Jones County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network

Welcome to Jones County MSGHN

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

To share your Jones 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 Jones County, Mississippi...

Jones County is located in the southeastern portion of Mississippi. The county was formed on January 24, 1826 out of parts of Covington and Wayne counties and is the only county in the United States named for the founder of the U.S. Navy, Commodore John Paul Jones.

When formed, the county seat was Ellisville, named for Powhatan Ellis, a former U.S. Senator for Mississippi and descendant of Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas.

During the economic hard times in the 1830s and 1840s, there was an exodus of population from South Mississippi, principally to Texas. The situation was especially acute in Jones County, which became very depopulated.

During the Civil War, Jones County and its neighboring Covington County to its west, became a safe-haven for Confederate deserters. A group of men, called Knight's Company, led by Captain Newton Knight engaged in sporadic battles with State and Confederate units sent to arrest them for desertion. The notoriety of Captain Knight's "rebellion" led to the fabrication of elaborate stories alleging Jones County's "secession" from the Confederacy and the establishment of an entity called "The Free State of Jones".

In fact, Jones County During the Civil War, Jones County and its neighboring Covington County to its west, became a safe-haven for Confederate deserters. A group of men, called Knight's Company, led by Captain Newton Knight engaged in sporadic battles with State and Confederate units sent to arrest them for desertion. The notoriety of Captain Knight's "rebellion" led to the fabrication of elaborate stories alleging Jones County's "secession" from the Confederacy and the establishment of an entity called "The Free State of Jones". In fact, Jones County never seceded from the Confederacy. Though opposing secession from the Union, once the war began, the majority of Jones County citizens remained loyal in their opposition to Union forces.

After the Civil War ended, the Mississippi Legislature along with Jones Countians changed the county's name to Davis (after Confederate President Jefferson Davis) and the name of its county seat to Leesburg (after Confederate General Robert E. Lee). The Mississippi Reconstruction Constitution of 1869 repealed those acts and restored the names of Jones County and Ellisville. In 1906 the county was divided into two judicial districts, with seats of justice at Ellisville (1st District) and Laurel (2nd District).

The county has a total area of 699.73 square miles, of which 693.82 square miles is land and 5.91 square mile (0.84%) is water. The population recorded in the 1830 Federal Census was 1,471. The 2010 census recorded 67,761 residents in the county.

Neigboring counties are Jasper County (north), Wayne County (east), Perry County (southeast), Forrest County (southwest), Covington County (west), and Smith County (northwest). Communities in the county include Laurel, Ellisville, Sandersville, Soso, Calhoun, Eastabuchie, Errata, Sand Hill, Mosell, Ovett, Whitfield, Sharon, and Shady Grove.

Jones County, Mississippi Records

Jones County MSGHN has many records here on our website. Marriage Records, Cemetery listings, tombstone photos, and more. Look at the Jones 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  ...READ MORE