Person:Sally Ford (6)

During its early colonial years under the rule of the Lords Proprietors the area now known as Marion County was a part of Craven County (1682-1769). Craven County extended northward from Seewee Creek (present-day Awendaw Creek),the northernmost border of the Proprietary County of Berkeley. Throughout the colonial period (1682-1785), the Anglican Church parishes served as election districts but the jurisdictional courts were in Charleston, hence records were filed in Charleston. Marion County researchers should examine Anglican Parish records for the Parish of Prince Frederick (est. 1734). (See map.) In 1769, when Cravenwas subdivided, the segment of land later known as Marion County was placed in Georgetown District, which extended from the North Carolina line to the Santee River. (See map.)

In 1785 Georgetown District was divided into the counties of Winyah, Kingston, Williamsburg, and Liberty: Winyah became Georgetown County Kingston became Horry County Williamsburg became Williamsburg County and Liberty County became Marion County. Prior to 1785, all records were filed in Charleston and copies are generally available at the SouthCarolina Archives in Columbia (SCDAH). Between 1785 and c. 1800, however, records for Marion County were filed in Georgetown, and there isa gap in the records for this period as the Georgetown Courthouse wasburned. In 1798 when courthouse districts were created in South Carolina,the name "Marion District" was first used, honoring General Francis Marion of Revolutionary War fame. Marion County was created in 1798fromGeorgetown District, one of the original districts created in 1769.