Hancock County was established in 1812 from the Mobile District. It was named in honor of John Hancock.

The county population in 1990 was 31,760.

Bay St. Louis, the county seat, was incorporated in 1817 and was the first city incorporated in the state of Mississippi.  In 1818 it was called Shieldsborough; in 1882 the name was changed to Bay St. Louis.  It is the 3rd oldest city on the Gulf Coast having been discovered in 1699 by a scouting party sent out by d'Iberville. It was named in honor of King Louis IX, Saint Louis, as it was discovered on his birthday. 

The area was inhabited in the 1700's by French settlers.  The city of Waveland was chartered as a city in 1888. 

Hancock County Courthouse, built 1911 - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

NEW!

at the Mississippi Department of Archives & History

A great source for articles on genealogy & history, see Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

Looking for meetings or webinars on Mississippi Genealogy? Be sure to check out this site:

CONFERENCEKEEPR.ORG CALENDAR FOR MISSISSIPPI

 

I have misplaced the materials sent to me for the New Cedar Rest Cemetery photos contriibuted to me by Sue Minner and her husband! 
I'm trying to locate those items as soon as I can, but have moved more than once since she provided those to me. 
I've got my fingers crossed that I can find those soon. My sincere apologies to Sue and husband.



Hancock County - Source:  1895 US Atlas - located on WebArchive

Index to Mississippi Towns & Cities

Hancock County, Mississippi