South Carolina Cemetery Records Research Guide
Unlike other types of vital records that may be off limits, South Carolina cemetery records can usually be accessed by anyone looking for this kind of data. Contrary to what many people believe, you can actually often times find a great deal of information from South Carolina cemetery records too. When you need information and data for your genealogy project and need it from people who are no longer here to share their story, you can rely on South Carolina cemetery records to make this happen. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
While everyone realizes you can find out when a person died from South Carolina cemetery records, there is actually much more to it than that. For instance, you can get the full legal name and maiden name of the deceased. You can also get information about when and where they were born. South Carolina cemetery records may even clue you in to the names of other family members or at least a spouse if there was one.
Getting It Done
One thing to keep in mind is that it is important to try to have the county name if possible when it comes to South Carolina cemetery records searches. Aside from that, there are a few ways you can consider getting your South Carolina cemetery records search completed.
- Hiring someone else to track these down
- Looking online through databases
- Going in person to certain cemeteries because the records may not be up to date
- Checking with county offices
- Using the library to search databases, old newspapers and microfilm
In other words, the good news is that there are many methods you can use to try to get your South Carolina cemetery records search completed.
Where many people go wrong though is forgetting that a person may not be buried in the county where they lived. A person may be found using a South Carolina cemetery records search but in the county where they went to church. In many cases, a person will actually be brought back to the state and county they were from originally for their final resting place. Keep this in mind when you conduct your own South Carolina cemetery records search.
Research In South Carolina Cemetery Records
Many of the inscriptions from tombstones across South Carolina have been recorded, either by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) or by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). There are also genealogical and historical societies across the state, many of which have compiled their own lists of cemetery records and inscriptions. In addition to that, many South Carolina genealogical periodicals often feature cemetery records.
Famous People Buried in South Carolina Cemeteries
Famous People Buried in South Carolina Cemeteries
| County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aiken | Brown, James Joseph 5/3/1933 - 12/25/2006 Thomas Family Home Crypt |
Singer. Nicknamed included "Godfather of Soul" and the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business", he was impoverished at birth. |
| Berkeley | Marion, Francis 'The Swamp Fox' 9/27/1904 - 2/27/1795 Belle Isle Plantation Cemetery |
Revolutionary War Continental Brigadier General. In 1753 he joined a militia company to fight in the French and Indian War, but does not see action. |
| Charleston | Moultrie, William 11/23/1730 - 9/27/1805 Fort Moultrie |
Major General William Moultrie. Born in Charleston, S.C. , November 23, 1730. Second in command of Charleston's defenses during the American Revolution |
| Dorchester | Hall, Gen. Robert Monroe 4/1828 - 7/18/1877 Saint Pauls Episcopal Church Cemetery |
Brevet Brigadier General. Civil War service includes 1st Lieutenant, 1st US Artillery and Colonel, 38th United States Colored Troops. |
| Florence | McNair, Ronald Erwin 'Ron' 10/12/1950 - 1/28/1986 Rest Lawn Memorial Park |
US Astronaut. Killed in the space shuttle Challenger explosion. |
| Greenville | Jackson, Joseph Jefferson 'Shoeless Joe' 7/16/1888 - 12/5/1951 Woodlawn Memorial Park |
Major League Baseball Player. He is best known today for being the most recognizable of the eight Chicago White Sox players who were banned forever from Major League baseball for his role in the 1919 "Black Sox" Scandal. |
| Union | Smith, Alexander 8/5/1993 - 10/25/1994 Bogansville United Methodist Church Cemetery |
Buried with his brother, Michael. Murdered by their mother Susan Smith. |
| Union | Smith, Michael Daniel 10/10/1991 - 10/25/1994 Bogansville United Methodist Church Cemetery |
Buried with his brother, Alexander. Murdered by their mother Susan Smith. |
South Carolina Cemeteries
| Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
|---|---|
| Beaufort National Cemetery | Beaufort |
| Old Quaker Cemetery | Camden |
| Coming Street Cemetery | Charleston |
| Magnolia Cemetery | Charleston |
| St. Michael's Cemetery | Charleston |
| St. Philip's Cemetery | Charleston |
| The Unitarian Churchyard | Charleston |
| Elmwood Cemetery | Columbia |
| St. Philip's-Bradford Springs | Dalzell |
| Florence National Cemetery | Florence |
| Woodlawn Memorial Park | Greenville |
| Singleton's Graveyard | Wedgefield |
South Carolina Cemeteries & Graveyards Links
- SC GPS Mapping Project Contains: 12,000+ Cemeteries & 200+ Cemetery Survey Book Surname Indexes
- Web: South Carolina, Find A Grave Index, 1729-2011
- Find a Grave - South Carolina Cemeteries
- The South Carolina Political Graveyard
- Terminology & Meanings of Tombstone Symbols
- Alexia J. Hensley, Silent Cities, Cemeteries & Classrooms (Columbia, S.C.: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1997) includes a bibliography of published cemetery inscriptions for South Carolina.
- South Carolina Cemetery Books
