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Beaufort County — Research Cheatsheet

South Carolina Genealogy · southcarolinagenealogy.org · Printable session card

Session question: Person + event + decade + jurisdiction that held the courthouse that year.

Jurisdiction facts

60-minute path

  1. Confirm event year vs formation — parent search if needed (districts guide).
  2. Census cluster for the household + neighbors.
  3. Land / probate for the correct jurisdiction.
  4. Church + cemetery for vitals substitutes.
  5. Start-here newspaper title, then decade variants.
  6. If negative: neighbors panel + wider press market.

If not found here, try…

Colleton Hampton Jasper

Newspapers (start here first)

Record matrix (triage)

RecordCoverageYearsNotes (short)
Federal census good 1790–1950 Federal schedules available for SC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the ho…
Birth records sparse 1915– Statewide birth registration in SC is comparatively late (certificates densify after ~1…
Marriage records partial 1800– County marriage licenses/returns densify in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier marriage…
Death records partial 1915– Death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Earlier deaths: obitua…
Land & deeds partial 1769– Pre-1785: many SC deeds were recorded centrally in Charleston (Secretary of the Provinc…
Probate & estates good 1769– Wills, administrations, inventories, equity. Series usually begin near local court iden…
Church & parish good varies Church rolls often beat civil vitals before the 20th century in Beaufort County. Identi…
Newspapers varies varies Seat-town and regional titles both matter. Start with the county “start here” newsp…

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