Baldwin County, Georgia Probate and Court Records

Baldwin County was created in in 1803 by Creek cessions of June 1802. Three years later, the land was distributed by the 1805 Georgia Land Lottery. After the second lottery (1807),five new counties were created from parts of Baldwin and Wilkinson Counties: Morgan, Randolph (later Jasper), Jones, Putnam, Telfair.In 1806, 1807, 1856 and 1872 portions of Wilkinson County were added; in 1807 portions of Hancock and in 1807, 1812 and 1826 portions of Washington; with some of Jones County added in 1856. The court house burned in 1861. The county was named after Abraham Baldwin; Milledgeville was named after George's first governor, John Milledge.

Genealogy Tips

Applicants of the 1829 Baldwin County Land Lottery were widows of the late war,Officers and soldiers; soldiers of the Seminole War and orphans. Also, Milledgeville was the home of the State Insane Asylum. Old newspapers are sometimes helpful in publishing information as to persons found to be insane. Should you be researching for a Revolutionary War Soldier, it is a good idea to compare the names listed in the 1805 Land Lottery (for Wilkinson County land) to those listed in the Inferior Court Appearance Docket to help established whether they took up residence in Wilkinson County.