Pensacola Family History Records

Escambia County sits at Florida's western edge. Pensacola serves as the seat. The land holds the state's oldest roots. You can trace kin back to Spanish times. Records fill vaults and halls. Staff help those who seek.

The county formed in eighteen twenty-one as one of Florida's first two counties. The name comes from a Creek word. Spanish explorers founded Pensacola in fifteen fifty-nine. They made it their capital of West Florida. The French held it briefly. Then the British took control. The Spanish won it back. Finally, it joined the United States. Layers of flags mean layers of records. Catholic church books predate civil files. They hold births, deaths, and weddings. The naval yard opened in eighteen twenty-five. It brought workers and sailors. Many stayed to raise kin. Yellow fever struck often. Outbreaks killed thousands. But the city endured. It grew as a port and navy town. Today you can find deep roots here. The past lives in the streets and files.

Escambia County Clerk of Court Records

The Clerk holds deep kin files in Pensacola. Marriage logs stretch to the county's birth. Court records fill floors. Staff know their history. They assist with hard searches.

Wedding records before nineteen twenty-seven stay with the clerk. The state lacks these early years. You must visit Pensacola to see them. Each license names bride and groom. Witnesses signed with care. Bonds show who pledged for the pair. These may lead to more kin. Probate files hold wills and lists. They name heirs and shares. Children appear in order. Spouses claim their due. Debts link to other groups. Court cases add more threads. Land suits name kin on both sides. Criminal files list victims and accused. The clerk's office sits at one nine zero West Government Street. Call eight five zero five nine five four three one zero for help. Staff know their vast files.

You may search online at the clerk's web site. Many files appear there. Old ones may need a visit. Chapter one one nine grants access to most records. Some need time to pull. Ask at the desk.

Florida State Archives Escambia County Holdings

The State Archives hold deep Escambia records. Spanish land grants fill boxes. Voter rolls from eighteen sixty-seven list those who signed. Confederate pensions track war veterans.

Land grants show claims from long Spanish rule. These passed through kin for years. Names on deeds link to today. You can trace from Spain to statehood. Catholic church books add more facts. They hold sacraments in Latin. You may need help to read them. Voter rolls marked race and birth state. This helps find Black kin from Reconstruction. Men signed to vote then. Their names prove where they lived. Confederate pensions served old soldiers. Files list units and service. Widows filed with proof of marriage. Children named show kin links. Call eight five zero two four five six seven zero zero before you go. Use the online catalog to plan. Order storage items ahead.

Vital Records for Escambia County

The Bureau of Vital Statistics keeps birth and death files. Births start from nineteen seventeen. Deaths go back further. Order copies for your search.

Florida seals birth files for one hundred twenty-five years. Only close kin may view them. Parents and those they name have rights. Send ID with requests. Death files differ. All facts but cause are public. Cause stays sealed for fifty years. Marriage files from June sixth, nineteen twenty-seven go to the state. Earlier records stay in Pensacola. The Bureau sits at one two one seven North Pearl Street, Jacksonville. Call eight seven seven five five zero seven three three zero. VitalChek serves online orders.

Escambia County Genealogy Research Tips

Start by noting Escambia was one of two first counties. It once held all of West Florida. Check old bounds for kin. Lines shifted as new counties formed.

Census records help track kin. Federal rolls began in eighteen thirty for this area. Look for kin each decade. Spanish names may be spelled many ways. Check all variants. The naval yard shaped the city. Navy records list sailors and workers. They show who came when. This helps trace movements. Yellow fever hit hard. Death files from outbreaks tell tales. Check these for kin who died. Catholic church books predate civil files. They hold facts not found elsewhere. Contact the diocese for access.

Florida's State Library offers tools. Visit their genealogy page for links. Ancestry and HeritageQuest help with census scans. Build your tree with care. Check each fact. Proof matters most.

Nearby Counties for Genealogy Research

These lands border Escambia County. Kin may have lived here.