Chester County Genealogy Records
Chester County genealogy research reaches back to the county's formation in 1785, giving researchers more than two centuries of local records to draw from. Chester County is one of South Carolina's original counties and sits in the Piedmont region of the state. The county Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and public library are the primary local sources for genealogy records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional state and county collections that extend Chester County genealogy research back to the earliest years of the county's history and into the colonial era through district-level records.
Chester County Quick Facts
Chester County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Chester County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-1-20, every marriage in South Carolina requires a written application filed with the Probate Court before a license is issued. The court maintains a permanent record of all licenses as required by § 20-1-270. The Probate Court is at Chester County Courthouse, 140 Main Street, Chester, SC 29706. Phone: (803) 385-2606.
Estate records at the Chester County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files dating back to 1785. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships across generations. Early nineteenth-century probate inventories from Chester County often list household goods, farm equipment, and enslaved people in detail. These records are among the most important sources for Chester County genealogy research from the antebellum period.
For Chester County marriage records from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630. For Chester County marriages before July 1911, researchers must consult church records, family Bibles, and other alternative sources since state marriage licensing did not begin until 1911.
How to Search Chester County Genealogy Records
Chester County genealogy records are searchable online and in person. The free South Carolina Archives Online Records Index is the best starting point. This database covers will transcripts, land grant plats, Confederate veteran records, and court records held by SCDAH. Search by name or topic to find entries connected to Chester County ancestors. The index includes Chester County records going back to the eighteenth century.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index at sccourts.org provides access to court case records. You can search Chester County court cases by party name or case number. The system shows party names, filing dates, and case status. For full document copies, contact the Chester County Clerk of Court at 140 Main Street, Chester, SC 29706.
In-person research at the Chester County Courthouse gives direct access to the full range of genealogy records. The Probate Court and Register of Deeds are both at the courthouse address on Main Street. Staff can assist with record searches and provide copies for a fee. Bring the ancestor's name, approximate dates, and any known document numbers to make the search more efficient.
The Online Records Index is updated as more Chester County records are digitized and indexed, so it is worth checking regularly if a search does not return results on the first try.
Chester County Vital Records for Genealogy
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 44-63-10, every birth must be registered within five days. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Chester County birth records for 1915 to 1918 online and death records for 1915 to 1963. The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds vital records from 1915 to present at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. Phone: 803-898-3630.
Death certificates become public records 50 years after death under § 44-63-84. The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Chester County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Chester County genealogy before 1915, church records are a primary source. Chester County has many historic churches, particularly Presbyterian congregations, whose registers document births, deaths, and marriages going back to the eighteenth century. The Chester County Library and SCDAH may hold transcriptions of some of these registers.
Chester County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Chester County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to 1785. The office is at 140 Main Street, Chester, SC 29706. Phone: (803) 385-2606. Deeds, mortgages, and plats document property ownership across more than two centuries. Under Title 30 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, counties are required to maintain and preserve these public land records.
The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover Chester County. These early plats document the original allocation of land in the Chester area and are useful for tracing families from the first generation of settlement in the Piedmont. Before Chester County was formed in 1785, the area was part of the Camden District. Researchers tracing Chester County families before 1785 should search Camden District records held at SCDAH.
Chester County Library and Local Resources
The Chester County Library at 100 Center Street, Chester, SC 29706 maintains local history collections and genealogical resources. Phone: (803) 377-8145. The library provides access to census records, newspapers, and family history materials specific to Chester County. City directories and obituary files can help researchers piece together family histories for Chester County ancestors across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Chester County Historical Society preserves local history and maintains genealogical collections specific to the county. The society may hold materials documenting the Chester County area from its earliest settlement through the present. Chester County also has connections to Scots-Irish and other immigrant communities that settled the Piedmont in the eighteenth century, and the historical society may hold records related to those communities.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections and genealogy vertical files that may cover Chester County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Chester County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The State Library guide is a practical reference when you are not sure whether to contact the county Probate Court, SCDAH, or DPH for a specific Chester County genealogy record.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Chester County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Chester County records including court files, land documents, and census materials. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room is open to the public and provides access to microfilm and a research library covering all 46 counties. Staff answer queries by mail, email, and phone.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938, Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855, and colonial plats. These free online resources cover the period before and after Chester County's formation in 1785 and include materials relevant to Chester County genealogy from the antebellum and Civil War periods. Grand Jury Presentments from 1783 to 1877 document community affairs in Chester County during the early statehood era.
The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides a curated list of resources covering Chester County and all other South Carolina counties. The South Carolina Genealogical Society publishes transcribed records and connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters across the state.
Cities in Chester County
Chester is the county seat of Chester County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Chester County courthouse offices on Main Street.
Nearby Counties
Chester County borders several South Carolina Piedmont counties. Ancestors who lived near a county line may have records in neighboring counties.