Williamsburg County Death Records
Williamsburg County is in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina with its county seat in Kingstree. The death index for Williamsburg County begins with statewide registration in January 1915. Researchers should be aware of a significant records gap for coroner records prior to 2021 due to a records transition issue when the current coroner took office. This guide covers how to navigate the Williamsburg County death index and find death records through state and county channels.
Williamsburg County Quick Facts
Williamsburg County History and Death Records
Williamsburg County was established with Williamsburg Township in 1735. The county was settled by Scots-Irish families from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland. The county courthouse in Kingstree was designed by Robert Mills and built in 1823, then enlarged in 1901. Mills is the same architect who designed the Washington Monument, making the Kingstree courthouse a notable historic structure.
Statewide death registration in South Carolina began on January 1, 1915. Before that date, no systematic death records were kept by Williamsburg County or the state. Researchers seeking pre-1915 deaths in the county must rely on church burial records from local congregations, cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions, newspaper obituaries from the Kingstree area, and probate court estate records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds microfilm of death certificates from 1915 through 1963 and is the most accessible resource for older Williamsburg County death records.
The county experienced storm-related deaths during Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Those deaths fell under coroner jurisdiction and were investigated by the current coroner's office.
The Williamsburg County government portal at williamsburgcounty.sc.gov connects residents to county departments and elected offices.
Williamsburg County Coroner Office
Current Coroner Ivori L. Henryhand was sworn in at the beginning of 2021 after winning the 2020 election. The coroner's office is located at 200 S. Jackson Street, Kingstree, SC 29556. The office phone is (843) 355-8980, the emergency phone is (843) 401-8343, the fax is (843) 353-4433, and the email is ihenryhand@wc.sc.gov. The Williamsburg County Medical Examiner and Coroner physical address is 161 William Cooper Drive, Kingstree, SC 29556, phone 843-354-6294.
The coroner's main duty is to determine the manner of death of every fatality in Williamsburg County. The coroner investigates all suspicious, violent, and sudden deaths, as well as natural deaths occurring less than 24 hours after hospital admission. The coroner signs death certificates, issues burial transit permits, cremation permits, and conducts inquests. The investigation process may involve experts from anthropology, toxicology, odontology, entomology, and trace evidence. Under SC Code Title 17, Chapter 5, the coroner has full authority over all deaths under coroner jurisdiction in the county.
The Williamsburg County Coroner page provides contact information and an overview of coroner responsibilities.
Important Records Gap Before January 2021
Researchers should be aware of a significant gap in Williamsburg County coroner records. When Coroner Henryhand took office in January 2021, she found that decades of death records were missing. Her predecessor, Harrison McKnight, served as coroner for more than 40 years but did not transfer records to the new administration. There was no office space when she started, and she had to create one from scratch. The Williamsburg County Sheriff's Office provided temporary workspace.
Coroner Henryhand stated: "I can tell you where the records are from Jan. 1, 2021, but I have no idea where the records are prior to that." A news report on this issue was covered by Live 5 News in July 2021.
This records gap affects coroner-held case files, not state-filed death certificates. Death certificates filed with the SC Department of Public Health from 1915 forward should still be available through the state. Researchers needing coroner-specific records from before 2021 may find them incomplete or unavailable through the current office. Alternative sources for pre-2021 deaths include the SC DPH death certificate files, the SC Archives microfilm collection, church records, cemetery records, probate court files, and newspaper obituaries from Kingstree-area publications.
Note: State death certificates are filed with DHEC and are not held by the coroner's office. The records gap does not affect certified death certificate access through the state vital records system.
How to Request Williamsburg County Death Records
Certified copies of death certificates from 1915 forward are issued by the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. The Williamsburg County Clerk is at 203 North Brooks, Kingstree, SC 29556. Mail requests go to SC Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section, P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171.
The standard search fee is $12 per certificate. Additional copies are $3 each. A valid photo ID is required. South Carolina law under Title 44, Chapter 63 restricts records less than 50 years old to immediate family members and legal representatives. Records 50 years and older are open to the public. The free SC DPH Death Indexes 1915-1967 let you search Williamsburg County death records online before ordering. The Ancestor Hunt site lists all free South Carolina death record collections including Williamsburg County entries.
| Williamsburg County Coroner |
200 S. Jackson Street Kingstree, SC 29556 Phone: (843) 355-8980 |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | 203 North Brooks, Kingstree, SC 29556 |
| State Vital Records |
SC Department of Public Health 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: (803) 898-3630 |
| County Website | williamsburgcounty.sc.gov |
Nearby County Death Records
Williamsburg County borders Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Florence, Clarendon, and Berkeley counties. Check the right county if you are unsure where a death occurred.