South Carolina Court Records : An Introduction for Genealogists

Abstract

Until 1868 when the courts of law and equity merged, South Carolina's judicial system consisted of three courts of law-the Court of Common Pleas, the Court of General Sessions, and the County and Intermediate Court-and the Court of Equity and the Probate Court. This publication sketches the background of each of these five courts and lists the colonial, early state, and antebellum court records held b y the Department. It also supplies maps to show changes in the jurisdiction of the courts. Shaded areas on the maps indicate new districts, counties, or circuits and the date for legislative incorporation.