Burke County Records

The land that would form Burke County was ceded to the English by the Creek Treaties of 1733, 1735 and 1736. By an Act of March 15, 1758 the parish of St. George was established. The county was named for Edmund Burke, a member of the British Parliament who championed the rights of the American colonies. Between 1793 and 1905, the legislature took land from Burke County to help form the new counties of Screven (1793), Jefferson (1796), and Jenkins (1905), and to add area to Richmond County (1841).

The county seat of Waynesboro was established in 1794, named after the Revolutionary War hero General, Edmund Burke.

The first will book did not survive. Will Book A, as is included herein, began in 1855; however, the earliest will found in that batch was dated in 1803. Essentially, 1855 and later is more specific to the probate date than to the date in which the wills were signed.

Genealogy Tips

Since the early Burke County records did not survive, the alternative is to use the (surviving) tax digest (below) and to also search Screven County, as many of the original residents of Burke are found in Screven County. See the Militia Records (above) for those serving in the Colonial Militias, etc.

Marriages

• Index 1855-1869
• 1-50
• 51-100
• 101-150
• 151-200
• 201-250
• 251-300
• 301-end
• Index 1869-1871