Jasper County Genealogy
- Formed 1912
- Parent district Beaufort and Hampton
- County seat Ridgeland
- Neighbors Beaufort, Hampton
Jasper County was formed in 1912 (Beaufort and Hampton). The county seat is Ridgeland. Neighboring counties include Beaufort, Hampton.
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).
Jasper County was formed in 1912 from Beaufort County and Hampton County. The County was named for a Revolutionary War Sergeant William Jasper. Ridgeland is the county seat. Before colonization, the Coosaw and Yemassee Indians made this area home. Purrysburgh was settled here in 1732 by German Swiss immigrants led by John Pierre Purry. This settlement on the Savannah River did not survive. There were rice plantations in this county which later have been converted into a nature preserve, the Savannah Natural Wildlife Refuge. The Civil War saw a confederate victory here in 1864 in the battle of Honey Hill. A signer of the Declaration of Independence was from this area, Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Jasper County Courthouse
P.O. Box 1149
County Courthouse
Ridgeland, SC 29936
Cemeteries
Query Forums
Cities and towns of Jasper County:
- Bellinger
- Coosawatchie
- Harbville
- Hardeeville
- Limehouse
- Pineland
- Purysburgh
- Ridgeland (County Seat)
- Tarboro
- Tillman
News related to Jasper County, SC
History notes
Jasper 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.
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Jasper 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 Jasper 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.
Cemeteries
Cemetery surveys for Jasper County appear in published books, Find a Grave, USGenWeb archives, and local historical society vertical files. Always note whether a reading is complete or partial.
Courthouse & contacts
Jasper County Courthouse
Ridgeland, South Carolina
https://www.jaspercountysc.gov/