Jenkins County Genealogy Records

Jenkins County genealogy records start in 1905, when the county was formed from parts of Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, and Screven counties. The Probate Court in Millen holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from that year forward. The Superior Court Clerk maintains land deeds, divorce files, and civil case records. Because the county is just over a century old, its records tend to be well preserved. For ancestors in the Millen area before 1905, you will need to look in the parent counties where their land fell.

Jenkins County Probate Court Records

The Jenkins County Probate Court is the primary office for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date from 1905 to the present. Wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, estate inventories, and annual returns are all kept here. These records form the foundation of most Jenkins County genealogy research projects.

You can visit the courthouse in Millen to search in person. The staff can help you locate indexes and record books. Mail requests are accepted too. Send a letter with the full names and approximate dates along with a check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses in Jenkins County. Standard copies cost about $1 per page. Certified copies run higher. Call the court to confirm fees before sending payment.

Note: Before 1974, this court was called the Court of Ordinary, so older indexes and references may use that name instead of Probate Court.

Jenkins County Superior Court Genealogy

The Jenkins County Superior Court Clerk holds land deeds, divorce records, and civil and criminal case files from 1905 to the present. Land records are especially helpful for genealogy. Deed books show property sales and transfers between family members, neighbors, and strangers. Plat maps give physical descriptions of lots and farms.

Divorce records can be very revealing. They often list children by name, divide property, and include ages or birth dates that help confirm who belongs to which family. Civil case files sometimes mention family connections too. 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 limits copy fees to 10 cents per page for standard documents. You can make requests at the Jenkins County Courthouse in Millen or by mail.

Vital Records for Jenkins County Genealogy

Georgia began registering vital records statewide in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available from the Jenkins County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health in Atlanta. Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional one. Death certificates are the same price.

Since Jenkins County was formed in 1905, there is a gap between 1905 and 1919 where no official vital records were kept at the state level. For those years, church records, cemetery inscriptions, and newspaper obituaries are your best options. The Virtual Vault has Georgia death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943.

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 broadly available for genealogy research.

Note: For ancestors in the Millen area before 1905, check vital records in Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, and Screven counties since Jenkins was formed from those four counties.

Jenkins County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Jenkins County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy site. It features cemetery transcriptions, census records, family trees, and other documents shared by researchers working on Jenkins County families. This is a great way to connect with others tracing the same lines.

Volunteers share records from courthouses, libraries, and state archives. You may find Bible records, photographs, or transcribed documents not available on any other site.

Other free resources include FamilySearch with Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960 and probate records from 1742 to 1990. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over a million pages of old newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and community news from across the state.

Research Tips for Jenkins County

Start with what you know. Write down all names, dates, and places for your Jenkins County family and work backward. The 1910 census is the first federal census that shows Jenkins County as its own entity. Before that, your family would appear under Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, or Screven County depending on where they lived.

Federal census data from 1820 to 1940 is available at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com, free in the search room. The 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses for Georgia were destroyed. Tax digests can fill those gaps. The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Jenkins County records from before 1900 do not exist since the county did not exist then. All pre-1905 records for this area are in the parent counties. Post-1905 records are at the courthouse in Millen. The Georgia Archives may have some Jenkins County records on microfilm, but since the county is relatively new, most records are still held locally.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are not available
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, and Screven county records for pre-1905 ancestors
• Review estate records for birth and death date clues

Georgia has 159 counties with borders that changed often. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you track which county your ancestors were in at different times.

Cities in Jenkins County

Jenkins County includes the city of Millen, which serves as the county seat. All genealogy records for cities in Jenkins County are maintained at the Jenkins County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Millen. No cities in Jenkins County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jenkins County. Since Jenkins was formed from four parent counties, records for pre-1905 ancestors will be in those neighboring counties.