Find Hancock County Genealogy

Hancock County genealogy records are held at the county clerk's office in Carthage, a town in western Illinois along the Mississippi River bluffs. The county has about 17,000 residents and a record collection that draws researchers from across the country, partly because of the historic town of Nauvoo. Nauvoo was a major settlement site in the 1840s, and many families who lived there left traces in Hancock County records. If you are searching for family roots in the Carthage or Nauvoo area, the county clerk and the IRAD depository at Western Illinois University in Macomb are your two primary sources for genealogy research.

Hancock County Clerk Records

The Hancock County Clerk is at 500 Main St, Rm 7, Carthage, IL 62321. Call (217) 357-3911 for questions. This office handles all birth, death, marriage, and land records for Hancock County. Birth and death records start around the late 1870s. Marriage records go back further. Land records date to the county's earliest settlement period in the 1820s and 1830s.

Hancock County was organized in 1829. The town of Nauvoo, on the Mississippi River, became one of the largest cities in Illinois during the early 1840s. Thousands of settlers moved through Nauvoo during that period. Many of them appear in Hancock County marriage records, land deeds, and court files. If you are tracing a family that was part of the Nauvoo settlement, the Hancock County Clerk's office holds records that may not exist anywhere else. Land purchases, tax records, and marriage licenses from the 1840s can place your ancestor in this specific area at a specific time.

Walk-in visits to the Carthage office are the fastest option. Staff can search the indexes and pull records while you wait. For mail requests, send the full name of the person, approximate dates, the type of record, a check for the fee, and a photo ID copy. The Counties Code (55 ILCS 5) gives the clerk custody of all vital records and land files.

Note: Hancock County receives genealogy requests from across the country due to the historic Nauvoo connection.

Hancock County Nauvoo Genealogy

Nauvoo sits on a bend in the Mississippi River in the western part of Hancock County. In the early 1840s, it grew rapidly and at one point rivaled Chicago in population. The people who settled there came from across the eastern United States and from Europe. When they bought land, got married, or filed court papers, those records went to the Hancock County Clerk in Carthage.

For genealogy researchers, this means the Hancock County record collection has an unusually diverse set of names and origins for a rural Illinois county. Land records from the 1840s can show when a family arrived and where they settled within Nauvoo. Marriage records from that era connect families. Court files may document disputes, guardianship cases, or estate matters. After the Nauvoo period ended in 1846, many residents moved west. But the records they left behind stayed in Hancock County. If your ancestor passed through Nauvoo, even briefly, there may be a Hancock County record with their name on it.

The IRAD at Western Illinois University may hold older Nauvoo-era records that are no longer at the Carthage courthouse. Check the holdings database before you visit.

Hancock County Records at IRAD

The IRAD depository for Hancock County is at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Call (309) 298-2716 for hours and holdings info. IRAD stores historical Hancock County government records that were moved from Carthage for preservation. Given the county's deep history and the Nauvoo era, the IRAD collection could hold some very significant early documents.

Research at IRAD is free. Walk in, search the files, and photograph what you find at no charge. Staff handle mail and phone requests but limit each one to two names. For bigger projects, plan a visit to Macomb. The IRAD holdings database lets you check what Hancock County records are at WIU before your trip. The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) is the law that created the IRAD system and requires counties to preserve records with lasting value.

Searching Hancock County Genealogy

For records from 1916 forward, the Illinois Department of Public Health holds statewide birth and death files. IDPH requests go by mail and take about 12 weeks. For Hancock County records before 1916, the clerk in Carthage or the IRAD at WIU are where you need to look.

The Illinois State Archives has free online databases. The statewide marriage index covers 1763 to 1900. Death indexes cover pre-1916 records. These free tools let you search for Hancock County ancestors from your computer. If you get a hit, note the details and request the full record from the clerk or IRAD.

The Illinois Local Records Act page explains the law that governs how counties preserve government records.

The Local Records Act is the legal framework behind the IRAD system. It is the reason Hancock County's historical records are preserved at Western Illinois University instead of being discarded.

Hancock County Record Access

The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535) sets the time limits for genealogy access in Hancock County. Birth records open 75 years after the date of birth. Death records open after 20 years. Marriage records become available after 50 years. Genealogy copies get stamped as uncertified and are for research only.

The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) covers general public records. Vital records follow the Vital Records Act instead. Land records and court files, on the other hand, are generally open to the public. For Hancock County, that means land deeds from the Nauvoo era and court files from the 1840s may be available to anyone who asks.

• Hancock County Clerk: vital records and land files in Carthage
• IRAD at WIU: historical records preserved in Macomb
• Illinois State Archives: free marriage and death indexes online
• IDPH: statewide birth and death from 1916 forward

Nearby Counties

These counties sit next to Hancock County in western Illinois along the Mississippi River. If your ancestor lived near a county border, check the neighbors. Hancock County families had ties across this whole region.