Perry County, Mississippi Genealogical Records Information

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Perry County History and Information

Perry County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Perry County originally formed the western part of the large county of Greene. It received its name in honor of Commodore Oliver H. Perry. In the act of February 3, 1820, which created it, the boundaries of Perry County are defined as follows:

“Beginning on the line of demarcation where the line that divides the thirteenth and fourteenth ranges intersects the said line of demarcation; thence with said range line to where the fifth parallel township line crosses the same; thence east with the said township line, to where the line that divides the eighth and ninth ranges crosses the same; thence with the line of demarcation; thence west to the beginning.”

The county was afterward enlarged by adding townships 1, in ranges 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, south of the 31st parallel, and township 5, in range 14, north of the 31st parallel, so that it embraced a total area of thirty-one townships. In 1908, Forrest County was formed from its western townships.

The county was settled by a large number of hardy pioneers along its watercourses during the first years of the last century. Its civil officers during the first year of its existence were Jacob H. Morris, Chief Justice of the Quorum, and John Jenkins, John Green, Jacob Carter, Craven P. Moffitt, Associate Justices; Alex. McKenzie, Eli Moffitt, Benj. H.G. Hartfield, William Hudson, John Moffitt, Seth Granberry, Lewis W. Ball, Henry Easterling, Wm. Reynolds, Justices of the Peace; John McDonald, Assessor and Collector; Geo. Harrison, Ranger; Joel Lewis, Surveyor; John Barlow, Constable; Wm. Tisdale, Coroner; J.J.H. Morris, Notary Public; Martin Chadwick, Sheriff. Some of the other county officers, 1821-1827, were Griffin Hollomon, J.J.H. Morris, John F. Mapp, Abner Carter, Judges of Probate; Lewis Rhodes, Sheriff; Anthony Pitts, Adam Ulmer, Jonathan Taylor, Geo. B. Dameron, Sterling Brinson, John Deace, Daniel Miley, James Simmons, Sherod Byrd, Isham H. Clayton, James Overstreet, Uriah Millsapp, Justices of the Peace; Hugh McDonald, Treasurer; Farr Proctor, Geo. Harrison, Lewis Rhodes, Assessors and Collectors.

The original county seat was the old town of Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the Leaf River. New Augusta, two miles south of old Augusta is the current county seat. Hattiesburg, the seat of Forrest County, formerly shared that honor with New Augusta.

Perry County is bordered by Wayne County (northeast), Greene County (east), George County (southeast), Stone County (south), Forrest County (west) and Jones County (northwest) . Cities and Towns include Beaumont, New Augusta, Richton .

See Extended History for More information. The Official County Website is located at ?. Perry County, Mississippi History Books at Amazon.com

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Perry County Court Records

See Also Mississippi Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Dates following a slash indicate those materials jointly held by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the FHL

Perry County Clerk of Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1877/1892 and Court Records from 1889 and is located at P. O. Box 198, New Augusta, Mississippi 39462; Phone: 964-8663, Fax: 964-8265 .
Duties of the Circuit Clerk include Receivin and fileing all law suits, indictments, motions and other related papers in all Civil and Criminal Cases filed in the Circuit or County Courts and issues all process including summons and subpoenas, Draws Jurors and qualifies Juries, Keeps a record of all Judgments and Executions, Issues marriage licenses and keeps records of marriages.

Perry County Chancery Court Clerk has Land Records from 1862 and Probate Records from ? and is located at P. O. Box 198, New Augusta, Mississippi 39462; Phone: 964-8398, Fax: 964-8265.
The Chancery Clerk occupies perhaps the most unique and diverse office in all of Mississippi government. The various duties given the Chancery Clerk by statute, or assumed voluntarily by the individual Clerk, cover a wide range of vitally important functions. Some of the duties and functions of the Chancery Clerk are recording the official minutes. As public recorder, the Clerk handles the recording and storage of several types of documents and maintains various indexes that aid people in researching these records. The primary records are deeds and mortgages relating to real property, but the Clerk also records federal tax liens, Lis Pendens ( notices of pending lawsuits ) and military discharges. The Clerk is in charge of the storage and authorized disposal of older land rolls, tax receipts and many other County records after their active use lifespan. As Clerk of the Chancery Court, the Clerk handles a multitude of tasks such as matters of estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorces, child custody, adoption, property disputes and other matters of equity.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Mississippi Marriages 1767-1935; Mississippi Marriages to 1825; Mississippi Marriages 1826-1850 and Mississippi Marriages 1826-1900. Omline Land records include Mississippi Land Records; Land Claims in Mississippi Territory, 1789-1834 and the BLM Land Records which covers the State of Mississippi. May pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals. Online court records include Mississippi Court Records, 1799-1835

Click Here to Search Mississippi Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Perry County, Mississippi Court Books at Amazon.com
Mississippi Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
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Perry County Vital Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search Mississippi Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

   Federal Population Schedules that exist for Mississippi are 1820, 1830 (Partial), 1840, 1850, 1860 (Partial), 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. In 1817 Mississippi became the twentieth state to enter the union; therefore, the first federal population census available is that of 1820.
Variations of this census appear in three printed forms, none of which include slave or miscellaneous information. Enumerations for Pike County are missing in 1830, but the Gillis index used extant tax records to supplement their index. Transcriptions are subject to error; use these reprints simply as a guide to the original records.
   A significant addition to the 1840 census supplies the names and ages of pensioners. Schedules are missing for Hancock, Sunflower, and Washington counties in 1860.
   By 1870, with slavery abolished, all blacks, natives, and Chinese were included, along with information regarding citizenship. With the destruction of the 1890 population schedules, only the schedules enumerating Union veterans are available for Mississippi. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Census Records by clicking the link below:

Perry County Maps & Atlases

   Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Alabama and other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
   You can view rotating animated maps for Mississippi showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Alabama Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Maps. Email us with websites containing Perry County Maps by clicking the link below:

Perry County Military Records

Click Here to Search Mississippi Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Military Records by clicking the link below:

Perry County, Mississippi Military Books at Amazon.com
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Filesi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
View, Print Copy & Save Original Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Mississippi (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Mississippi units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier
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Perry County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Local county courthouses maintain original tax records, both real and personal. Microfilm copies of the earlier records are found in the Mississippi Department of Archives and History where the collection is extensive, but there are gaps. Although not many, some counties have published selected years of tax rolls.

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Perry County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Mississippi Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Perry County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

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Local Mississippi Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Ph. (601) 576-6850, fax (601) 576-6964
Physical Address: 200 North Street, Jackson, MS 39201
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
Mississippi State Records Center, 929 High Str, Jackson, MS 39201; (601) 354-7688
Mississippi Historical Society, PO Box 571, Jackson, MS 39205-0571
Mississippi Genealogical Society, PO Box 5301, Jackson, MS 39296-5301
Mississippi Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
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Perry County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Mississippi Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Perry County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Perry County Tombstone Transcription Project. The Mississippi Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Perry County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Mississippi Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Perry County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Perry County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Perry County, Mississippi Family Books at Amazon.com
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Sites on USGenweb: [ Perry County ] [ Mississippi ] [ Main Page ]
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Mississippi Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Perry and Forrest County Heritage Page
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County History

Perry County was established quite early in the history of the State, February 3, 1820, and originally formed the western part of the large county of Greene. The act creating the county defined its boundaries as follows: "Beginning on the line of demarcation where the line that divides the thirteenth and fourteenth ranges intersects the said line of demarcation; thence with said range line to where the fifth parallel township line crosses the same; thence east with the said township line, to where the line that divides the eighth and ninth ranges crosses the same; thence with the line of demarcation; thence west to the beginning."

It received its name in honor Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, and was settled by a large number of hardy pioneers along its watercourses during the first years of the last century.

Perry County is located in the southeastern part of the State, in the long-leaf pine belt, and is bounded on the north by Jones and Wayne counties, on the east by Greene county, on the south by Harrison county and on the west by Lamar and Pearl River Counties, and has an area of twenty-six townships, or 936 square miles.

The county seat, until recently (written in 1906) was the old town of Augusta, near the center of the county on the east bank of the Leaf river. Though it is nearly a century in age, it has not step with the march of time and remains a small village today with 126 inhabitants, a result which is largely due to the fact that the railways have never quite come to it.

A few of the other towns in the county are McLaurin, Brooklyn, McDonald's Mills, Morriston and Heckla.

In December, 1809 Wayne county, Mississippi Territory was formed from Choctaw Indian lands obtained through The Treaty of Mount Dexter in 1805. On December 9, 1811 Greene county was created out of Wayne county. The settlers felt that this was necessary because most of the land sales recorded at St Stephen's land office (present day Alabama) were west of the Chickasawhay river and far from the county seat at Winchester.

Greene county courthouse was built on Leaf river at Boise (French for wood) Bluff which was the highest point on the river in Greene County and relatively safe from Indian attacks. Boise Bluff is located between Atkinson and Courthouse Creeks about 3/4 miler upriver from present day Highway 98 bridge at McLain.

As more and more people arrived, they began to settle along the creeks and rivers in western Greene county. The pioneers once again began to complain about having to cross the river to conduct business at the courthouse. Another movement began to create a separate county with a courthouse above the leaf river instead of below. This movement was led by the Gains family who owned 1,300 acres on both sides of the creek bearing their name. George S. Gains was the government's Indian factor (agent) at St. Stephens and knew most of the territorial officials personally. Gaines used his influence with those officials to get the federal land office moved from Jackson county courthouse to Augusta, the largest settlement in western Greene county. The people no longer had to travel to St. Stephens on the Tombigbee river to record their land deeds.

By 1819 the Augusta land office was in operation and a new county was ready to be formed, on February 3, 1820, Perry county was born and named for war of 1812 naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry who died in 1819. Once Perry county was formed that left the Greene county courthouse on the western edge of Greene county. This led to its relocation to Leakesville around 1826 which was closer to the center of the county.

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