Marion County Genealogy Records
Marion County genealogy research draws on records dating back to the county's formation in 1800 from Georgetown District. All records for the Marion area before 1800 are held in Georgetown County. Marion County is named for General Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War partisan leader known as the Swamp Fox, who operated throughout this region of the Pee Dee. The county seat is Marion. Marion County later contributed territory to form Dillon County in 1910. Researchers tracing Dillon County families before 1910 must search Marion County records. The Marion 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 collections covering Marion County from its formation and the Georgetown District records that predate it.
Marion County Quick Facts
Marion County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Marion 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 Marion County Courthouse, 100 E Court Street, Marion, SC 29571. Phone: (843) 423-8240.
Estate records at the Marion County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1800 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships. Marion County probate records from the nineteenth century document the planter families, farmers, and tradesmen who built the Pee Dee communities. Note that Marion County contributed territory to form Dillon County in 1910. Probate records held at the Marion County courthouse include estates from the Dillon area up to 1910, making Marion records essential for Dillon County genealogy research before that date.
For Marion 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.
Pre-1800 Marion County Genealogy: Georgetown District Records
All genealogy records for the Marion County area before 1800 are located in Georgetown County. Georgetown District was organized in 1769 as one of South Carolina's original districts and has maintained records since the colonial period. The Georgetown County Probate Court and Register of Deeds hold the pre-1800 records for the Marion area. SCDAH in Columbia holds microfilm of Georgetown District records that predate Marion County's formation.
The SCDAH Online Records Index allows name-based searches across all holdings and may return results from the Georgetown District collections for ancestors in the Marion area before 1800. State land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Marion County area are indexed in the Online Records Index and document original land grants during the Georgetown District era.
SCDAH's online research portal links to the indexes and digital collections covering both Marion County and the Georgetown District records from before the county's formation in 1800.
Marion 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 Marion 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 Marion County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Marion County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. The county has historic Baptist and Methodist congregations whose registers document vital events going back into the nineteenth century.
Marion County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Marion County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to 1800. The office is at 100 E Court Street, Marion, SC 29571. Phone: (843) 423-8220. 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.
For land transactions in the Marion area before 1800, researchers must consult the Georgetown County Register of Deeds. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Marion County area during the Georgetown District era. These plats document original land grants along the Pee Dee River and its tributaries.
Marion County Library and Local Resources
The Marion County Library at 101 E Court Street, Marion, SC 29571 maintains local history collections. Phone: (843) 423-8300. The library holds materials specific to Marion County and the surrounding Pee Dee region. Census records, local newspapers, and family history materials available through the library complement official county genealogy records.
The Marion County Historical Society preserves local history and genealogical materials specific to the county. The society may hold records and photographs documenting families in the Marion area from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Because Marion County was the parent county for Dillon County, formed in 1910, researchers tracing both Marion and Dillon families should search Marion County records for the pre-1910 period.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Marion County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Marion County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The State Library guide is a practical reference for Marion County genealogy, helping researchers determine whether to contact the county courthouse, Georgetown County, SCDAH, or DPH for a specific record.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Marion County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Marion County records and the Georgetown District records that predate the county's 1800 formation. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room 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 and Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855. Will Transcripts from Marion County cover the period from the county's founding through the antebellum era. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides resources covering Marion County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Marion County
Marion is the county seat of Marion County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Marion County courthouse on East Court Street.
Nearby Counties
Marion County was formed from Georgetown District in 1800 and contributed territory to Dillon County in 1910. Georgetown County holds pre-1800 records; Marion County holds Dillon area records before 1910.