Georgetown County Genealogy

Edited by Avery Parker for South Carolina Genealogy · Georgetown County hub · Last reviewed July 13, 2026 · How we work & cite

Formed 1769
Parent district Original judicial district
County seat Georgetown
Neighbors Berkeley, Horry, Marion, Williamsburg

Photos & maps

Freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons (and related open sources), cached locally for research context.

Historic view — Georgetown County — Historic view Charles N. Bayless, Photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Source

Courthouse — Georgetown County — Courthouse Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source

Map — Georgetown County — Map No machine-readable author provided. David Benbennick assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons Source

What’s new

Hub includes record matrix, towns, newspapers (start-here title), cemeteries, societies, church notes, and neighbor panel.
Printable: Georgetown County research cheatsheet.
Method path: Start here · Districts · Churches.
Tools: free checklist & packs · surname queries · how we cite & update.
Formation era 1769 — parent context: Original judicial district.
New signature topics deepen local research angles—see the in-depth topics list and Georgetown cheatsheet.
More local topic essays added (towns, churches, AA paths, industry)—browse in-depth topics or the Georgetown cheatsheet.
Deeper researcher path and new signature topics. Print the Georgetown cheatsheet.
District-era jurisdiction map and record-survival notes; land matrix flags the pre-1785 Charleston recording trap.

History Oct 5 – Oct 19

This week in Georgetown County history

1780

Georgetown County Revolutionary autumn Thu, Oct 8

Southern Campaign autumn (Kings Mountain season statewide)—pensions decades later.

This week in South Carolina history · Genealogist timeline · Queries for this county

In-depth topics

Georgetown Research Strategy
Jurisdiction-first path for Georgetown County families.
Waccamaw Neck & the Rice Kingdom
Georgetown District rice plantations produced enormous wealth and some of SC’s densest enslaved populations.
Parent Jurisdictions & Boundaries
Why Georgetown County ancestors may appear under older district or parent-county labels.
Newspapers & Obituaries
Press coverage for marriages, deaths, land sales, and church news in Georgetown County.
Records Roadmap
A practical order of record types for Georgetown County research sessions.
Parish & River Geography
Waccamaw, Pee Dee, and Black rivers—plus parish labels—matter more than modern streets for early families.
Port & Merchant Records
A rice port generated shipping, factor, and merchant credit trails that illuminate planters and free workers alike.
Georgetown District-Era Jurisdiction Map
1769–1785–1800–1868 labels and parent redirects for Georgetown County research.
Georgetown Record Survival & Loss Narrative
What burned-courthouse folklore gets wrong—and where records actually survive for Georgetown County.
Georgetown AA Research: Rice Coast After Freedom
Plantation geography, schedules, and church-first paths on the Waccamaw.
Waccamaw Neck Communities
Neck geography is not the same research problem as Georgetown town.
Pawleys & Coastal Chapels
Coastal chapel and summer-community patterns affect church affiliation searches.
Andrews & Sampit Corridor
Interior corridor towns toward Williamsburg and Florence edges.
Free Black & Port Labor Context
Port labor, free Black communities, and merchant credit intertwine.
Rice Coast Place-Name Method
Plantation, creek, and parish names are the real finding aids.
Georgetown African American Starting Stack
Freedom, labor, and church trails on the rice coast.

Towns & communities

7 places — view all town pages

Georgetown county seat Andrews Garden City Garden City Beach Maryville Murrells Inlet Pawleys Island

Georgetown County was formed in 1769 (Original judicial district). The county seat is Georgetown. Neighboring counties include Berkeley, Horry, Marion, 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).

Georgetown County was formed in 1769 from the original district of the colony. The county and it's county seat were named for King George II of England. Spanish settlers may have visited the area as early as 1526, but left no permanent settlements. Rice and indigo plantations were established here in the early 1700s by English settlers. During the Revolutionary War, General Frances Marion made use of the swamps of this area as a hideout from the British during his guerrilla campaign. With the decline of the rice plantations after the Civil War, hunting preserves took over the land that was once dedicated to growing rice. Among the famous names from Georgetown county are a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Lynch, Jr, The first African-American elected to the US House, Joseph Hayne Rainey and the man that introduced the Poinsettia to the United States, Joel Roberts Poinsett.

Georgetown County SCGenweb site [Wayback; prefer SCDAH / FamilySearch wiki]

Georgetown County Courthouse
P.O. Drawer 421270
County Courthouse
Georgetown, SC 29442

Census

1790 Federal Census images Directory opens to listing of image files by page number
1800 Federal Census images Directory opens to listing of image files by page number
1830 Federal Census transcription [Wayback; prefer SCDAH / FamilySearch wiki] web based, indexed by last name
1840 Federal Census transcription [Wayback; prefer SCDAH / FamilySearch wiki] web based, indexed by last name
1860 Federal Census transcription - slaveholder schedule [Wayback; prefer SCDAH / FamilySearch wiki] Largest slaveholders with crossreference to 1870 African-American surnames

Query Forums

Researcher path (Georgetown)

River & parish geography structure research more than modern streets—plot plantations and waterways.
Rice kingdom + AA paths: Use occupation timelines, churches, and Bureau/military where relevant (AA guide).
District identity: Early judicial labels predate later county carve-outs (Horry, etc.).
Stack: Place → census → land/probate → church/cemetery → papers → federal overlays.

Georgetown cheatsheet · Horry · Williamsburg.

History notes

Georgetown 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.

Formation sources: County formation ~1769 from Original judicial district — verify against SCDAH, FamilySearch Wiki, and official county government history pages. Do not rely on Wikipedia alone.

Historical markers in Georgetown County

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) lists 73 approved historical markers in Georgetown County. Short summaries, in our own words, of selected markers with strong family history leads come first, followed by the full list by number. SCDAH publishes the official marker texts on its interactive marker map; we summarize them rather than reprint them.

Marker locations: SCDAH. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. The map shows 71 of 73 markers; the list below covers every marker, including any not shown on the map.

22-09 Prince George's Parish Church, Winyah
Georgetown; 708 Highmarket St. · approved 1941
Prince George's Parish, Winyah, was created in 1721, with its first church on the Black River at Brown's Ferry in 1726. After Prince Frederick's Parish was split off in 1734, the parish built this church in Georgetown between 1737 and 1750, so colonial parish entries for the area may belong to either parish.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-09) · Related here: Parish and river geography · Church records guide
22-17 Antipedo Baptist Church / Old Baptist Cemetery
Georgetown; 700 block of Church St., near Screven St. · approved 1983
Elisha Screven set this one-acre lot aside for Antipedo (Baptist) use when Georgetown was laid out by 1730; the Baptists were constituted in 1794 and had a wooden meetinghouse here by 1804. SCDAH names burials of William Cuttino Sr., minister and educator John Waldo, English-born pastor Edmund Botsford and Savage Smith.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-17) · Related here: Cemeteries guide · Georgetown (town page)
22-44 Beth Elohim Cemetery
Georgetown; Corner of Broad & Duke Sts. · approved 1997
Founded about 1772, Beth Elohim is the second oldest Jewish cemetery in South Carolina. SCDAH names merchants Mordecai Myers and Abraham Cohen, whose Georgetown stores opened in 1772 and 1762, businessman Heiman Kaminski (arrived 1856), and three of Georgetown's Jewish mayors among those buried here.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-44) · Related here: Port and merchant records · Cemeteries guide
22-46 Georgetown County Courthouse
Georgetown; Georgetown County Courthouse, corner of Screven & Prince Sts. · approved 1997
Robert Mills designed this courthouse, built in 1823-24 after two hurricanes damaged the earlier one. Contractor Russell Warren built it under state commissioners who included John Keith and Abraham Cohen of Georgetown.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-46) · Related here: Georgetown records roadmap · Record survival and loss
22-59 Dissenter Meeting House and Cemetery
Andrews vicinity; Off Pump House Landing Rd., just SE of the Black River · approved 2012 · reported missing by SCDAH; not on the map
Rev. Elisha Screven (died 1754), son of Charleston Baptist founder William Screven, built a Dissenter meeting house here about 1726 for one of the first Baptist congregations in South Carolina outside Charleston. Presbyterians shared it and soon outnumbered the Baptists, building Black Mingo Presbyterian Church about seven miles north by around 1742. Most gravestones here are gone.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-59) · Related here: Andrews and Sampit · Church records guide
22-64 Potter's Field
Georgetown; Highmarket St. near Dozier St., Georgetown · approved 2016 · reported missing by SCDAH; not on the map
From the 1880s to the 1930s this Georgetown block was the burial place for the poor, the unknown and executed prisoners, most in unmarked graves and many of them African American. SCDAH names Frank Magrath (1881) and Edward Rainey, brother of Congressman Joseph Hayne Rainey; most graves had been moved by the 1950s.
Official text: SCDAH marker map (search 22-64) · Related here: African American starting stack · Cemeteries guide

All 67 other markers in Georgetown County, by number

22-01 Attacks Upon Georgetown (Georgetown; U.S. Hwy. 17, E of Georgetown, near the Hobcaw Point Fishing & Observation Pier, on the peninsula between the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers · approved 1938)
22-02 Georgetown (Georgetown; 700 block of Highmarket St. between Broad and Screven Sts. · approved 1940)
22-03 Hopsewee (Georgetown; U.S. Hwy. 17/701 at Hopsewee Rd., just S of its junction with Powell Rd. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-24), about 14 mi. S of Georgetown, North Santee vicinity · approved 1940)
22-04 Prospect Hill (Georgetown; U.S. Hwy. 17, E of Georgetown, about 1.7 mi. E of the Waccamaw River · approved 1940)
22-05 Clifton Plantation (Georgetown; U.S. Hwy. 17, 0.8 mi. E of the Harrell Siau Bridge over the Waccamaw River, E of Georgetown · approved 1940)
22-06 Gabriel Marion (Georgetown; Intersection of Highmarket St. (U.S. Hwy. 521) & White's Bridge Dr. · approved 1940)
22-07 Skirmish at Sampit Bridge (Sampit; Sampit United Methodist Church, U.S. Hwy. 17A · approved 1940)
22-08 Lafayette (Georgetown; U.S. Hwy. 17, 0.8 mi. E of the Harrell Siau Bridge over the Waccamaw River, E of Georgetown · approved 1940)
22-10 Skirmish at Black Mingo Creek (Rhems; County Line Rd. (S.C. Sec. Rd.. 22-51/41), just N of Mingo Landing Trail, 1.6 mi. N of Rhems · approved 1941 · SCDAH lists this as 21-10 and notes it should be 22-10)
22-11 Washington Allston (Murrells Inlet vicinity; Inside Brookgreen Gardens on Allston Circle Dr. · approved 1941)
22-12 Sergeant McDonald (Georgetown; N. Fraser St. (U.S. Hwy. 701 N) & Indigo Ave. · approved 1938)
22-13 Washington's Visit (Murrells Inlet vicinity; Inside Brookgreen Gardens on Allston Circle Dr. · approved 1981)
22-14 Joseph Alston (Murrells Inlet vicinity; Inside Brookgreen Gardens on Allston Circle Dr. · approved 1981)
22-15 Methodists (Georgetown; Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, 901 Highmarket St. near Orange St. · approved 1982)
22-16 Winyah Indigo Society (Georgetown; 500 block of Prince St., near Cannon St. · approved 1983)
22-18 Georgetown (Georgetown; Francis Marion Park, Front St. at Broad St. · approved 2023)
22-19 Mount Tabor Church (Yauhannah; Tabor Dr., just E of the junction of S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-264 (Exodus Dr.) & U.S. Hwy. 701, about 1.5 mi. S of Yauhannah · approved 1984)
22-20 Winyah Schools (Georgetown; 1200 Highmarket St. · approved 1985)
22-21 Howard School (Georgetown; Corner of Duke & King Sts. · approved 1986)
22-22 Bethel Church (Georgetown; Corner of Duke & Broad Sts. · approved 1988)
22-23 General Arthur M. Manigault (Georgetown; Highmarket St. (U.S. Hwy. 17-A) at S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-452, about 100 yds. W of Georgetown city limits · approved 1967)
22-24 Theodosia Burr Alston (Murrells Inlet vicinity; Inside Brookgreen Gardens on Allston Circle Dr. · approved 1970)
22-25 Birthplace of Jeremiah John Snow / China Grove Plantation (Union Crossroads vicinity; S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-6, about 1.5 mi. SE of the intersection of S.C. Hwys. 512 and 513 · approved 1974)
22-26 Pawley's Island / Waccamaw Neck (Pawleys Island; at Pawleys Island Town Hall, 321 Myrtle Ave. near its intersection with 3rd St. · approved 1975)
22-27 Hot and Hot Fish Club (Murrells Inlet; Huntington Beach State Park, 16148 Ocean Hwy. · approved 1979)
22-28 William Screven / Elisha Screven (Georgetown; 600 block of Prince St. between Screven and Queen Sts. · approved 1980)
22-29 Joseph Blyth Allston House ("Pawley House") (Pawleys Island; 441 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-30 R. F. W. Allston House (Pawleys Island; 458 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-31 P. C. J. Weston House / Pelican Inn (Pawleys Island; 506 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-32 All Saints Summer Parsonage/ The Rectory (Pawleys Island; 510 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-33 Ward House / Liberty Lodge (Pawleys Island; 520 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-34 Nesbit / Norburn House (Pawleys Island; 560 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-35 All Saints Academy Summer House (Pawleys Island; 566 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-36 LaBruce / Lemon House (Pawleys Island; 546 Myrtle Ave. · approved 1993)
22-37 Joseph Hayne Rainey (Georgetown; 909 Prince St. · approved 1994)
22-38 R. F. W. Allston Causeway (Pawleys Island; Intersection of S. Causeway Rd. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-266) & Myrtle Dr. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-10) · approved 1994)
22-39 Retreat Rice Plantation (Belle Isle Garden; S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-18, about 1 mi. S of Belle Isle Garden · approved 1994)
22-40 Hobcaw Barony (Georgetown; At the entrance to the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, Hobcaw Barony, U.S. Hwy. 17, 1 mi. N of Georgetown · approved 1995)
22-40 Bethesda Baptist Church (Georgetown; Wood St., between Prince and Haymarket Sts. · approved 1996 · SCDAH lists this as 22-40 and notes it should be 22-41)
22-41 Prince George Winyah Parish (1721) / Prince Frederick's Parish (1734) (Georgetown vicinity; S.C. Hwy. 51, 1mi. from Georgetown side of Brown's Ferry Bridge · approved 1996)
22-42 First Baptist Church (Georgetown; 219 Cleland St., corner of Cleland and Highmarket Sts. · approved 1997)
22-43 William Doyle Morgan House (Georgetown; 732 Prince St. · approved 1997)
22-45 Robert Stewart House (Georgetown; 1019 Front St. · approved 1997)
22-47 Town Clock / Kaminski Building (Georgetown; Front St., between the Town Clock and the Kaminski Building · approved 1997)
22-48 John and Mary Perry Cleland House (Georgetown; 405 Front St. · approved 1997)
22-49 Kaminski House (Georgetown; 1003 Front St. · approved 1998)
22-50 The Oaks Plantation (Georgetown vicinity; U.S. Hwy. 17 N, Georgetown vicinity, near the entrance to the plantation on the North Santee River · approved 1998)
22-51 Pleasant Hill School (Hemingway vicinity; Pleasant Hill Dr. (S.C. Hwy. 513) · approved 2001)
22-52 Prince Frederick's Chapel (Plantersville; At the chapel ruins, Plantersville Rd. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-52), 4 mi. E of U.S. Hwy. 701 · approved 2001)
22-53 Chicora Wood Plantation (Plantersville; Chicora Wood Ave., approximately 2 mi. SE of the intersection of Plantersville Rd. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 22-52) and Exodus Dr. · approved 2001)
22-54 All Saints Parish / All Saints, Waccamaw (Pawleys Island vicinity; All Saints Parish, Waccamaw, Episcopal Church, 10172 Ocean Hwy. (U.S. Hwy. 17) · approved 2001)
22-55 Mt. Olive Baptist Church (Georgetown; 1043 Duke St. · approved 2001)
22-56 Sampit Methodist Church (Sampit; U.s. Hwy. 17A · approved 2003)
22-57 Hobcaw Barony (Georgetown; At the entrance to the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, Hobcaw Barony, U.S. Hwy. 17, 1 mi. N of Georgetown · approved 2008)
22-58 Sinking of the USS Harvest Moon (Georgetown; Behind 633 Front St. · approved 2011)
22-60 Brookgreen Plantation (Murrells Inlet; Parking lot at west side of William Alston Loop, on grounds of Brookgreen Gardens, 1931 Brookgreen Dr., Murrells Inlet · approved 2014)
22-61 DeBordieu Beach (DeBordieu Beach; Entrance to Old Carriage Rd., off of Luvan Blvd., approx. 2,100 ft. E of U.S. Hwy. 17, DeBordieu Beach · approved 2015)
22-62 Oak Grove Methodist Church (Andrews; 1676 Kent Rd., Andrews · approved 2016)
22-63 Beneventum Plantation (Georgetown vicinity; 604 Beneventum Rd., Georgetown vicinity · approved 2016)
22-65 St. John A.M.E. Church (Pawleys Island; 76 Duncan Ave., Pawleys Island · approved 2017)
22-66 James A. Bowley (Georgetown; 231 King St., Georgetown · approved 2019)
22-67 Friendly Aid Society / Rosemont School (Georgetown; 809 Palm St., Georgetown · approved 2019)
22-68 St. Stephen A.M.E. Church (Georgetown; 1915 Winyah St., Georgetown · approved 2020)
22-69 Pawleys Island House of Worship (Pawleys Island; 391 Myrtle Ave., Pawleys Island · approved 2020)
22-70 Plantersville (Plantersville; E of U.S. Hwy. 701 and Plantersville Rd., Plantersville · approved 2021)
22-71 Belin Memorial United Methodist Church (Murrells Inlet; 4182 U.S. Hwy. 17 Business, Murrells Inlet · approved 2023)
22-72 Florence Williams Hospital (Georgetown; 1014 Duke St., Georgetown · approved 2026)

Source: SC Historical Marker Program, SCDAH and its interactive map of approved markers, accessed 2026-10-11. Photos and visitor notes: HMdb listings for Georgetown County (HMdb also lists memorials and non-state markers).

Local history & events

Recent news and notices about historic sites, heritage programs, reenactments, and local history related to Georgetown County (and statewide South Carolina heritage stories). Links open external publishers — verify details before traveling.

Event Sep 17, 2026 South Carolina Public Radio
Historic warbirds expected to land in Georgetown for four-day tour - South Carolina Public Radio
Historic warbirds expected to land in Georgetown for four-day tour South Carolina Public Radio
Event Sep 16, 2026 wtma.com
Historic WWII warbirds aircraft return to Georgetown County Airport for Oct. 1-4 tour stop - wtma.com
Historic WWII warbirds aircraft return to Georgetown County Airport for Oct. 1-4 tour stop wtma.com
Local history Aug 13, 2026 yahoo.com
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck - yahoo.com
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck yahoo.com
Local history Aug 13, 2026 WCBD News 2
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck - WCBD News 2
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck WCBD News 2
Local history Aug 13, 2026 AOL.com
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck - AOL.com
Georgetown presentation to explore search for historic Spanish shipwreck AOL.com
Local history Aug 1, 2026 newsbreak.com
Photos: Tobacco cropping day at Horry County's historic farm - newsbreak.com
Photos: Tobacco cropping day at Horry County's historic farm newsbreak.com

Updated automatically from public news feeds focused on history and heritage. See statewide local history news · Suggest an event

Research tools

Free printables for field sessions and home research nights—core to this site’s practical-tools mission.

This county’s cheatsheet Starter checklist Statewide bundle Start here guide

Record availability matrix

Guidance for what tends to exist for this county—not a guarantee. Always verify at the repository. Statewide method notes: vitals, land, probate, census.

SC jurisdiction trap (read first)

Pre-1785 deeds were often recorded centrally in Charleston (Secretary of the Province/State), not only in a local courthouse. Always pair the land row below with parent-district labels and SCDAH colonial series. See also this county’s district-era map and record survival topics.

Record type	Coverage	Years (approx.)	Notes
Federal census Source / portal	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 1769, search parent jurisdiction: Original judicial district.
Birth records Source / portal	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 Georgetown County existed (~1769), research the family in parent jurisdictions (Original judicial district) for land, tax, church, and census—not for earlier county birth certificates.
Marriage records Source / portal	partial	1800–	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 Georgetown County (~1769), search parent jurisdiction (Original judicial district) and neighboring counties for the ceremony place—not only this courthouse.
Death records Source / portal	partial	1915–	Death certificates densify after statewide registration (~1915). Earlier deaths: obituaries, church burial, probate, cemeteries, coroner notes. Pre-formation residence (~1769): search parent context (Original judicial district) for substitutes, not for modern-style county death certificates before registration.
Land & deeds Source / portal	good	1769–	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. District/plat/plantation names structure title. Pre-1785 colonial Charleston series still apply. Horry formation redirects some later coastal title.
Probate & estates Source / portal	good	1769–	Wills, administrations, inventories, equity. Series usually begin near local court identity (~1769); gaps → neighbors, SCDAH microfilm, federal substitutes. Pre-formation: Original judicial district.
Church & parish Source / portal	good	varies	Parish and Black River / Indiantown-type traditions matter; identify congregation before municipal cemeteries only.
Newspapers Source / portal	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: Original judicial district.
Military Source / portal	good	1775–	Revolutionary through 20th-century service may generate pensions, CMSRs, and local militia notes. Pair with county context for battles and units.
Cemeteries Source / portal	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: Original judicial district.
Court records Source / portal	partial	1769–	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: Original judicial district.
Tax lists Source / portal	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

Professional finding-aid layer for this county. Year ranges are research guidance based on formation and statewide patterns. Call numbers and reel IDs change—confirm in SCDAH catalogs and the FamilySearch catalog before ordering film or citing a reel.

Series	Years (approx.)	Repository	Call / catalog notes
Colonial / Secretary of the Province–State land series (statewide) THE SC land trap: pre-1785 conveyances often recorded centrally in Charleston. Search even for upcountry families. Pair with parent-district labels. Catalog / portal	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).
Georgetown District (1769 judicial district) continuity Parish/river geography still structures Lowcountry research. Catalog / portal	1769–	SCDAH	Original judicial district identity. District court and land-related series may predate modern county packaging—use SCDAH district/county inventories side by side.
Georgetown County deeds / mesne conveyances (ROD) Local deed series typically densify after county court identity (~1769). Always re-check catalog years. Catalog / portal	1785–	County ROD + SCDAH microfilm	County Register of Deeds (or Clerk as ROD). SCDAH holds many county deed books on microfilm—look up “Georgetown County” in SCDAH / FamilySearch catalog for book/reel coverage. Call numbers change; verify before ordering film.
Georgetown County probate (wills, administrations, inventories) Equity may be bound with or near probate depending on era. Thin years → neighbors + SCDAH. Catalog / portal	1785–	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.
Georgetown / district equity & related chancery-type files Do not assume equity lives under the modern county name for every decade. Catalog / portal	1785–	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.
Georgetown County / district court of common pleas & sessions Useful for debts, land disputes, and name lists when deeds are silent. Catalog / portal	1785–	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.
Georgetown tax lists & related assessments (where surviving) Compare with census decades for neighbor clusters. Catalog / portal	1780–	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 For pre-registration generations use church, Bible, probate, obituary, cemetery. Catalog / portal	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 Confirm year ranges before travel; runs are often fragmentary. Catalog / portal	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 — Georgetown County place search Wiki overview: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Georgetown_County,_South_Carolina_Genealogy Catalog / portal	see catalog	FamilySearch	Catalog search: Place = "Georgetown, 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 Georgetown County (seat: Georgetown), identify the congregation before hunting only municipal cemeteries. Membership moves across county lines more easily than deeds.

Prince George Winyah and river parish context for early generations.
Rice-kingdom African American church and burial traditions after emancipation.

Newspapers

Named titles with year ranges and repository notes. Start with the highlighted title, then search decade variants—mastheads change often. Confirm runs before you travel.

Start here Georgetown Times lineage (start here)
Georgetown · 1797–present · Weekly/Daily

Long coastal press tradition—verify surviving runs. Repos: Georgetown library, SC State Library, SCHS for early fragments.
Research portals (verify runs & holdings)
Georgetown · n/a

Cross-check: Chronicling America · SC State Library · local public library microfilm · SCDAH newspaper finding aids · commercial digitization. Mastheads change by decade—log every title variant you search.

Statewide newspapers guide · Libraries & societies directory · Repos: SCDAH · SC State Library · local microfilm · Chronicling America

Cemeteries & burial research

Major municipal grounds, historic churchyards, and portals—not a complete inventory of every graveyard. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete.

Featured Georgetown County — Find a Grave cemetery search
Georgetown

Portal search for user-contributed cemetery pages and memorials. Verify stones and surveys independently.

Find a Grave · More
Featured Prince George Winyah churchyard (historic)
Georgetown · Episcopal

Colonial/early national church context—confirm inscriptions via surveys.

Find a Grave
Featured Elmwood Cemetery
Georgetown

Municipal cemetery; also survey plantation/churchyards on Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers.

Find a Grave
Featured Prince George Winyah churchyard
Georgetown · Episcopal

Colonial/early national church context—confirm inscriptions via surveys.

Find a Grave · Submit a correction
Churchyards & family plots (survey first)
Various

Many SC burials never appear in municipal cemeteries. Start with church affiliation, then published surveys and GPS-enabled modern inventories.

Find a Grave · More
Georgetown County — Not a complete inventory
Various

This list is a research starting set (featured grounds + portals), not every graveyard. Published abstracts and Find a Grave are incomplete. Know a survey, correction, or missing churchyard? Use the contact form—we update county pages as evidence arrives.

Find a Grave · Submit a correction

Not complete — help us improve. Know a published survey citation, missing churchyard, or bad link? Send a correction. · Cemeteries research guide

Societies & repositories

Georgetown County Library
library · Georgetown

Local history resources for the rice kingdom / Waccamaw region.
Rice Museum (Georgetown)
museum · Georgetown

Rice culture interpretation useful for plantation-era research context.
SC Department of Archives and History
archive · Columbia

State archives — colonial to modern government records, maps, and genealogy research rooms.
South Carolina State Library
library · Columbia

Statewide library services, newspapers, and digital collections.
Lowcountry Africana
other · Online

Essential free portal for African American research in the Lowcountry and beyond.
FamilySearch — South Carolina
other · Online

Wiki portals, digitized film, and catalog entries for every SC county.
National Archives at Atlanta
archive · Atlanta

Regional NARA facility for federal records useful to SC researchers (courts, military, census access support).
SC Genealogical Society
society · Statewide

Statewide genealogical society with local chapters.

Full societies & libraries directory

Research starting points

Census

Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Georgetown 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 Georgetown 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

Canonical mailing target for this hub. Confirm the specific office (Clerk of Court, Register of Deeds, Probate) and current address on the county government site before you mail a records request. Historical society PO boxes are not the courthouse.

Georgetown County Courthouse
Georgetown, South Carolina
https://www.gtcounty.org/

If not found here, try…

South Carolina brick walls are often jurisdiction problems. Search parent districts and neighbors when deeds or probate are thin—and for pre-formation families. Civil birth/death certificates are late statewide; parents do not hold earlier “county birth certificates.”

Formed 1769
Parent / earlier jurisdiction Original judicial district — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).

Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):

Berkeley Horry Marion Williamsburg

Expand the same decade in neighbor newspapers, church rolls, and cemeteries—kin often cross the line for marriage and burial. Also use Start here, the districts & counties guide, migration corridors, and local history news.