Records that survive
These are the record series from Randolph County held by the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) system, with the earliest and latest years. A span can include gaps. They include county, township and city records. This county's are held at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Licenses1809–1840
- Marriage Record1809–1910
- Marriage Record Index1809–1925
- Marriage Record, Transcription1809–1859
- Birth Certificates, Delayed1860–1953
- Birth Record1877–1915
- Birth Record Index1877–1930
- Death Record1877–1915
- Death Record Index1877–1915
- Marriage License Applications1905–1919
Deeds and land
- Deed Record1768–1851
- School Trustees' Minutes1869–1954
- Village Trustees' Minutes (Steeleville)1880–1980
- Chattel Mortgages1957–1964
Wills and estates
- Probate Record1809–1849
- Probate Inventory Record1829–1833
Records of free Black and enslaved people
- Servitude Registers, Slaves1809–1837
Tax records
- Collector's Books1873–1943
- Tax Assessment Abstracts1910–1914
- Collector's Accounts1915
- Assessor's Books1931–1953
Court records
- Territorial French Court Papers1722–1784
- Territorial Court of Judicatory Record1768–1773
- Territorial Court of Common Pleas Record1801–1814
- Territorial Court of General Quarter Sessions Record1802–1809
- Territorial Court of Oyer and Terminer Record1808–1810
- County Commissioners' Minutes1809–1858
- Territorial General Court Record1810–1813
- Territorial General Court Record, Indiana1810–1813
- Circuit Court Record1815–1851
- Territorial Justice's Court Minutes1818–1819
- School Board Minutes (Kaskaskia)1972–1984
Schools
- School Treasurer's Cash Books1840–1859
- School Loan Fund Record1852–1890
- School Treasurer's Account Books1861–1940
- School Teachers' Institute Record1876–1971
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1885–1957
- School Teachers' Directories1885–1892
- School District Record1889–1954
- School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record1890–1912
- School Teachers' Association Registers1897–1915
- School Student Permanent Record1899–1960
- School Teachers' Institute Fund Record1902–1910
- School Officers' and Teachers' Directories1903–1979
- School Teachers' Daily Registers (Kaskaskia)1903–1987
- School Pupil Examination Record1914–1979
- and 10 more series in the full listing
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1932–1978
Census
- Census Record1825
Town and city records
- City Ordinance Record (Red Bud)1875–1927
- City Council Minutes (Red Bud)1888–1923
Other records
- Territorial Kaskaskia Manuscripts1708–1816
- Circuit Clerk's Miscellaneous Files1790–1878
- Servitude Record, Emancipation From1809–1863
Search the IRAD database for this county
Source: Illinois State Archives, Local Government Records Database (choose the county to see every series and its accession number). Contact the depository before you visit. Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916.
Where to find the records
- Randolph County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the recorder of deeds and the clerk of the circuit court, and any online record search the county offers.
- The county clerk
Births, deaths and marriages registered in the county.
- The recorder of deeds
Deeds, mortgages and other land records (in some counties the county clerk is also the recorder).
- The clerk of the circuit court
Probate (wills and estates), divorces and civil and criminal cases.
- The Illinois State Archives
In Springfield, with older county records at its regional depositories (IRAD) on university campuses.
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) systemfree
The State Archives' regional depositories, which hold older county, township and city records; search its Local Government Records Database by county.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Illinois, Randolph" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Land not yet in any county
Later formed partly from Randolph County: Gallatin County, Jackson County, Johnson County, Madison County, Monroe County, Perry County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1795, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916; counties kept registers earlier, often from 1877 or 1878. The Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, from the State Archives, covers many marriages from 1763 to 1900.