Search Marengo County Genealogy Records

Marengo County genealogy records date back to 1818 when the county was created from lands ceded by the Choctaw Nation. The county seat is Linden, a small town in southwest Alabama. The Marengo County Probate Court handles marriage records, wills, and estate files. Birth and death records come from the county health department or the state office in Montgomery. With a population around 18,000, this is a rural county with records that often trace back to early plantation families and the Demopolis settlement.

What Records Are Available

Marengo County has a solid set of genealogy records. Birth and death records from the state system start in 1908. Marriage records at the probate court go back to 1818. The county has land deeds, old wills, and court files from its early days. Some records were lost over time, but many survive.

Types of genealogy records you can find in Marengo County:

• Birth records from 1908 to present
• Death records from 1908 to present
• Marriage records from 1818 to present
• Divorce records from Circuit Court
• Probate and estate files
• Land and deed records
• Tax records and old voter rolls
• Court case files

Records before 1908 for births and deaths are hard to find. The state did not track vital events back then. Church records, cemetery logs, and family bibles may be your best bet. Old plantation records sometimes list births and deaths too. The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery has some early Marengo County records that were donated or moved there over the years.

Marengo County Probate Court

The Marengo County Probate Court is your main stop for local genealogy work. This office keeps marriage records, will files, and estate records. They also handle guardianship cases and some land matters. The probate judge runs county business in Alabama. The office sits in the Linden courthouse.

Online access is limited in Marengo County. Unlike larger counties, there is no web portal to search records from home. You will need to call, write, or visit the office to request searches. Staff are used to helping with genealogy requests and can look up records if you give them names and dates. Phone calls work well for simple lookups.

Marriage records at the probate court are public. Anyone can ask for a copy. You do not need to prove you are related. This makes marriage records a good starting point for Marengo County genealogy. The court has marriage indexes that go back to the county's founding in 1818, though some gaps exist in the early years.

County Health Department

The Marengo County Health Department can issue certified copies of vital records. Through the ViSION network, staff can pull any Alabama birth, death, marriage, or divorce record. You do not have to go to the county where the event happened. Any county health office in Alabama can search the state system.

Access rules apply to vital records. Birth records less than 125 years old are restricted. Only the person named, a parent, or a legal guardian can get a copy. Death records less than 25 years old have some limits too. After these time periods, the records open up for genealogy research.

Walk-in service is often same day for vital records. Staff search the state database and print your record while you wait. Bring a valid ID and know the details of the record you need. If you are not named on the record, bring proof of your right to get it. The office accepts mail requests too.

How to Search Records

You have a few ways to search genealogy records in Marengo County. In-person visits give you the best results. Mail and phone work for simple requests. Online options are more limited here than in larger counties.

Start by calling the probate court. Give them names and date ranges. Staff will check the index and tell you what they find. If a record exists, you can ask for a copy by mail. Include a check or money order with your request. Response times vary, but most requests get handled within a week or two.

For vital records, you have three main options:

• Visit the county health department in Linden
• Mail a request to the health department
• Order online through VitalChek

VitalChek is the state's online partner. You can order birth, death, marriage, and divorce records on their website. They add a service fee on top of the state fee. Go to vitalchek.com or call 1-888-279-9888 to place an order. This works well if you cannot travel to Marengo County.

The Demopolis Public Library has some local history materials. The library holds old newspapers, yearbooks, and community records. Staff may know about local family files or church records. This is worth a stop if you are in the area doing research.

Online Access Options

Marengo County does not have its own online records portal. This is common in smaller Alabama counties. Most of your research will need phone calls, letters, or visits. But some statewide and national sites can help.

Online resources for Marengo County genealogy:

• AlacourtAccess for court records at pa.alacourt.com
• Alabama Department of Archives digital collection at digital.archives.alabama.gov
• FamilySearch free records at familysearch.org
• Ancestry subscription database at ancestry.com
• FindAGrave for cemetery records at findagrave.com

The Alabama Department of Archives and History has free digital records. They hold old newspapers, photos, and government files. Marengo County records from the 1800s are in their collection. This is a good place to start for older family research.

FamilySearch offers free records with no subscription. They have indexed Alabama vital records, census data, and church records. Their Marengo County collection includes marriage records, census images, and probate files. Create a free account to use all their tools. Volunteers add new records all the time.

In-Person Access

Visiting in person gives you the best chance to find records. Staff can help you search and explain what is available. You may find things that do not show up in indexes or on websites. Bring a notebook and valid ID.

The Marengo County Courthouse in Linden houses the probate court and other county offices. Go to the probate office and ask for help with genealogy records. Staff can search indexes and pull files for you to see. You can take notes or order copies. The courthouse is easy to find in downtown Linden.

The Demopolis Public Library is about 20 miles from Linden. This library has local history materials that may help your search. Old newspapers and community records are part of their collection. Demopolis was an early settlement in Marengo County, so records from that town matter for local genealogy.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery is worth the trip. Their research room has the best collection of old Alabama records. Some Marengo County probate records and land files from the 1800s are there. Staff can help you find what you need. The drive from Linden takes about two hours.

Fees for Records

Record fees in Marengo County are set by state law. The health department charges $15 for a search plus one certified copy. Extra copies in the same order cost $6 each. This covers birth, death, marriage, and divorce records from the ViSION system.

Probate court fees include:

• Copy of marriage license: $5.00
• Certified copy of marriage: $10.00
• Search fee: varies by request
• Deed copy: based on page count
• Probate file copy: based on page count

VitalChek adds a service fee on top of state fees. The amount depends on shipping speed. Rush orders cost more. Phone orders may have a small extra charge. Check their website for current prices before you order.

Some searches are free. Calling the probate court to ask if a record exists usually costs nothing. Staff will check the index over the phone. You only pay when you order a copy. This helps you avoid fees for records that do not exist.

Local Genealogy Tips

Marengo County has a unique history that shapes its records. The Vine and Olive Colony brought French settlers to Demopolis in 1817. These families left records in French that may require translation. Some early land grants and deeds reflect this French heritage.

The county was a major cotton producer before the Civil War. Plantation records sometimes survive in family papers or at the state archives. Enslaved people were listed in these records, which can help trace African American genealogy. The Freedmen's Bureau records for Marengo County are at the National Archives and online through FamilySearch.

Check church records for births and deaths before 1908. Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches were common in Marengo County. Some congregations kept detailed records of members, including birth and death dates. Contact local churches or check the state archives for these files.

Cemetery records fill gaps in vital records. FindAGrave and BillionGraves have photos of headstones from Marengo County cemeteries. Some old family cemeteries sit on private land. The county historical society may have lists or maps of these burial grounds.

The Marengo County Heritage Book is a published history with family stories. Your local library or the state archives may have a copy. It contains genealogy data submitted by local families. This can give you leads even if your family is not directly listed.

Cities in Marengo County

Marengo County has several small towns. None have populations over 50,000, so no city pages exist for this county. All towns use the Marengo County Probate Court for marriage records and the county health department for vital records. Demopolis is the largest town with about 7,000 people. Linden, the county seat, has around 2,000 people.

Towns in Marengo County include Demopolis, Linden, Thomaston, Dayton, Faunsdale, Dixon Mills, Magnolia, and Myrtlewood. All of these use the county offices in Linden for genealogy records. Demopolis has its own public library with local history materials.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Marengo County. If your family lived near the county line, check records in both places. County borders moved over time in early Alabama, so an ancestor may show up in a nearby county.