Jefferson County, Alabama Genealogy
Guide to Jefferson County, Alabama 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
- 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 in honor of Thomas Jefferson. The county is located in the central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Jefferson County has two official County seats - Birmingham and Bessemer.
Jefferson County Courthouses
Birmingham Division
716 Richard Arrington Blvd. N., Rm 400
Birmingham, AL 35263
Phone:205-325-5355
Bessemer Division
1801 3rd Avenue
Bessemer, AL 35020
Phone: 205-481-4110
Jefferson County Website
Probate Judge has marriage records from 1818
Probate Records from 1870 and land records for 1820 [3]
Jefferson County, Alabama 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 |
1881 | 1818 | 1881 | 1826 | 1820 | 1819 | 1816 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1870 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.[5]
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Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in Jefferson County:[7]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator.
Cities | ||
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Towns | ||
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Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- The Book of Birmingham and Alabama Birmingham, Ala.: The Birmingham Ledger Publishers, 1914. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Includes bios and photographs.
- DuBose, John Witherspoon. Jefferson County and Birmingham Alabama, Historical and Biographical Birmingham, Ala.: Teeple and Smith, 1887. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
- Jefferson County Biographies at The USGenWeb Archives Project
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site has additional information on Jefferson county cemeteries.
- Interment.net Alabama cemetery records by county.
- Additional Jefferson County cemeteries are included in Alabama Cemetery Records FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 1, FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 5
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
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Census | Pop. | %± |
1830 | 6,855 | — |
1840 | 7,131 | 4.0% |
1850 | 8,989 | 26.1% |
1860 | 11,746 | 30.7% |
1870 | 12,345 | 5.1% |
1880 | 23,272 | 88.5% |
1890 | 88,501 | 280.3% |
1900 | 140,420 | 58.7% |
1910 | 226,476 | 61.3% |
1920 | 310,054 | 36.9% |
1930 | 431,493 | 39.2% |
1940 | 459,930 | 6.6% |
1950 | 558,928 | 21.5% |
1960 | 634,864 | 13.6% |
1970 | 644,991 | 1.6% |
1980 | 671,371 | 4.1% |
1990 | 651,525 | −3.0% |
2000 | 662,047 | 1.6% |
2010 | 658,466 | −0.5% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
State Census
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 Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Baptists
- Hageness, MariLee Beatty. Mount Hebron Church Minutes 1819-1857. Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama Anniston, Ala.: MLH Research, 1998.
- Huey, Thomas E. Ruhama: The Story of a Church, 1819-1945 Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham Print. Co., c1946. Digital version at Ancestry $
Episcopalians
- McDavid, Mittie Owen. Church of the Advent: Its History and Traditions Birmingham, Ala.: Press of Birmingham Pub. Co., 1943. Digital version at Ancestry $
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Birmingham
- McCalla
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Alabama, Jefferson County Circuit Court Papers, 1870-1916 ~ FamilySearch records collection
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Jefferson County, Alabama Online Historical Directories - identifies historical city, county, business and other directories available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
- 1888-1890 Birmingham, Alabama Directories, 1888-90 at Ancestry $
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
- 1896-1935 Jefferson County, Alabama Colored Marriage Books 118-131, 167-169, 172-203 in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- 1906-1975 Ward, Fred and Christine Shaw Ward. Angwin Mortuary Center of Ensley, Birmingham, Alabama 1906-1975 Digital version at Birmingham Genealogical Society website
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
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 Alabama Land and Property for additional information about early Alabama land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Jefferson County see:
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Jefferson County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2007. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Arphax Publishing ($). Website includes surname index. FHL Book 976.178 E7bg.
You can research land records in the Probate office of the Jefferson County, Alabama Courthouse. To learn more about accessing land records held in the Jefferson County Courthouse, see: Our genealogy journey to the Jefferson County, Alabama courthouse.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Jefferson County. The histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Alabama Local Histories.
- DuBose, John Witherspoon. Jefferson County and Birmingham Alabama, Historical and Biographical Birmingham, Ala.: Teeple and Smith, 1887. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
- Early Days in Birmingham: A Printing of the Original Papers of the Pioneers Club, Whose Members were Eye-witnesses to the Events of the Founding of the City Birmingham, Ala.: Birmingham Pub. Co., 1937. Digital version at Ancestry $
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- Family Maps of Jefferson County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Jefferson County Historical Maps ~ can be viewed online as well as purchased.
- Jefferson County MapStats ~ Alabama Dept. Archives and History.
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Alabama Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Civil War Service Database at Alabama Department of Archives and History - index
- 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
- 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry $
- 1871-1880 Alabama, Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1880-1930 Alabama, Confederate Pension Applications, ca. 1880-1930s at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1907, 1921, 1927 Alabama, Census of Confederate Veterans, 1907, 1921, 1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
Regiments. Men in Jefferson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Jefferson County:
- - 10th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company B "Jefferson Volunteers"
- - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C (Cahaba Valley Rangers)
- - 18th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G (Yancey Guards [or Yancey Rangers])
- - 19th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C (Jefferson Warriors)
- - 20th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C and G
- - 28th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D, G and H
- - 30th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company K
- - 43rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company G
- - 58th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C and D
World War I
- 1917-1919 Alabama, World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Service Records at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
- 1917-1918 Alabama World War I Gold Star Files at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
World War II
- 1940-1945 Alabama, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1940-1966 Alabama Active Military Service Reports at Alabama Department of Archives and History - alpha index by name and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Alabama Civil War and Reconstruction Newspapers at Alabama Department of Archives and History
- Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both and pay-to-access websites.
- Obituary Index Birmingham Area Newspapers(Birmingham News, May 1929 - January 1980;Birminham World, September 1940 - December 1996; Methodist Christian Advocate / Alabama Christian Advocate, January 1929 - December 1979; Shelby County Reporter, January 1932 - December 1979)
- Alabama Citizen - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1913-1918
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
USGenWeb Archives Project - transcribed obituaries for Jefferson County.
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
- 1834-1981: Alabama Voter Registration and Poll Tax Cards, 1834-1981 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index and images
Alabama Voting Registers for 1867 are available online at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Jefferson County has one book.
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1753-1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry $
- 1809-1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1818-1840 Images of Loose Wills (and index) at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
- 1856-1880 Wills (with index) 1856-1880 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
School Records[edit | edit source]
- Birmingham Southern College: 1914-2008 (via the Internet Archive)
- Howard College Student Catalogs (currently Samford University): 1847-1908 (via the Internet Archive)
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]
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
Jefferson County Tax Payment Records ~ County of Jefferson (searchable database)
- 1865-1866 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry $
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 Alabama 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 Alabama.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1930 Alabama Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1881-1930 - Alabama, County Birth Registers, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch — index, and some images - How to Use this Collection
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1733-2013 Alabama, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
- 1800-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry $
- 1808, 1815, 1818-1879, 1885, 1898, 1923, 1930, 1936-1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry $
- 1809-1920 Alabama Marriages
- 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry $
- 1809-1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1816-1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1818-1928 Jefferson County Marriage Books 1-28 Index 1818-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[8]
- 1818-1845 Grant, Orena V. Orena V. Grant Genealogical Collection (Marriages and Cemetery Records): From Southeastern, North and South Central States Salt Lake City, Utah: The Society?, 1964. Digital version at Ancestry $
- 1819-1875 Jefferson County, Alabama Marriages 1819 to 1875 at FamilySearch Digital Library
- 1819-1875 "Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920" at Ancestry $
- 1928-1949 Jefferson County, Alabama Marriage Books 110-215 in "Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950," at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1881-1952 Alabama, Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection
- 1881-1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry $
- 1908-1959 Index to Deaths recorded by the state of Alabama at Ancestry $
- 1908-1974 Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Birmingham Public Library, Archives & Manuscripts Dept
2100 Park Place
Birmingham AL 35203
Phone: 205-226-3631
Website
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
- Bessemer Alabama Family History Center
- Birmingham 2nd Alabama Family History Center
- Birmingham Alabama Family History Center
- Gardendale Alabama Family History Center
- Leeds Alabama Family History Center
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Jefferson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Alabama Archives and Libraries.
Birmingham Public Library
Southern History Department
2100 Park Place
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: 205-226-3665
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Birmingham Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 2432
Birmingham, AL 35201
Facebook
- Publication: Pioneer Trails
Birmingham Historical Society
1 Sloss Quarters Birmingham, AL 35222
205-251-1880
Publication: Birmingham Historical Society Journal
Website
Birmingham-Jefferson Historical Society
PO Box 130285
Birmingham, AL 35213-0285
205-871-6213
Hueytown Historical Society
P. O. Box 3313
Hueytown, AL 35053
Website
West Jefferson County Historical Society
P. O. Box 184
Bessemer, AL 35021-0184
205-426-1633
Birmingham African-American Society Group
205-901-6387
Southeast Alabama Genealogical and Historical Society
P. O. Box 246
Dothan, AL 36302-0246
Phone:334-794-8378
- Publications: Wiregrass Roots SEAGHS Magazine
Alabama Genealogical Society Samford University
P. O. Box 2296
Birmingham, AL 35229
Website
Jefferson County Historical Commission
4700 7th Ct South
Birmingham, AL 35222
205-324-0988
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- USGenWeb project may have maps, name indexes, history, or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Jefferson County, ALGenWeb ~ record transcriptions and information pertinent to the county.
- Jefferson County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Jefferson County AL Genealogy (Alabama Genealogy)
- 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.
- United States Resources: Alabama
- Al Gen Web
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Jefferson County, Alabama Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ala/jefferson/index.html 6/07/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Jefferson County, Alabama Records - RAOGK (accessed 20 November 2020).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Alabama.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jefferson County, Alabama," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_County,_Alabama, accessed 18 October 2018.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/0/06/Igialabamadj.pdf.