Lincoln County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Lincoln County

Guide to Lincoln County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Fayetteville Organized: November 14, 1809 Parent County(s): Bedford Neighboring Counties Bedford  • Franklin  • Giles  • Jackson (AL)  • Limestone (AL)  • Madison (AL)  • Marshall  • Moore See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

Lincoln County was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Lincoln County Courthouse
P.O. Box 577
112 Main St. South
Fayetteville, TN 37334
County Courthouse Phone: 931-433-2454
County Clerk Phone: 931-433-2454
County Clerk and Master Phone: 931-433-1482
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-433-2334
Register of Deeds Phone: 931-433-5366

County Clerk has marriage and probate records
Clerk of Circuit Court has divorce records
Clerk and Master have court records
Register of Deeds has land records

Lincoln County, Tennessee Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1881	1834	1881	1810	1810	1809	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

Lack of marriage records: 1809 to 1837 For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1809 - Lincoln County was created 14 November 1809 from Bedford County. County seat: Fayetteville For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Ardmore	Fayetteville
Towns
Petersburg
Unincorporated communities
Belleville Blanche Booneville Boonshill Cash Point Coldwater Dellrose Elora Green Gable	Howell Howell Hill Hughey Kelso Kirkland Liberty Lincoln McBurg Mimosa	Molino Mulberry New Dellrose New Hope Prospect Skinem Taft Vanntown Yukon
Census-designated places
Flintville	Park City

History Timeline

U.S. Secretary of War Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810)

Additional Information
Middle Tennessee county in the Chestnut Ridge region. Established 1809.

The county is named after U.S. Secretary of War Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810).

Resources

Bible Records

• Tucker, Mabel Abbott and Waller, Jane Warren. Lincoln County, Tennessee Bible Records. Batavia, Ill.: Lincoln County Tennessee Pioneers, 1972. FHL Collection 976.8624 D29t v. 1-6. Free lookups available!
• Williams - Williams: Family Bible Records, 1793-1920, Together with Transcripts. MSS. Microfilmed 1984. FHL Collection 1206451 Item 6

Biographies

• Family Biographies from The History of Lincoln County, Tennessee (1886) published by Goodspeed are availableon the My Genealogy Hound website.
  
• Surname Index - Lincoln County Biographies. Courtesy of USGenWeb Archives, Tennessee.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• 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 Lincoln County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Lincoln County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemetery Database BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones FamilySearch Places
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	6,104	—
1820	14,761	141.8%
1830	22,075	49.5%
1840	21,493	−2.6%
1850	23,492	9.3%
1860	22,828	−2.8%
1870	28,050	22.9%
1880	26,960	−3.9%
1890	27,382	1.6%
1900	26,304	−3.9%
1910	25,908	−1.5%
1920	25,786	−0.5%
1930	25,422	−1.4%
1940	27,214	7.0%
1950	25,624	−5.8%
1960	23,829	−7.0%
1970	24,318	2.1%
1980	26,483	8.9%
1990	28,157	6.3%
2000	31,340	11.3%
2010	33,361	6.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Lincoln 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.

See Lincoln County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project^®

1810 Lost

A substitute is available:

• Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1810-1891

• Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry ($)

1820

Census takers found no free African Americans living in Lincoln County, Tennessee in 1820.

• 1820 Lincoln County, Tennessee S.l.: s.n., 19-?. FHL 976.8 A1 no. 32
• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820. Online at Ancestry ($).
• Waller, Jane W. 1820 Census, Lincoln County, Tennessee. Fayetteville, Tennessee: Lincoln County Genealogical Society, 1973. FHL 976.8624 X2w 1820

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820. [Covers this county.]

1830

• Tennessee Census, Lincoln Co., 1830. Salt Lake City, Utah Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974. FHL 954248 Item 3

1840

• Waller, Jane W. Lincoln County, Tennessee, 1840 Census. S.p., 1970. FHL 976.862 X2p 1840

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Lincoln County on page 156.

1850

• Porch, Deane. Lincoln County, Tennessee 1850 census. S.p., 1970.FHL 976.862 X2pa 1850

1880

• Sistler, Byron. 1880 Census Lincoln County, Tennessee.Nashville, Tennessee Byron Sistler & Associates, 1998. FHL 976.8624 X2s 1880

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

The organization GSC provides indexes to the following Lincoln County church records. They also sell CDs for a reasonable price that contain these W.P.A. abstracts:

• History of Bethesda Methodist Church
• History of Church of Christ, Fayetteville, Tenn.
• History of Methodist Churches, Fayetteville, Tenn., 1831-1890
• Missionary Baptist Church History, Fayetteville, Tenn., 1879
• History of Presbyterian Church, Petersberg, Tenn., 1859-1902
• Prosperity A.R.P. Church History
• Prosperity Church History
• Minutes of William Carey Baptist Association, Missionary Baptist Church, 1919

Congregational

• 1871-1892 - Cane Creek Congregational Church, Howell, Baptism Index 1871-1892. Batch C710901 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Methodist

Providence Methodist Episcopal Church

• 1839-1885 - Providence Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptism Index 1839-1885. Batch C710871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1839-1895 - Providence Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptism Index 1839-1885. Batch M710871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Shiloh-Taft Methodist Episcopal Church, Taft

• 1837-1972 - Shiloh-Taft Methodist Episcopal Church, Taft, Baptism Index 1837-1972. Batch C710911 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1837-1971 - Shiloh-Taft Methodist Episcopal Church, Taft, Baptism Index 1837-1971. Batch M710911 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church, Fayetteville

• First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville 19-? Free lookups available!

Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church, Belleville

• 1874-1950 - Mount Hebron Presbyterian Church, Belleville, Marriage Index 1874-1950. Batch M710891 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Yokon

• 1828-1885 - Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Yokon, Baptism Index 1828-1885. Batch C710921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1828-1895 - Prosperity Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Yokon, Marriage Index 1828-1895. Batch M710921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Court Records

Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions

• W.P.A. Lincoln County, Tennessee Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions Minute Book, 1814-1817. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1941. FHL US/CAN Film 24744. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Lincoln County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.

Court Minutes

• W.P.A. Lincoln County, Tennessee, Minute Docket Book, Volume 1, 1811-1812. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1940. FHL US/CAN Film 24743 Item 2. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Lincoln County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.

Law and Legislation

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Emigration and Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 2 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Fayetteville and Lincoln County. Ancestry, $

Genealogies

• The Heritage of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Fayetteville, Tenn.: Lincoln County Heritage Book Committee, 2005. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 D2h.

• Ashby - Metzger, Noveda Ashby Some descendants of Halifax Ashby, Sr. Washington [District of Columbia]: Library of Congress, Photoduplicatoin Service, 1992?] FHL US/CAN film 1843177 Free lookups available!
• Denton - Hereford, Kenneth M. and Gray, Leland W. The Hiram King Denton family 19??. Free lookups available!
• Dollins - Dollins, John Lewis. Dollins - The Descendants of Hugh A. Dollins (1800-1836), Born Albemarle Co., Virginia, Died Lincoln Co., Tennessee; the Youngest Son of Presley Dollins. Orlando, Fla.: J.L. Dollins, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D393d.
• Duckworth - Smith, Presley. Family History of the Alexander Paidan Duckworth family and related families. Dallas, Texas P.E. Smith, 1997 FHL book 929.273 D858. Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Ellis - Angevine, Erma Miller. Ellis, Taylor and Certain Related Families: Ancestors and Descendants of Clyde Taylor Ellis. Chevy Chase, Md.: C.T. Ellis, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 4874.
• Hines - True, Charles Wesley. Thomas Jefferson Hines and Mary Ross Moores: of Fayetteville, Tennessee then Waxahachie, Texas. Hamilton, Texas: C.W. True, 1995. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H589t.
• Jean - Malone, Royleta Clayton. David Jean Sr. of Stokes County, North Carolina and Lincoln County, Tennessee: and Many of His Descendants. Salt Lake City, Utah: R. Malone, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 6433.
• King - King, Tom From wagons to spaceships:personal and family history of Thomas Jackson King and his ancestors San Diego, California T.J.King, c1993. FHL US/CAN book 921.73 K587k Free lookups available!
• Little - The Little Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. 9Denver, Colo.: T.S. Little, 198-?). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L721Li.
• McAlister - Perry, Christine Curlee. McAlister Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 13.
• McKinney - See Young
• Reeve - See Rives.
• Rives - Rives, Jno. R. T. Green Rives of Dinwiddie County, Virginia and Lincoln County, Tennessee and his Descendants. Birmingham, AL: Printed by A.H. Cather Pub. Co., 1958. Available at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($). Free lookups available!
• Shelton - Taylor, Hugh L. and Taylor, Ida Greenhaw Some Early Sheltons: Lincoln County, Tennessee 1972. Free lookups available!
• Shelton - Shelton, Frank Harvey Shelton-roots Through Tennessee F.H. Shelton, 1979. Free lookups available!
• Smith - Perry, Christine Curlee. Family of John and Mary Clementine Caton Smith of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 14.
• Spencer - Spencer, Donald and D. William Neal. Spencer Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Cullman, Ala.: Gregath, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sp33sd; Supplement: FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sp33sd supp.
• Stephens Stephens, Robert W. Stephens Family History: Ancestry and Descendants of Revolutionary Soldier Robert Stephens and His Wife, Sarah Farmer, of Virginia, Through Their Son Josiah Stephens. Dallas, Texas: R.W. Stephens, c1982. FHL Book 929.273 St45sr.
  
• Turner - Perry, Christine Curlee. Turner Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 12.
• Wallace - Wallace, Richard E. The Children of William Wallace of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Overland Park, Kansas: R.E. Wallace, 2001. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W155wre; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Warren - Waller, Jane W. Descendants of Daniel Warren (1788-1876) Lincoln County, Tennessee Waller, 1972. Free lookups available!
• Young - Young, Richard Wilson, Two Less Doors to Rattle. s.n., 1993. Free lookups available!

Land and Property Records

• Lincoln County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1810 and is located at the county Courthouse, P.O. Box 577, 112 Main Street South, Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334; (931) 433-2454. 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 land records 181-1887 with a general index 1810-1912; deeds and land grants about 1816-1889.

Local Histories

• Goodspeed firm, publishers, Chicago. History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin and Moore counties.Nashville, Tenn., The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886. Free digital copy. Free lookups available.
• Edmiston, William C. The fat of the land Record Press, 1958. Free lookups available!

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• Map of 1888 Lincoln County, Tennessee with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
  
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

Revolutionary War
The following Lincoln County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• Select Lincoln County Revolutionary War records

Additional resources include:

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Lincoln County on page 156.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Lincoln County pensioners (p. 93).

Civil War

Online Records

• 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
• 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
• 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Turney's) - CSA - Companies G, H, and K.
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies C, D, E, and K.
• 17th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Captain W. A. Landis Company.
• 23rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Newman's) - CSA - Company A and E.
• 28th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Hay's) - CSA
• 32nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A and I.
• 41st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, C, D, and E.
• 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
• 44th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
• 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (McKoin's) - CSA - Company H.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Lincoln County:

• USGenWeb Archives, Lewis County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Lincoln 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. Lincoln County, page 357-358.
• Peter Turney's 1st Tennessee Regiment. Companies "G," "H," and "K" were made up of men from Lincoln Co., TN.
• Lincoln County Civil War Confederate units. Hosted by rootsweb.

Newspapers

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 Lewis County click on the following city:

• Fayetteville

• 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL 976.8 V2L.
• 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. (Largely Methodist?)

Other Records

Prisons

• 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

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.

• Lincoln County, Tennessee Pioneers:Edited by Jane Warren Waller, Lincoln County, Tennessee Pioneers ran for 26 volumes (1970-1997). A few additional issues were published online in 1997 and 1998. FHL has acquired most volumes: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 B2L. Tables of contents are available online, courtesy: Lincoln County, Tennessee Archives (USGenWeb Archives). Free lookups available!

• The Lincoln Lineage:"The Lincoln County Genealogical Society is a non-profit society, charted under the laws of the State of Tennessee, for the purpose of preserving and recording family histories and all vital records, providing a genealogical library of Lincoln County, the State of Tennessee and surrounding counties for genealogical research."
  The Family History Library has Volume 1 (1998) through the present. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 D25L
  See Lincoln County Genealogical Society website for further information: http://www.lincolncountytn.com/genealogy/index.htm

• 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.

• Volunteer: Journal of the Lincoln County Historical Society. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 B2v

Probate Records

The Lincoln County Court and Chancery Court have responsibility for the probate records. Many records are held by the Lincoln County Archives.

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1810-1850 Lincoln County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
• 1809-1824 Will Book A: 1809-1824 Strictly By Name - Index only
• 1826-1850 Will Book 1: 1826-1850 Strictly By Name - Index only
• 1850-1861 Will Book 2: 1850-1861 Strictly By Name - Index only

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1809-1824 - Ingmire, Frances Terry. Wills, Inventories and Miscellaneous, March 1809 - April 1824. St. Louis, Missouri: F.T. Ingmire, 1984. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8624 P2i.)
  
• 1809-1861 - Strictly By Name (see above).
• 1810-1850 - W.P.A. Will Books, 1810-1850, Lincoln County, Tennessee. [Includes Inventories 1810-1824] Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1940. FHL US/CAN Film 24743 Items 3-5. Free indexes to Wills and Inventories 1810-1824 and Wills 1827-1850, are available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Lincoln County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
• 1810-1895 - Marsh, Helen Crawford and Timothy Richard Marsh. Abstracts of Wills, Lincoln County, Tennessee, 1810-1895. Shelbyville, Tennessee: Marsh Historical Publications, 1977. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8624 P28m.)
• 1810-1921 - Marsh, Helen Crawford and Timothy Richard Marsh. Wills and Inventories of Lincoln County, Tennessee, 1810-1921. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1989. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8624 P2m.)
• 1810-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.
• 1863-1868 - McGee, Velma, transcriber; and Russell O'Neal, indexer. Lincoln County, Tennessee: Administrator Settlement Book 1863-1868. Index only. (FHL book 976.8624 P22m.)

Tax Records

Pre-1900 tax records of Lincoln county are available on microfilm by interlibrary loan from the Tennessee State Library and Archives for years 1829-1833, 1836, 1846-1850, 1865-1867, 1870-1889-1891-1900.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1810-1811 Tax List, 1810-11, Lincoln County Tennessee Pioneers, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Sep. 1977). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1811 Tax Collectors, 1811, Volunteer (Fall 1998). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1812 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1812 newspaper tax list (Fayetteville only).
• 1814 "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For access, see Periodicals. Includes Lincoln County.
• 1817 "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For access, see Periodicals. Includes Lincoln County.
• 1836 Douthat, James L. Lincoln County, 1836 Tennessee, Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 R4d; online: index and purchase details.
• 1836 Civil Districts and Tax List, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Aug. 1998); Vol. 2, No. 3 (Dec. 1998). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1860 Tax List, 1860, Volunteer (Spring 2002, Fall 2002, Spring 2003, Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Fall 2004, Spring 2005). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1868 Taxpayers, 1868, Lincoln County Tennessee Pioneers, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan. 1981). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1870 Tax List District 1, 1870, Lincoln County Tennessee Pioneers, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Jun. 1978). For access, see Periodicals.
• 1880 List of Privileges, 1880, Lincoln County Tennessee Pioneers, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Jun. 1978). For access, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

Birth

• 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 ($)

• 1881-1883 - Lincoln County Birth Index 1881-1883. Batch C519463 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

• 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online indeses and Records

• 1625-1966 Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 ($).
• 1780-2002 -Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
• 1796-1950 Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1838-1866 - Marriage Records, 1838-1860, Lincoln County, Tennessee Item 1. (click on camera to open) Index,
• 1838-1880 - Lincoln County, Tennessee Official Marriage Records, 1838-1880: Digital copy
• 1838-1895 - Lincoln County Marriage Index 1838-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1838-1888 Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
• 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1838-1871 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. Indexes names of brides, grooms, and marriage dates for this county for specified years.
• 1838-1843 - Marriage Records of Lincoln Co., Tennessee, 1838-1843. Waller, Jane W. and Polly L. Murphy. FHL 976.8624 V2w
• 1888-1898 - Marriage bonds. Available at Tennessee State Library & Archives:TSLA
• 1911-1920 - Marriage records of Lincoln County, Tennessee 1911-1920. Casey, Joe M. and Jewel D. FHL 976.8624 V2c 3 Vols. Free lookups available!

Death

• 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

Online Records

• 1796-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 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

Archives

Listed below are archives in Lincoln County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

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

• Fayetteville Tennessee Family History Center
• McMinnville Tennessee Family History Center
• Tullahoma Tennessee Family History Center
• Chattanooga Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Spring Hill Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Lincoln County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library
306 Elk Ave N
Fayetteville, TN 37334
Phone: 931-433-3286
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Lincoln County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

Lincoln County Genealogical Society
1508 West Washington St.
Fayetteville, TN 37334

Websites

• Chestnut Ridge Cousins Genealogy Records, Surname Exchange, Maps, Obituaries, Photos, History
• Lincoln County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Lincoln County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• 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

A good place to start is Byron and Samuel Sistler's Every Name Index to 18 Middle Tennessee County Record Books (Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1992) FHL Collection 976.8 P22sb. It indexes multiple books about Lincoln and nearby Bedford and Giles counties.

• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Lincoln County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.