BDC Genealogy Services Primer updated (again)

Much of this post was first published on 30 November 2013. I have updated the links and content to be current as of 8 November 2024. - gmc

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association states that libraries have a responsibility to serve the needs of patrons interested in genealogical research by providing basic genealogical reference materials and how-to-do-it books in the library and by providing access to additional genealogical research materials through interlibrary loan or referral. The latest guidelines (2022-2023) are available as a PDF. 

Developing and maintaining genealogy and local history collections requires library staff to perform a number of activities. David Dowell in Crash Course in Genealogy (2011) cited these:

1. Building and preserving collections
2.Organizing and cataloging collections
3. Digitizing unique records
4. Creating finding aids
5. Providing short courses and other public programming
6. Information assistance, both in person or remotely by e-mail or text messaging

Beaufort County Library goes one step further and supports a more geographically focused genealogical reference service through the Beaufort District Collection, the system's special collections local history library and archives. The BDC concentrates on guiding genealogical researchers interested in ancestors who lived in our area of lowcountry South Carolina and to a somewhat lesser extent, in other parts of Palmetto State. Doing so creates plenty of challenges for family historians as boundary changes, destroyed records, and historical context sometimes work against successful research findings.  

It comes as a surprise to some researchers that Beaufort County has not always been “Beaufort County.” Other political and administrative divisions have applied at different periods of time during the past include St. Helena Parish, St. Luke's Parish, Granville County, Hilton County, Shrewsbury County, etc. From 1769 to 1868, Beaufort District was a judicial district covering approximately 1920 square miles. In 1868, Beaufort District was re-named Beaufort County. In 1878, Beaufort County split into Beaufort County and Hampton County. In 1912, both Beaufort County and Hampton County gave up territory to carve Jasper County within their midst.

We posted a "Beaufort County History Moments" video segment about how the District’s boundaries have shifted through time to provide context for the jurisdictional changes. 

To see the changes of political and administrative division throughout the United States, consult the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Project of the William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture at The Newberry Library in Chicago.

Here are the "Big Four" record types most frequently consulted by family historians and the customary level of government at which the records are held:

1.  Census Records - usually created on the national and/or state level 

2.  Vital Records - official death, marriage, and birth certificates, usually created on a state and/or local level 

3.   Probate Records - exist mainly at the county level and often indicate family relationships between the deceased and named beneficiaries 

4.   Land (Property) Records - exist mainly at the county level

Among the "Big Four" you'll see that at least three are held at the county level. If a county courthouse suffers fire, war or pestilence, then the odds are increased that records will be damaged - and most likely it will be for precisely those years that you most need! 

Bottom line: Beaufort is a "Burned County": almost all of our pre-Civil War records were destroyed in 1865.  This fact makes genealogy more challenging here.

To do genealogical and historical research in current-day Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper Counties, one must consult a variety of other types of records to document past events and ancestors. The challenge therefore is to identify and consult other types of records at other levels of government or those created or maintained by an individual or family that might help you fill in the blanks. The BDC tries to help fill the gap caused by the destruction of Beaufort District's courthouse records during the Civil War in the following ways: by providing access to some records inside our Research Room and by offering guidance on how to gain access to records that might help you either online or held by other entities. 

"Big Four #1: Census Records:" We provide access to some national and some state level census records on microfilm and/or through our subscription to the Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) database for you to discover more about your ancestors. Access to the Library’s Ancestry Library Edition subscription is available on Beaufort County Library computers & wi-fi only but not available from home. As there are more than 11,000 databases inside Ancestry Library Edition to research, you are not limited to researching ancestors from just this area. Please note: Ask your local public library about the genealogy databases it provides.  

To do genealogical and historical research in current-day Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper Counties, one must use consult a variety of other types of records to document past events and ancestors. The challenge therefore is to identify and consult other types of records at other levels of government or those created or maintained by an individual or family that might help you fill in the blanks. The BDC tries to help fill the gap caused by the destruction of Beaufort District's courthouse records during the Civil War in the following ways: by providing access to some records inside our Research Room and by offering guidance on how to gain access to records that might help you either online or held by other entities. 

Another great option for you is the free Family Search website. On September 21, 2021, Family Search announced that their digitization of their holdings of 2.4 million rolls of microfilm was complete and available for research. This was a monumental project that spread over 83 years of microfilming in archives, county courthouses, and religious institutions throughout the world! Thus, the universe of digital records for family history research has grown exponentially. Just bear in mind that many of these digitized microfilms are not indexed so the browse feature is your means of access. You can search these microfilms at no charge by registering for a free account on the website.   

"Big Four #2: Vital Records" South Carolina, as is the case for most Southern states, did not issue death, marriage, and birth certificates until the 1910s. Divorce was not allowed except for a few years during the Reconstruction Era and from 1962 until the present.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health State Vital Records Office is responsible birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates. You can read the rules and fees associated for accessing these records on their Vital Records page.  Some records are too recent to be released to the public yet. 

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has posted birth certificates from 1915 – 1923 into their South Carolina Electronic Records Archive database. By state law, 100 years must elapse before access to birth certificates is released to the general public. 

South Carolina death certificates are released to the public 52 years after an individual's death. Ancestry Library Edition has a database of “South Carolina Death Records,1821 – 1972” including digital images of state issued death certificates. Note: Not all the records contained in this database are death certificates. Some of the earlier records confirm a death but are not official certificates of death. This database contains the following South Carolina death records:

• Statewide death certificates, 1915-1960 and 1962-1972
• Charleston City death records, 1821-1914
• Spartanburg City death records, 1895-1897 and 1903-1914
• Union City death records, 1900 and 1913-1914

Death records can consist of certificates, registers, returns of interment, returns of death, transportation for burial forms, and physician’s certificates, among other documents. 

Other potential sources for death information are churches and synagogues. Some kept records concerning funerals and burials, baptism and christenings, and wedding ceremonies from which a researcher can infer dates of birth, marriage, and death. Sometimes announcements of these events appear in local newspapers. While these are not official certificates of death, these records indicate that a death (or other vital record event) has occurred. For example, we have a copy of the St. Helena Parish Register, 1823 - 1894 that includes baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. 

You can visit our own Online Obituary Index to check for death notices noted in Beaufort County local newspapers, 1862-1997 and 2007–2008. This is a long-term and ongoing project.  

You can also try searching for obituaries in historic newspapers hosted on the Chronicling America Historic Newspapers website or for more recent obituaries, on the Legacy.com or Find A Grave databases.

"Big Four #3: Probate Records:" Many Beaufort County-related probate records were destroyed when the records of the Beaufort District Courthouse were destroyed in the waning days of the Civil War.  However, some residents of Beaufort District may have filed wills or abstracts of their wills in other jurisdictions. A careful researcher would check neighboring counties as well.  

Formal registration of marriages began on 1 July 1911. The South Carolina Department of Public Health State Vital Records Office is the official repository of these records but only distributes marriage certificates for those issued between July 1950 and December 2023. For marriage records prior to or after these dates, you will need to contact the Probate Court that originally issued the marriage license. Find the Probate Court in your county. 

Some of Beaufort County's marriage records are available online by searching the South Carolina Probate Court Marriage License Index.  Probate courts in the state also administer estates, guardianships, and involuntary commitments of mentally ill and substance abusing individuals. 

We also provide some printed secondary works about marriages performed in South Carolina from the late 17th - 19th centuries in the Research Room. 

"Big Four #4: Land Records:" Similarly, many Beaufort County-related land records were destroyed when the records of the Beaufort District Courthouse were destroyed in the waning days of the Civil War. The Register of Deeds Office is responsible for caring for the county's land records.

As a practical rule-of-thumb, use 1866 as the starting date for most Beaufort District related property records.

We have a range of land related compiled secondary sources in the Research Room for you to use to try to determine where your ancestor may have lived during the 18th and 19th centuries.

We hold and share the Behan Papers with customers inside the Research Room. This archival collection of research materials consists of 4 binders and 2 folders of pertaining to Early South Carolina Land Grants for Granville County. These are “land genealogies” of early properties and property owners and their families from the late 17th– early 19th centuries in Beaufort District, SC compiled over 15 years by William Behan. 

An online source well worth your time is the Online Records Index, a database of records from the SC Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) that includes a host of state records. The Online Records Index database includes: Will Transcripts (1782-1855); Records of Confederate Veterans (1909-1973); Plats for State Land Grants (1784-1868); Legislative Papers (1782-1866); Criminal Court Records (1769-1891); School Insurance Photographs (1935-1952); and National Register Properties and other state records series. While this index covers only a small fraction of the holdings of the SC State Archives, searching the Online Records Index first can be of immense importance and economical in that we have microfilm of some of the records in our Research Room.  

To accommodate researchers, we provide access to 18 series of primary documents microfilmed by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1663-1900, inside the Beaufort District Collection Research Room. Some have been digitized in the Online Records Index and show digital images of the documents while other documents are only indexed there. Contact us for a PDF of the list of microfilm series we have and descriptions of what each of these record series include.

We are happy to consult with you regarding your historical and family history research projects. However, we are unable to offer the depth and scope of research support that some family historians need. In those cases, you may want to hire a professional genealogist to assist you. We provide some guidance about what to ask and consider before making such a commercial transaction in a Connections blog post. 

Access to the BDC Research Room is affected by staff levels and responsibilities at other library locations. For assured personalized service, appointments are strongly encouraged as walk-in customers cannot always be accommodated. It’s prudent to contact us before you try to visit our facility: 843-255-6468 or bdc@bcgov.net.