Early County Genealogy Records

Early County genealogy records go back to 1818, making it one of the older counties in southwest Georgia. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Blakely maintain marriage licenses, wills, estate papers, land deeds, and court case files. Early County is notable for having birth records from 1876 under the Georgia 1875 Vital Records Act, which puts it ahead of most Georgia counties for early vital records. If your family roots are in the lower Chattahoochee region, the courthouse in Blakely is an important stop for your genealogy research.

Early County Probate Court Genealogy

The Early County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to 1818. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship records, and estate inventories. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses in Early County.

One thing that makes Early County special is the birth records from 1876. In 1875, Georgia passed a brief Vital Records Act that required some counties to register births. Early County was among the few that complied. Those 1876 birth records are rare and valuable for genealogy. They are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Most Georgia counties have no birth records before 1919, so these Early County records are a real treasure.

You can visit the courthouse in Blakely to search records in person. Staff can help you find what you need. The court accepts mail requests too. Send a written request with names and dates, plus the search fee.

Note: The 1876 birth records only cover a short period. Do not expect full coverage of all births in Early County for that year.

Early County Court Records for Genealogy

The Early County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1818 to the present. These records are valuable for genealogy because they show property ownership, legal disputes, and family connections. Land deeds from the early 1800s can place your ancestors in a specific location at a known time.

Divorce records from the Superior Court often name children and list property. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are open to the public. Tax digests from the 1820s and 1830s show who owned property and how much they had. These are especially useful before the 1850 census, when only the head of household was named in census records.

Early County was part of the Creek Indian cession, and land was distributed through the state lottery system. If your ancestors got land through a Georgia land lottery, check the lottery records at the Georgia Archives. The 1820 land lottery distributed land in what became Early County, and those records may name your ancestors directly.

Vital Records for Early County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. But Early County has a head start with those 1876 birth records from the 1875 Vital Records Act. The county vital records office in Blakely issues birth and death certificates from 1919 forward. Birth certificates cost $25. Death certificates are the same price.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to close family members. Death certificates are more available. For deaths from 1919 to 1943, check the Georgia Virtual Vault for free online access. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost.

For the period between 1876 and 1919, you must rely on other sources. Estate records, cemetery inscriptions, and church records can fill the gaps. Newspaper obituaries from Blakely papers may be found in the Georgia Historic Newspapers archive.

Early County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Early County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and records shared by other researchers.

This site connects you with others researching Early County families. Volunteers post records from courthouses, libraries, and private collections. You may find exactly what you need, or a lead to follow up on.

Pre-1900 Early County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. The address is 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and Fold3 is available in the search room. Census records for Early County are available from 1820 onward, which gives you over 200 years of data.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms and burials
• Look at the 1876 birth records at the Georgia Archives
• Review estate records for family relationships

Early County lost land to Decatur County and to Miller County and Calhoun County over the years. If your ancestors lived near those borders, search those county records as well.

Note: Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents.

Cities in Early County

Early County includes Blakely, Jakin, Damascus, and Arlington. All genealogy records for these communities are kept at the Early County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Blakely.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Early County. If your ancestors moved within southwest Georgia, check neighboring county records too.