Pike County Genealogy Records

Pike County genealogy records reach back to 1822, when the county was created from Monroe County. The Probate Court in Zebulon holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records spanning over two centuries. Pike County is in central Georgia, south of Atlanta, and has been a mostly rural county since its founding. The Superior Court Clerk keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Over 200 years of court records are at the courthouse in Zebulon, making it a strong resource for family research in this part of the state.

Pike County Probate Court Records

The Pike County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records used in genealogy. Marriage licenses date from 1822 to the present. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. The courthouse is in Zebulon.

Marriage records from the 1820s and 1830s are among the oldest in Pike County. A marriage license shows both names and sometimes the ages and parents of the couple. These records help confirm family connections. Estate records are just as useful. When a person died, the court filed a will or appointed an administrator to handle the estate. These files list heirs, describe property, and sometimes mention debts. Annual returns and inventories track estate values from year to year. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court handles wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses.

Guardianship records are another key source for Pike County genealogy. When children lost one or both parents, the court appointed a guardian. These records give names, ages, and sometimes relationships that are hard to find elsewhere.

Note: Call ahead to verify hours and fees, as schedules can change.

Pike County Superior Court Genealogy

The Pike County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records from 1822. Deed books show property sales and transfers between family members. Plat maps give exact property locations. Divorce records name children and list assets. These records round out the picture that probate records start to build.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are open to the public. You can visit the clerk's office in Zebulon or send a mail request. Include the full name of the person, approximate date range, and the type of record you need. Fees vary by record type.

Pike County land records from the early 1800s are particularly useful. Many families received land through the state's lottery system, and those records still exist at the courthouse and at the Georgia Archives in Morrow.

Vital Records for Pike County Genealogy

Birth and death certificates for Pike County are available from 1919 to the present. The statewide vital records system began that year under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Before 1919, there are no official vital records for Pike County. Use church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles for earlier periods.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are restricted to certain family members and legal representatives. Death certificates are more available. The fee is $25 for the first certified copy and $5 for each extra. The Virtual Vault has free death certificates from 1919 to 1943. FamilySearch has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost.

Note: Rural counties like Pike often had spotty compliance with vital records registration in the early years after 1919.

Pike County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Pike County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records from researchers working on Pike County families.

Volunteers share courthouse records, library finds, and private collections here. The site can save you a trip to Zebulon for basic lookups. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has obituaries and legal notices from old Pike County papers.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds pre-1900 Pike County records on microfilm. Free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch is available in their search room. The Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260.

Genealogy Tips for Pike County

Start with what you know. Write down all names, dates, and places for your Pike County ancestors. Then work backward one generation at a time.

Federal census records from 1830 to 1940 are at the Georgia Archives through Ancestry.com. The 1830 census is the first to list Pike County. The 1850 census was the first to name every person in the household. The 1890 census was destroyed. For that gap, use tax digests to find where your ancestors lived. Pre-1900 Pike County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives. Post-1900 records are at the courthouse in Zebulon.

• Check Monroe County for records before 1822
• Search cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Review church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Use estate records to find family connections
• Check the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for Pike County images

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

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pike County. If your ancestors moved in central Georgia, check neighboring county records too. Boundary changes happened often in the 1800s.