Jones County Genealogy Records

Jones County genealogy records go back to 1807, the year the county was formed from Baldwin County. The Probate Court in Gray holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records from that year. Land deeds and court records also start in 1807. The courthouse at 110 S. Jefferson Street in Gray is where most genealogy work begins. Jones County also has a unique set of Poor School lists from 1829, which can help identify families receiving public education support in the early 1800s.

Jones County Probate Court Records

The Jones County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date to 1807. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Jones County.

Visit the courthouse at 110 S. Jefferson Street in Gray to search in person. The phone number is 478-986-6671. Mail requests are accepted. Send a written request with the names and dates you need, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order. Staff are there to help with basic lookups.

Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are on file at the Probate Court. Certified copies cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. All Georgia counties charge these same fees.

The Jones County Poor School lists from 1829 are a special genealogy resource. They name families who received public school benefits. These lists are rare among Georgia counties.

Jones County Genealogy Records Online

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

Volunteers post records they find at courthouses and archives. You might find that someone has already transcribed the records you need for your Jones County research.

You can also search Jones County court records through the state's E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Document viewing is $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each page after that.

Jones County Superior Court Genealogy

The Jones County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1807. Land deeds are a valuable genealogy tool. They show property transfers, name neighbors, and sometimes list family members. Deed books in Jones County go back over two centuries.

Divorce records from the Superior Court often name children, list property, and give ages or birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. You can get copies in person or by mail from the clerk in Gray.

Estate disputes, civil lawsuits, and guardianship cases often name multiple family members. These records can fill gaps when vital records are unavailable for the years you need.

Vital Records for Jones County Genealogy

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

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 have fewer restrictions. For records before 1919, check church records, cemetery inscriptions, and Family Bible records.

The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These databases are solid starting points.

Research Tips for Jones County

Start with what you know. Write down every name, date, and place you have. Then work backward. Census records are a great next step. Federal census data for Jones County starts in 1810. The 1890 census was destroyed. Tax digests fill some of that gap.

Pre-1900 Jones 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, and Fold3 is available in the search room.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at the 1829 Poor School lists for family names
• Use the Georgia Historic Newspapers for obituaries and legal notices
• Review estate and guardianship records for family details

Jones County was carved from Baldwin County in 1807. For earlier records, check Baldwin County and the Georgia Archives. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track where your family was counted. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page.

Cities in Jones County

Jones County includes Gray, Haddock, and other small communities. All genealogy records are maintained at the Jones County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Gray. No cities in Jones County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jones County. Families in central Georgia often moved between counties, so check these records too.