Link To This Page — Contact Us —

Clay County, Georgia
Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records
????? County Georgia Map

VEIW FULL SIZED SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Browse Georgia Counties

Clay County was created from portions of Early and Randolph counties by an act of the General Assembly approved Feb. 16, 1854. Georgia's 110th county was named for former U.S. Representative, U.S. Secretary of State, and U.S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. Clay, who died in June 1852, is probably best remembered for his role in securing congressional approval of the Compromise of 1850, which dealt with the divisive issue of allowing slavery in the U.S.'s western territories.

The 1854 legislation creating Clay County authorized the justices of the county's first inferior court to select a site to serve as county seat and to provide for erection of public buildings. The act further provided that until a county seat was selected, county elections and business be conducted in Fort Gaines. Subsequently, the inferior court judges formally designated Fort Gaines as Clay County's seat of government. The town originated as a military fort built in April 1814 at the end of the Creek Indian War. The military outpost was located on a bluff overlooking the Chattahoochee River at the northern boundary of Creek lands ceded to Georgia in the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814. The fort was named for Gen. Edmund Gaines (1777-1849), a Virginia military officer noted for his service in the War of 1812.. Fort Gaines fell within the boundaries of Early County, which was created from the Creek ceded lands in Dec. 1818.. The General Assembly incorporated Fort Gaines as a town on Dec. 14, 1830.

There are two incorporated municipalities within the county: Fort Gaines, the county seat, and Bluffton.Fort Gaines grew up around a fort on the Chattahoochee River established to protect settlers during the Creek Indian Wars. The town, named for the fort's builder, General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, became a shipping point for cotton planters for many miles on both sides of the Chattahoochee River, remaining a key market until about 1858, when railroads replaced river freight.. Clay County, Georgia History Books at Amazon.com. The Official County Government Website is located at http://www.claycountyga.org/

  • Submit a Website or Report Incorrect Information
  • Historical Newspapers from Georgia (1752 - 1997) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
  • Georgia State Genealogy Network - Facebook.com
  • Family History Library
  • Georgia Newspaper Archives - the largest historical newspaper database online, contains nearly 100 million newspaper pages from 1759 to present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword and date. It Features billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, it makes exploring history and genealogy easy. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old - including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more – to fill in the life stories you are interested in. All of thier historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable
  • Georgia Historical Records - Databases include Georgia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Georgia Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Georgia Voter Lists & Census Records; Georgia Immigration & Emigration Records; Georgia Obituary Records; Georgia Military Records; Georgia Family Tree Records; Georgia Pictures; Georgia Stories, Memories & Histories; Georgia Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Back to top

Clay County Court, Probate and Tax Records

See Also Georgia Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records and Marriage Records

Clay County Clerk of Superior Court has Court Records from 1854 and Land Records from 1854 and is located at 210 WASHINGTON ST., P.O. BOX 550, FORT GAINES, GA 39851; (229) 768-2631, Fax: (229) 768-3047 . The Superior Court, Georgia's general jurisdiction trial court, has exclusive constitutional authority over felony cases, cases regarding title to land and equity, declaratory judgments, habeas corpus, mandamus, adoptions, name changes, divorces, child custody, and child support enforcement. The clerk is responsible for recording deeds and maintaining the chain of title to all property in the county.

Clay County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1854 , Probate Records from 1854 and is located at 210 S. Washington, PO Box 448, Fort Gaines, GA 39851; 229-768-2445/F 768-2710. The jurisdiction of Probate Court are all legal proceedings that deal with Wills, Estates, Guardianships of minor children, Involuntary Committals Hearings, Filing of Wills for saf, Issuance of Marriage License, ect... The office of the probate judge is the county office where the most significant genealogical records are created and maintained in Georgia.

None of Georgia's colonial tax records have survived. Surviving Georgia tax records begin on a county basis in the late 1780s. By 1783 Georgia tax laws provided for taxing land according to its quality and quantity, and male polls were white males over twenty-one. Other taxes were imposed on town lots, slaves, and free persons of color, buildings and improvements, merchandise, lawyers, and doctors. The poll tax on all adult males made Georgia tax digests good census substitutes and supplements.

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Clay County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Clay County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Vital Records in Georgia

Clay County Health Department has Birth and Death Records since January 1919 and is located at P.O. Box 66, Fort Gaines, Georgia 31751, (912) 768-2355. You may go to any county health department in the State of Georgia to obtain a certificates can be issued while you wait. Contact Clerk of Superior Court For County Divorce Records (See Clay County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in the county where divorce was granted, and Contact Probate Judge For County Marriage Records (See Clay County Court Records for Address and Phone number) in county where license was issued.

Georgia State Vital Records, Center for Health Statistics Office is located at State Dept of Human Resources, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640 (404) 679-4730 info, (877) 572-6343; Fax: (404) 524-4278. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records are available from 1919 to the present. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates.
  • Death Certificates: Certified copies of death records are available from 1919 to the present. Death certificates are available to the general public. For earlier records in Atlanta or Savannah or other cities or counties, write to the Vital Records Office (see above) in county where event occurred. Fees are listed below. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index
  • Marriage Certificates: Centralized State records since June 9, 1952. Certified copies of marriage documents up to 1966 are issued at State office. Contact the Clay County Probate office for marriages in Clay County occurring before June 9, 1952, and all other counties will be forwarded to appropriate Probate Judge in county where license was issued.The state office does no record marriage license or applications after July 1, 1997.

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. Order Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records or Death Records.

Ordering Vital Records by Mail -The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $10.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $5.00. Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Vital Records, GA. DHR". Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to:Vital Records, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319-3640. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates or Death Certificates.

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Clay County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Clay County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Census Links for Georgia

Federal Population Schedules that exist for Georgia are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. The 1820 census is the earliest enumeration of Georgia's population to have survived, making it necessary to substitute other lists for the missing censuses. Land lottery, military and tax lists, and other records, are available as census substitutes and supplements for the 1820 and earlier censuses.

The first three census schedules for Georgia (1790, 1800 & 1810) are missing. A total of seventeen volumes of 1790-1820 censuses were lost by the federal government, evidently before 1895, and the cause is unknown. Tax lists for various years for a few of the counties have been published.. These can be used as a substitution for the first three census schedules. Additionally, Wills, deeds, tax digests, court minutes, voter lists, and newspapers can be searched to locate ancestors during this period The 1820 schedules for Franklin, Rabun, and Twiggs Counties are missing.

Georgia conducted state censuses for various years from 1787 to 1866. Only a relatively few of these returns survive, and they are only lists of heads of households with some minor statistical information. The returns prior to 1852 have been published in various sources. Later census returns, when they survive, are almost all on microfilm at the Georgia Department of Archives and History . The Georgia Census, 1790-1890 contains the following indexes: 1790 Tax Substitute Index; 1792-1819 Tax Lists Index; 1800 Oglethorpe County Territorial Census Index; 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 & 1870 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1838 & 1845 State Census Index; ,1860 Slave Schedule; 1890 Veterans Schedule.

There are many other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in the state of Georgia. There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Clay County Census Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Clay County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in Georgia

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Clay County Military Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Clay County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Georgia Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Clay County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Back to top

Clay County Cemeteries & Graveyards

See Also Research In Cemetery Records or Statewide Cemetery Links for Georgia

There are many churches and cemeteries in Clay County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Clay County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches and cemeteries free for viewing or download here.

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Clay County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Back to top

County Church & Bible Records

See Also Research In Church Records or Statewide Church & Bible Links for Georgia

 

Back to top

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for Clay County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Clay County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Back to top
Site Map | Copyright © 2011 N2Genealogy.com,