts County seat: Liberty Organized: 24 February 1809 Parent County(s): Wilkinson Neighboring Counties East Feliciana (LA)  • Franklin  • Lincoln  • Pike  • St. Helena (LA)  • Tangipahoa (LA)  • Wilkinson See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

This county was named for Amite River. Amite County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Amite County Courthouse
243 W Main Street
Liberty, MS 39645-0000
Phone: 601-657-8022
Amite County Website

Clerk Chancery Court has court, land and probate records from 1809.
Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records.

Amite County, Mississippi 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
1 Nov 1912	1809	1 Nov 1912	1809	1809	1809	1810
Statewide registration started in Nov 1912 for births and deaths. General compliance by 1921.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1809 Amite County was created 24 February 1809 from Wilkinson County. County seat: Liberty For animated maps illustrating Mississippi county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Mississippi County Boundary Maps" (1643-1947) 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:

Towns
Centreville‡ Crosby‡	Gloster	Liberty (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Bewelcome Coles	Gillsburg Homochitto	Smithdale
Ghost towns
Elysian Fields

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Amite County, Mississippi online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com Tombstone Project EPodunk Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves
See Mississippi Cemeteries for more information

 

Census Records

For tips on accessing Amite County census records online, see: Mississippi Census.

• 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry$
• 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry$
• 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry$
• 1810 1810 Territory Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1816 1816 Territory Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1820 1820 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1824 1824 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1830 1830 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1833 1833 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1845 1845 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• 1853 1853 State Census Returns at FamilySearch
• Amite County Census Records USGenWeb Archives

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 Mississippi denominations, view the Mississippi Church Records wiki page.

• Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Court Records

• Court records, 1809-1936; indexes, 1810-1899
• A list of all the Overseers of the different roads in Amite County USGenWeb Archives

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

• African American Links for Amite County MSGenWeb Project
• Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African Americans on 1870 Census MSGenWeb Project

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 Mississippi Land and Property for additional information about early Mississippi land ownership. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

• Land and property records, 1810-1901; indexes, 1810-1971
• Mississippi Land Patents Database, Amite County - (USGenWeb Archives)

• Surnames A-C
• Surnames D-G
• Surnames H-K
• Surnames P-S
• Surnames T-Z

• Some Military Land Grants In Amite County Mississippi For Soldiers Of The War Of 1812 USGenWeb Archives

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Amite County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Mississippi Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Mississippi (1643-1947)
• Family Maps of Amite County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Mississippi, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
• 1861-1865 Mississippi, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1889-1942 Mississippi, Confederate Records, 1889-1942 at FamilySearch
• 1900-1974 Mississippi, Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1900-1974 at FamilySearch

Regiments. Men in Amite 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 Amite County:

- 4th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry

Company I - Stockdale Rangers

- 7th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry

Company C - Amite Rifles

World War I

• 1917-1919 Mississippi, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — index
• 1917-1918 Mississippi, World War I Army Veterans, Master alphabetical index, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

• Mississippi Index World War II Enlistees Listed by County USGenWeb Archives

Newspapers

• Newspaper obits Amite & Wilkinson County, Mississippi, 1881 to 1954 index

Probate Records

Probate records are held by the Amite County, Mississippi Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Amite County, Mississippi Genealogy Courthouse. Microfilmed records can be found online at Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930. See the wiki page Mississippi Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.

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, and adoptions.

Online Records

• 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry - index and images $
• 1781-1930 Mississippi Probate Records 1781-1930 at FamilySearch
• 1809-1922 Amite County Mississippi list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills

School Records

• Amite County, Mississippi, school register, 1883-1947

Tax Records

Mississippi tax records replace missing censuses and provide lists of residents during years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years. For more information, see Mississippi Taxation.

• 1810-1817 Territorial Tax Rolls at FamilySearch
• 1818-1891 County Tax Rolls at FamilySearch

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. Mississippi law did not require keeping birth or death records until 1912. Births and deaths are kept by the Mississippi Bureau of Vital Statistics. Marriage records are kept by the county. See also How to order Mississippi Vital Records or order electronically online.

See Mississippi Vital Records for more information on getting Mississippi records.

Marriage

• 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry$
• 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry$
• 1800-1900 Amite County, Mississippi Marriages. Arranged by bride. Arranged by groom. Courtesy: MSGenWeb
• 1800-1911 Mississippi, Marriages, 1800-1911 at FamilySearch
• 1809-1844 Amite County Marriage Books 1 thru 3 Index 1809-1844. Batch M516731 at FamilySearch
• 1809-1971 Marriage record, 1809-1952; marriage index, 1809-1971
• 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry$
• 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry$
• 1844-1873 Amite County Marriage Books 4 thru 6 Index 1844-1873. Batch M516732 at FamilySearch
• 1858-1979 - Mississippi, County Marriages, 1858-1979 at FamilySearch for various counties — index and images
• 1866-1879 Amite County Marriage Book 7 Index 1866-1879. Batch M516733 at FamilySearch
• 1879-1885 Amite County Marriage Books 10 and 11 Index 1879-1885. Batch M516734 at FamilySearch
• 1887-1892 Amite County Marriage Books 12 and 13 Index 1887-1892. Batch M516735 at FamilySearch
• 1892-1899 Amite County Marriage Books 14 and 15 Index 1892-1899. Batch M516736 at FamilySearch

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

• Liberty Mississippi Family History Center

Societies

• Amite County Historical and Genealogical Society
  P.O. Box 2
  Liberty, MS 39645-0002
  Website
• South Mississippi Genealogical & Historical Society
  P.O. Box 15271
  Hattiesburg, MS 39401
  Website
• Southwest Mississippi Genealogy Society
  P.O. Box 175
  McComb, MS 39649
  Website

Websites

• Mississippi Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Amite County Historical and Genealogical Society
• Amite County, MSGenWeb Project
• Amite County, USGenWeb Archives
• 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.