Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy
United States 
Alabama Monroe County
Guide to Monroe County, Alabama ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Monroe County, Alabama | |
| Map | |
 Location of Alabama in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | June 29, 1815 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Monroeville |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Monroe County Courthouse Square Monroeville, Al 36461 Phone: 251-743-2283 County Website |
County Information
Monroe County, Alabama Record Dates
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1881 | 1833 | 1908 | 1830 | 1833 | 1833 |
County Courthouse
Courthouse Fire destroyed all records prior to 1833
Probate Judge has marriage probate and land record from 1832
1816 Census of Monroe County published by Monroe Journal Monroeville, Alabama [2]
History
Parent County
1815--Monroe County was created 29 June 1815 from Washington County and the Creek Cession of 1814.
County seat: Monroeville [3]
When created, Monroe County comprised all the Creek Indian lands ceded by the treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814. It was reduced in size by the creation of the Alabama counties of Montgomery County, Conecuh County, and Wilcox County. This particular county was named in honor of James Monroe (1758-1831), 5th U.S. President.
The Monroe County seat was established at Fort Clairborne; it was moved to Monroeville in 1832.
-See more at: http://www.genealogyinc.com/alabama/monroe-county/#sthash.NkIvpDsi.dpuf
Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Alabama county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Alabama County Boundary Maps" (1799-1980) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss
Monroe County had a destructive courthouse fire in 1833. See Research in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide page 28 for suggested alternative sources to overcome this loss.[4]
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
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Resources
African-American
- See obituary abstracts from the African-American newspaper, The Eagle, in the Newspaper section below. Section below also contains community news, marriage and birth announcements.
- Slaves and owners recorded in the Philadelphia Baptist Church Minutes, Tunnel Springs, Monroe Co, AL - 1840-1899.
Cemeteries
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| ALGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| ALGenWeb Archives | [1] | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Alabama Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 8,838 | ||
| 1830 | 8,782 | −0.6% | |
| 1840 | 10,680 | 21.6% | |
| 1850 | 12,013 | 12.5% | |
| 1860 | 15,667 | 30.4% | |
| 1870 | 14,214 | −9.3% | |
| 1880 | 17,091 | 20.2% | |
| 1890 | 18,990 | 11.1% | |
| 1900 | 23,666 | 24.6% | |
| 1910 | 27,155 | 14.7% | |
| 1920 | 28,884 | 6.4% | |
| 1930 | 30,070 | 4.1% | |
| 1940 | 29,465 | −2.0% | |
| 1950 | 25,732 | −12.7% | |
| 1960 | 22,372 | −13.1% | |
| 1970 | 20,883 | −6.7% | |
| 1980 | 22,651 | 8.5% | |
| 1990 | 23,968 | 5.8% | |
| 2000 | 24,324 | 1.5% | |
| 2010 | 23,068 | −5.2% | |
For tips on accessing Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy census records online, see: Alabama Census.
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 Alabama denominations, view the Alabama Church Records wiki page.
Court Records
Land and Property
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 Alabama Land and Property for additional information about early Alabama land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
To place a grant or deed on a map within context of Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy see:
- Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Monroe County, Alabama: with Homesteads, Roads, Waterways, Towns, Cemeteries, Railroads, and More. Norman, Okla.: Arphax Pub. Co., 2009. This is a definitive work and can be used as an index to land grants. Digital version at HistoryGeo.com ($). Website includes free surname index. FHL Book 976.125 E7b.
Local Histories
Maps
- Maps of Alabama (1799-1980)
- Family Maps of Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
Military
Civil War
Civil War service men from Monroe 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 Monroe County.
- - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company E "J. Powell's Dragoons"
- - 1st Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company H "Sandy Williams' Guards"
- - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company H
- - 2nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company C
- - 3rd Regiment, Alabama Cavalry, Company B [formerly, Co. "M", Wirt Adams' Cavalry]
- - 4th Regiment, Alabama Cavalry (Russell's), Company A [formerly 3rd TN Cavalry]
- - 5th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company D "Monroe Guards
- - 17th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H
- - 23rd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company E
- - 36th Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company F and G
- - 42nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company A and H
- - 42nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry, Company H
Newspapers
Finding More Alabama Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Alabama Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.
- Obituaries & Death Notices published in The Eagle, 1891-1914 - an African-American newspaper of the county. Provided via Afrigeneas.com
- Community News published in The Eagle, 1891-1914 - an African American newspaper. Also marriage announcements and birth announcements.
Probate Records
Online Probate Records
- 1753 – 1999 Alabama Wills and Probate Records 1753-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1809 – 1985 Alabama Probate Records, 1809-1985 at FamilySearch — images
Taxation
Alabama tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Alabama Taxation.
- 1816 - Inhabitants of Alabama in 1816. Broken Arrow Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1955. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library - free. Includes Monroe County.
- 1865-1866 - U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 at Ancestry ($). Monroe County is in District 1.
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 Alabama State Department of Health , the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred or order electronically online $.
For some online statewide indexes, see the FamilySearch Historical Record Collections for Alabama. See also How to order Alabama Vital Records
Birth Records
- There is a growing list of Monroe County Births that have been submitted by descendants found at ALGenWeb - free.
- 1881 – 1930 Alabama Births and Christenings, 1881-1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
Marriage Records
- To 1825 Index to Marriages at Ancestry – ($); Index. contains over 12,000 names. Each entry includes groom, bride, marriage date, county, and state. Every name is indexed so you can search for one name, or two names that are linked.
- 1825, 1833-1838, 1936–1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800–1969 at Ancestry – ($); Index. This collection is comprised of indexes created by several agencies - the Alabama Center for Health Statistics, Jordan Dodd of Liahona Research, and Hunting For Bears.
- 1833-1838 "Alabama Marriages, 1809–1920" at Ancestry – ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage records from the state. Researchers will find the names of both bride and groom along with the marriage date. The county where the ceremony was performed is also provided. Containing about 150,000 records and the names of nearly 300,000 men and women.
- 1833-1895 - Monroe County Marriage Books A and B Index 1833-1895. Batch M593381 at FamilySearch - free.[5]
- 1881-1895 - Monroe County Marriage Books C and D Index 1881-1895. Batch M593382 at FamilySearch - free.[5]
- 1895 - Monroe County Marriage Books E and F Index 1895. Batch M593383 at FamilySearch - free.[5]
- Marriages at ALGenWeb - free.
- 1809 – 1950 Alabama, County Marriages, 1809-1950 at FamilySearch.org — index/images
- 1816 – 1957 Alabama Marriages, 1816-1957 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1800 – 1969 Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1809 – 1920 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4192 Alabama Marriages,
- 1809-1920 (Selected Counties)] at Ancestry.com — index $
Death Records
- 1881–1974 Index to Deaths and Burials at Ancestry – ($); Index. Volunteers extracted the details in this index from microfilmed copies of church, civil, family, and other records of Alabama deaths and burials. details vary depending on the original record. Note that the number of available records can vary widely by county, and this database does not necessarily represent a comprehensive set of death records for the state during this time.
- 1908–1959 Index to Deaths Recorded by the State of Alabama at Ancestry – ($); Index. The index includes name of the deceased, county of death, date of death, and the state certificate number (volume and page).
- 1908-1974 - Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch Historical Records Collection - free. :*Deaths at ALGenWeb - free
- 1881 – 1952 Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881-1952 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1908 – 1974 Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974 at FamilySearch.org — index
- 1881 – 1974 Alabama, Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974 at Ancestry.com — index $
- 1908 – 1959 [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5188 Alabama Deaths,
- 1908-59] at Ancestry.com — index $
Societies and Libraries
Monroe County Heritage Museum
31 N. Alabama Ave.
Monroeville, AL
36460
251-575-7433
Link
Monroe County Heritage Museums
P. O. Box 1637
Monroeville, AL
36461
344-575-7433
Publication: Quarterly Newsletter
Libraries
Monroe County Public Library
121 Pineville Road
Monroeville, Alabama 36460
Telephone: 251-743-3818
Family History Center
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
- 430 Goodway Road
Goodway, Monroe, Alabama, United States
Phone: 251-862-2937
- 430 Goodway Road
Monroe County Alabama Genealogy Websites
- Monroe County, ALGenWeb - free genealogical resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
- USGenWeb project may have maps, name indexes, history, or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- USGenWeb Archives Project ~ contains record transcriptions from Bibles, obituaries, court records and more.
- Monroe County, Alabama Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Monroe County Alabama Genealogy References
- ↑ Alice Eichholz, Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, Revised ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992), 13-28. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 1992
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Monroe County p. 39. ; .
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Marilyn Davis Barefield, Researching in Alabama: a Genealogical Guide (Birmingham, Alabama : Birmingham Public Library, 1998), 28. At various libraries (WorldCat). FHL Book 976.1 D27b 1998.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/c/cf/Igialabamals.pdf.