Our goal is to aid genealogical researchers with resources and materials related to Jones County, Mississippi at no cost to the researcher. This site is FREE and will ALWAYS be FREE to all researchers! We are proud to be a part of the Mississippi Genealogy & History Network.

We are in the process of adding more Jones County resources to this web-site as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, or have Jones County history or genealogy information to share, please send an email to Tammy Westmoreland at trwestmoreland@gmail.com. Good luck in your pursuit of those elusive ancestors!

The following is only a part of what you will find here at Jones County MSGHN.

• 1841 Mississippi State Census for Jones County including heads of households and number of people living in household.
• Tula Rosa Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. On the west side of Augusta Road at the intersection of Jordan Loop, just south of Ellisville. 313448N, 0891150W.
• Lawn Haven Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on Lawn Haven Church Road about 1/8 mile south of US Highway 84 in the Powers community. 314208N, 0890313W.
• Edmonson Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located southwest of Moselle on R.V. Lindley Road just sout of Swift Water Drive. 312833N, 0891743W.
• Shows Memorial Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on Old Soso Road about 3/4 mile east of Highway 28 southeast of the Soso community. 314338N, 0891412W.
• Taylor Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on Indian Springs Road about 1/2 mile south of US Highway 84 in the Calhoun community. 314131N, 0891226W.
• Lone Star Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located in the southwest part of the county on Highway 590 just east of Monroe Road. 313354N, 0892201W.
• Shows Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. This cemetery is located on Evans Creek Road about 1/2 mile east of Ovett Moselle Road east of the Moselle community. 313004N, 0891339W.
• Jackson Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on N. Eastabutchie Road about 1 1/2 miles northeast of US. Highway 11. 312649N, 0891610W.
• Hill Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on the east side of Highway 29 just south of Jessie's Lane. 314225N, 0891557W.
• Everett Family Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on Fairchild Cemetery Road about 1/4 mile east of US. Highway 11 south of Moselle. 312903N, 0891640W.
• McAndrews-Pitts Cemetery - burial listing with tombstone photos. Located on the grounds of the Big 10 Water Park off Big 10 Road in the Soso Community. 314056N, 0892018W.
• Thousands of Jones County marriage dates - These dates are an important aid to getting a copy of a marriage records. Be sure to check for your Jones County ancestors.
• Jones County Cemetery List

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 [photo].

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 so depopulated that it acquired the derisive nickname "The Free State of Jones".

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).

Other Jones County communities include: Sandersville, Soso, Calhoun, Eastabuchie, Mosell, Ovett, Sharon, and Shady Grove. In its first census in 1830 there were 1,471 residents listed. In the last federal census in 2000 the population was 64,958.

Jones County MSGHN has many records here on our website. Marriage Records, Tax lists, cemetery listings with many tombstone photos, and more. Look at the Jones County Records links in the menu on the left 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 Jones County marriage records here at Jones County MSGHN. 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 Jones County marriage records for any date not listed above (and for the dates listed above for that matter) may be obtained from the Jones 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, Jones County divorce proceedings were filed in the Jones County Chancery Clerk's office.

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