South Carolina County/District Resources
This entry was originally written by Johni Cerny and Gareth L. Mark for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
Districts/Counties, 1800-present. In 1800, the nine circuit court districts and thirty-seven counties were abolished and replaced by twenty-five districts. Some of the new districts were identical with counties in districts established between 1785 and 1799; other districts were new polities entirely. As the highest level of local government, all twenty-five districts had equal status and record-keeping functions. The original districts expanded and divided between 1800 and 1867 to become thirty districts. Under the new constitution adopted in 1868, districts were renamed counties.
The forty-six present-day counties in South Carolina trace their lineage to the formation of districts in 1800. Although many can trace their geographical lineage to 1785, and some can trace their records lineage to 1785, any listing of counties that provides a formation date pre-1800 misses the essential point that the pre-1800 counties were not the highest level of local government. Before 1800, all counties were counties in circuit court districts; residents could conduct their business in either the county or the circuit court district, and researchers must check the records of both. A complete listing of the counties of South Carolina and their records is found on the following chart, Districts and Counties, 1800'Present.
The listing of Districts/Counties includes all districts and counties in existence from 1800 to the present and refers to the county, or county and circuit court district from which the district was formed. Some counties functioned before 1800, and the date those counties began functioning is recorded. The beginning dates for land, probate, and court records are the first indicated for the type of record specified in each county's courthouse and may include records of an earlier polity. Many records were destroyed, particularly near the end of the Civil War, and many other records are fragmentary; dates given for the first record do not imply that all records from that date are extant. Residents of the Up Country counties often recorded records when they acquired local government, so some of the records pre-date the formation of local governments.
Map | County | County Address | Date Formed | Parent District | Functioned From | Birth | Marriage | Death | Land | Probate | Court |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C3 | Abbeville | P.O. Box 579, Abbeville 29620-0579 | 1800 | Abbeville in Ninety-Six District | 1785 | 1916 | 1911 | 1911 | 1791 | 1772 | 1791 |
Record loss, 1873. Records of Ninety-Six Circuit Court District are housed in Abbeville County. | |||||||||||
D5 | Aiken | 828 Richland Ave. W., Aiken 29801-3834 | 1871 | Edgefield/Barnwell/Orangeburg/Lexington | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1872 | 1772 | 1871 | |
E6 | Allendale | P.O. Box 190, Allendale 29810-0190 | 1919 | Barnwell/Hampton | 1919 | 1919 | 1919 | 1919 | 1919 | 1919 | |
B2 | Anderson | P.O. Box 8002, Anderson 29620-8002 | 1826 | Pendleton | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1826 | 1826 | 1826 | |
Records of Pendleton County in Ninety-Six and Washington Districts and Pendleton District are housed in Anderson County. | |||||||||||
F6 | Bamberg | P.O. Box 149, Bamberg 29003-0149 | 1897 | Barnwell | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1897 | 1897 | 1897 | |
Records of Orangeburgh Circuit Court District, Court of Common Pleas, are housed in Bamberg County. | |||||||||||
E6 | Barnwell | 57 Wall St., Barnwell 29812-1584 | 1800 | Winton County in Orangeburgh District | 1785 (Winton County) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1800 | 1800 | 1800 |
Records of Winton County (1785'91) in Orangeburgh Circuit Court District are housed in Barnwell County. | |||||||||||
G8 | Beaufort | P.O. Drawer 1228, Beaufort 29901-1228 | 1800 | Beaufort District | 1772 (Beaufort District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1863 | 1865 | 1865 |
Record loss, 1865. Beaufort District absorbed the four counties in Beaufort Circuit Court District. | |||||||||||
H6 | Berkeley | 223 N. Live Oak Dr., Moncks Corner 29461-3707 | 1882 | Charleston | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1883 | 1883 | 1881 | |
F4 | Calhoun | Courthouse Annex, Ste. 108, Saint Matthews 29135-1452 | 1908 | Lexington/Orangeburg | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1908 | 1908 | 1908 | |
H7 | Charleston | 2 Courthouse Sq., Charleston 29401-0000 | 1800 | Marion/Washington Counties in Charleston District; 1680 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1671 | 1671 | 1700 | |
Record loss, 1865. Records of Charleston Circuit Court and Equity Circuit Districts and the Province of South Carolina (1671'1785) are housed in Charleston County. | |||||||||||
Charleston (City) | 1871 | 1871 | 1821 | 1858 | 1790 | 1774 | |||||
Records are in Charleston County. | |||||||||||
D1 | Cherokee | 210 N. Limestone St., Gaffney 26340-3136 | 1897 | Union/York/Spartanburg | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1897 | 1897 | 1897 | |
E2 | Chester | P.O. Drawer 580, Chester 29706-0580 | 1800 | Chester County in Pinckney District | 1785 (in Camden District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1785 | 1787 | 1785 |
H2 | Chesterfield | 200 W. Main St., Chesterfield 29709-0529 | 1800 | Chesterfield County in Cheraws District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1861 | 1865 | 1823 |
Record loss, 1865. Records fragmented. | |||||||||||
G5 | Clarendon | P.O. Box 486, Manning 29102-0486 | 1855 | Sumter | 1785'1800 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
Record loss, 1911. Records of old Clarendon County in Camden Circuit Court District lost, 1801. | |||||||||||
G7 | Colleton | P.O. Box 157, Walterboro 29488-0002 | 1800 | Colleton/Bartholomew/Berkeley | Counties in Charleston District | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1802 | 1865 | 1807 |
Record losses, 1805, 1865. Records fragmented. | |||||||||||
H3 | Darlington | 1 Public Sq., Rm 210, Darlington 20532-3213 | 1800 | Darlington County in Cheraws District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1803 | 1783 | 1801 |
Record loss, 1806. | |||||||||||
J3 | Dillon | P.O. Box 449, Dillon 29536-0449 | 1910 | Marion | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1910 | 1910 | 1910 | |
G6 | Dorchester | 201 Johnson St., St. George 29477-2412 | 1897 | Berkeley/Colleton | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1897 | 1897 | 1897 | |
D4 | Edgefield | 215 Jeter St., Edgefield 29824-1133 | 1800 | Edgefield County in Ninety-Six District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1786 | 1785 | 1785 |
F3 | Fairfield | P.O. Drawer 60, Winnsboro 29180-0060 | 1800 | Fairfield County in Camden District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1784 | 1787 | 1785 |
J3 | Florence | 180 N. Irby St., Florence 29501-3456 | 1888 | Marion/Darlington/Clarendon/Williamsburg | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | |
J5 | Georgetown | P.O. Drawer 421270, Georgetown 29440-0000 | 1800 | Kingston/Winyah/Williamburg Counties in Georgetown District | 1772 (Georgetown District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1862 | 1862 | 1863 |
Record loss, 1865. Records fragmented. | |||||||||||
C1 | Greenville | 301 University Ridge, Ste. 100, Greenville 29601-3674 | 1800 | Greenville County in Ninety-Six District | 1786 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1784 | 1787 | 1786 |
C3 | Greenwood | 528 Monument, Greenwood 29646-2643 | 1897 | Abbeville/Edgefield | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1897 | 1897 | 1897 | |
F7 | Hampton | 201 Jackson St. W., Hampton 29924-0000 | 1878 | Beaufort | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1878 | 1878 | 1878 | |
K4 | Horry | P.O. Box 288, Conway 29526-0288 | 1801 | Georgetown | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1803 | 1799 | 1803 | |
Formed from the territory of Kingston County (non-functioning) in Georgetown Circuit Court District. | |||||||||||
F8 | Jasper | 103 Elm St., Ridgeland 29526-5116 | 1912 | Beaufort/Hampton | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1912 | 1912 | 1912 | |
G3 | Kershaw | 515 Walnut St., Camden 29020-3623 | 1800 | Kershaw County in Camden District | 1791 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1787 | 1782 | 1783 |
Records of Camden Circuit Court and Equity Circuit districts are housed in Kershaw County. | |||||||||||
G2 | Lancaster | P.O. Box 1809, Lancaster 29720-1809 | 1800 | Lancaster County in Camden District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1762 | 1820 | 1800 |
Record loss, 1865. Records fragmented. Some Camden Circuit Court District conveyance records are included. | |||||||||||
D2 | Laurens | P.O. Box 445, Laurens 29360-0445 | 1800 | Laurens County in Ninety-Six District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1774 | 1766 | 1789 |
G3 | Lee | P.O. Box 387, Bishopville 29010-0387 | 1902 | Darlington/Kershaw/Sumter | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1902 | 1902 | 1902 | |
E4 | Lexington | 212 S. Lake Dr., Lexington 29072-3437 | 1804 | Orangeburg | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1839 | 1809 | 1800 | |
Record losses, 1839, 1865. Records fragmented. Formed from territory of Lexington County (non-functioning) in Orangeburgh District. | |||||||||||
J3 | Marion | P.O. Box 183, Marion 29571-0183 | 1800 | Liberty County in Georgetown District | 1800 | 1915 | 1800 | 1915 | 1800 | 1790 | 1800 |
Marriage records: 1800'59 (incomplete), 1911-present. | |||||||||||
J2 | Marlboro | P.O. Box 419, Bennettsville 29512-0419 | 1800 | Marlboro County in Cheraws District | 1785 | 1915 | 1788 | 1915 | 1786 | 1787 | 1785 |
Marriage records: 1788'1819 (incomplete), 1911-present. | |||||||||||
C4 | McCormick | Rt. 2, Box 84-AAA, McCormick 29835-9612 | 1916 | Abbeville/Greenwood | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | 1916 | |
E3 | Newberry | P.O. Box 156, Newberry 29108-0156 | 1800 | Newberry County in Ninety-Six District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1776 | 1776 | 1776 |
A2 | Oconee | 415 Pine St., Walhalla 29691-2145 | 1868 | Pickens | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1868 | 1868 | 1868 | |
F5 | Orangeburg | P.O. Box 9000, Orangeburg 29116-9000 | 1800 | Lewisburg/Lexington/Orange Counties in Orangeburgh District | 1772 (Orangeburgh District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1824 | 1864 | 1824 |
Record loss, 1865. Records fragmented. | |||||||||||
Pendleton | 1800 | Pendleton County in Washington District | 1789 (in Ninety-Six District) | 1790 | 1790 | 1790 | |||||
Abolished when divided into Anderson and Pickens Districts, 1826. Records transferred to Anderson District, Anderson County. | |||||||||||
B1 | Pickens | 222 McDaniel Ave., Pickens 29671-2759 | 1826 | Pendleton | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1828 | 1828 | 1823 | |
F3 | Richland | P.O. Box 192, Columbia 29201-0192 | 1800 | Richland County in Camden District | 1785 | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1865 | 1787 | 1793 |
Record loss, 1865. Records fragmented. Records of Columbia Equity Circuit District are housed in Richland County. | |||||||||||
D4 | Saluda | 108 S. Rudolph SE, Saluda 29130-1744 | 1896 | Edgefield | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1896 | 1896 | 1896 | |
D1 | Spartanburg | 366 N. Church St., Spartanburg 29303-3637 | 1800 | Spartanburg County in Pinckney District | 1785 (in Ninety-Six District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1784 | 1787 | 1785 |
G4 | Sumter | 13 E. Canal St., Sumter 29150-4925 | 1800 | Clarendon/Claremont/Salem Counties in Camden District | 1785 (Clarendon/Claremont Counties in Camden District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1801 | 1774 | 1795 |
Record loss, 1801, destroyed records of Clarendon and Old Claremont Counties. Records fragmented. | |||||||||||
D2 | Union | P.O. Box 703, Union 29379-0000 | 1800 | Union County in Pinckney District | 1785 (in Ninety-Six District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1778 | 1777 | 1785 |
Records of Western and Pinckney Equity Circuit Districts are housed in Union County. | |||||||||||
J5 | Williamsburg | P.O. Box 330, Kingstree 29556-0330 | 1804 | Georgetown | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1806 | 1802 | 1806 | |
Formed from territory of Williamsburg County (non-functioning) in Georgetown Circuit Court District. | |||||||||||
E1 | York | P.O. Box 66, York 29745-0066 | 1800 | York County in Pinckney District | 1785 (in Camden District) | 1915 | 1911 | 1915 | 1786 | 1786 | 1786 |
Records of Pinckney Circuit Court District are housed in York County. |
Counties in Districts. In 1785, the seven circuit court districts were subdivided into thirty-three counties. Inferior courts were established in some of the counties, and record-keeping began at the local level. However, the circuit court districts continued to function, and many local actions were conducted at the district seat instead of the county seat. Three districts'Beaufort, Charleston, and Georgetown'were allowed to postpone the formation of county governments, and their counties never functioned. The residents of Orangeburgh District also preferred district government to county government, and three of the four counties in that district were not used from 1791 through 1799.
While many present-day counties were established geographically between 1785 and 1799, the counties created during that period did not keep records or function as local governments equally. The county did not become the highest level of local government throughout South Carolina until 1800. For a complete listing of counties established and abolished between 1785 and 1799, see the following chart, Counties in Districts, 1785'1800. The listing of counties in circuit court districts includes every county formed between 1785 and 1800. Counties abolished in 1800 are identified, and the location of their extant records is detailed.
County (1785-1800) | Circuit Court Districts | Date Formed | Parent County(ies) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abbeville | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Bartholomew | Charleston | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Colleton District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Berkeley | Charleston | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Colleton District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Chester | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Area absorbed by Pinckney District, 1791. | ||||||||||
Chester | Pinckney | 1791 | removed from Camden District | |||||||
Functioned from 1791. | ||||||||||
Chesterfield | Cheraws | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Claremont | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'1800. Area absorbed by Sumter District, 1801. | ||||||||||
Clarendon | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. Area absorbed by Sumter District, 1801. | ||||||||||
Colleton | Charleston | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Colleton District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Darlington | Cheraws | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Edgefield | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Fairfield | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Granville | Beaufort | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. | ||||||||||
Greenville | Ninety-Six | 1786 | Indian lands | |||||||
Functioned 1786'95. Area absorbed by Washington District, 1795. | ||||||||||
Greenville | Washington | 1795 | removed from Ninety-Six District | |||||||
Functioned from 1795. | ||||||||||
Hilton | Beaufort | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning. Area absorbed by Beaufort District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Kershaw | Camden | 1791 | Fairfield/Lancaster/Richland Counties in Camden District | |||||||
Functioned from 1791. | ||||||||||
Kingston | Georgetown | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. | ||||||||||
Kingston | Georgetown | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Georgetown District, 1800, and reformed as Horry District, 1801. | ||||||||||
Lancaster | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Laurens | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Lewisburg | Orangeburgh | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. Area absorbed by Orangeburg District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Lexington | Orangeburgh | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. Area absorbed by Orangeburg District, 1800, and reformed as Lexington District, 1804. | ||||||||||
Liberty | Georgetown | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Renamed Marion District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Lincoln | Beaufort | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Beaufort District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Marion | Charleston | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Charleston District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Marlboro | Cheraws | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Newberry | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Orange | Orangeburgh | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Orangeburg District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Pendleton | Ninety-Six | 1789 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1789'95. Area absorbed by Washington District, 1795. | ||||||||||
Pendleton | Washington | 1795 | removed from NinetySix District | |||||||
Functioned from 1795. | ||||||||||
Richland | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned from 1785. | ||||||||||
Salem | Camden | 1792 | Clarendon/Claremont | |||||||
Functioned 1792'1800. Area absorbed by Sumter District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Shrewsbury | Beaufort | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Beaufort District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Spartanburg | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Area absorbed by Pinckney District, 1791. | ||||||||||
Spartanburg | Pinckney | 1791 | removed from Ninety-Six District | |||||||
Functioned from 1791. | ||||||||||
Union | Ninety-Six | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Area absorbed by Pinckney District, 1791. | ||||||||||
Union | Pinckney | 1791 | removed from Ninety-Six District | |||||||
Functioned from 1791. | ||||||||||
Washington | Charleston | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Area absorbed by Charleston District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Williamsburg | Georgetown | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Georgetown District, 1800, and reformed as Williamsburg District, 1804. | ||||||||||
Winton | Orangeburgh | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'1800. Remaining records, 1785'91, in Barnwell County. Renamed Barnwell District, 1800. | ||||||||||
Winyah | Georgetown | 1785 | original | |||||||
Non-functioning county. Area absorbed by Georgetown District, 1800. | ||||||||||
York | Camden | 1785 | original | |||||||
Functioned 1785'91. Area absorbed by Pinckney District, 1791. | ||||||||||
York | Pinckney | 1791 | removed from Camden District | |||||||
Functioned from 1791. |
Circuit Court Districts, 1769'1800. Circuit court districts were established in 1769 and began holding court by about 1772. Originally there were seven districts: Beaufort, Camden, Charleston, Cheraws, Georgetown, Ninety-Six, and Orangeburgh. Pinckney and Washington circuit court districts were added in 1791. The chart of circuit court districts that follows details the extant records of the nine circuit court districts created in 1769 and 1791 and where the extant records are located. The counties formed in each district are identified.
Circuit Court District (1769-1800) | Records in Repository | (Counties in District) | Date Formed | Parent District | Land | Probate | 1790 Census District(s) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beaufort | (Granville, Hilton, Lincoln, Shrewsbury) | 1769 | original | District | ||||||
Camden | Kershaw/Lancaster | (Chester, Clarendon, Claremont,Fairfield, Lancaster, Richland, York) | 1769 | original | 1784 | 1781 | 1782 by county | |||
Charleston | Charleston | (Bartholomew, Berkeley, Colleton, Marion, Washington) | 1769 | original | 1671 | 1671 | 1671 Parishes | |||
Cheraws | (Chesterfield, Darlington, Marlboro) | 1769 | original | Counties | ||||||
Georgetown | Georgetown | (Kingston, Liberty, Williamsburg, Winyah) | 1769 | original | 1783 Parishes | |||||
Ninety-Six | Abbeville | (Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenville, Laurens, Newberry, Pendleton, Spartanburg, Union) | 1769 | original | 1784 | 1782 | 1777 Counties | |||
Orangeburgh | (Lewisburg, Lexington, Orange, Winton) | 1769 | original | 1787 North and South | ||||||
Pinckney | York | (Chester, Spartanburg, Union, York) | 1791 | Ninety-Six | ||||||
Counties enumerated in Camden and Ninety-Six Districts in 1790. | ||||||||||
Washington | (Greenville, Pendleton) | 1791 | Ninety-Six functioned from 1795 | |||||||
Counties enumerated in Ninety-Six District in 1790. |
Townships. One of the early and genealogically important actions of the provincial (royal) government was the Township Act of 1731; additional townships were authorized in 1761. The act authorized eleven townships containing 20,000 acres each, and agents were sent to Europe to recruit families as settlers. The families were offered inducements such as free transportation to South Carolina, free provisions for one year, and free land. The townships neither created nor kept records; their functions were solely geographical. Townships, like parishes, were used for some tax districts and appeared as locators in grants and conveyances. The townships are included in the listing of Townships and Parishes.
Parishes. In 1706, the province of South Carolina established the Church of England as the official state-supported church. The twenty-five parishes established from 1706 through 1778 recorded vital records and became districts for the proportioning and election of representatives in 1716; parishes were also used as tax districts. They functioned as geographic locators in grants and conveyances, but did not necessarily replace the proprietary counties in that function; some grants and conveyances mention the parish, some the proprietary county, and some give both. The parishes are included in the listing of Townships and Parishes.
Parish/Township | Established | Location | Proprietary County/District |
All Saints Parish | 1778 | near Georgetown | Georgetown District |
Amelia Township | 1731 | Congaree and Santee Rivers | Orangeburgh District |
Belfast Township | 1761 | Stevens and Long Cane Creeks | Edgefield and Abbeville Districts |
Boonesborough Township | 1761 | Long Cane Creek, Saluda and Little rivers | Abbeville District |
Christ Church Parish | 1706 | Wando River | Berkeley |
Fredericksburgh Township | 1731 | Wateree River | Sumter and Kershaw Districts |
Hillsborough Township | 1761 | Long Cane Creek | Abbeville District |
Kingston (King's Town) Township | 1731 | Waccamaw River | Horry District |
Londonborough Township | 1761 | Stevens Creek of Savannah River | Edgefield District |
New Windsor Township | 1731 | Savannah River | Barnwell and Edgefield Districts |
Orange Parish | 1778 | St. Matthew's | Orangeburgh District |
Orangeburgh Township | 1731 | South Edisto or Pon Pon River | Orangeburgh District |
Prince Frederick's Parish | 1734 | upper Prince George's | Craven |
Prince George's Parish | 1721 | between Santee and Pee Dee Rivers | Craven |
Prince William's Parish | 1745 | upper St. Helena's | Granville |
Purrysburgh | 1731 | Savannah River | Beaufort District |
Queensborough Township | 1731 | Pee Dee River and Lynch's Creek | Georgetown and Marion Districts |
Saxegotha (Saxe-Gotha) Township | 1731 | Congaree River | Lexington District |
St. Andrew's Parish | 1706 | Ashley River | Berkeley |
St. Bartholomew's Parish | 1706 | near St. Helena | Colleton |
St. David's Parish | 1768 | St. Mark's and Prince Frederick's | Craven |
St. Denis' (French) Parish | 1706 | adjoining St. Thomas' | Berkeley |
St. George's Dorchester Parish | 1717 | upper St. Andrew's | Berkeley |
St. Helena's Parish | 1712 | St. Helena/Port Royal | Granville |
St. James Goose Creek Parish | 1706 | Goose Creek | Berkeley |
St. James Santee (French) Parish | 1706 | James Town | Craven |
St. John's Colleton Parish | 1734 | Edisto and adjacent islands | Colleton |
St. John's Parish | 1706 | Cooper River | Berkeley |
St. Luke's Parish | 1767 | Euhaws | Granville |
St. Mark's Parish | 1757 | Prince Frederick's | Craven |
St. Matthew's Parish | 1768 | Orangeburgh Township | Berkeley |
St. Michael's Parish | 1751 | St. Philip's Charles Town | Berkeley |
St. Paul's Parish | 1706 | Stono and Edisto rivers | Colleton |
St. Peter's Parish | 1746 | Purrysburgh | Granville |
St. Philip's Parish | 1706 | Charles Town | Berkeley |
St. Stephen's Parish | 1754 | upper St. James' Santee | Craven |
St. Thomas' (French) Parish | 1706 | Wando River | Berkeley |
Welch Tract (Welch Neck) | 1731 | Pee Dee River and Jeffry's Creek | Marion District |
Williamsburgh Township | 1731 | Black River | Williamsburgh |
Proprietary Counties. The first division of South Carolina into local polities occurred in 1682 when Berkeley, Colleton, and Craven proprietary counties were established; Carteret was added in 1685 and renamed Granville in 1708. These counties neither created nor kept records; their function was geographical. The proprietary counties served as districts for the assignment and election of representatives until 1716, militia duty, and general reference in land grants and conveyances (deeds). The proprietary counties were superseded by circuit court districts in 1769, but continued to be used as geographical references until the formation of counties within the circuit court districts in 1785. The forty-six current counties in South Carolina are listed with their proprietary counties in the Proprietary Counties chart that follows.
Successful research in South Carolina requires an understanding of the unique and complex development of its local government and jurisdictions. Unlike the other twelve British colonies, South Carolina did not form counties or towns during the colonial period. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History publishes a free pamphlet, 'The Formation of Counties in South Carolina,' which traces the evolution of political subdivisions in the state. The department also publishes a set of ten guide maps illustrating the development of parishes, districts, and counties. Information in the following tables is quoted from South Carolina Department of Archives and History, A Guide to Local Government Records in the South Carolina Archives and the guides by Schweitzer (1985) and Holcomb (1964), all listed under Background Sources, and Thorndale and Dollarhide, Map Guide (see page 3).
For up-to-date information and changes to the county record holdings of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, see the online version of A Guide to Local Government Records in the South Carolina Archives at www.state.sc.us/scdah/guide/guide.htm.
Map | Current County | Proprietary County/ies (1682-1785) |
C3 | Abbeville | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
D5 | Aiken | Berkeley/Colleton |
E6 | Allendale | Carteret (Granville) |
B2 | Anderson | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
F6 | Bamburg | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
E6 | Barnwell | Berkeley/Carteret (Granville) |
G8 | Beaufort | Carteret (Granville) |
H6 | Berkeley | Berkeley/Colleton |
F4 | Calhoun | Berkeley/Colleton |
H7 | Charleston | Colleton |
D1 | Cherokee | Craven |
E2 | Chester | Craven |
H2 | Chesterfield | Craven |
G5 | Clarendon | Berkeley/Craven |
G7 | Colleton | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
H3 | Darlington | Craven |
J3 | Dillon | Craven |
G6 | Dorchester | Berkeley/Colleton |
D4 | Edgefield | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
F3 | Fairfield | Berkeley/Craven |
J3 | Florence | Craven |
J5 | Georgetown | Craven |
C1 | Greenville | Berkeley/Colleton |
C3 | Greenwood | Colleton |
F7 | Hampton | Carteret (Granville) |
K4 | Horry | Craven |
F8 | Jasper | Carteret (Granville) |
G3 | Kershaw | Berkeley/Craven |
G2 | Lancaster | Craven |
D2 | Laurens | Berkeley/Colleton |
G3 | Lee | Craven |
E4 | Lexington | Berkeley/Colleton |
J3 | Marion | Craven |
J2 | Marlboro | Craven |
C4 | McCormick | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
E3 | Newberry | Berkeley/Colleton |
A2 | Oconee | Carteret (Granville)/Colleton |
F5 | Orangeburg | Berkeley/Colleton |
B1 | Pickens | Colleton |
F3 | Richland | Berkeley |
D4 | Saluda | Colleton |
D1 | Spartanburg | Berkeley/Craven |
G4 | Sumter | Berkeley/Craven |
D2 | Union | Berkeley |
J5 | Williamsburg | Craven |
E1 | York | Craven |