Clarendon County Genealogy
- Formed 1855
- Parent district Sumter
- County seat Manning
- Neighbors Berkeley, Calhoun, Florence, Orangeburg, Sumter, Williamsburg
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Hub includes record matrix, towns, newspapers (start-here title), cemeteries, societies, church notes, and neighbor panel.
- Printable: Clarendon County research cheatsheet.
- Method path: Start here · Districts · Churches.
- Tools: free checklist & packs · surname queries · how we cite & update.
- Formation era 1855 — parent context: Sumter.
- New signature topics deepen local research angles—see the in-depth topics list and Clarendon cheatsheet.
- More local topic essays added (towns, churches, AA paths, industry)—browse in-depth topics or the Clarendon cheatsheet.
- District-era jurisdiction map and record-survival notes; land matrix flags the pre-1785 Charleston recording trap.
This week in Clarendon County history
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1780Clarendon County Revolutionary late summer Thu, Aug 20
Militia movements and later pensions cross modern lines—use federal files.
This week in South Carolina history · Genealogist timeline · Queries for this county
In-depth topics
- Clarendon Research Strategy
- Parent Jurisdictions & Boundaries
- Newspapers & Obituaries
- Records Roadmap
- Clarendon District-Era Jurisdiction Map
- Clarendon Record Survival & Loss Narrative
- From Sumter (1855)
- Swamp Fox Country & Churches
- Santee Cooper Displacements
- Manning as Seat-Town Base
- Summerton & Briggs v. Elliott Context
- Turbeville & Paxville
- African American Land & Schools
Towns & communities
Clarendon County was formed in 1855 (Sumter). The county seat is Manning. Neighboring counties include Berkeley, Calhoun, Florence, Orangeburg, Sumter, Williamsburg.
Use the research panels below for modern starting points—government contacts, census, vital records, cemeteries—and read the legacy narrative for local history notes and older link collections (some updated).
Clarendon County was formed in 1785, but then became a part of the Sumter District in 1800. Later it was split from the Sumter District in 1857. The county was named for Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674). The Earl of Clarendon was one of the Lords Proprietors of the Carolina Colony. The county seat is Manning.
The county saw several Revolutionary War skirmishes, including one at Fort Watson, where an old indian mound had been fortified. The British soldiers were forced to relinquish their position.
This county is said to be where General Francis Marion earned the nickname "Swamp Fox".
The site again saw turmoil during the Civil War when several plantations were burning by Union Troops. In the 1950s Clarendon County's schools were sued over racial segregation in what was to be one of the cases leading to the Supreme Courts move against racial segregation. That case was Briggs vs. Elliot.
Clarendon County SCGenweb site
Clarendon County Courthouse
P.O. Box 486
County Courthouse
Manning, SC 29102
Census
- 1790 Federal Census transcription - Camden District
- 1820 Federal Census Transcription - Sumter district
- 1880 Federal Census Images Directory opens to listing of images named by page number
Military Records
- Company I, 23rd Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers
- Company I, 25th Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers
- Company C, 9th Infranty Regiment
Query Forums
History notes
Clarendon County's documentary trail follows South Carolina's district-to-county evolution. When searching before county formation, check parent districts and neighboring counties for deeds, estates, and tax lists.
SC jurisdiction depth: Use the district-era map and record survival topics—plus the pre-1785 statewide deed recording trap on the land matrix row.
Local history & events
- Rep. Clyburn backs bill for multi-site historic national park to honor Rosenwald Schools - The Sumter Item
- Attend a talk with an author, take a Revolutionary War Hike, watch a magic / comedy show or enjoy rides at the Clarendon County Fair - The Sumter Item
- Bamberg County breaks ground on long-awaited courthouse renovation - WRDW
- North Augusta’s Living History Park could soon restore historic water wheel - NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts
- SC250 Charleston brings Revolutionary-era living history to Marion Square - WCBD News 2
- L.W. Paul Living History Farm hosts Tobacco Heritage Day Saturday - WPDE
Record availability matrix
SC jurisdiction trap (read first)
| Record type | Coverage | Years (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal census | good | 1790–1950 | Federal schedules available for SC with known quirks/losses in some years. Place the household in the correct county/district for each decade. Before 1855, search parent jurisdiction: Sumter. |
| Birth records | sparse | 1915– | Statewide birth registration in SC is comparatively late (certificates densify after ~1915). Do not expect a civil birth certificate for pre-registration generations—use delayed births, church baptisms, Bibles, census, and probate. For people living before Clarendon County existed (~1855), research the family in parent jurisdictions (Sumter) for land, tax, church, and census—not for earlier county birth certificates. |
| Marriage records | partial | 1855– | County marriage licenses/returns densify in the 19th–20th centuries; earlier marriages often appear only in church books, bonds, newspapers, or pension files. If the couple married before Clarendon County (~1855), search parent jurisdiction (Sumter) and neighboring counties for the ceremony place—not only this courthouse. |
| Death records | partial | 1915– | Death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Earlier deaths: obituaries, church burial, probate, cemeteries, coroner notes. Pre-formation residence (~1855): search parent context (Sumter) for substitutes, not for modern-style county death certificates before registration. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1855– | Pre-1785: many SC deeds were recorded centrally in Charleston (Secretary of the Province/State), not only in the modern county courthouse—search colonial/Charleston series plus parent districts. County ROD typically densifies near formation (~1855); earlier freeholders: Sumter. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1855– | Wills, administrations, inventories, equity. Series usually begin near local court identity (~1855); gaps → neighbors, SCDAH microfilm, federal substitutes. Pre-formation: Sumter. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church rolls often beat civil vitals before the 20th century in Clarendon County. Identify denomination and congregation neighborhood early (see church & cemetery panels). Parent/earlier context: Sumter. |
| Newspapers | varies | varies | Seat-town and regional titles both matter. Start with the county “start here” newspaper, then Chronicling America + SC State Library microfilm catalogs. Parent/earlier context: Sumter. |
| Military | good | 1775– | Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units. |
| Cemeteries | partial | varies | Featured municipal and churchyards on this hub are starting points—not a complete inventory. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete; rural family plots are common. Submit survey citations via contact. Parent/earlier context: Sumter. |
| Court records | partial | 1855– | Common pleas / sessions / equity labels change with district-era reforms (1785, ~1800, 1868). Confirm the courthouse that held the year—not only the modern county name. Parent context: Sumter. |
| Tax lists | sparse | varies | Tax lists can substitute for missing census years. Coverage is uneven by locality and year; check SCDAH and published abstracts. |
SCDAH & repository series inventory
| Series | Years (approx.) | Repository | Call / catalog notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial / Secretary of the Province–State land series (statewide) | 1670–1785 | SCDAH | SCDAH colonial plats, grants, and memorials — confirm current series titles & microfilm/digital IDs in SCDAH catalogs (do not rely on a single county courthouse for pre-1785 title). |
| Clarendon County deeds / mesne conveyances (ROD) | 1855– | County ROD + SCDAH microfilm | County Register of Deeds (or Clerk as ROD). SCDAH holds many county deed books on microfilm—look up “Clarendon County” in SCDAH / FamilySearch catalog for book/reel coverage. Call numbers change; verify before ordering film. |
| Clarendon County probate (wills, administrations, inventories) | 1855– | County Probate + SCDAH microfilm | Wills/administrations/inventories. Many counties filmed; FamilySearch wiki catalog links list digitized vs film-only. Confirm packet vs will-book coverage separately. |
| Clarendon / district equity & related chancery-type files | 1855– | SCDAH + county | Equity/bills often resolve kin and land when law-side probate is thin. Series labels shift with district reforms (~1785, ~1800, 1868). Use SCDAH equity finding aids + county inventories. |
| Clarendon County / district court of common pleas & sessions | 1855– | SCDAH + county clerk | Judgment rolls, sessions, and related court papers. Coverage and labels vary; start with SCDAH county records inventory and FamilySearch catalog entries for the county. |
| Clarendon tax lists & related assessments (where surviving) | 1855– | SCDAH + published abstracts | Tax survival is uneven. Check SCDAH and published society abstracts; some lists exist only in print abstracts or FS film. Never treat a partial web extract as complete. |
| Statewide vital registration (birth/death) — not a colonial county series | 1915– | SC DHEC / SCDAH / FamilySearch | Civil birth/death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Search statewide systems and FS collections; parent counties do not hold earlier “birth certificates” for 1915+ events that never used civil registration. |
| Newspapers (local + regional) — SC State Library / Chronicling America | see catalog | SC State Library + LOC | Microfilm and digital runs: SC State Library newspaper catalogs; Chronicling America; local libraries. Hub “start-here” title is first masthead only. |
| FamilySearch catalog — Clarendon County place search | see catalog | FamilySearch | Catalog search: Place = "Clarendon, South Carolina". Review film notes for deeds, probate, court, vitals. Digitization status changes—re-check the catalog item. |
Churches & denominations
Pee Dee pattern: Baptist traditions (including Welsh Neck memory), Methodist circuits, and river-landing churches. Border counties often share membership with North Carolina congregations.
For Clarendon County (seat: Manning), identify the congregation before hunting only municipal cemeteries. Membership moves across county lines more easily than deeds.
Newspapers
- Start here Manning Times lineage (start here)
- Research portals (verify runs & holdings)
Cemeteries & burial research
- Featured Clarendon County — Find a Grave cemetery search
- Featured Manning cemetery surveys
- Churchyards & family plots (survey first)
- Clarendon County — Not a complete inventory
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Clarendon County household reconstruction. Start with every decade the family should appear, then correlate with land and probate.
Vital records
South Carolina statewide vital registration is comparatively late. For many Clarendon County families you will rely on a mix of county probate, church registers, Bible records, newspapers, and delayed birth certificates—not only a single “vital records office” file.
Courthouse & contacts
Clarendon County Courthouse
Manning, South Carolina
https://www.clarendoncountygov.org/
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1855
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Sumter — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):