Kershaw County Genealogy
- Formed 1791
- Parent district Camden District
- County seat Camden
- Neighbors Chesterfield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lee, Richland, Sumter
Photos & maps
What’s new
- Hub includes record matrix, towns, newspapers (start-here title), cemeteries, societies, church notes, and neighbor panel.
- Printable: Kershaw County research cheatsheet.
- Method path: Start here · Districts · Churches.
- Tools: free checklist & packs · surname queries · how we cite & update.
- Formation era 1791 — parent context: Camden District.
- New signature topics deepen local research angles—see the in-depth topics list and Kershaw cheatsheet.
- More local topic essays added (towns, churches, AA paths, industry)—browse in-depth topics or the Kershaw cheatsheet.
- District-era jurisdiction map and record-survival notes; land matrix flags the pre-1785 Charleston recording trap.
This week in Kershaw County history
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1780Battle of Camden Today
Major British victory in the backcountry—casualty and militia research hub for Kershaw area.
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1780Battle of Camden in Kershaw research Today
Revolutionary defeat densifies pension research.
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1780Kershaw County Revolutionary late summer Sat, Aug 22
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
- Battle of Camden (1780)
- Kershaw Research Strategy
- Camden Newspapers & Local Print
- Parent Jurisdictions & Boundaries
- Newspapers & Obituaries
- Records Roadmap
- Camden as District Seat
- Military Layers
- Kershaw District-Era Jurisdiction Map
- Kershaw Record Survival & Loss Narrative
- Bethune & Elgin
- Lugoff & Columbia Edge
- African American Camden Research
Towns & communities
Kershaw County was formed in 1791 (Camden District). The county seat is Camden. Neighboring counties include Chesterfield, Fairfield, Lancaster, Lee, Richland, Sumter.
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).
Kershaw County was formed in 1798 from the old Camden District. The county was named for Joseph Kershaw, an early settler. Kershaw County is also at the center of the Revolutionary War history of South Carolina. 14 Revolutionary war battles took place here including the battle of Camden in 1780 and the battle of Hobkirk's Hill in 1781. The Historic Camden Revolutionary War site is located here with 107 acres of trails and a look at Colonial life around the time of the Revolution. The county seat is Camden which is also the oldest inland city in South Carolina, it was settled in 1732. The British set fire to Camden after the battle of Hobkirk's Hill. During the Civil War, the city was burned again by Sherman's Army in February 1865.
Kershaw County SCGenweb site
Kershaw County Historical Society *new*
811 Fair Street, Box 501
Camden, SC 29020
Kershaw County Courthouse
515 Walnut Street
County Courthouse
Camden, SC 29020
Census
- 1800 Federal Census Transcription and index Directory opens to file listing with index file and a file named by page number.
- 1800 Federal Census Transcription
Query Forums
History notes
Kershaw 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
- DNA identifies Revolutionary War soldier more than 240 years after Battle of Camden - WLTX
- 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
- A living history: Gullah Geechee culture and America’s story - WJCL
- Revolutionary War reenactment draws crowd in South Carolina - WRAL
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 1791, search parent jurisdiction: Camden District. |
| 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 Kershaw County existed (~1791), research the family in parent jurisdictions (Camden District) for land, tax, church, and census—not for earlier county birth certificates. |
| Marriage records | 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 Kershaw County (~1791), search parent jurisdiction (Camden District) 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 (~1791): search parent context (Camden District) for substitutes, not for modern-style county death certificates before registration. |
| Land & deeds | good | 1791– | 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 (~1791); earlier freeholders: Camden District. |
| Probate & estates | good | 1791– | Wills, administrations, inventories, equity. Series usually begin near local court identity (~1791); gaps → neighbors, SCDAH microfilm, federal substitutes. Pre-formation: Camden District. |
| Church & parish | partial | varies | Church rolls often beat civil vitals before the 20th century in Kershaw County. Identify denomination and congregation neighborhood early (see church & cemetery panels). Parent/earlier context: Camden District. |
| 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: Camden District. |
| 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: Camden District. |
| Court records | partial | 1791– | 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: Camden District. |
| 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). |
| Kershaw County deeds / mesne conveyances (ROD) | 1791– | County ROD + SCDAH microfilm | County Register of Deeds (or Clerk as ROD). SCDAH holds many county deed books on microfilm—look up “Kershaw County” in SCDAH / FamilySearch catalog for book/reel coverage. Call numbers change; verify before ordering film. |
| Kershaw County probate (wills, administrations, inventories) | 1791– | 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. |
| Kershaw / district equity & related chancery-type files | 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. |
| Kershaw County / district court of common pleas & sessions | 1791– | 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. |
| Kershaw tax lists & related assessments (where surviving) | 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 | 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 — Kershaw County place search | see catalog | FamilySearch | Catalog search: Place = "Kershaw, South Carolina". Review film notes for deeds, probate, court, vitals. Digitization status changes—re-check the catalog item. |
Churches & denominations
Midlands pattern: Baptist and Methodist density with Lutheran/German pockets (Dutch Fork) and strong Presbyterian clusters on the northern edge. Capital-city congregations in Richland need directory cross-checks.
For Kershaw County (seat: Camden), identify the congregation before hunting only municipal cemeteries. Membership moves across county lines more easily than deeds.
Newspapers
- Start here Chronicle-Independent lineage (start here)
- Research portals (verify runs & holdings)
Cemeteries & burial research
- Featured Kershaw County — Find a Grave cemetery search
- Featured Quaker Cemetery
- Featured Old Presbyterian / Camden churchyards
- Churchyards & family plots (survey first)
- Kershaw County — Not a complete inventory
Societies & repositories
Research starting points
Census
Federal census schedules (and some state/colonial substitutes) are foundational for Kershaw 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 Kershaw 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
Kershaw County Courthouse
Camden, South Carolina
https://www.kershaw.sc.gov/
If not found here, try…
- Formed 1791
- Parent / earlier jurisdiction Camden District — check district-era records before this county existed (districts guide).
Neighboring counties (deeds, marriages, newspapers, and kin often cross the line):