Clinch County Genealogy Search

Clinch County genealogy records go back to 1850, when the county was formed from parts of Lowndes and Ware counties in southeast Georgia. The Probate Court in Homerville holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from that year. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains land deeds, divorce records, and court files from 1850. Clinch County borders the Okefenokee Swamp and sits near the Florida line. Many families in this area moved back and forth across the state border over the generations. The courthouse in Homerville is a small but important center for genealogy research in this part of Georgia.

Clinch County Probate Court Records

The Clinch County Probate Court is the main office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses start in 1850. The court holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These are core records for family research in Clinch County.

The courthouse is at 25 Court Square in Homerville. The phone number is 912-487-2665. 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.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available here. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 for each extra. These fees are standard across all Georgia counties.

Note: Clinch County was formed from Lowndes and Ware counties. For records before 1850, check those parent counties.

Clinch County GAGenWeb Genealogy

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

Volunteers post courthouse records, cemetery records, church records, and old newspaper extracts. This is a helpful starting point for anyone tracing Clinch County roots.

Clinch County Superior Court Genealogy

The Clerk of Superior Court in Homerville holds land records, divorce files, and court records from 1850. Land deeds trace property transfers and family ties. In a rural county like Clinch, land records are often the most detailed source of family information. Divorce records list children and property.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Tax digests at the Superior Court fill gaps when census data is lost. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records. Clinch County tax records can help cover the missing 1890 data. Civil case files and estate disputes are also useful genealogy sources.

Vital Records for Clinch County

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from that year forward are available from the Clinch County Probate Court or the Georgia Department of Public Health. Certified copies cost $25 for the first and $5 each additional.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to close family members. Death certificates are more open for genealogy research.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 at no cost. For records before 1919, church records, cemetery inscriptions, and family Bibles are your best sources in Clinch County.

Clinch County Online Genealogy Resources

Search Clinch County court records through the E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Documents are $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 newspaper pages with obituaries and legal notices from across Georgia.

Research Tips for Clinch County

Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward. Census records for Clinch County are available from 1860. The 1890 census was destroyed.

Pre-1900 Clinch County records are 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 available in the search room.

• Check Florida records if your family lived near the state line
• Search cemetery records near Homerville and the Okefenokee area
• Look at church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Use tax digests for years when census data is missing
• Review Lowndes and Ware county records for pre-1850 data

The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track where your ancestors were counted. Clinch County's borders have shifted over time. Echols County and Lanier County were later carved from Clinch territory, so check those records too.

Cities in Clinch County

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clinch County. Lowndes and Ware are the parent counties with pre-1850 records.