Search Madison County Genealogy

Madison County genealogy records go back to 1811, the year this northeast Georgia county was created. The Probate Court in Danielsville maintains marriage records, wills, estate files, and guardianship papers that are essential for tracing family history. The Superior Court Clerk keeps land deeds, divorce files, and court cases. Madison County was carved from parts of Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, and Oglethorpe counties, so researchers tracing lines before 1811 should check those parent counties as well. With over two centuries of records, Madison County offers a rich collection for family history research.

Madison County Probate Court Records

The Madison County Probate Court is where you find marriage and estate records for genealogy. Marriage licenses date back to 1811. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are key for piecing together family connections in Madison County.

You can visit the courthouse in Danielsville to search these records in person. The staff can help guide your search. Mail requests are also accepted. Send a letter with the names and dates you are looking for, along with the search fee. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Madison County. Regular copies work fine for genealogy, while certified copies are needed for legal matters. Call the courthouse to confirm current fees before sending payment.

Note: Pre-1900 Madison County records are also on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow for those who cannot visit Danielsville.

Madison County Superior Court Genealogy

The Madison County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1811 to the present. Deed books show property transfers between family members and neighbors. These records often reveal connections that are not found in vital records alone.

Divorce records from Madison County can be especially useful for genealogy. They often name children, list property holdings, and provide ages or birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are open to the public. You can request copies in person at the courthouse in Danielsville or send a written request by mail. Tax digests from Madison County list property owners and their holdings each year. For years when the census is missing, these digests serve as a substitute. The 1890 federal census was destroyed, and Georgia also lost the 1790, 1800, and 1810 censuses, so tax records fill important gaps in Madison County research.

Vital Records for Madison County Genealogy

Statewide birth and death registration in Georgia started in 1919. Before that date, few official vital records exist for Madison County. The county health department can issue birth and death certificates from 1919 forward. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9, all births and deaths must be registered with the state.

For earlier records, search the Georgia Archives. The Virtual Vault has Georgia death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch has indexed death records from 1914 to 1943 at no cost. Church records, cemetery inscriptions, and Family Bible entries can also help fill in the gaps before 1919 for Madison County genealogy.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult children, adult siblings, spouses, and legal guardians. Death certificates are available to a wider group of people, which makes them a good starting point for genealogy.

Note: Marriage records from 1952 to 1996 were also filed with the Georgia Department of Public Health at the state level.

Madison County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Madison County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family histories, and other records shared by researchers working on Madison County lines.

Volunteers post records they find at courthouses, libraries, and archives across Georgia. You can also submit your own findings. The site connects people working on the same Madison County families, which can save a lot of time and effort.

Other free online resources include FamilySearch, which has 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 family announcements that are useful for Madison County genealogy.

Genealogy Tips for Madison County

Start by writing down what you already know about your Madison County family. Names, dates, and places all help narrow a search. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are a strong next step. Federal census data from 1820 to 1940 is available at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com (free in the search room).

Madison County was formed from parts of Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, and Oglethorpe counties. If your family was in this area before 1811, search records in those parent counties. Georgia has 159 counties, and borders changed often. The Virtual Vault has a resource called "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" that helps you track which county your ancestors were in for any given year. This is critical for Madison County research because the area went through several boundary shifts in the early 1800s.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at estate records when birth or death dates are not known
• Use tax digests to fill gaps left by destroyed census records
• Review the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for Madison County images

The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 in the search room.

Accessing Madison County Records

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act limits copy fees to 10 cents per page for standard letter or legal size documents from public agencies. Court records may have different fee structures based on local rules. Call the Madison County courthouse before your visit to check current fees and hours.

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory lists contact information for every probate court in the state, including Madison County. This is a helpful starting point if you need to reach the courthouse by phone or mail before making the trip to Danielsville.

Cities in Madison County

Madison County includes the communities of Danielsville, Carlton, Colbert, Comer, Ila, and Hull. All genealogy records for these towns are maintained at the Madison County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Danielsville. None of these cities meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Madison County. If your ancestors moved within this region, check neighboring county records. County lines in Georgia shifted often, so an ancestor in Madison County one decade might show up in a different county the next.