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

Biographical Sketch of Cole Diggs

Cole Diggs was born February 25, 1791. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and in 1817 he settled in Kentucky, and married Jane Pace, a daughter of Rev. John Pace, of Virginia. In 1832 he removed to Missouri and settled in Montgomery County, where he still resides (1875), in the 85th year of his age. He kept hotel at Danville, for some time after he came to Missouri, and served as Justice of the Peace for many years.

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Estell

Benjamin Estell, of Kentucky, married Anna Claughnaugh, and settled in Boone Co., Mo. They had ten children, and one of their sons, named James, married Matilda VanBibber, daughter of Major Isaac VanBibber, and settled in Montgomery County. Their children were Horatio, Elizabeth A., William K., Isaac V., Pantha, Colelia C., Robert G., Jonathan, Arrata, James W., Benjamin, and Sarah N., Philemon Estell, a brother of James, settled in Montgomery County, and was married three times.

Biographical Sketch of George Godfrey

George Godfrey lived at Ritford, England. His son Peter married Dorothea Learey, of England, by whom he had Thomas, John, Edward, George, Charles, and Mary. Thomas came to America and settled in Canada. John went to California, and died on his return to England. Edward lives in Mercer County, Pa. George married Mary Ostick, of England, and settled in Pittsburg, Pa., in 1830, in St. Louis in 1836, and in Montgomery County, where Jonesburg now stands, in 1838. His children are Mary A., George, Edward, William O., John W., Henry M., and James A. Mary A. married Rev. George Smith,…

Biographical Sketch of James Glenn

James Glenn and his wife, Sarah Grigg, with their two children, James and Nellie, came from Ireland to America, and settled in Virginia. After their settlement there the following children were born Polly, William, Thomas, and Whitehill. Mr. Glenn and his three sons, William, Thomas, and Whitehill, moved to Ohio; the rest of the children married and settled in Kentucky. James, William, and Thomas were in the war of 1812, and the former was killed at the battle of New Orleans. The other two were with the armies that operated in Canada and the northern part of the United States.…

Biography of John Graham

John Graham, of Kentucky, married a Miss Dugan, and they had Robert, John, Alexander, Catharine, and Isabella. Alexander died in Kentucky, and John died in Mississippi. Catharine married Tocal Galbreth. Isabella married Alexander Collier. Robert, who was a physician, married Isabella Galbreth, a daughter of Tocal Galbreth by his first wife, and settled in Montgomery County in 1816. He bought a Spanish grant of land, situated on Loutre creek, from Daniel M. Boone, and built an elm bark tent upon it, in which he lived four years. The Doctor was a very small man, but of determined will and a…

Biographical Sketch of John Greenwell

John Greenwell, of Kentucky, had a son Joseph, who married a Miss Taylor, and they had Ellen, Richard, Joseph, Jr., John, and William. Richard was married first to Eveline Raymond, of Kentucky, and second to Mrs. Counts, whose maiden name was Rachel Davidson. The rest of the children married and remained in Kentucky.

Biographical Sketch of William Farthing

William Farthing, of Albemarle County, Virginia, married Polly Vaughn, and settled in Kentucky. They had Sarah, Elizabeth, William, John, Thomas, and Shelton B. Sarah married James Hunt, who settled in Montgomery County in 1836. Elizabeth married William P. Hill, of Kentucky, who also settled in Montgomery County in 1836. William married Nancy Wood, and settled in Iowa. John married Lucena J. Moran, and settled in Missouri City, Missouri. Shelton B. married Lucy A. Glenn and settled in Montgomery County in 1836.

Biography of Jebez Ham

Jabez Ham, brother of John, was born in Madison Co., Ky., in 1797, and came to Missouri in 1817. He had no education, was of a roving disposition, and did nothing for several years but hunt and fish. His mind was naturally bright, and if he had been educated he would have made a remarkable man. Rev. Aley Snethen and Lewis Jones taught him the alphabet and learned him to read, and in 1824 he began to preach, having united with the Old or Hard Shell Baptist Church. In 1826 he organized a church of that denomination on Loutre Creek,…

Biography of Stephen Ham

Stephen Ham lived and died in Madison Co., Ky. He was the father of John, Jabez, and Stephen Ham, Jr. John was born in Kentucky in 1786, and came to Missouri in 1809, and settled in St. Charles County. He joined Nathan Boone’s company of rangers, and served during the Indian war. In 1816 he and Jonathan Crow built a bark tent on Auxvasse creek, now in Callaway County, and lived in it for some time, while they were engaged in hunting. They were, therefore, probably the first American settlers within the limits of Callaway County. Ham cut his name…

Biographical Sketch of George Gray

George Gray, of Scotland, emigrated to America previous to the revolution, and when that war began he joined the American army and served during the entire struggle. He had several brothers in the British army during the same war. Before leaving Scotland, he married Mary Stuart, and they settled first in Philadelphia, but afterward removed to North Carolina, and from there to Bryan’s Station in Kentucky. Here their son Joseph married Nary Finley, and settled in Warren County, Kentucky. In 1818 he removed to Missouri, and settled on Brush creek in Montgomery County, where he died in 1830. His children…

Biographical Sketch of David Gentry

David Gentry, of Virginia, married Jane Kendrick, and settled in Madison County, Ky. They had Bright B., Pleasant, David, Dickey, Martin, Bailey, and five daughters. Bright B. married Martha Jones, and they had James, Margaret, David, Jonathan J., Eliza, Susan, Albert, and Fanny. David settled in Montgomery County in 1833, and married Polly A. Groom. Jonathan also settled in Montgomery County in 1833, and married Elizabeth McFarland.

Biography of William Groom

William Groom, of England, emigrated to America, and settled in Kentucky, where he married Sally Parker. They had Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob, Aaron, Susan, Elizabeth, and Sally. All except Susan came to Missouri. Abraham and Isaac settled in Clay County. Jacob and Aaron settled in Montgomery County in 1810. Jacob was a ranger under Captain Callaway, and, in company with Jackey Stewart, was scouting in the woods the day Callaway was killed. A man named Dougherty was killed the same day, at Salt Peter Cave, not far from Groom’s farm. After they had killed him the Indians cut his body…

Biographical Sketch of Charles Howard

Charles Howard, of Halifax County, Virginia, married Nancy Lewis, and settled in Warren County, Kentucky. One of their sons, named Joseph, married Malinda Lennox, and settled in Montgomery County, Missouri, in 1818. Their children were Sylvesta, Cynthia E., Elijah, Rachel, Estelle, Cordelia, and Malinda. Mr. Howard’s first wife died, and he was married again to Phoebe Saylor, by whom he had John and George. She also died, and he married a lady named McCormack, by whom he had Greenup, Nancy, and Matilda. He was married the fourth time to Sydney Hall, by whom he had Joseph W. and a daughter.…

Biographical Sketch of Major Thomas Hughes

Major Thomas Hughes, of Bourbon County, Kentucky, married Lucy Tandy, and their children were William, Gabriel, Thomas, Henry C., Elliott M., James and Susan T. The Major’s first wife died, and he subsequently married her sister, who was a widow at the time. Major Hughes held the position of Justice of the Peace, in Paris, for forty years, and all his decisions were sustained by the higher courts. He also represented Bourbon County in the Kentucky Legislature. His eldest son, William, married his cousin, Margaret Hughes, and settled in Boone County, Missouri. Elliott M. received a classical education, and came…

Biography of David Knox

David Knox was born in Ireland, in 1700. He had a son named Andrew, who was born in 1728. In 1732 Mr. Knox came to America, bringing his little son with him, and settled in Philadelphia County, Pa. Andrew married Isabella White, of Pennsylvania, and they had-Robert, David, Martha, James, John, William, Mary, and Andrew, Jr. Mr. Knox was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and having taken an active part in the events of the day, a reward was offered for him, dead or alive, by the British authorities. On the night of the 14th of February, 1778, he…

Biographical Sketch of Richard Jones

Richard Jones, who was born in England, married a Miss Love, and settled in Botetourt Co., Va. He was a member of the Baptist Church, but had to give a hogshead of tobacco every year for the support of the Episcopal Church. The names of his children were William, John, and Silas. William married Elizabeth Metcalf, and settled first in Shelby Co., Ky., from whence he removed to Missouri and settled on Darst’s Bottom, St. Charles County, in 1818. In 1820 he removed to Callaway County, and built a horse-mill, under the shed of which the Baptists held religious services…

Biographical Sketch of Jonathan Ingram

Jonathan Ingram married Barbara Mennefee, of Virginia, and settled in Logan Co., Ky. Their children were Rhoda, Jonas, Samuel, Garrett, James, Anna, Polly, and Barsheba. Garrett married Nancy Hudson, and settled in Pike Co., Mo., in 1818. Their children were Polly, John, Barbara, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Samuel, Nancy, and Sally. Rhoda Ingram settled in Indiana, and James and Polly in Illinois.

Biographical Sketch of John Hudson

John Hudson and his wife, who was a Miss Allen, lived in North Carolina. They had six sons Isaac, Drury, Thomas, William, John, and Jesse. Drury and Isaac were in the revolutionary war. The latter settled in Georgia, where he married Polly Shipper. He afterward removed to South Carolina, and from thence, to Kentucky, and in 1818 he came to Missouri. The names of his children were Elizabeth, Nancy, Sally, John, Thomas, William, and Charles. Elizabeth married Lemuel Cox. Nancy married Garrett Ingram. Sally married James Owings. John was married three times; first to Lucinda Morris, of Kentucky; second to…

Biographical Sketch of Jesse Henton

Jesse Henton of Logan Co., Ky., was in the war of 181.2. He married Sarah Hughes, of Kentucky, and settled in Pike Co., Mo., in 1827, His children were John, James L., William, David, Wesley S., Rolla W., Mary J., Benjamin, Sarah A., Elizabeth E., and Harriet D. Rolla W. married Elizabeth L. Jamison, of Pike County, and settled in Montgomery. Samuel, son of John Henton, settled in Pike County in 1826. He married Mary Estens, and subsequently settled in Montgomery County.

Biographical Sketch of William Kerr

The father of William Kerr, whose name was Thomas, died when he was six years of age. They were originally of Virginia, but at the time of Mr. Kerr’s death they were living in Mercer County, Ky. William was bound out by his mother, who did not feel able to raise him; and in 1827 he came to Montgomery County. Here he married and had James H. H., George W., Elizabeth, William A., John T., Melissa C., Benjamin, Sophia, William, Douglass M., and Milton. Two of the children are dead, and all the others, except one, who resides in Lincoln…

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