Find Montgomery County Genealogy

Montgomery County genealogy records stretch back to 1793, placing it among the oldest counties in Georgia. The county seat is Mount Vernon. The Probate Court holds marriage records, wills, estate inventories, and guardianship files spanning over 230 years. The Superior Court Clerk maintains land deeds, divorce records, and court cases. Montgomery County was one of the original Georgia counties created from Washington County, and its early records connect to the settlement of the Oconee River region. For researchers tracing colonial-era and early American ancestors, Montgomery County holds some of the deepest records in the state.

Montgomery County Probate Court Records

The Montgomery County Probate Court in Mount Vernon is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses date back to the late 1700s. Wills, letters of administration, guardianship papers, and estate inventories are also held here. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses.

Visit the courthouse in Mount Vernon to search records in person. Staff can help guide your research. Mail requests are accepted with a search fee. Include the names and approximate dates you need. Regular copies work fine for genealogy. Certified copies cost more and are needed for legal use. Call the courthouse first to get current fee information.

Montgomery County's early estate records are especially valuable for genealogy. The county was formed in 1793, so probate records from the late 1700s and early 1800s cover a time when few other official documents were kept. Inventories from this period list household goods, farm tools, livestock, and sometimes the names of enslaved individuals. These details help researchers build a fuller picture of early Montgomery County families.

Note: Pre-1900 Montgomery County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow.

Montgomery County Superior Court Genealogy

The Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and court cases from 1793 forward. Deed books track property transfers. Plat maps show land boundaries. These records help you figure out where your ancestors lived in Montgomery County and who their neighbors were.

Divorce files often name children, list property, and include ages or birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records are public. Tax digests from Montgomery County list property owners each year. Georgia lost the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal censuses, so tax records from those periods are the primary way to locate ancestors. Montgomery County tax digests from the 1790s are among the earliest in the state and can sometimes substitute for the missing census data.

Vital Records for Montgomery County Genealogy

Statewide birth and death registration in Georgia began in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. The Montgomery County Health Department issues certificates from 1919 to the present. Before 1919, official vital records are scarce.

The 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. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are limited to close family members and legal guardians. Death certificates are more widely available for genealogy.

For Montgomery County ancestors before 1919, check church records, cemetery transcriptions, and estate files. The county's age means that some church records in this area go back to the 1700s. These can provide baptism dates, marriage information, and burial records that predate any government system.

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

Montgomery County Genealogy Resources Online

The Georgia Probate Courts Directory lists contact information for the Montgomery County Probate Court and every other probate court in the state. This is a helpful starting point for mail or phone requests.

The directory provides the address, phone number, and judge name for each county probate court in Georgia, including Montgomery County in Mount Vernon.

Other free online resources 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 newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements for Montgomery County genealogy.

Genealogy Tips for Montgomery County

Start by writing down what you know. Names, dates, places. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records from 1820 to 1940 are available at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com (free in the search room). Montgomery County shows up starting with the earliest available Georgia census data.

Montgomery County was created from Washington County in 1793. For ancestors before that year, check Washington County records. Georgia has 159 counties, and borders shifted often. Parts of Montgomery County later became Emanuel, Toombs, and Wheeler counties. If your family leaves Montgomery County records at some point, they may have stayed put while the county boundary moved around them. The Virtual Vault's "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" resource is essential for sorting this out.

• Check cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Review Headright and Bounty land grants at the Georgia Archives
• Use tax digests to locate ancestors during destroyed census years

The Georgia Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees from public agencies are capped at 10 cents per page.

Cities in Montgomery County

Montgomery County includes Mount Vernon, Ailey, Higgston, Tarrytown, and Uvalda. All genealogy records are maintained at the Montgomery County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Mount Vernon. No cities in this county meet the population threshold for individual pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Montgomery County. Check neighboring records if your family moved within this area or if you reach a dead end in Montgomery County.