Edgefield County Genealogy Records
Edgefield County genealogy research draws on more than two centuries of local records and a rich political and historical legacy. Formed in 1785, Edgefield County produced ten South Carolina governors and is known for its long tradition of public life. 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 Edgefield County genealogy research back to the county's formation and into the colonial era through district-level records. Researchers tracing Edgefield County families often find that the county's deep roots in South Carolina history make records especially rich and well-preserved.
Edgefield County Quick Facts
Edgefield County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Edgefield 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 Edgefield County Courthouse, 129 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC 29824. Phone: (803) 637-4080.
Estate records at the Edgefield 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 more than two centuries. Edgefield County's political prominence means that many important South Carolina families have estate records here. Early nineteenth-century probate inventories from Edgefield County document plantation households in considerable detail and are especially valuable for genealogy research from the antebellum period.
For Edgefield 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.
Searching Edgefield County Genealogy Records
The free South Carolina Archives Online Records Index is the best starting point for Edgefield County genealogy research online. This database covers will transcripts, land grant plats, Confederate veteran records, and court records held by SCDAH. Search by name to find indexed entries connected to Edgefield County ancestors. The index covers Edgefield County records from 1785 and is one of the richer county collections given the county's long history and prominence.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index at sccourts.org provides access to Edgefield County court case records. You can search by party name or case number. For full document copies, contact the Edgefield County Clerk of Court at 129 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC 29824. FamilySearch also maintains an Edgefield County genealogy wiki with guidance on available record collections that may assist researchers.
Edgefield County's long history means the Online Records Index may return multiple entries for the same family name spanning different generations, making it especially useful for genealogy research in this county.
Edgefield 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 Edgefield 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 Edgefield County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Edgefield County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Edgefield County's historic churches include congregations established in the late eighteenth century, and their registers document births, deaths, and marriages going back to the early American period.
Edgefield County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Edgefield County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to 1785. The office is at 129 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC 29824. Phone: (803) 637-4084. 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 Edgefield County. These early plats document the original allocation of land in the Edgefield area and are useful for tracing the first families to settle in the county. Edgefield County land records are especially valuable for genealogy because the county's agricultural history made land ownership central to family identity, and deeds often trace property through multiple generations in the same family.
Edgefield County Library and Local Resources
The Edgefield County Public Library at 105 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, SC 29824 maintains local history collections. Phone: (803) 637-4010. The Tompkins Memorial Library in Edgefield also holds historical collections for the county. Between the two library institutions, researchers can access census records, local newspapers, family histories, and other genealogy materials specific to Edgefield County.
The Edgefield County Historical Society preserves local history and maintains genealogical collections. Given Edgefield County's role in producing ten South Carolina governors and its status as a politically prominent county throughout the state's history, the historical society may hold materials documenting prominent families that are not available in official records. The society's collections can provide context for genealogy research in ways that courthouse records alone cannot.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections and genealogy vertical files that may include materials relevant to Edgefield County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Edgefield County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The State Library guide is a practical reference when you need to determine whether to contact the county Probate Court, SCDAH, or DPH for a specific Edgefield County genealogy record.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Edgefield County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds extensive Edgefield 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 provides access to microfilm and a research library. 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. Will Transcripts from the early statehood period include Edgefield County estates from the decades after the county was formed in 1785. Grand Jury Presentments from 1783 to 1877 document community affairs in Edgefield County. Militia Enrollments of 1869 may include Edgefield County residents from the Reconstruction era.
The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides a curated list of resources covering Edgefield County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society publishes transcribed records and connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Edgefield County
Edgefield is the county seat of Edgefield County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Edgefield County courthouse offices on Courthouse Square.
Nearby Counties
Edgefield County borders several South Carolina and Georgia counties. Ancestors who lived near the Savannah River may have records on both sides of the state line.