Clay County, Tennessee Genealogy
Guide to Clay County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Clay County was named for American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Clay County Courthouse
PO Box 749
139 East Lake Ave.
Celina, TN 38551
Clay County Website Phone: 931-243-2557
County Clerk Phone: 931-243-2249
Chancery Clerk and Master Phone: 931-243-3145
Register of Deeds Phone: 931-243-3298
Clerk of Circuit Court Phone: 931-243-2557
County clerk has married records from 1870
Clerk and Master has probate records from 1870
Court records, marriage and divorce from 1870
Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records from 1870
Register of Deeds has land records.[3]
Clay County, Tennessee Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1908 | 1870 | 1908 | 1870 | 1871 | 1870 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Additional Information
The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).[7]
Middle Tennessee county established in 1870. The western part of Clay County's land belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.[8]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
- Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Includes Clay County.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information. | |
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1880 | 6,987 | — |
| 1890 | 7,260 | 3.9% |
| 1900 | 8,421 | 16.0% |
| 1910 | 9,009 | 7.0% |
| 1920 | 9,193 | 2.0% |
| 1930 | 9,577 | 4.2% |
| 1940 | 10,904 | 13.9% |
| 1950 | 8,701 | −20.2% |
| 1960 | 7,289 | −16.2% |
| 1970 | 6,624 | −9.1% |
| 1980 | 7,676 | 15.9% |
| 1990 | 7,238 | −5.7% |
| 2000 | 7,976 | 10.2% |
| 2010 | 7,861 | −1.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Clay County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.
See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.
1810-1891
1890 Lost substitutes are available:
- Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 6 1891. Clay County is included in Vol. 6.
- Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.
- 1890 Clay County veterans found on the 1890 Federal Census. Hosted by Rootsweb.
Male Voters 1891
- 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)
1920
- Young, Denise, ed. Clay County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
- Clay County, Tennessee Census, 1920 at Ancestry ($)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Family Histories
General
- Clay County, Tennessee History and Families. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Publishing Co. Publisher's description.
- Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Cumberland Pioneer Settlers provides an online name list.
Bibliography
- Donaldson - Waters, Elise Donaldson. Genealogy of Donaldsons of Wilson and Clay County, Tennessee; Colsons, Browns, and Hords of Virginia and Tennessee, and Related Families. Nashville, Tenn.: E.D. Waters, 1981. FHL FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 D714w.
- Fowler - Waters, Elise Donaldson. Genealogy of Sylvanus Fowler of Newburgh, New York, Jackson and Clay County, Tennessee: and Related Families. Nashville, Tenn.: E.D. Waters, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 F829d 1979.
- Lincoln - Warren, Louis Austin. Hananiah Lincoln in Revolution and Pioneer History. Bloomington, IN: University Press, 1929. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
- Clay County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1871 and is located at Courthouse, POB 430 Celina, Tennessee 38551; 931-243-3298, Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
- The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds1871-1904.
Land Grants - Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
- FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
War of 1812
- Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Clay County pensioners (pp. 40-41)
Civil War
Online Records
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
- 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1891-1965 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- Civil War Research Database
- Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Regiments. Men in Clay County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Clay County:
Confederate Soldiers
- 8th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company H.
Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Clay County:
- USGenWeb Archives, Clay County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Clay County. Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
- United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... (Washington Printing Office; 1883). Online at Internet Archive. Clay County, page 326.
- 1890 Census for Pickett, Fentress, & Clay Counties. Here is a listing of all Union Civil War veterans and their wives. It lists name, rank, company, town they lived in, any ailments, and county.
Since Clay County was not formed until December 1870, you will need to check the military records of its parent counties, Jackson and Overton for military records of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Clay County click on the following city:
- 1847-1851 - Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. (1847-1914) 10 vols. Jackson, Tenn.: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 ff; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Prisons[edit | edit source]
- 1831-1850 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
- 1851-1870 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:
- Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
- The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index. FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
The Clay County Court has responsibility for probate records.
Online Records
- 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
- 1871-1931 Clay County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
- 1789 Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For access, see Clay. Includes area that later became Clay County.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1828-1939 Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
- 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Indexes and Records
- 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
- 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Index may not be complete for all counties.
- 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch. index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection
- 1796-1950 Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
- 1871-1873 - Marriage Records, 1871-1873, Clay County, Tennessee. FHL/CAN Film 7725108. Click on camera icon. +++
- 1871-1880, 1909-1917 - Clay County, Tennessee Marriages. (Alphabetical search) at the USGenWeb Archives
- 1871-1895 - Clay County Marriage Index 1871-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch[9]
- 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- Early Clay County, Tennessee, Marriages. Lafayette, Tennessee: Ridge Runner, 2001. FHL 976.849 V2s
Death[edit | edit source]
For deaths of Methodists in Clay County (or what later became Clay County) between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:
- 1874-1955 Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1908-1958 Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
- 1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
- 1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
- 1914-1966 Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
- 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Online Onlines
- 1796-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
- 1800-1965 - Tennessee. Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Available at Ancestry ($)
- 1980-2014 Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
Online Titles
- W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library.
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Clay County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Cookeville Tennessee Family History Center
- Crossville Tennessee Family History Center
- Jamestown Tennessee Family History Center
- Art Circle Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Clay County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.
Clay County Public Library
116 Guffey Street
Celina, TN 38551-4088
Phone: 931-243-3442
Email: claycountylibrary@hotmail.com
Website
The Clay County Library has a genealogical collection including local and family history.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Clay County Museum of History
P.O. Box 684
805 Brown St.
Celina, TN 38551
Phone: 931-243-4220
Email: ccmuseum@twlakes.net
Website
Facebook
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Clay County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.
Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 575
Cookeville, TN 38503-0575
Email: info@ucga.info
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Clay County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Clay County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
- Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
- Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
- Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Clay County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay, Tennessee" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Tennessee accessed 17 Dec 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat)
FHL Book 973 D27e 2002. - ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Tennessee, accessed 10 November 2019.
- ↑ "Henry Clay," Wikipedia.
- ↑ Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at:https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/6/60/Igitennesseea.pdf.