Lafayette County, Florida
Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources
Lafayette County was created in 23 Dec 1856 and was formed from Madison County. The County was named for after the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general in the American Revolutionary War. The County Seat is Mayo.
Included at the time what is now both Lafayette and Dixie Counties. Lafayette County was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French citizen who rendered assistance to the colonies during the Revolutioary War. The famed Suwannee River forms the entire eastern boundary. The county courts first met at the home of Ariel Jones near Fayetteville. The county seat was moved from to Mayo from New Troy in 1893, and Mayo is currently Lafayette's only incorporated town. In 1921 the lower part of of the county was carved off and created into Dixie County.
Counties adjacent to Lafayette County are Suwannee County (east), Gilchrist County (southeast), Dixie County (south), Taylor County (west), Madison County (northwest).
Records at the Lafayette County Court, Probate and Tax Records
The Official County website is located at ? . NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. See also Courthouse History
Lafayette County Clerk of the Circuit Court / County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1857, Land Records from 1873, Probate Records from 1838 and Court Records from 1857 and is located at P.O. Box 88, Mayo, Florida 32066-0088; 386-294-1600, Fax: 386-294-4231
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is also the County Clerk. His office is located in the County Courthouse. The office of the Clerk is created in Article V and Article VIII of the Florida Constitution. The Clerk is an officer of the court of justice whose responsibilities are mandated by the Constitution as well as state and local laws. Under a 1973 reorganization of the judicial system, the clerk of courts in each county was made, and remains, custodian of all records of all predecessor courts, whether justice of the peace, city, county, probate, civil, or criminal.
You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers Florida and surrounding states. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Lafayette County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records
Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042;
(904) 359-6900 Ext. 1029, Fax: (904) 359-6993.
- Birth Certificates: has custody of birth records filed from January 1917 to date. Scattered birth records from 1865 through 1916 are also held by the bureau, and some city health departments have some additional scattered records (e.g., Jacksonville, 1893-1913; Pensacola, 1897-1916).
- Cost: $9.00 for computer certification & $14.00 per photocopy certification (1930 to present), payment is payable to the Office of Vital Statistics. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $9.00/$14.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
- Death Certificates: From 1917 - present. Death records begin about 1877, but the first state law mandating registration of deaths was passed in 1899, and records before 1917 are spotty. It is always well to check with city health departments.
- Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
- Marriage & Divorce Certificates: has custody of marriage, divorce, and annulment records filed after 6 June 1927. For records prior to that date, and there are thousands of them, query the clerk of courts in the county where the license or decree was issued. Numerous divorces and resulting name-changes are to be found in Names and Abstracts from the Acts of the Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida, 1822-1845 (Pass-A-Grille Beach, Fla.: William A. and Janet B. Wolfe, 1985). Copies of marriage license applications are available only from the clerk of courts in the county courthouse. Standard request forms for copies of state-held records are necessary and available as indicated above.
- Cost: $5.00 per certificate. Additional copies of the same record are $4.00 each. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
- Ordering Vital Records - You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates to mail.
- Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
- Order In Person: To order your copy through your local County Health Department Vital Statistics office click here for a list of the 67 County Health Departments. WALK-IN SERVICE is available at 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, Florida, between 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Orders prepaid by Noonmay be picked up after 3:30 p.m. Orders prepaid after Noon may be picked up after 10:00 a.m. the next workday. Each requestmust be accompanied by picture identification Certifications for photocopies rush service requires an additional fee of $10.
- Order By Mail: Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. Mail to the following address: Office of Vital Statistics, Dept of Health, P.O. Box 210, 1217 Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 32231-0042. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Lafayette County Census Records
Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Lafayette County, Florida are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Lafayette County, Florida are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Lafayette County Maps & Atlases
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Maps by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Lafayette Co. Maps
- Lafayette County maps from Exploring Florida website (42 Maps)
- Florida State and Regional Maps: 1500-1599 (5 maps), 1600-1699 (6 maps), 1700-1799 (59 maps), 1800-1849 (32 maps), 1850-1874 (44 maps), 1875-1899 (55 maps), 1900-Present (21 maps).
- The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
- Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection - Florida Maps
- Lafayette County, Florida Map Books at Amazon.com
- Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.
Lafayette County Military Records
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Lafayette Co. Military Records
- Florida Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
- National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
- Florida Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
- National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
- Southern Claims - Barred and Disallowed from the State of Florida (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
- Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Florida (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
- Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida (The National Archives): NARA M251. View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Florida units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
- Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Florida (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
- Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
- Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
- Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files
(The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
- Lafayette County, Florida Military Books at Amazon.com
Lafayette County Genealogical Addresses
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Lafayette Co. Genealogical Addresses
- Lafayette County Historical Society,
Rt 1 Box 665, Mayo, FL 32066; drdarrel@lani.net
- Florida Dept of State Div of Library & Information Services, Bureau of Archives & Records Management, 500 S. Bronough St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6700, [EMAIL]
- Florida Historical Society 1320 Highland Ave, Melbourne, FL 32935; (321) 254-9855,[EMAIL]
- Florida State Genealogical Society, PO Box 10249, Tallahassee, FL 32302-2249
- Florida State Library, R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250, (850)245-6600; Hours: Mon.- Fri. 9:00am - 4:30pm, Sat. 9:30am - 3:30pm
- Florida State Records Center, 4319 Shelfer Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250; (850)245-6750; Hours: By Appointment Only
- Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
- Florida Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
Lafayette County Cemeteries & Graveyards
There are many churches and cemeteries in Lafayette County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Lafayette County Tombstone Transcription Project.
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
County Church & Bible Records
Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits
Below is a list of online resources for Lafayette County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Lafayette County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Lafayette Co. Military Records
- Sites on USGenweb: [ Lafayette County ] [ Florida ] [ Main Page ]
- [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards
]
- Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
- Florida Family Group Sheets Project
- Lafayette County, Florida Family Books at Amazon.com