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 Joseph McFarland

Joseph McFarland, of Ireland, came to America before the revolution, and settled at Norfolk, Va. He joined the American army when the war broke out, and was killed in battle. He left a widow and one son, Robert, who settled in Madison Co., Ky., where he married Rhoda Quick, and they had Sarah, Joseph, and Rachel. Mr. McFarland’s first wife died, and he subsequently married Eva Farmer, of Virginia, by whom he had-Eleanor, Lucinda, Elizabeth, Permelia, Eliza, and Robert. Joseph McFarland settled in Montgomery County in 1825. He married. Polly Cundiff. Lucinda married James McGarvin, of Montgomery County. Eliza married…

Biographical Sketch of David W. Bunch

David W. Bunch, of Kentucky, settled in Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1826. He married Elizabeth Wright, by whom he had fourteen children Thompson H., John J., William F., Lucretia, Patsey A., Sterling L., Lewis W., Nancy D., Amanda J., Hamilton V., Eliza M., David W., Cordelia, and Elizabeth.

Biography of Victor Craig

Victor Craig, of England, came to America in 1760, and settled in Maryland. He had four sons, William, James, Robert, and Samuel. William and James lived in Albemarle County Va. Samuel was drowned in the Susquehanna River. Robert was a soldier of the revolutionary war. He was married first to Susan Carter, of Virginia, who was afterward killed by the Indians. She lived nine days after having been scalped. Mr. Craig was married the second time to Sarah Ellington, of New Jersey, by whom he had-John, David, Victor, Jonathan, Jacob, Cynthia, Nancy, and Sally. Mr. Craig settled in Montgomery County…

Biographical Sketch of James Barnes

James Barnes, of Virginia, settled in Kentucky at an early date. He had three sons James, Jr., Noble, and John. The two latter settled in Illinois, where they lived and died. James, Jr., settled in Missouri. He married Sarah Callaway, daughter of Flanders Callaway, and they had twenty-two children, sixteen of whom lived to be grown, viz: James, John, Larkin, William, Callaway F., Flanders C., Lilborn, Volney, Andrew, Rhoda, Jemima, Minerva, Margaret, Hulda, Cynthia, and Elizabeth. Flanders C. married Obedience Grigg, and lives in Montgomery County. He has in his possession a knee-buckle and silk stocking that belonged to his…

Biographical Sketch of Presley Anderson

Presley Anderson and his wife, Elizabeth Steele, settled in Montgomery Co., Ky., in 1779. Their children were John A. S., James, William, Presley, Jr., Lucy, and Eliza. John A. S., better known as Captain Jack, was a remarkable man in his day, and is well remembered by the old citizens of Montgomery and Callaway counties. We give his history elsewhere. Presley, Jr., married Euphemia Jones, of Tennessee, and settled first in Warren Co., Mo., in 1814, from whence he removed to Montgomery County in 1817, and settled near Brush creek. He brought his family to Missouri on pack-horses, and they…

Biography of Stephen Best

Stephen Best, of Ireland, emigrated to America many years before the revolution, and settled in Pennsylvania. His children were Isaac, Humphrey, Stephen, Jr., and Ebenezer. He also had several daughters, but their names are lost. Ebenezer never married, but he educated sixty children that claimed him for their father. He was one of the celebrated horse racers of Madison Co., Ky., and also indulged in chicken fighting. He once fought ten times with his chickens in one day, and gained seven of the fights, winning $1,000 each. Isaac Best and his wife came to Missouri in 1808, from Garrard Co.,…

Biographical Sketch of Edwin Beard

Edwin Beard and his wife, Mary Bell, of Ireland, came to America and settled in Augusta Co., Va. They had William, John, David, Charles, and Samuel. The latter was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. He married Sarah Craig, of Staunton, Va., and settled first in Pennsylvania, from whence he removed to Kentucky in 1792, and to Missouri in 1827. His children were John, William, David, Samuel, Absalom, James, Mary B., Sarah L., and Elizabeth. William was a soldier in the war of 1812, under Gen. Harrison. He married…

Biographical Sketch of Matthew Bushby

Matthew Busby, of Ireland, was a weaver by trade. He came to America and settled first in Delaware, from whence he removed to Bath Co., Ky., at an early date. He had seven sons, one of whom, James, married Nancy Lewis, of Delaware, by whom he had eleven children Isaac, Rolley, John, James, Hiram, Lewis, Granville, Elizabeth, Lucretia, Amanda, and Malinda. Lewis and James settled in Missouri. The former married Eliza McClannahan, of Kentucky, and settled in Missouri in 1835.

Biographical Sketch of Henry Lawson

Henry Lawson, of Shelby Co., Ky., married Rebecca Lewis, by whom he had Henry, James, Joseph, William, John, Cynthia A., Mary, Laura, Rebecca, and Nancy. Mr. Lawson settled in Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1822. He and his wife were present at the organization of Macedonia Church, on Cuivre, of which they became members.

Biographical Sketch of the Brown Brothers, Richard and Daniel

Brown Bros., Richard and Daniel, farming, stock and road grading and ditching; P. O. Humbolt; are natives of Nelson and Hardin Cos., Ky.; they were born Dec. 22, 1826, and July 22, 1832, respectively. They were born on the farm, and have always followed farming; they lived in Kentucky until the fall of 1854, when they came to Illinois, and settled about ten miles south of Charleston, where they lived about three months; they then moved on the Springfield road, in Douglas Co., where they lived one year, when, in 1856, they came to the present place, and have lived…

Biographical Sketch of Esop Lewis

Esop Lewis, a blacksmith, was of English parentage, and lived in the State of New York, from whence he removed to Vermont. The names of his children were Rufus, Benjamin, Eli, Chandis, Salina, and Hannah. Rufus, who was a cooper by trade, married Elizabeth Gilbert, of Connecticut, and moved with his parents to Ohio in 1816. They went from there to Kentucky, and in 1819 they came to Missouri in keel-boats, landing at St. Genevieve. They settled in Washington County, and in 1839 Rufus Lewis, with his wife and son, Enos W., came to Montgomery County. They had three children…

Biography of Gideon Bowles

Gideon Bowles and wife, of Dublin, Ireland, were members of the St. James Colony that settled in Goochland Co., Va. Anderson Bowles, their son, married Jane Thomas, and settled in Cumberland Co., Va. Their children were Caleb, Sarah, James, Gideon, Ann, Anderson, Jr., Virginia, Elizabeth, Augusta, and David. Ann and Gideon died in Virginia. The rest of the children came with their parents to Madison Co., Ky., in 1806, and in 1811 they all settled in St. Louis Co., Mo., where Mr. Bowles died the following year. His widow lived until 1834. Caleb the eldest son was Judge of the…

Biography of Hugh Logan

Hugh Logan was born in Ireland. At the age of fourteen years he had a difficulty with his father, and ran away from home and went to sea. He followed the life of a sailor for three years, and then landed at Philadelphia, and made his way from there to Kentucky, during the first settlement of that State. He married Rebecca Bryan, a sister of Jonathan, David and Henry Bryan, who had been raised by her aunt, Mrs. Daniel Boone; her mother having died while she was young. Their children were William, Alexander, Hugh, Jr., Henry (called “Boss”) and Mary…

Biographical Sketch of Peter Carter

Peter Carter, of Kentucky, had twelve children. Larkin G., one of his sons, married Judith Jones, and settled in Montgomery County, Missouri, in 1819. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, under General Harrison, and acted as Colonel of militia in Montgomery County for several years. He died in 1847, having raised thirteen children.

Biographical Sketch of William Bush

William Bush, of Fayette Co., Ky., had Benjamin, Ambrose, Levi, and Matilda. Benjamin married and settled in Illinois, on the bank of the Mississippi river, and was murdered under the following circumstances Parties on the opposite side of the river owed him a considerable amount of money, and he went over on the ferryboat, one day, to collect it. As he was returning that evening he was robbed while on the boat, and then thrown into the river. Levi and Matilda Bush both married and lived and died in Kentucky. Ambrose married Nancy Douglass, and settled first in Illinois, near…

Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor

Biography of Captain Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor

Captain Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor
Kentucky Genealogy - Free Kentucky Genealogy 2
Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor was the youngest son of Commodore William Vigneron Taylor of the United States navy. He was born at Newport, Rhode Island, September 14th, 1825. He entered the Military Academy at West Point July 1st, 1842, before he had reached the age of seventeen, and graduated July 1st, 1846. On the day of his graduation he was appointed Brevet 2nd Lieutenant, First dragoons, but did not enter immediately upon his duties. The company to which he was assigned was serving in New Mexico against hostile Indians, and it…

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Jones

The subject of this sketch has led an active life both as a public man and as a private individual. He is one of our self-made men and has won, and fully deserves every iota of esteem and regard in which he is held by his industry, integrity and enterprise. He was born in Header San County, Kentucky, in 1865, and lived on a farm until the age of 16. Moving at that age with his parents to Malheur County, Oregon. On coming to this State he followed several vocations until September. 1887, when he was appointed deputy county clerk…

Biographical Sketch of John W. Biggs

It is perfectly natural to admire pluck and ambition in a young man and this no doubt is one reason why he whose name heads this sketch has won so many friends during  silence in Oregon. He is of flint class who are opposed to leading the routine life of all unambitious citizens, but with the energy and enterprise characteristic of Young America when untrammeled with restraint, he seeks higher and nobler spheres of life, and looks forward to securing fame and fortune before being overtaken by old age. Mr. Biggs was born in Georgetown, Kentucky, in 1870, but moved…

Burials in Caves

The early settlers of eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, and the adjoining region discovered many caves of varying sizes in the broken, mountainous country. In many instances human remains which had been deposited in the caverns, together with the garments and wrappings of tanned skins or woven fibers, were found in a remarkable state of preservation, having been thus preserved by the natural salts which abounded within the caves. Fortunately several very clear and graphic accounts of such discoveries were prepared. One most interesting example, then recently made in a cave in Barren County, Kentucky, was described in a letter written…

David and Margaret Mitchell Genealogy – Appendix

A Tribute to Albert Small by David Mitchell Small My father always provided well for his family. During the Civil War, he staid at home and his father went in his place; my father having such a large family, this plan was thought the best. My father helped at home to gather recruits, and I remember of his telling of his numerous narrow escapes from the opposition. He was always one of the leading men in the church (U. P.) The 23d psalm was his favorite and he said that when he died he wanted us to repeat that psalm.…

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