Clarke County
Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Clarke County MSGHN

Welcome to the Clarke County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network website providing free information to genealogical and historical researchers.

To share your Clarke County, Mississippi genealogy or history information, send an email to msghn@outlook.com - we will be pleased to include it here. If you have information to share for other Mississippi Counties, visit the Mississippi Genealogy & History Network state website and choose the appropriate county.

About Clarke County, Mississippi...

Clarke County was formed on December 23, 1833 - created from the Choctaw Cession in 1830. It was named in honor of the first Mississippi state chancellor and judge Joshua G. Clarke.

The original Mississippi Act described the county boundaries as:

"Beginning on the State line of Alabama, at the point at which the line between townships four and five strikes said State line, and running thence west with said line between townships four and five, to the line between ranges thirteen and fourteen east; thence south, with said line between ranges thirteen and fourteen east to the southern boundary line of the Choctaw nation, thence east with said boundary line to the northwest corner of the Higoowanne reserve; thence to the northeast corner of the same; thence east along said boundary line to the point at which the southern boundary of township number one strikes the same; thence directly east to the State of Alabama, and thence north with said State line to the place of beginning."

The first officers of the county were William Covington, George Evans, Stephen Grice, Henry Hailes, George Knight, Samuel K. Lewis, Calvin M. Ludlow, Norman Martin, and David B. Thompson.

The county seat is Quitman, named for Gen. John A. Quitman, second Chancellor of the State, later governor, and an officer in the Mexican war.

The county has a total area of 693.41 square miles of which 691.27 square miles is land and 2.14 square mile (0.31%) is water. The population recorded in the 1840 Federal Census was 2,986. The 2010 census recorded 16,732 residents in the county.

Neighboring counties are Lauderdale County (north), Choctaw County, Alabama (east), Wayne County (south), Jasper County (west) and Newton County (northwest). Communities in the county include the county seat Quitman, as well as Enterprise, Pachuta, Gin, Shubuta, Stonewall, and De Soto.

Clarke County, Mississippi Records

Clarke County MSGHN has many records here on our website. Marriage Records, Cemetery listings, tombstone photos, census records, and more. Look at the Clarke County Data links for a list of available data.

Birth Records - The Mississippi Department of Health maintains records of births after November 1, 1912 on file. This was the year Mississippi began keeping official birth records. You can obtain official copies of birth certificates by mail by using this birth record application on their website. If you just have to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company recognized by the Mississippi Dept. of Health. Since there are no official birth records before November 1, 1912 for births prior to that date you will need to determine birth information from census records, bible records, baptismal records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Death Records - The Mississippi Department of Health maintains births recorded after November 1, 1912 on file. This was the year Mississippi began keeping official death records. You can obtain official copies of death certificates by mail by using this death record application on their website. If you just have to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company recognized by the Mississippi Dept. of Health. Since there are no official death records before November 1, 1912 for deaths prior to that date you will need to determine death information from census records, bible records, funeral home records, cemetery tombstones, etc.

Marriage Records - We have thousands of Clarke County marriage records here on our website. These dates will assist you greatly in obtaining a copy of the original marriage license. The Mississippi Department of Health can provide you with this for marriages that took place between January 1, 1926 to June 30, 1938, and for January 1, 1942 to present by mail by using this marriage record application on their website. If you just have to order by internet or phone, or use a credit card, you can use VitalCheck, a third party records company recognized by the Mississippi Dept. of Health.

All existing Clarke County marriage records for any date not listed above (and for the dates listed above for that matter) may be obtained from the Clarke County Circuit Clerk's office.

Divorce Records - Prior to 1859, divorce proceedings were introduced as private bills in the Mississippi State Legislature. References to these can be found in the books Index of Mississippi Session Acts 1817 - 1865 and Index to the Laws of the Mississippi Territory. These books can be found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History as well as many other genealogy repositories and libraries across the state. After 1859, Clarke County divorce proceedings were filed in the Clarke County Chancery Clerk's office.