Lawrence County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Lawrence County, Illinois ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Lawrence County was named for Captain James Lawrence, who was killed in action during the War of 1812 while commanding the frigate USS Chesapeake. Mortally wounded, he gave his men the famous last order, "Don't give up the ship." The county was organized on January 16, 1821 and its seat is Lawrenceville. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse
Lawrence County Courthouse
1100 State St
Lawrenceville, IL 62439
Phone: 618-943-2815
Lawrence County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Lawrence County are kept, see the Lawrence County Courthouse page.
Lawrence County, Illinois 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1877 | 1821 | 1878 | 1820 | 1818 | 1821 | 1810 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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:[4]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- Toussaint Dubois played an important role in the early history of Lawrence County.
- USGenWeb, Lawrence County, Illinois (ILGenWeb), Pioneer Biographies
- The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Lawrence County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Lawrence County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
- 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 at Ancestry ($)
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 3,668 | — |
| 1840 | 7,092 | 93.3% |
| 1850 | 6,121 | −13.7% |
| 1860 | 9,214 | 50.5% |
| 1870 | 12,533 | 36.0% |
| 1880 | 13,663 | 9.0% |
| 1890 | 14,693 | 7.5% |
| 1900 | 16,523 | 12.5% |
| 1910 | 22,661 | 37.1% |
| 1920 | 21,380 | −5.7% |
| 1930 | 21,885 | 2.4% |
| 1940 | 21,075 | −3.7% |
| 1950 | 20,539 | −2.5% |
| 1960 | 18,540 | −9.7% |
| 1970 | 17,522 | −5.5% |
| 1980 | 17,807 | 1.6% |
| 1990 | 15,972 | −10.3% |
| 2000 | 15,452 | −3.3% |
| 2010 | 16,833 | 8.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1840 Pensioners
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FS Catalog 973 X2pc 1840; FS Catalog 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Illinois, Lawrence County on page 187.
Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Online Records
- 1865-1965 Allison Prairie Church of the Brethren. Allison Prairie, 1865-1965 : 100th anniversary, Sunday, July 25, 1965. [S.l. : s.n.], 1965. FS Library film 874276 Item 6
- 1854-1899 Union Presbyterian Church records FS Library film 468371 Item 7
- USGenWeb, Lawrence County, Illinois (ILGenWeb), Churches of Lawrence County
Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from three Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Lawrence County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:
- 1729-1956 Illinois, Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Parish Records, 1729-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Lawrence County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (EIU).
Online Court Indexes and Records
- 1835-1948 Justice of the Peace Dockets at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1895-1898 Collector's Books at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
- African-American Resources for Illinois
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online sources, the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Lawrence County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (EIU).
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records at Ancestry ($)
- 1820-Onward Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
- 1821-1960 Mortgage and Deed Records and Index at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1821-1936 Deed records FS Library Film 1311699 (first of 19 films)
- Family Maps. Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Lawrence County, Illinois (Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Pub. Co., c2009.) WorldCat 312129967FS Catalog book 977.376 E7b
- Land Atlas and plat book Rockford Map Publishers (Rockford, Illinois) Land atlas and plat book, Lawrence County, Illinois, 1983 (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1982.) Other Libraries; FS Library Book 977.376 E7L
- Early trails and settlements Satterhwaite, Geralding and Richard L. Palmer Early trails and settlements of Lawrence Co., Illinois ([S.I.]: G. Satterthwaite and R.L. Palmer, 1996) Other Libraries; FS Library Book 977.376 E6s
- Illinois Federal Township Plats at Illinois Digital Archives - images; by County
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at the Illinois State Archives - index; by purchaser's name and by legal description; Also at Ancestry ($).
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Lawrence County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Lawrence County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- Illinois County Federal Township Plats
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/databases/honorroll.html Database of 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor], created by Fred Delap and donated to the Illinois State Archives. Illinois burial locations of over 72,000 military personnel who served in U.S. wars.
Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Lawrence County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Lawrence County.
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company I.
- - 36th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C
- - 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H and K
- - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A
- - 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I
- - 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K
- - 91st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F
- - 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I
- - 154th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
- Satterthwaite, Geraldine, and Terry Warren. Civil War Men, Lawrence Co. Bridgeport, Ill. (?: G. Satterthwaite, 2000). A list of Civil War young men from Lawrence County taken from the original County Civil War records that have been lost. Library with this book.
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1998 Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and EventsIndex, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries
- 1831-Onward Illinois Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
No probate record holdings noted in IRAD-EIU Lawrence County Listing. Search for Lawrence County records. Information about how to use IRAD
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1819-1988 Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- 1821-1929 Will records FS Library Film 1311895–1311896
- 1859-1929 Probate records FS Library Film 1311883–1311894
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- 1856-1957 School Records at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Lawrence County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (EIU).
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1872-1900 Tax Deed Affidavits at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Lawrence County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Lawrence County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (EIU).
Birth
- 1877-1972 Birth Records and Index at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1878-1923 Vital records FS Library Film 1311874–1311880 Index to birth records 1878-1911 and Birth records Book 1-8 1877-1923.
Marriage
- 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast index ($)
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1790-1860 Illinois Marriage index at Ancestry ($)
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1810-1940 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1821-1849 Miller, Ada Marriage licenses, Lawrence County, Illinois, 1821-1849 Other Libraries; FS Library Book 977.376 V25m
- 1821-1849 Miller, Ada Additions, corrections and notes to marriage licenses, Lawrence County, Illinois, 1821-1849 (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970.) FS Library Film 848652 item 3
- 1821-1971 Marriage Records and Index at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1840-1899 Taylor, Lola B. Early marriages of Richland County, Illinois, 1840- (Olney, Illinois:Taylor Print Shop, c1970.) Other Libraries; FS Library Book 977.377 V25t v. 1
- 1878-1937 Vital records FS Library Film 1311872–1311873 Index to marriage records 1878-1937 (Alphabetical by the groom's surname) and marriage records Book 1-4 1878-1933
- 1878 Lawrence County, Illinois 1878 Marriage Records Courtesy Lawrence County ILGenWeb.net
- 1879 Lawrence County, Illinois 1879 Marriage Records Courtesy Lawrence County ILGenWeb.net
- 1880 Lawrence County, Illinois 1880 Marriage Records Courtesy Lawrence County ILGenWeb.net
- 1881 Lawrence County, Illinois 1881 Marriage Records Courtesy Lawrence County ILGenWeb.net
Death
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1860,1870,1880 Compiled by the Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society (Olney, Illinois) Mortality Schedules, 1860, 1870, 1880 ([S.I.:s.n.], 1978.) WorldCat 10753176; FS Library Book 977.37 X2m
- 1870-1972 Death Records and Index at IRAD-EIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1878-1925 Vital records FS Library Film 1311881–1311882 Index to death records 1878-1907 and Birth records Book 1-4 1878-1925.
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1916–1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1916-1972 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1972 - index
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Lawrence County. For state-wide facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
The Illinois State Archives administers a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage the archival records of local governments. Local governments which have transferred records to the regional depositories include counties, townships, municipalities, and school districts. The records of Lawrence County come under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) regional depository.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
Booth Library
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
Phone: 217-581-6093
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
- Linton Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Vincennes Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Knox County Public Library - Indiana - an affiliate library
- Lawrence County Historical Society - an affiliate library
- Robinson Public Library District - multiple locations - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Lawrence County. For state-wide library facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Irene Black Genealogical Library
125 E. Olive
Bridgeport, IL 62417
Phone: 618-945-7113
Lawrence County Public Library
814 12th St.
Lawrenceville, IL 62439
Phone: 618-943-3016
Website
Genealogical collection includes (but is not limited to): marriage indexes, obituaries, biographies, local county histories, newspapers on microfilm, and census records on microfilm (1830-1920) and in book form (1850-1880 w/indexes).
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Lawrence County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Illinois Societies.
Lawrence County Historical Society (LCHS)
PO Box 425
Museum-619 12th St
Lawrenceville, IL 62439
Phone: 618-943-3900
Email: lawrencelore@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Lawrence Lore is the Lawrence County, Illinois Historical Society blog, with articles about Lawrence County history, and includes biographies, obits, military records, business owners.
Finding aids are provided as topic names and a search engine for specific names. Photographs are included in web albums, e.g., identified school pictures.
Websites
- Lawrence County IL Genealogy
- Lawrence ILGenWeb
- Lawrence County, IL Linkpendium
- 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.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lawrence County, Illinois" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_County,_Illinois 04/17/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lawrence County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lawrence County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_County,_Illinois, accessed 20 March 2020.