Bleckley County Genealogy Search

Bleckley County genealogy records begin in 1912, when the county was formed from Pulaski County in central Georgia. The Probate Court in Cochran holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files from 1912. Because Bleckley County is relatively young, researchers tracing family lines before 1912 need to check Pulaski County for earlier records. Cochran is a small county seat, but its courthouse has more than a century of genealogy data on file.

Bleckley County Probate Court Records

The Bleckley County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1912. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are vital for tracing family connections in Bleckley County.

The courthouse is at 306 S. 2nd Street in Cochran. The phone number is 478-934-3210. For mail requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Certified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each extra page.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available here too. Certified copies cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. These are standard state fees.

Note: Bleckley County was formed from Pulaski County in 1912. For marriage, estate, and probate records before that year, contact the Pulaski County courthouse in Hawkinsville.

Bleckley County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Bleckley County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run site with cemetery transcriptions, census data, family histories, and shared research for genealogy in this county.

Volunteers post records pulled from courthouses, cemeteries, churches, and old newspapers. This is a useful starting point for anyone researching Bleckley County roots.

Bleckley County Land and Court Records

The Clerk of Superior Court in Cochran holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1912. Land deeds trace property transfers between family members. Divorce records list children and property. Civil case files can name multiple relatives in estate disputes.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. You can get copies in person or by mail. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies.

Tax digests fill in gaps where census records are missing. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records. Since Bleckley County was not formed until 1912, the 1920 census is the first to list it as its own county. For earlier census data, look under Pulaski County.

Vital Records for Bleckley County

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Since Bleckley County was formed in 1912, most of its vital records fall within the state system. Birth and death certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates are more open. The Georgia Department of Public Health handles state-level requests.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online. FamilySearch also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943. For vital records before 1919, check church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles in the Bleckley County area.

Bleckley County Online Genealogy Resources

You can search Bleckley County genealogy records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Documents cost $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after.

Free online resources include FamilySearch with Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960, probate records from 1742 to 1990, and death records from 1914 to 1943. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has digitized newspapers with obituaries and legal notices.

Research Tips for Bleckley County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places for your Bleckley County family. Then work backward one generation at a time.

The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 has census records, microfilm, and other genealogy materials. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org is available in the search room. Middle Georgia College in Cochran may also have local history materials.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Search church records for baptisms and burials
• Use Pulaski County records for pre-1912 data
• Review tax digests for years when census data is lost
• Look at Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives

The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track which county held your ancestors at any given time. For Bleckley County, check Pulaski County (records from 1808) for anything before 1912.

Cities in Bleckley County

Cochran is the county seat and largest city in Bleckley County. All genealogy records for cities in this county are maintained at the Bleckley County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Cochran. No cities in Bleckley County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Bleckley County. Pulaski County is the parent county with pre-1912 records covering the Bleckley County area.