Camden, one of the original eight counties, was formed in 1777 from St. Andrews Parish, and is one of the most interesting of all the counties visited. Jeffersonton, the original county seat, was burned soon after the Civil War, and the rescued records were somewhat damaged. The old frame Court House at St. Marys is valuable chiefly as a relic, and the lack of space in it must be largely responsible for the unkempt condition of the remnants.
A concrete vault was being built just outside of the Clerk's office, and probably by now the precious old books and papers are at least safe from fire. In the office of the Ordinary are a lot of loose leaves of land plats, or grants, that are very old, dilapidated and interesting, as well as a recently bound book, entitled "Camden  County Field Notes, 1796 -1816," containing a book plate of the DeRenne Library. This book has been recently returned  to Camden county, and, it is to be hoped, if other missing county records are in private hands, they will be turned over to  the counties. In this book there are some very early deeds, one in 1763, being made by the Governor of South Carolina  for land on the Altamaha River. Several old books of Minutes of the Inferior Court are in bad condition and should be reclaimed.

The oldest book of wills is Book "A," 1791 to 1827, about 350 pages, which is not indexed and nearly falling to pieces. This book also has, scattered through it, a number of marriage licences. Book "B" of wills was burned with the Court House at Jeffersonton.

In the Clerk's office some of the oldest deed books, beginning 1788, have lately been rebound, and there is a rather dilapidated General Index to the deed books up to "H." Later deeds are in good condition and well indexed.

Besides the old court records at St Marys, the Minutes of the old Presbyterian Church, beginning 1807, and the register of baptisms beginning 1842, are still preserved and cared for by the widow of a former minister of the church. The old cemetery, too, full of beautiful oaks that shade many moss-grown tombs of finest marble, shows that people from all parts of the country, including Revolutionary soldiers and sailors, were buried there.