The cemeteries of Saint Johns County, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
Florida : s.l. , 2004.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:st.johns CEMEThe cemeteries of Saint Johns County, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, [2004]
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL CEMEList of deaths and/or burials 1800-1899 in St. Johns County, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, FL. : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2006.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL LISTSt. Johns County, Florida Register of deaths occurring in or burial in the period 1900-1949.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, 2006.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL STList of deaths and/or burials 1950-2006, in St. Johns County, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, FL. : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2006.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL LISTIndex of probate and court records of St. Johns County, Florida.
Guess, Deborah L.
[Palatka, Fla.] : M. Wills, 2007.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo GUES INDEEvergreen Cemetery.
Wills, Mack.
Florida : s.l. , 2006.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:st.johns EVERThe cemeteries of Putnam County, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2008-.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:putnam WILL CEMENational cemetery, St. Augustine, Florida.
Wills, Mack.
[St. Augustine Fl.] : [s.n.], [2006]
Call no.: 929.3 fl: STJO NATIWhite marriages performed at the Cathedral of St. Augustine for the period between 1785-1977 alphabetical listing by Groom’s Name.
Baker, Jr. William T.
[St. Augustine, Fl.] : [s.n.], 2007-2008.
Call no.: 923.3 fl: STJO BAKE WHITBaptismal records of individuals performed at the Cathedral in St. Augustine.
Baker, William T., Jr.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2008.
Call no.: 929.3118 fl:stjo BAKE BAPTMiscellaneous Putnam County Cemeteries.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2009.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL MISCTrinity Episcopal Parish Records. Book 1.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2007.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL TRINFlorida East Coast Railway : lists of employees.
St. Augustine Historical Society.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2008.
Call no.: 385 FLORSt. Johns County : Birth register.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2008.
Call no.: 929.3 fl:stjo WILL STRecords of marriage Licenses issued in the 1800s at the St. Johns County Courthouse.
Wills, Mack.
St. Augustine, Fl., : St. Augustine Genealogical Society, c2008.
Call no.: 929.3759 fl:stjo WILL RECOIndex to Volume III of newspaper obituaries of the Palatka News 1902-1915.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Flarida] : Mack Wills, 2014.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEXIndex to Palatka Times-Herald Newspaper Obituaries and Palatka Daily News Obituaries commencing in 1926.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Flarida] : Mack Wills, 2013.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEXIndex to Volume II of newspaper obituaries Times-Herald 1911, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924 Palatka News 1916 and Palatka Morning Post 1920.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Flarida] : Mack Wills, 2014.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEXIndex to Volume V of newspaper obituaries of the Palatka News 1914-1915, 1928 (Apr-Sep), 1937, 1940, 1944 Times-Herald 1925.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Florida] : Mack Wills, 2015.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEXIndex to Volume VII of newspaper obituaries of the Palatka Times-Herald 1948, 1949, The Palatka Daily News 1950.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Florida] : Mack Wills, 2016.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEXIndex to Volume VI of newspaper obituaries of the Palatka Times-Herald 1943, 1945, 1946 (Jan-Sep)The Palatka Daily News 1946 (Oct-Dec) 1947.
Wills, Mack.
[Palatka, Florida] : Mack Wills, 2016.
Call no.: 929.3 WILL INDEX
Category: Blog
Department of the South Census 1864
By 1864 parts of coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were under Union control. During that time a census was taken in the Jacksonville, Fernandina and St. Augustine areas. Members from several area genealogical societies found and transcribed the census records which was then published by the Florida State Genealogical Society.
From the forward to “Census” Department of the South November, 1864
One of the forgotten legacies of this era was a special census of eastern Florida conducted on the orders of Federal military authorities. Its motivation is to this day unclear, but it seems likely to have been part of the work done to help register voters under Lincoln’s “10%” reconstruction plan. African-Americans living in the region were also enumerated despite the fact that they did not yet have the legal right to vote. The number, age and gender of all “contrabands” would be of great interest to Union military men who were always on the lookout for new recruits for the growing number of United States Colored Troops regiments being formed. Thus, this special census data opens a unique window on Florida’s Civil War population that has heretofore been closed.
You will find a copy of this census at St. Johns County’s Southeast Branch Library. A search for “Census” Department of the South, November 1864 in WorldCat.org will tell you which other libraries have a copy. A print copy can also be purchased at Amazon. Cost is $35.00.
If you have ancestors living in the areas covered by this census, we will be happy to do lookups for you. Use the comment box below this post to make your request.
St. Johns County Biographies
The USGenWeb Archives for St. Johns County biographies contains an impressive collection of genealogical material, including biographies for the following people:
- George Washington Bassett, Jr.
- Barton B. Bigler
- Goold Taylor Butler
- Edward Noble Calhoun
- Charles Augustus Choate
- Harold Wilfred Colee
- Louis Albert Colee
- Granville D. Coxe
- Augustus H. Craig
- George Rainsford Fairbanks
- Herbert Felkel
- Robert S. Garnette
- William P. Genovar
- Obe P. Goode
- James B. Griffin
- Louis F. Hindry
- Fountain N. Holmes
- Charles F. Hopkins
- John Johnson
- Lack A. Lew
- Joseph Albert McDonald
- Maria Catalina Bonelli Pacetti
- Thoedore V. Pomar
- G. Walter Potter
- Frank A. Rolleston
- John Warren Sackett
- Leonard F. Sanchez
- Henry Edwin Sewall
- General Edward Kirby Smith
- Reginald White
Military Land Grants for War of 1812 Soldiers
Linda S. Ayers has transcribed a list of St. Johns County Soldiers who received land grants for their service in the War of 1812. Information in this dataset includes the Soldier’s name, unit and the name of the grant recipient. You can find this dataset at the USGenWeb Archives.
Photo credit : Jackson Square, New Orleans, photographed by Wayne Hsieh via Flickr.
Obit – Emory L. Dalton
Received today in the mail . . .
I am sending out obituaries that came from Melanie Crain’s “Dalton Newsletter” that she published for about twenty years. After publishing the Newsletters she archived them on a web site she maintained for a long time. But, she could no longer maintain the archival site and I thought the data should remain available to the American genealogical community. I suggested sending them to the GenWeb community and she concurred. So, I’m sending them to the coordinators.
Emory L. Dalton
Ponte Vedra Beach, St. John’s County, Florida
Emory L. Dalton, 72, died Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008, at his home in Florida. He was born July 15, 1936, to Jesse and Lula Dalton in Campbell County Virginia.
Emory was a longtime resident of Palm Valley, flew his own private airplane for a number of years, and played triple A baseball for a season with the New York Yankees.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Wern Dalton; four children, Elizabeth Barkoskie (Martin), Jeffrey Farris, Karen Farris and Cory Dalton; one sister, Elizabeth Vernon; two brothers, James Irving Stockner and Donald Akers; two grandchildren; and one great grandchild.
[Contributed by Sharon Minton Hill to the “Dalton Gang Letter” published by Melanie D. Crain, Vol. XIV, No. 1, Winter 2009]
Spanish Land Grants
In 1790, during the second Spanish period, Spain began to offer land grants to encourage settlement in the colony of Florida. When Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, the United States agreed to honor any valid grants. As a result, family researchers now have access to those records which offer a fascinating look at the history of our area and the families who settled here.
Florida Memory has published their collection of Spanish Land Grants including scanned copies of the original grant documents. The collection is searchable by name or location.
Below is a list of “confirmed” land grants in St. Johns County. Beginning on page 18 of the land grant collection, the “unconfirmed” grants are listed. Note also that the place names and descriptions have changed over time so the list below may have missed grants in those areas.
- Margaret Acosta – St. Augustine vicinity
- James Alexander – St. Augustine vicinity
- John Andrew – North River/Guana Creek
- Clara Arnau – St. Augustine vicinity
- Clara P. Arnau – North River
- James Arnau – North River
- Joseph Arnau – North River/Capuaca (east)
- Stephen Arnau – St. Augustine vicinity/North River
- Mariano A. Berta – North River/Cartel Point Neck
- Roman Catholic Church – Esperanza/St. Augustine
- James Bosley – Bella Vista/Moultrie Creek
- Sarah Bowden – Julington Creek
- Antonio Canobas, Jr. – St. Augustine/Matanzas River
- Lorenzo Capella – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Lorenzo Capo – North River
- Benjamin Chairs – North River/Cabbage Swamp
- Stephen Cheves – Matanzas River/plantation of Tom Johnson
- C. W. & G. J. F. Clarke – Matanzas River south of Moses Creek
- Charles & George Clarke – Matanzas River
- Chas. & George J. F. Clarke – Matanzas River, Durbin Swamp, Johnsons Swamp, Emerys Swamp
- Daniel Clarkd – Durbins Swamp, Road to St. Johns Bluff
- James Clarke – Durbins Swamp
- James & George Clarke – Matanzas River (west)
- Margaret Cook – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Alexander Creighton – St. Johns River
- Emanual Crespo – St. Johns River (Toco)
- James Curtis – North River
- Mary Ann Davis – St. Augustine vicinity
- Phillip & Mary Dewees – Guana River
- Horatio S. Dexter – St. Johns River, McCulloughs Point, Picolata
- Guidon Dupont – Moultrie Creek, Matanzas River
- John Edge – Julington Creek
- F. Falany – Matanzas River, Moultrie Creek
- James Falany – Matanzas River
- Francis J. Fatio – Sampson’s Creek
- Francis P. Fatio – New Switzerland, St. Johns River
- Francis Ferreira – St. Augustine vicinity
- Jesse Fish – Tods Field, Matanzas River
- Valentine Fitzpatrick – Sams Hammock, Matanzas River
- Heirs of Valentine Fitzpatrick – Grahams Swamp
- Davis Floyd – North River, Guana Creek
- John Floyd – Guana Creek
- Mary Fontane – Moultrie Creek
- Ramon de Fuentes – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Francisca Fusha – St. Augustine vicinity
- Edward R. Gibson – Moultrie Creek
- Robert Gilbert – Matanzas River
- Charlotte Gobert – St. Marks, St. Augustine vicinity
- Elias B. Gould – Durbins Swamp
- Lewis Guibert – Cedar, St. Johns River (east)
- Joseph Hagins – Julington Creek
- James R. Hanham – North River, Guana River
- Frederick Hartley – Old Field Branch, Julington Creek
- George Hartley – Old Field Branch, Julington Creek
- Henry Hartley – St. Johns River vicinity
- Joseph Hernandez – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Anthony Hiasman – Araguey
- John Huertas – St. Johns River, Tacoi, Buena Vista, Big Cypress
- Daniel Hurlburt – Levet, St. Augustine vicinity
- Stephen M. Ingersoll – St. Augustine vicinity
- James James – Julington Creek
- John Kershaw – Chimnies, Guana River
- Flora Leslie – Springer’s Branch, St. Augustine vicinity
- Bartelome Lopez – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Heirs of Juan Lorenzo – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Bartolome M. Maestre – Matanzas River, Holmes Old Plantation
- Heirs of Theresa Marshall – North River
- Geronimo Martinely – Guana Creek
- Ferdinand D. McDonnell – Matanzas Bar, Pellicer Creek
- Francis Menicis – North River, St. Augustine vicinity
- Pedro Mestre – North River vicinity
- Francis Miles – North River, Camino San Diego
- Peter Miranda – Blides Old Field, Cabbage Swamp, North River
- Robert Mitchel – Mitchells Grove, St. Augustine vicinity, San Sebastian River
- Joseph Noda – St. Augustine vicinity
- Lazaro Ortega – North River, Guana Creek
- Andres Papy – Moses Creek
- Joseph Papy – Fort Picolata vicinity, Six Mile Creek
- Michael Papy – Deep Creek
- Juana Paredes – Marshalls Plantation, North River, Guana Creek
- Mathias Pons – Matanzas River, Cassapula
- Jose Reyes – Moultrie Creek
- James Riz – Picolata
- Eliza Robinson – Stockade, St. Augustine vicinity
- Charles Robion – Matanzas River (west side)
- Nicholas Rodriguez – Anastasia Island
- Antonio Rogero – St. Augustine (town lot)
- F. P. Sanchez – Guana Creek
- Joseph M. Sanchez – St. Augustine vicinity
- Joseph S. Sanchez – Navarro Creek, North River
- Scipio (A Free Black)* – Padanarum, St. Johns River
- Peter Sevelly – Long Bay, St. Augustine vicinity
- J. Allen Smith – St. Augustine (town lot)
- Manuel Solana – San Sebastian River, Solana’s Ferry
- Phillip Solana – Two Sisters, Diego Plain, Guana River
- Thos Travers – St. Augustine vicinity
- William Travers – North River
- Phillip Weadman – Picolata Road, St. Augustine vicinity
*For more information, see “Spanish Florida offered land grants to African-Americans” by Susan Parker.
The Minorcan Cultural Society
The Menorcan Cultural Society was founded in the 1980s to preserve and promote the heritage and culture of the Menorcans who left their Mediterranean homeland to make a new life in the New World. We are the only Menorcan society in the United States, and we enjoy a worldwide membership.
Florida Public Archaeology Network
The Northeast Region of Florida’s Public Archaeology Network is headquartered at Flagler College in St. Augustine. Although archaeology seldom provides details on individuals, it does a great deal to help us understand the environment our ancestors lived in. This is especially useful when records are lost due to disaster, war or other events. Their purpose is . . .
The Florida Public Archaeology Network is dedicated to the protection of cultural resources, both on land and underwater, and to involving the public in the study of their past. Regional centers around Florida serve as clearinghouses for information, institutions for learning and training, and headquarters for public participation in archaeology.
Through archaeological digs, we now know that the original St. Augustine colony was located in the area that is now part of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park and the Mission of Nombre de Dios.
William Wing Loring
This imposing monument presides over the plaza to the west of Government House and overlooks the busiest intersection in downtown St. Augustine. In actuality, it’s more than just a monument. It’s also the grave of William Wing Loring, a man who served in three armies including as Pasha in the army of Egypt.

Born December 4, 1818 in Wilmington, North Carolina, William moved to St. Augustine with his parents in 1823 – just two years after Florida had become a United States territory. At the age of 14 he enlisted in the Florida Militia and fought in the early skirmishes of the Second Seminole War. He was promoted to lieutenant before he left the militia to finish his schooling in Virginia. After school, he passed the bar exam and spent some time as an attorney and even served in the state legislature from 1843 to 1845. He joined the Army and served in the Mexican War where he lost his arm during battle in Mexico City. In 1849 he took command of the Oregon Territory as part of the Mounted Rifles and served in the west until 1859. When the Civil War erupted, he resigned to join the Southern cause serving at Vicksburg, in Tennessee, North Georgia and in the campaign against Nashville. In 1865 he surrendered to General Sherman in North Carolina shortly after Appomatox. A group of Confederate and Union veterans later served in the Egyptian army after being recommended to the Khedive of Egypt by none other than William Tecumseh Sherman. Loring served for nine years, attaining the rank of Fereek Pasha (Major General). On his return to the states, he wrote a book about his experiences titled A Confederate Soldier in Egypt (1884). He co-authored another book, The March of the Mounted Riflemen, which was published after his death. Upon his return from Egypt, Loring spent his time working on his book and traveling between his Florida home, New York and the western states. From a profile in the New York Times dated October 17, 1886:
One evening I heard a fine looking old gentleman extolling the United States Government, and saying many kindly things of Lincoln and of Grant. I also noticed that he carried upon his right side an empty sleeve, which he at last alluded to indirectly by saying: “I lost one arm in the service of my country at the storming of the citadel of the city of Mexico, but I have another left which is always ready and loyal to do her bidding.” I then asked who the gentleman was, and I was informed that it was “old Billy himself”….There is no man more warmly embosomed in the hearts of Floridians than Gen. Loring.
General Loring died in New York on December 30, 1886 from pneumonia. Robert Hawke tells the rest of the story in Florida’s Army:
Loring’s reinterment and public funeral in St. Augustine during March of 1887 was one of the grandest events in the city’s history for that decade. It was used as an occasion for a combined encampment, and week-long meeting, of the Union and Confederate veterans organizations of northeast Florida. Both groups, in conjunction with other local civic organizations, sponsored the erection of a memorial obelisk and monument, in Government House Square, inscribed with the details of Loring’s life and military service, and emblazoned with the flags of the United States, the Confederated States, and the Ottoman province of Egypt. It is a fine memorial to the local militiaman who became a pasha of Egypt.
References:
Hawk, Robert. Florida's Army: Militia, State Troops, National Guard, 1565-1985. Englewood, Fla: Pineapple Press, 1986.William W. Loring. Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_wing_loring]William Wing Loring. Civil War Home [http://www.civilwarhome.com/loringbio.htm]Florida Photographic Collection. State Archives of Florida. [http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection]
Family History Centers
Family History Centers are facilities operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are more than 4,600 family history centers in 134 countries. All family researchers are welcome to take advantage of the services these centers offer. Services include free public access to online resources, one-on-one help, how-to classes, and microfilm and microfiche readers. You can also order genealogical materials from the Family History Library which will be sent to your local center for you to view.
Find a Family History Center near you using the locator at FamilySearch.
