Charlton County Genealogy Search

Charlton County genealogy records start in 1854 when the county was created from Camden County. The Probate Court in Folkston holds marriage licenses, wills, and estate files from the county's founding. The Superior Court Clerk keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Charlton County borders the Okefenokee Swamp and the Florida state line. Families who lived in this rural southeast Georgia area left records at the courthouse that now serve as the core of genealogy research for the region. Folkston remains the center for all Charlton County record keeping.

Charlton County Probate Court Genealogy

The Charlton County Probate Court in Folkston holds marriage records, wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files from 1854 forward. This is the primary source for marriage licenses and estate documents in Charlton County.

Visit the courthouse in Folkston to search records in person. You can also send a mail request with the name and approximate dates you are looking for. Include a check or money order for the search fee. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Copy fees are typically $1 per page for plain copies and more for certified copies.

Note: Charlton County was formed from Camden County in 1854. If your ancestors lived in this area before that year, check Camden County records in Woodbine for earlier records.

Charlton County GAGenWeb Resources

The Charlton County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. Researchers share cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records for Charlton County.

This site connects you with other people searching Charlton County families. Volunteers post records they find at courthouses, cemeteries, and archives. It is a good way to discover records you might not have known about.

Other free online resources for Charlton County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960 and probate records from 1742 to 1990. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over one million pages of old newspapers from around the state, including obituaries and legal notices.

Charlton County Superior Court Genealogy

The Superior Court Clerk in Charlton County maintains land records, divorce files, and court case records from 1854 to the present. Deed books show property transfers and often name family members. They place ancestors in specific locations within Charlton County at specific times.

Divorce records are useful for genealogy too. They often name children, list property, and give ages or birth dates. Court minutes from civil and criminal cases sometimes mention family members as witnesses or parties. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public for inspection. Copy fees under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 are capped at 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies.

Vital Records for Charlton County

Georgia started statewide birth and death registration in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. The Charlton County health department issues birth and death certificates from that year forward. Before 1919, there are very few formal vital records for Charlton County.

For pre-1919 records, check cemetery transcriptions, church records, and family Bibles. The Georgia Archives in Morrow has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online through the Virtual Vault at no cost. FamilySearch.org has indexed Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 as well.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. Death certificates are the same. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates have access restrictions. Only the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians can get certified copies. Death certificates are more widely available for genealogy research.

Note: Marriage records at the state level only cover 1952 to 1996. For all other marriage records, contact the Charlton County Probate Court in Folkston.

Research Tips for Charlton County

Start with what you know. Write down all names, dates, and places for your Charlton County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are a strong next step. Federal census data for Charlton County begins with the 1860 census since the county was formed in 1854.

The 1890 census for Georgia was destroyed. Use tax digests for that period to locate ancestors. For records before 1854, check Camden County, which is the parent county. Pre-1900 Charlton County records are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 is in the search room.

• Check Camden County records for ancestors before 1854
• Search cemetery records and church records for missing vital dates
• Use Family Bible records at the Georgia Archives
• Look for ancestors in Florida records too, given the border location
• Review the Vanishing Georgia collection for old photos from the area

Charlton County's location near the Okefenokee Swamp and the Florida border means some families moved back and forth across the state line. Check Nassau County, Florida records if your Charlton County ancestors also had ties to northeast Florida. The Virtual Vault has a free resource on Georgia county boundary changes to help you figure out where ancestors were counted.

Cities in Charlton County

Folkston is the county seat and largest community in Charlton County. Homeland and St. George are smaller towns. All genealogy records for these areas are held at the Charlton County courthouse in Folkston. No cities in Charlton County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Charlton County. Check neighboring county records if your ancestors moved within the southeast Georgia area.