Wilkes County, Georgia Genealogy
Guide to Wilkes 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
- 2.29 Voter 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 British politician and supporter of American independence, John Wilkes. The County is located in the east central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Wilkes County Courthouse
23 E. Court Street, Rm 205
Washington, GA 30673-1570
Phone: 706-678-2423
Wilkes County Website
Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records from 1792.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce and court records from 1778, land records from 1777 and military discharge records.[3]
Wilkes 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 |
1792 | 1792 | 1792 | 1778 | 1777 | 1792 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1958 The courthouse at Washington burned 24 December 1958. Except for papers in courthouse offices, most historic county records were preserved in fire-proof vaults.[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 | ||
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 Wilkes County cemeteries.
- Interment.net Georgia cemetery records
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1790 | 31,500 | — |
1800 | 13,103 | −58.4% |
1810 | 14,887 | 13.6% |
1820 | 17,607 | 18.3% |
1830 | 14,237 | −19.1% |
1840 | 10,148 | −28.7% |
1850 | 12,107 | 19.3% |
1860 | 11,420 | −5.7% |
1870 | 11,796 | 3.3% |
1880 | 15,985 | 35.5% |
1890 | 18,081 | 13.1% |
1900 | 20,866 | 15.4% |
1910 | 23,441 | 12.3% |
1920 | 24,210 | 3.3% |
1930 | 15,944 | −34.1% |
1940 | 15,084 | −5.4% |
1950 | 12,388 | −17.9% |
1960 | 10,961 | −11.5% |
1970 | 10,184 | −7.1% |
1980 | 10,951 | 7.5% |
1990 | 10,597 | −3.2% |
2000 | 10,687 | 0.8% |
2010 | 10,593 | −0.9% |
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
Baptist[edit | edit source]
- Philip's Mill - records (1785-1948) available on microfilm at the University of NC Davis Library (Serial 1-1262 1785-1948).
- Sardis
- Minutes and membership rolls (1803-1852) available on microfilm at the University of NC Davis Library (Serial 1-1264 1803-1852).
- Members of Sardis Baptist Church Members in 1805 at Georgia Pioneers ($)
Methodist
Washington Station Methodist Church
- 1865-1885 Washington Station Methodist Church Baptism Index 1865-1885. Batch C714001 at FamilySearch
- 1865-1895 Washington Station Methodist Church Marriage Index 1865-1895. Batch M714001 at FamilySearch
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- Wilkes County Family Group Sheets Individual Family Group Sheets submitted by individual researchers and volunteers.
- Origins of Early Settlers to Wilkes County at Georgia Pioneers ($).
- [Huskey] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The Huskey family is discussed in Vol. 1.]
- [Pope] Johnston, F. Claiborne. "The Tangled Trail of Two John Popes: Colonel John Pope of Amherst County and John Pope of Prince William County and Wilkes County, Georgia," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Feb. 2012):45-64.
The following were published in The Virginia Genealogist, and digital images may be searched at American Ancestors, using their Search Form. Select Virginia Genealogist, The from the Database listing, then enter the desired volume and page. Note: a login account is free but required to view search results. These are also available at the FHL (see links below).
- [Cheatham] Dennstedt, Alberta Marjorie. "The Cheatham Family of Colonial Virginia." The Virginia Genealogist: Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1983):163-173; Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1983):273-279; Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1984):38-43; Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1984):102-112; Vol. 28, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1984):209-216; Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):293-297; Vol. 29, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1985):32-40; Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1985):123-127; Vol. 29, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1985):179-185; Vol. 29, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1985):262-265; Vol. 30, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1986):17-23; Vol. 30, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1986):99-104. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 27 (1983)-v. 30 (1986).
- [Darricott] Bell, John C. "Bickleys of the Pamunkey River Watershed of Virginia in the 18th Century." The Virginia Genealogist: Vol. 27, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1983):32-49; Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1983):90-104; Vol. 27, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1983):179-189; Vol. 27, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1983):259-264; Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1984):19-32; Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1984):88-98; Vol. 28, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1984):169-186; Vol. 28, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1984):261-274. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 27 (1983)-v. 28 (1984).
- [Jackson] Brandenberger, Evelyn Duke. "The Jacksons of Lower Virginia." The Virginia Genealogist: Vol. 30, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1986):163-169; Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1986):288-295; Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1987):11-18; Vol. 31, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1987):101-111; Vol. 31, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1987):195-204; Vol. 31, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1987):269-278; Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1988):49-57; Vol. 32, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1988):119-130; Vol. 32, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1988):185-192; Vol. 32, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1988):259-263; Vol. 33, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1989):34-44; Vol. 33, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1989):135-143; Vol. 33, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1989):204-207; Vol. 33, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1989):295-304. FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 30 (1986)-v. 33 (1989).
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
- Wilkes County Guardianship Records Partial list of Individual Guardianship Records.
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.
- Wilkes County Revolutionary Land Grants Authentic List of All Land Lottery Grants made to Veterans of the Revolutionary War By the State of Georgia
- Wilkes County 1803 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1803 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County 1806 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1806 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County 1819 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1819 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County 1821 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1821 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County 1827 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1827 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County 1832 Land Lottery Complete list of the 1832 Land Lottery for Wilkes County, GA
- Wilkes County Maps & Land Plats List of Land Plats with owner names and maps for Wilkes County, GA
- Land Records of Wilkes County Transcribed Land Records submitted & donated to Wilkes County, GAGenWeb Site.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Wilkes 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.
- An Overview of Local History by Robert Willingham
- The Story of Washington-Wilkes. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1941. Digital version at Ancestry ($)
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
- Maps of Georgia (1758-1932)
- Wilkes County Maps & Land Plats List of Land Plats with owner names and maps for Wilkes County, GA
- Also at Family Search asNew century map of Wilkes County, Georgia.
At Georgia Pioneers ($) you can find:
- Map of Wilkes County, 1955
- Map of Original Wilkes County
- Map of Wilkes County Settlers
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)
- 1861-1865 Confederate Enlistment Oaths and Discharges at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images and alphabetical index
- 1861-1865 Confederate Muster Rolls at Georgia Archives Virtual Vault- images; filter by commanding officer, service branch and regiment
- 1861-1865 Confederate Pension Application Supplements - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
- 1864 Militia Enrollment Lists, 1864 - images; filter by county
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
- 1879-1920 Georgia, Confederate Pension Rolls, 1879-1920 at FamilySearch — index
- 1879-1960 Confederate Pension Applications - images and alphabetical index; filter by county
Regiments. Service men in Wilkes 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 Wilkes County:
- - 9th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company A
- - 15th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company A
- - 37th Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company H; Company E, 9th Battalion
- - 61st Regiment, Georgia Infantry (Confederate), Company G
- - Ritter's Company, Georgia Light Artillery (Confederate)
Spanish-American War
- 1898 Spanish-American War Service Summary Cards - images and alphabetical index; filter by residence, muster location and unit
World War I
- 1914-1918 World War I Casualties Scrapbooks - images and alphabetical index
- 1920-1929 Georgia, World War I, Statement of Service Cards, 1920-1929 at FamilySearch — index and images
World War II
- 1940-1942 Georgia World War II Draft Registration Cards 1940-1942 at findmypast - index ($))
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voting Records
- 1867-1868 Georgia, Reconstruction Registration Oath Books, 1867-1868 at FamilySearch — index
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Colonial courts kept some early probate records. From 1777 to 1798 and since 1852, the court of ordinary or register of probates has kept probate and guardianship records. The inferior court handled probate and guardianship matters from 1798 to 1852.
Many probate records to the 1930s and 1940s are at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the Family History Library on microfilm.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (not all years).
Online Probate Records
- 1742-1990 Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1742-1992 Georgia Wills and Probate Records 1742-1992 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1786-1806 Digital Images of Wilkes County, Georgia Wills, Book C (1786-1806) at Georgia Pioneers ($)
- 1794-1819 Index to Wills: 1794-1819 at Strictly By Name. Free online indexes to early Wilkes County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee.
- 1836-1839 Images of Wills, Estates, Inventories, Appraisements, Sales 1836-1839 at Georgia Pioneers ($)
- General Index of Wilkes County, Georgia Estates at Georgia Pioneers ($)
- Index to Wilkes County Wills and Estates (by surnames) Georgia Pioneers ($)
- Wilkes County Estate Records. Partial list of Individual Estate Records.
- County Deeds. Partial list of Deed Books and Individual Deeds.
- Wilkes County Guardianship Records Partial list of Individual Guardianship Records.
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and all slaves up to age 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district.
- 1787-1900 Georgia, Tax Digests, 1787-1900 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Georgia State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Georgia.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1560-1993 Georgia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index ($)
- 1699-1944 Georgia Marriages 1699-1944 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1754-1960 Georgia Church Marriages, 1754-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1785-1950 Georgia County Marriages 1785-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1787-1962 Georgia, Church Marriages, 1787-1962 at FamilySearch — index
- 1790-1832 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1790-1832. Batch M713991 at FamilySearch[8]
- 1808-1967 Georgia Marriages 1808-1967 at FamilySearch — index
- 1828-1978 Georgia Marriage Records from Select Counties 1828-1978 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1836-1871 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1836-1871. Batch M713992 at FamilySearch
- 1871-1882 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1871-1882. Batch M713993 at FamilySearch
- 1875-1882 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1875-1882. Batch M713995 at FamilySearch
- 1882-1895 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1882-1895. Batch M713994 at FamilySearch
- 1882-1895 Wilkes County Marriage Index 1882-1895. Batch M713996 at FamilySearch
- 1885-1886 Wilkes County, Georgia Marriages from Newspapers 1885-1886 at Georgia Pioneers ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1870-1960 Georgia, County Delayed Birth and Death Records, 1870-1960 at FamilySearch — index, and some images
- 1914-1927 Georgia Deaths 1914-1927 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1919-1998 Georgia Deaths 1919-1998 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 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]
Voter Records[edit | edit source]
- 1856-1941 Georgia, County Voter Registrations, 1856-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection, index and images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Wilkes 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 Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Wilkes County. For state-wide library facilities, see Georgia Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Wilkes County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Georgia Societies.
- Savannah River Valley Genealogical Society
c/o Hart County Library, Benson St
Hartwell, GA 30643
Website - Central Georgia Genealogical Society
PO Box 2024
Warner Robins, GA 31099
Website - Washington Township Historical Society
308 E. Robert Toombs Ave
Washington, GA 30673-2038
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Wilkes County, GA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Georgia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- GAGenWeb Wilkes County
- Wilkes County, Georgia Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Wilkes County Georgia Genealogy
- 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, "Wilkes County, Georgia" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkes_County,_Georgia accessed 7 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), Wikes 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), 60. 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, "Wilkes_County,_Georgia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkes_County,_Georgia, accessed 18 October 2019.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/5/53/Igigeorgiamz.pdf.