Melbourne Ancestry Records
Melbourne sits on the Space Coast. It blends old and new. The name came from Australia. A worker named it by chance. Settlers came after the Civil War. They found good land by the river. Citrus groves grew well here. The railway came in 1894. It brought trade and growth. The space age changed all. Your kin may have farmed here. They may have built rockets. Files wait in Brevard County.
Melbourne is in Brevard County. The county formed in 1855. Records go back that far. Your family may be in them. Check the marriage licenses. Look at property deeds too. Court records help as well. Start your search now.
Melbourne Quick Facts
Melbourne Historical Overview
Settlers came after the war. Former soldiers sought new lives. They found land by the Indian River. The soil was good for fruit. The river gave fish and transport. A small town formed.
The name came by chance. A worker named it for his home. That home was in Australia. The name stuck as it grew. The railway came in 1894. More folks arrived then. Citrus groves spread fast.
The 1920s boom brought growth. New buildings rose downtown. Streets were paved. The town spread to the beach. Hurricanes slowed things down. But growth did not stop. Post-war years brought more folks. The space program changed the coast. Melbourne grew with it.
Brevard County Records for Melbourne
The Brevard Clerk of Courts keeps files. They have Melbourne kin records. The county formed in 1855. It was once Mosquito County. The name changed to honor a judge. Files cover all local time. Marriage licenses help prove ties. They start in 1855. Each license names the pair. Ages and birthplaces show up. Parents may be named. Search the clerk's index online.
Property deeds trace land through time. Early files show citrus groves. You can follow one plot from start. See groves turn to homes. Deeds name buyers and sellers. Wives sign with husbands. This shows wed names of daughters. You learn who owned what.
Probate files open family views. When folks died, estates went to court. Files name heirs and kin ties. Wills list kids and grandkids. Inventories show what was owned. You learn about daily life. Files help build true trees.
Chapter 119 keeps files open. This law grants access. You can view and copy them. Some have privacy shields. But old files are mostly free. The clerk's office is in Viera.
Florida State Archives Melbourne Collections
The State Archives holds Brevard files. Melbourne families are included. You can visit Tallahassee. Many files are online too.
Vital records help link kin. Death files start in 1877. They name the dead and parents. Chapter 382 sets the rules. Old files are open to all. Free indexes help you search.
Visit the State Archives of Florida to explore their holdings.
Digital Tools for Melbourne Research
Online tools make work fast. You can search from home. Many sites cost nothing. Some need paid plans.
FamilySearch.org gives free Florida files. It has Brevard County marriages. Census views cost nothing. The site grows with new scans.
Ancestry.com has the largest paid set. It has all U.S. census years. Florida news files are there. Military rolls are included.
Brevard County Genealogy Records
Melbourne is in Brevard County. Most files are at the county level. The clerk keeps court and land files. You can visit Viera. Or use online search tools.