Upson County Genealogy Search
Upson County genealogy records date back to 1824, when the county was formed from Crawford and Pike counties in middle Georgia. The Probate Court in Thomaston holds marriage licenses, wills, estate files, and guardianship records that span two centuries. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps land deeds, divorce records, and civil case files. Upson County played a role in the textile industry, and many families settled here for work in the mills. The courthouse in Thomaston is the main location for all genealogy research in this county.
Upson County Quick Facts
Upson County Probate Court Records
The Upson County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records. Marriage licenses go back to 1824. The court also keeps wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These are key documents for researching Upson County family lines.
Visit the courthouse at 116 W. Main Street in Thomaston to search in person. The court takes mail requests too. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Certified copies cost $2.50 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after that.
Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are also available. The first copy costs $25. Each extra copy is $5. These fees are the same across all 159 Georgia county offices.
| Address | 116 W. Main Street, Thomaston, GA 30286 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (706) 647-7012 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
Upson County Superior Court Genealogy
The Upson County Clerk of Superior Court holds land records, divorce files, and civil case records from 1824 to the present. Land deeds are a great genealogy source. They show property transfers, neighbors, and family ties that go back to the county's earliest days. Deed books document how land changed hands across generations.
Divorce records often list children, property, and ages. That detail confirms family connections when vital records are missing. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Georgia are public. You can request copies in person or by mail from the courthouse in Thomaston.
Tax digests from the Superior Court fill gaps where census records are missing. Georgia lost its 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census data. Upson County tax records from those years help bridge the gap. Civil case files with estate disputes and property lawsuits often list family members by name.
The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71 caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents.
Vital Records for Upson County Genealogy
Georgia did not start statewide vital records until 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. For Upson County births and deaths before 1919, you need county-level sources. The Probate Court may have some early records. Church records, cemetery transcriptions, and family Bibles are also useful.
Birth certificates from 1919 onward are available from the Georgia Department of Public Health or the Upson County Probate Court. 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 widely available and useful for genealogy.
The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch.org also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These are strong starting points for Upson County research.
Upson County GAGenWeb Resources
The Upson County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource with cemetery transcriptions, census data, and family trees shared by other researchers.
This site connects you with other people working on Upson County family lines. Volunteers post records from courthouses, libraries, and archives across Georgia.
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 Georgia newspapers with obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements.
Genealogy Research Tips for Upson County
Start with what you know. Write down names, dates, and places. Then work backward.
Census records are often the best next step. Federal census data from 1830 to 1940 covers Upson County. The 1850 census was the first to list every household member by name. For the years where Georgia census records are missing, use Upson County tax digests. The Georgia Archives at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260 is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Fold3 is available in the search room.
You can also search Upson County records through the state's E-Access to Court Records system. Registration is free. Basic case data costs nothing. Documents cost $2.50 for the first page and $1.00 per additional page.
- Check cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions when vital records are missing
- Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
- Look at Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives
- Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos
- Review estate and guardianship records for family details
Upson County was created from Crawford and Pike counties. If your ancestors were here before 1824, check those parent county records. The Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help you track where your family was counted over time.
Note: Pre-1900 Upson County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. Post-1900 records are only at the courthouse in Thomaston.
Cities in Upson County
Thomaston is the county seat and largest city in Upson County. All genealogy records for cities in this county are maintained at the Upson County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Thomaston. No cities in Upson County meet the population threshold for a separate city page.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Upson County. If your ancestors moved within middle Georgia, check neighboring county records. Upson was carved from Crawford and Pike counties.