Kentucky Genealogy – Free Kentucky Genealogy

Kentucky Genealogy. This state page of our website provides direct links to free major genealogy databases and historical titles and information found on Kentucky Genealogy, whether they exist on our site, or across the web.

Black Kentucky Genealogy

Kentucky Bible Records

Kentucky Biographies

Kentucky Cemeteries

Kentucky Census Records

  • Kentucky Census Records
  • Kentucky 1910 Census Edition Map
  • Hart County Kentucky Tax List, 1819
    Often, the potential of tax records as a tool for genealogy research is not fully recognized. While their immediate details might seem sparse, they could be a gateway to acquiring land documents that are rich in valuable information for tracing our ancestry. This compilation represents individuals who were paying taxes in Hart County, Kentucky, in the year 1819. When applicable, it also includes details of the land parcel owned, specifying the size, geographical location, and any adjacent bodies of water.

Kentucky Church Records

Kentucky Court Records

Kentucky Wills
This database includes scanned images of wills that have been located in patent files during the Land Office’s ongoing scanning project. Because wills include names of family members, disposition of slaves (many of whom are named in the will) and other estate components, they can be valuable for historical and genealogical research.

Adair County Court Records

Adair County Probate Index: 1801-1817
The Adair County Probate Index is an index of all probate records for Adair County, Kentucky during the years of 1801-1817, as found in Volumes A+B of Adair County court records, Kentucky State Archives microfilm #3601.

Adair County Probate Index: 1818-1836
The Adair County Probate Index is an index of all probate records for Adair County, Kentucky during the years of 1818-1836, as found in Volume C of Adair County court records, Kentucky State Archives microfilm #3601.

Barron County Court Records

Barren County Probate Records Index: 1817-1829
The Barron County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Barron County, Kentucky for the years of 1799-1815 as found in Volume 1, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #209740.

Barren County Probate Records Index: 1817-1829
The Barron County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Barron County, Kentucky for the years of 1817-1829 as found in Volume 2, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #209740.

Bourbon County Court Records

Bourbon County Probate Records Index: 1786-1795
The Bourbon County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Bourbon County, Kentucky for the years of 1795-1805 as found in Volume B, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #183132.

Bourbon County Probate Records Index: 1795-1805
The Bourbon County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Bourbon County, Kentucky for the years of 1795-1805 as found in Volume B, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #183132.

Bracken County Court Records

Bracken County Probate Records Index: 1798-1815
The Bracken County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Bracken County, Kentucky for the years of 1798-1815 as found in Volume A, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #344088.

Bracken County Probate Records Index: 1815-1823
The Bracken County Probate Records Index is an index of probate records for Bracken County, Kentucky for the years of 1815-1823 as found in Volume B, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #344088.

Breckenridge County Court Records

Breckenridge County Will Index: 1800-1893
The Breckenridge County Will Index is an index of will records for Breckenridge County, Kentucky for the years of 1800-1893 as found in book 1 of the Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #7005267.

Breckenridge County Will Index: 1894-1935
The Breckenridge County Will Index is an index of will records for Breckenridge County, Kentucky for the years of 1894-1935 as found in book 2 of the Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #7005267.

Breckenridge County Will Index: 1934-1968
The Breckenridge County Will Index is an index of will records for Breckenridge County, Kentucky for the years of 1934-1968 as found in book 3 of the Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #7005267.

Breckenridge County Will Index: 1966-1975
The Breckenridge County Will Index is an index of will records for Breckenridge County, Kentucky for the years of 1966-1975 as found in book 4 of the Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #7005267.

Hart County Kentucky Court Records

Hart County Kentucky Wills 1819-1850
The Hart County, Kentucky Court House burned in 1928. This has caused a severe hardship on anyone researching their families in Hart Co, KY. The following index is all that exists of Will Book A. This index apparently escaped the fire. It was compiled by Colonel Ben LeBree and was originally published by the Hart County Historical Society in their quarterly publication. What this index tells us is the people listed here died before 1850 and estate papers or wills were filed in Hart County, Kentucky. It is a terrible shame the actual documents were lost.

Logan County Kentucky Court Records

Logan County, Kentucky Wills – Book A, with index
The wills in this book come from Book A of the Wills found at the Logan County Court house in Russellville, Kentucky. The information was extracted in 1957 by Mrs. Vick on behalf of the DAR located in Russellville. The text in this book was done with an old manual typewriter and has the usual faint and filled-in type often found with such papers. On top of the difficulty in interpreting the print from the typewriter, the scanning process was also deficient, and led to the creation of a faint digital copy exacerbating the difficult to read text.

Logan County, Kentucky Wills – Book B, with index
The wills in this book come from Book B of the Wills found at the Logan County Court house in Russellville, Kentucky. The information was extracted in 1957 by Mrs. Vick on behalf of the DAR located in Russellville. The text in this book was done with an old manual typewriter and has the usual faint and filled-in type often found with such papers. On top of the difficulty in interpreting the print from the typewriter, the scanning process was also deficient, and led to the creation of a faint digital copy exacerbating the difficult to read text.

Kentucky Directories

Kentucky Genealogy

United States Genealogy

  • Access Meade County Kentucky Genealogy
    Access Meade County Kentucky genealogy using this page. This guide provides you with information on available online ancestry records including birth, court, death, land, and marriage, etc., as well as the history of the Meade County KY and the biography and genealogy of her people. This is the most complete and accurate listing of online records for Meade County Kentucky.

KYGenWeb

Adair, Allen, Anderson, Ballard, Barren, Bath, Bell, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bracken, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carlisle, Carroll, Carter, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Graves, Grayson, Green, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Harlan, Harrison, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Knox, LaRue, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Mason, McCracken, McCreary, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Scott, Shelby, Simpson, Spencer, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Whitley, Wolfe, Woodford, Unknown County

Kentucky History

Kentucky Land Records

Certificates of Settlement and Preemption Warrants
Under the Virginia land law of 1779, any bona fide settler in Kentucky County (also known as the Kentucky District) prior to January 1, 1778, who had made an improvement and planted a crop of corn was eligible for a 400-acre certificate of settlement for the land he or she had improved. The settler could purchase an additional adjoining 1,000 acres under a preemption warrant. All those who had “marked out” or chosen unappropriated lands and built any house or hut or made improvements prior to January 1, 1778, but who could not prove actual settlement were entitled to a preemption of no more than 1,000 acres. The Certificates of Settlement and Preemption Warrants Database is indexed by warrant number, individual acquiring the certificate and warrant, immediate assignees and tract location; it includes scanned images of commissioners’ certificates.

Jackson Purchase Land Locator
The southern half of the Jackson Purchase region in western Kentucky was acquired under the October 19, 1818, land treaty between the United States and the Chickasaw Indian Nation. On February 14, 1820, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation stated the entire Jackson Purchase region would be mapped in compliance with the system used by the federal government for surveying public lands. There are 9,308 patents in the West of Tennessee River Non-Military Series. The online database includes scanned images of patent files. By entering Ranges, Townships, and Principal Meridian Direction (East or West), researchers using this database will find the scanned image of the exact township location for 9,308 West of Tennessee River Non-Military Patents indexed by Willard R. Jillson in “The Kentucky Land Grants” change to The Kentucky Land Grants. Researchers may also find references to ranges and townships in deeds for the Jackson Purchase area.

Kentucky Doomsday Book
The original “Domesday Book” was completed in 1086 for William the Conqueror. It identified England’s landowners and land locations for tax purposes. Kentucky’s “Doomsday Book” is a journal created by land commissioners appointed to hear settlers’ claims in the Kentucky District under Virginia Land Law A.

Lincoln County Entries
In 1780 Kentucky County, Virginia, was divided into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson and Lincoln. The Virginia General Assembly instructed the Kentucky County Surveyor to copy land entries into separate volumes for each of the new counties. This database contains 4,763 entries reserving land for patenting in the Lincoln County area from November 3, 1779, through April 19, 1792.

Revolutionary War Warrants Database
This database indicates includes 4,748 bounty land warrants issued by Virginia to veterans of the Revolutionary War. Warrants, the first step in land patenting, were given as payment for military services; the allotment was determined by the soldier’s rank and time of service, and the land was located in the Revolutionary War Military District. Patents issued for service in the Revolutionary War are filed with the Virginia Patent Series (VA), Old Kentucky Patent Series (OK) and the West of the Tennessee River Military Patent Series (WTRM).

Virginia Treasury Warrants
The May 1779 Land Laws passed by the Virginia General Assembly authorized the sale of treasury warrants to patent “waste and unappropriated land.” After proof of payment was established, the Virginia Land Office provided a printed warrant specifying the quantity of land and the rights upon which it was due. No proof of prior military service or residency was required for purchasing a treasury warrant. This database includes all entries in the Virginia Treasury Warrants Register, Volumes I and II. It includes the names of persons purchasing the warrants, immediate assignees, acreage, cost of warrant (in pounds, shillings and pence) and the date the warrant was purchased. Treasury warrant numbers range from 1 to 23,082. Some warrant numbers were skipped, and some were used more than once.

West of Tennessee River Military Patents
The Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky was acquired under the October 19, 1818, land treaty between the United States and the Chickasaw Indian Nation. A number of Revolutionary War soldiers occupied the Jackson Purchase prior to the treaty. On December 26, 1820, the Kentucky General Assembly approved legislation for the “surveying of military claims west of the Tennessee River” and for the establishment of a town at Iron Banks. The 242 patents under this series were authorized by entries filed with the Military Surveyor prior to May 1, 1792.

Adair County Land Records

Adair County Land Records Index: 1802-1807
The Adair County Land Records Index is an index of land records for Adair County, Kentucky for the years of 1807-1811 as found in Book B, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #828890.

Adair County Land Records Index: 1807-1811
The Adair County Land Records Index is an index of land records for Adair County, Kentucky for the years of 1807-1811 as found in Book B, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #828890.

Adair County Land Records Index: 1811-1815
The Adair County Land Records Index is an index of land records for Adair County, Kentucky for the years of 1811-1815 as found in Book C, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #828890.

Adair County Land Records Index: 1815-1818
The Adair County Land Records Index is an index of land records for Adair County, Kentucky for the years of 1815-1818 as found in Book D, Kentucky State Archives microfilm roll #828890.

Kentucky Maps

Kentucky Military Records

Kentucky Native American Records

Kentucky Newspapers

Kentucky Vital Records

Kentucky Vital Records

Kentucky Vital Records, 1884-1928
This microfilm is a copy of the original records located at the Kentucky State Historical Society in Frankfort and microfilmed in 1975. It is an incomplete copy of the set of records for each county but can provide the information for the specific counties and years as denoted in the list.

Kenton County Birth Records 1852-1859 & 1876-1877

Kenton County Death Records 1852-1880 (Incomplete)

1825-1854 Marriage Bonds of McCracken County Kentucky
This is a list of 870 marriage bonds from McCracken County, Kentucky, covering the years of 1825 to 1854 and extracted from the McCracken County Marriage Bonds Book No. 1. In 1957, Mrs. Briles extracted information about these bonds and compiled them into this self-published book. The text in this book was done with an old manual typewriter and has the usual faint and filled-in type often found with such papers.

New Kentucky Genealogy

Biography of Harrison Gill

It is fitting that in the biographies of the early settlers of the County some mention should be made of Harrison Gill, who entered among the first land here and lived near Camargo. The grandfather of Mr. Gill was born in Ireland. He came to America and settled m Virginia. His son, Samuel Cresswell Gill, r moved from Virginia to Kentucky and settled in Bath County. Here, on the Licking river, he built Gill’s mills, a noted point in that part of that state. He married Sarah Malone, by whom he had a large family of children, of whom Harrison…

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Craddik

Thomas Craddick, a typical Kentuckian and a self-made man, now residing on his farm in Arcola Township, was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, April 13, 1856, and is a son of Michael Craddick and Catherine (Welch) Craddick, who were natives of Ireland. His father emigrated from Kentucky to Arcola Township 1869 and died in 1890. His mother died in 1896, and they are both buried in the Arcola cemetery. Mr. Craddick’s farm contains one hundred and fourteen acres of land. He has never been married. Socially he is very popular and in business one of the substantial men of the…

Biography of Allan Campbell

Allan Campbell, son of John Campbell, died October 13, 187 5. Without a sketch and portrait of Allan Campbell this book would he among the earliest and most prominent pioneers in Bourbon Township. Allan came before his father, and soon after his arrival bought five acres of land just south of Lesterville, at the Bagdad Bridge, and ran a ferry here for three years. Allan Campbell was born in Knox County, Kentucky, in 1809. His grandfather, Allan Campbell, was born in Virginia, and was among the early settlers in Kentucky. His father, John Campbell, removed to Bourbon Township soon after…

Biography of Robert M. Black

Robert M. Black, the subject of this memoir, came from an ancestry of more than ordinary importance and prominence. His great-grandfather, with his family, removed from Scotland and settled in Virginia some years before the Revolutionary war, caused by the traitor Arnold in portions of Virginia, volunteered, though far past the age of liability, for military service, and was one of the soldiers, who, under Lafayette and Gen. Wayne, turned and drove back Lord Cornwallis. He was intimately acquainted with Lafayette, Gen. Wayne and Gen. Lord Sterling, who were frequent guests at his house. His youngest son, George Black, the…

Biography of Joseph Ashurst

Joseph Ashurst, principal and superintendent of the Camargo public schools and present nominee of the Democratic Party for the office of County superintendent of schools, has been a leading educator in the County for several years. He was born in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky, April 16, 1872, and is a son of Henry Clay and Elizabeth (Thurman) Ashurst, who were both horn in Pulaski County, Kentucky. His grandfathers, Henry Ashurst and Joseph Thurman, were natives of Virginia and early settlers in Pulaski County, where they were engaged in agricultural pursuits. His father, Henry C. Ashurst, was one time sheriff of…

Slave Narrative of Mrs. C. Hood

The Story of Mrs. C. Hood: Once upon a time during the Civil War my grandmother was alone with just one old faithful servant. The Union troops had just about taken everything she had, except three prize saddle horses and one coal black mare which she rode all the time. She was very fond of the mare and valued it very much. One night my grandmother heard a noise, and called old Joe to go to the barn and see what was the matter. As he was nearing the barn someone yelled “Halt”; and Joe being a black man and…

Slave Narrative of Elphas P. Hylton

LAWRENCE CO. (Edna Lane Carter) Extract from the Civil War diary kept by Elphas P. Hylton, a Lawrence Co. volunteer in the Union Army. “On 17th of July (1864) I was detailed for picket duty and saw three thousand negro soldiers on a grand review, a black cloud to see. On the 18th I was relieved of duty. Here I became dissatisfied as a soldier on account of the negro, negro, negro. On the 23rd we began to get ready to leave this negro hole and on the 24th, to our great joy and gladness, we were sent into camp…

Slave Narrative of Mr. McIntosh

LESLIE CO. (Viola Bowling) McIntosh was a very progressive farmer and had a large supply of food, being a Rebel of the Rebel Army camped at the mouth of this creek near his home where they could secure food. He had a slave called “Henry McIntosh” who was drafted into the Union Army. He did not want to go but his master told him, “Well Henry you will have to go, do not steal, nor lie and be good and when you get out come on back.” He did come back and stayed here until he died, he later married…

Slave Narrative of W. B. Morgan

ANDERSON CO. (Mildred Roberts) Many of the following stories were related by Mr. W.B. Morgan who at one time owned and operated a livery barn. He hired several negroes to look after the horses and hacks, and remembers many funny tales about them and others: “Kie Coleman, one of my employees, was standing without the livery stable smoking a two-fer cigar that some one had given him. Another negro walked up to chat with him, and he reared back and said “Get away nigger, nothing but the rich can endure life.” “I was hauling grain for the distillery. One morning…

Biography of Alfred Richardson

MARTIN CO. (Cullen Jude) In the year 1864, during the conflict between the North and South, a new citizen was added to the town of Warfield. His name was Alfred Richardson, a colored man. Heretofore the people would not permit negroes to live in Warfield. Richardson was in a skirmish at Warfield and was listed among the northern people as missing. His leg was injured and he was in a serious condition. The good people living at Warfield had their sympathies stirred up by his condition and took him in and gave him food and medical attention until he was…

Slave Narrative of Mrs. Duncan

WAYNE CO. (Gertrude Vogler) [Mrs. Duncan:] “After the War was over mammie’s old man did not want us with them, so he threatened to kill us. Then my old mammie fixed us a little bundle of what few clothes we had and started us two children out to go back to the Campbell family in Albany. The road was just a wilderness and full of wild animals and varmints. Mammie gave us some powder and some matches, telling us to put a little down in the road every little while and set fire to it. This would scare the wild…

Will of Nancy Austin

WILL-Nancy Austin: In the name of God, Amen. I, Nancy Austin of sound mind and disposing memory, but weak in body, do make and publish this as my last will and Testament. In the first place I give to my Grandsons, Fielding Jones and Isaac Vanmeter Jones, a negro girl of the name of Margaritte, and negro boy by the name of Solomon to be equally divided between them when the arrive at the age of 21 years or without lawful issue, then and in that case my will and desire is that the survivor have the aforesaid negroes with…

Biography of the Hensley Brothers

Samuel and Benjamin Hensley were sons of an English family that settled on the Potomac River in Virginia, at an early date. Samuel married a Miss Landers, and they had Samuel, Jr., and William. His first wife died, and he was married again to Susan Taplett, by whom he had several children. William, son of Samuel, Jr., by his first wife, married Elizabeth Appleberry, of Virginia, and they had James, Benjamin, William, Jr., Thomas, Fleming, Judith, and Elizabeth. James, William, Jr., Thomas, and Fleming came to Montgomery County in 1826, and all except Thomas afterward married and settled in Jefferson…

Biography of the See Family

The See family is of German origin. Three brothers, Adam, George, and Michael, with seven sisters, were raised in Hardy Co., Va. Their father, George, and a Negro man were all killed by lightning while stacking hay. The girls married and settled in Kentucky and Ohio. Adam was a prominent lawyer, and lived and died in Virginia. Michael married Catharine Baker, of Hardy Co., Va., by whom he had Mary, Elizabeth, Adam C , Barbara, Anthony, Jacob, John, Solomon, and Noah. Mr. See was a soldier of the war of 1812. He settled in Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1837. His…

Biographical Sketch of James Adams

James Adams, of Virginia, settled in St. Louis Co., Mo., in 1818. He married Sally Brown, and their children were Burrell, James, Polly, Sally, Elizabeth, Lucy, Rebecca, Martha, and Nancy. Burrell was a soldier in the war of 1812. He came to Missouri in 1816, with Judge Beverly Tucker, and was married in 1818 to Harriet Allen, a daughter of John Allen, who died in 1830. Mr. Adams died in Danville, Mo., during the-summer of 1876, in his 82d year. He had eight children William B., B. T., J. B., James B., Susan F., John A., C. C., and Sarah…

Biographical Sketch of Charles Allen

Charles Allen and his wife, Elizabeth Powell, settled in Kentucky in 1800, and came to Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1823. Their children were Joseph H., David P., Charles P., Polly E., Elizabeth B., Anna A., Martha C., Tabitha W., Lucy J., and Catharine C. Mr. Allen was a carpenter by trade, and built the jail at Lewiston. His son, Joseph H., who was a physician, died at Troy, in Lincoln County. David P. was married first to Ann Boone, by whom he had two children. After her death he married Nancy. Courtney, of St. Charles, and they had eight children.…

Kentucky County Courthouse Addresses

Kentucky State Vital Records Office   Office of Vital Statistics 275 East Main Street 1E-A Frankfort, KY 40621 (502) 564-4212 Fax: (502) 227-0032 Adair County 424 Public Square Columbia, KY 42728 (502) 384-2801 Larue County 209 West High Street Hodgenville, KY 42748 (270) 358-4400 Allen County PO Box 115 Scottsville, KY 42164 (502) 237-3631 Laurel County 101 South Main Street London, KY 40741 (606) 864-5158 Anderson County 137 South Main Street Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 (502) 839-3471 Lawrence County 122 South Main Cross Street Louisa, KY 41230-1700 (606) 638-4102 Ballard County P.O. Box 276 Wickliffe, KY 42087-0145 (502) 335-5176  Lee County…

Kentucky Vital Records

Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking. Kentucky State Vital Records Office  Office of Vital Statistics275 East Main StreetFrankfort, KY 40621(502) 564-4212Fax: (502) 227-0032 Kentucky Vital Records,…

Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel Maughs

Nathaniel Maughs was of Loudon County, Va. His children were David, William, John, Moses, Elijah, Stephen, Vinson, Mary, Sally, and Eli. Mr. Maughs removed from Virginia to Fleming County, Ky., and his children all came with him. David and William were Baptist preachers, and the former settled in Lincoln County, Mo. Elijah married .Mary Smith, by whom he had-Mordecai M., Milton M., Sophronia F., Lucinda S., Elijah C., Daniel M., and Mary S. V. Mr. Maughs died, and his widow married his brother Stephen, who settled in Montgomery County, Mo., in 1822. They had Jerry S. D. S., and George…

Biographical Sketch of Ezekiel McCarty

Ezekiel and Ira McCarty were sons of James McCarty and Jane Harding, of Virginia. They settled in Clark County, Kentucky, in 1806, where they lived and died. They had twelve sisters, all of whom married and settled in Kentucky. Ezekiel was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was in the battle known as Dudley’s Defeat. He married Elizabeth Sidebottom of Kentucky. Their children were Shelton A., Eli, James, Sally, George W., John W., Joseph K., and Alfred S. Mr. McCarty removed to Missouri and settled in Danville in 1836. He died in 1866, and his wife in 1873.…

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