Clay County, Florida Genealogy

United States

Florida

Clay County

Guide to Clay County, Florida ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Florida Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Green Cove Springs Organized: December 31, 1858 Parent County(s): Duval Neighboring Counties Baker • Bradford • Duval • Putnam • St. Johns • See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Clay County was created 31 Dec 1858 and was named for Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Its county seat is Green Cove Springs. It is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Clay County Courthouse
PO Box 698
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043-0698
Phone: 904-284-6317
Clay County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, probate, court, and land records from 1872, and divorce records from 1859. County Health Department has birth and death rec from 1973

Clay County, Florida Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1973	1872	1973	1872	1872	1872	1830
*Statewide registration of births and deaths began in 1899. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

1872 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1858--Clay County was created 31 December 1858 from DuvalCounty. County seat: Green Cove Springs Florida Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Florida Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Florida county boundary changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Green Cove Springs Keystone Heights
Towns
Orange Park Penney Farms
Unincorporated communities
Bellair Belmore Brewers Landing Camp Echockotee Doctors Inlet Fellowship Park Hibernia Highland Holly Point Hugh	Kingsley Kingsley Beach Kingsley Village Lake Geneva Laurel Grove Leno Loch Lommond Magnolia Springs Meadowbrook Terrace Neilhurst	North Meadowbrook Terrace Park of the Palms Pass Station Peoria Siding Rattlesnake Bend Rideout Ridgewood Russell Walkill West Tocoi
Census-designated places
Lake_Asbury Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace Fleming Island	Lakeside Middleburg Oakleaf Plantation

History Timeline

Additional Information

Henry Clay

The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).

Clay County was created on December 31, 1858, from a section of Duval. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, a famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky, and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Clay, Florida online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Interment.net RecordAGrave Index USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	BillionGraves FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Florida Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	1,914	—
1870	2,098	9.6%
1880	2,838	35.3%
1890	5,154	81.6%
1900	5,635	9.3%
1910	6,116	8.5%
1920	5,621	−8.1%
1930	6,859	22.0%
1940	6,468	−5.7%
1950	14,323	121.4%
1960	19,535	36.4%
1970	32,059	64.1%
1980	67,052	109.2%
1990	105,986	58.1%
2000	140,814	32.9%
2010	190,865	35.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For tips on accessing census records online, see: Florida Census.

• 1783 Spanish Census- USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1821 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1823 Census/Tax List Index- USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1885 Florida State Population Census includes sex, age, relationship, occupation, place of birth of each family member and parents. Also census for agriculture, manufacture and mortality. - How to Use this Collection
• 1935 1935 Florida State Census at MyHeritage - index ($))
• Federal Census Information from National Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
• State Census Information from Florida State Archives- USGenWeb Archives Project
• Census of Pensioners Revolutionary Military Service- USGenWeb Archives Project

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Florida denominations, view the Florida Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Doctors Inlet

Court Records

• 1885-1925 Chancery Orders, 1885-1925(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• Florida African American Griots Project - USGenWeb

• 1880 Census African Born Blacks and Mulattos - USGenWeb Archives Project

Funeral Homes

• Aaron and Burney Bivens Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Orange Park
• Broadus Raines Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs
• Hardage - Giddens Holly Hill Funeral Home in Middleburg
• Helm Gallagher Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Green Cove Springs
• Jacksonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery in Orange Park
• Jones-Gallagher Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Keystone Heights
• Russell Haven of Rest Cemetery Cremation and Funeral Home in Green Cove Springs

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Florida Land and Property for additional information about early Florida land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Florida Territorial Land Records
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Local histories are available for most counties. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Florida Local Histories.

History of Clay County, FLGenWeb

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Florida (1821-1997)
• 1870 Gray's Atlas Panhandle Portion of State - USGenWeb Archives Project
• 1882 Rand McNally Panhandle Portion of State- USGenWeb Archives Project
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Clay County Military Files (USGenWeb Archives)
• Florida State Military Files - USGenWeb Archives Project
• Pension Transcriptions- Florida state pension records from various wars - USGenWeb Pension Project
• 1812-1813 1812-1813 Residents of East Florida Patriots or Loyalists at Genealogy Trails - index

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Florida Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 1883 1883 Pension Files for St. Johns, Duval and Clay Counties (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1885-1955 Florida Confederate Veterans and Widows Pension Applications, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Pensioners, Clay Co. FLGenWeb

World War I

• 1917-1918 Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames A-K (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1917-1918 Clay County, Florida - 1917-18 Civilian Draft Registration, Surnames L-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
• 1917-1920 Florida, World War I Navy Card Roster, 1917-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II

• Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Adans - Hinson (USGenWeb Archives)
• Clay County, Florida Army Enlistees, Names Holcy - Young (USGenWeb Archives)
• Clay County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
• 1940-1945 Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Korean War

• Clay County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
• Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Korean Conflict

Vietnam War

• Clay County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
• Distantcousin Florida Casualties in the Vietnam War

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1862-1960 Florida, United States Naturalization Records, 1862-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection, Inventory; index & images, coverage may vary

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Florida, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• Digitized Newspapers relating to Clay Co, at the FLGenWeb
• Florida Digital Newspaper Library at George A. Smathers Libraries
• Early Florida Newspapers at the Florida State Library

Obituaries

• Florida Obituaries - Obituary transcriptions from Florida counties - USGenWeb Obituaries Project

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1784-1990 Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
• 1827-1950 Florida, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1827-1950 at Ancestry ($)
• 1859-1924 Probate Records, 1859-1924(*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1861-1930 Wills, 1861-1930(*); County Judge's Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more information see the wiki page Florida Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Florida State Archives, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.

Birth

• 1880-1935 Florida, Births and Christenings, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

• 1802-1998 Florida, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1822-1875 and 1927 - 2001 Florida, Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1823-Onward Florida Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1830-1957 Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1830-1993 Florida, Marriages, 1830-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1837-1974 Florida, Marriages, 1837-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Florida State Archives
• 1970 - 1999 Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($))

Death

• 1877-1939 Florida, Deaths, 1877-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1877-1998 Florida, Death Index, 1877-1998 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1900-1921 Florida, Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

• 1927-1950 Florida Divorce, 1927-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1927-2001 Florida, Divorce Index, 1927-2001 at Ancestry $
• 1970 - 1999 Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Voting Records

• 1867-1868 Web: Florida, U.S., Voter Registration Rolls, 1867-1868 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1880-Onward Florida, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Clay County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Florida Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Jacksonville Florida West FamilySearch Center

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Clay County. For state-wide library facilities, see Florida Archives and Libraries.

Clay County Public Library System
Website
Facebook

There are five branches in the county library system.

Fleming Island Library
1895 Town Center Blvd
Fleming Island, FL 32003
Phone: 904-278-3720
Facebook

Green Cove Springs Library
403 Ferris Street
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Phone: 904-284-6315
Facebook

Keystone Heights Library
175 Oriole Street
Keystone Heights, FL 32656
Phone: 352-473-4286
Facebook

Middleburg-Clay Hill Library
2245 Aster Ave
Middleburg, FL 32068
Phone: 904-541-5855
Facebook

Orange Park Library
2054 Plainfield Ave
Orange Park, FL 32073
Phone: 904-278-4750
Facebook

Societies

Listed below are societies in Clay County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Florida Societies.

Clay County Florida Genealogy and Graveyards
Facebook

Clay County Historical Society
915 Walnut St
P0 Box 1202
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Phone: 904-284-9644
Email: historicsociety@aol.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• Clay County, USGenWeb Archives
• Clay County, Florida Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• FLGenWeb
• Clay County, Florida Genealogy Trails
• Clay County FL Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.