Gilmer County Genealogy Search

Gilmer County genealogy records go back to 1832, the year the county was carved from Cherokee County after the Cherokee land lottery. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Ellijay maintain marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records useful for family history research. Gilmer County sits in the mountains of north Georgia, and many of the early settlers were Scots-Irish families who moved south from the Carolinas. Court records, land grants, and tax digests from the 1830s and 1840s are key sources for tracing these pioneer families in the region.

Gilmer County Probate Court Records

The Gilmer County Probate Court is the primary source for marriage and estate records in the county. Marriage licenses date back to the 1830s. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship records, and estate inventories. These files are essential for tracing family lines through Gilmer County.

You can visit the courthouse in Ellijay to search records in person. Staff can help with basic lookups. For mail requests, send a letter with the full name and approximate date of the record you need. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for fees. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses in Gilmer County. Copy fees vary, so call ahead to get an estimate before sending payment.

Note: The Gilmer County Probate Court does not accept electronic record requests, so plan for in-person or mail requests only.

Gilmer County Superior Court Genealogy

The Gilmer County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records dating to 1832. Land deeds are one of the most useful genealogy sources because they show property transfers, neighbors, and family connections that other records miss. Deed books in Gilmer County can reveal when a family arrived, where they settled, and who they dealt with.

Divorce records are another key source. These files often name children, list property, and give ages or birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Gilmer County are open to the public. The clerk charges a per-page fee for copies. You can request records in person at the courthouse or by mail with a written request and payment.

Criminal and civil case files can also hold genealogy clues. Lawsuits over property, estate disputes, and guardianship cases often name multiple family members. These records can fill gaps when vital records are not available for the time period you need.

Note: Early Gilmer County land records tie closely to the Cherokee land lottery of 1832, which distributed former Cherokee lands to Georgia citizens through a drawing system.

Vital Records for Gilmer County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records registration in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from that year forward are available from the Gilmer County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health. Records before 1919 are harder to find. You will need to check the Probate Court, church records, cemetery inscriptions, or Family Bible records.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each one after. Death certificates are the same price. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are limited to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates have fewer restrictions, which makes them easier to get for genealogy work. The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free.

Gilmer County Genealogy Online Resources

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory lists contact details for the Gilmer County Probate Court along with all other county probate courts in the state. This is a good reference when you need phone numbers and addresses for record requests.

From this directory you can find the current contact information for the Gilmer County Probate Court and other courts across Georgia.

Free online resources for Gilmer County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has 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 over one million pages of old Georgia newspapers with obituaries and legal notices that can help fill gaps in your research.

Research Tips for Gilmer County

Start with what you know and work backward. Census records are often the best next step after gathering family information. Federal census data is available from 1820 to 1940 through Ancestry.com at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. The 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 census records for Georgia were destroyed. For those gaps, use Gilmer County tax digests to locate your ancestors.

Pre-1900 Gilmer County records are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 in the search room. For records after 1900, you need to contact the courthouse in Ellijay directly.

• Check cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Review Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives
• Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos

Gilmer County boundary changes matter for genealogy. The county was formed from Cherokee County in 1832. Borders shifted as new counties were created from older ones. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you figure out which county your ancestors were in for any given year. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies.

Note: Free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch is available at the Georgia Archives search room in Morrow.

Cities in Gilmer County

Gilmer County includes the cities of Ellijay and East Ellijay. All genealogy records for these cities are maintained at the Gilmer County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Ellijay. No cities in Gilmer County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Gilmer County. If your ancestors moved around the north Georgia mountains, check neighboring county records as well. County borders shifted often in this part of the state.