Humphreys County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
Humphreys County was named for Judge (and future Congressman) Parry Wayne Humphreys. The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Humphreys County Courthouse 102 Thompson Street Waverly, TN 37185 Humphreys County Website County Clerk Phone: 931-296-7671 Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 931-296-2461 Register of Deeds Phone: 931-296-7681 Clerk & Master Phone: 931-296-2558

Courthouse burned in 1876 and 1898. Only the land records are complete. Land records from 1809, marriage records from 1861 and probate records from 1838.

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:

History Timeline
Additional Information Middle Tennessee county on the Tennessee River. Established 1809.

The county is named after "U.S. Representative from Tennessee Parry Wayne Humphreys (1778-1839)."

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. . Includes Humphreys County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Charles A. Reeves Jr. has created a detailed map showing the locations of Humphreys County cemeteries. It may be purchased for a small fee through his Cemetery Maps Catalog$

Census Records
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Humphreys 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 Humphreys County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1810-1891


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

1810 Lost, but 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..

1820

Census takers found no free African Americans living in Humphreys County, Tennessee in 1820.
 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Humphreys County on page 156.

1850


 * Garrett, Jill. Humphreys County, Tennessee 1850 Census Additional Notes.Columbia, Tennessee: J. K. Garrett, 1962.
 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee: Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 6, Northern Humphreys County.

1860


 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee: Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 7, Northern Humphreys County.

1870


 * Clifton, Betty F.1870 Census of Humphreys County, Tennessee.Taylorsville, California: B.F. Clifton, 1979.
 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee: Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 8, Northern Humphreys County.

1880


 * Fischer, Marjorie Hood and Ruth B. Burns. 1880 Census, Humphreys County, Tennessee. Vista, California: Ram Press, 1987.

1890 Lost, but 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. . Humphreys County is included in Vol. 8.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1917-1949 Images of the Circuit Court 1917-1926; 1926-1932; 1932-1937; 1937-1949 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)
 * Bryant, Betty Huff Jackson County, Tennessee, Chancery Court minutes, 1840-1861 Austin, Texas: [Betty Huff Bryant], 1993. Free lookups available!

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. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Genealogies
General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Humphreys, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 20,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * Adams - Hampton, Estelline Adams. John Adams, Esquire (III): Ancestors and Descendants. Unknown: unknown, 1976. Available at ; digital versions available at Ancestry ($); View copies at FamilySearch Digital Library,; and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Beasley - Lockhart, William Thomas. The Beasley Family of Benton, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties of Tennessee. Florissant, Missouri: W. Lockhart, 1985..
 * Hamilton - Hamilton, Thomas. Autobiography of Thomas Hamilton. Typescript, microfilmed 1972. FHL US/CAN Film 896607 Item 2.
 * Knight - Garrett, Jill Knight. Knight Cousins. [Columbia, TN: Unknown, 1967. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 928090; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * McMurtry - McMurtry, Otis D. Chronology of the Life of John McMurtry, Esq., Soldier, Privateer of the American Revolution: Progentior of the McMurtry Clan of Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. FHL US/CAN Film 570838 Item 2.
 * McMurtry - McMurtry, Brian L. The West Tennessee McMurtry Family: A Synopsis of the Lives and Historical Background that Surrounded the McMurtry Family of Humphreys, Benton, and Henry County, TN. Newburgh, Ind.: B.L. McMurtry, 2006..
 * Whitfield - Whitfield, Vallie Jo Fox. Whitfield History and Genealogy of Tennessee. [Walnut Creek, CA: Unknown,, 1964. Available at ; digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land and Property Records

 * Humphreys County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1810 and is located at Room 3 - Court House Annex, 102 Thompson, Waverly, Tennessee 37185; 931-296-7681. 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 deeds 1810-1897 with indeses 1810-1907; land sales frm the late 1800s to the early 1900s; tax books 1898-1916.
 * Free lookups available for Tennessee Land Grants C-CZ, H-Hz, S-Sz, N-O, P-

Local Histories

 * Smith, H. K. Some Encounters with General Forrest. McKenzie, Tenn.?: unknown, 1959. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this couinty - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Humphreys County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Humphreys County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pension files

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Humphreys 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. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Humphreys County pensioners 7(3):68, 7(4):90.

Civil War

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (DeMoss') - CSA - Companies A, F, and K.
 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
 * 11th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and I.
 * 20th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Russell's) - CSA - Company F.
 * 20th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
 * 24th Battalion, Tennessee Sharpshooters (Maney's) - CSA - Companies A, B, and C.
 * 42nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company D.
 * 50th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Confederate)- CSA - Company G.
 * 50th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K and Captain A. A. Wilson's Company.
 * Cox's Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA - Companies A and E.
 * Napier's Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry- CSA - Company C.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Humphreys County:


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.
 * Tennesseans in the Civil War: a military history of Confederate and Union units with rosters of personnel Nashville, Tennessee: Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964. Free lookups available!
 * Wifering, Edna and Sherrill, Charles A. Tennessee's Confederate Widows and their families Cleveland, Tennessee: Cleveland Public Staff and Volunteers, 1992. Free lookups available!
 * American Memory, Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. Johnsonville.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Humphreys 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. Humphreys County, page 348.

Spanish American War
 * Hale, Will T.The First Tennessee Regiment, United States Volunteers. Nashville, 1899. Free digital copy.

Newspapers
Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) volunteer is willing to do obituary lookups in Humphreys County newspapers covering the years 1931 to 2003. RAOGK Lookups

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at. 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 Humphreys County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Bakerville
 * McEwen
 * Waverly


 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..
 * 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. 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?)

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

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;
 * Humphreys County Historical Society Publication: Family History Library has no. 1 - 36 (1978-2005)
 * 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..
 * The River Counties Quarterly: (14 vols.) edited by Jill K. Garrett.

Probate Records
The Humphreys County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1837-1974 - Humphreys County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
 * 1838-1844 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills & Inventories ($)

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1837-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.
 * 1838-1844 - Works Progress Administration. Wills and Inventories, 1838-1844. Nashville, Tennessee: Works Progress Administration, 1938. Typescript of the original records.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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
Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1812 Taxable Inhabitants, 1812, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct. 1964). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Humphreys.
 * 1812 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. B. Sistler, 1977. Includes 1812 tax list.
 * 1812 Taxable Inhabitants, 1812, Benton County Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr. 1994).
 * 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 possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Humphreys. Includes Humphreys County.
 * 1836 - Nichols, Elizabeth Riggins. "Humphreys County, Tennessee 1836 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Fall 1988):111-114. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Overton.
 * 1837 - Nazor, Mary Louise Graham. "Humphreys County, Tennessee 1837 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Winter 1988):165-170. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Overton.
 * 1837-1843 - Fischer, Marjorie and Ruth B. Burns. Humphreys County, Tennessee, Records: Tax Lists, 1837-1843; Marriages, 1888-1900.Vista, California Ran Press, 1987.
 * 1839 Tax List, 1839, River Counties, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul. 1973).
 * 1852 Tax List, 1852, District 1, River Counties, Vol. 10, Nos. 1-4 (1981).
 * 1869 "Humphreys County Land Sold for Unpaid 1869 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Summer 1999):39. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Overton.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online indexes and Records


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - [[Tennessee Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]*1824-1868; 1842-1850; 1864-1868 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Marriages ($)
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
 * 1862-1895 - Humphreys County Marriage Index 1862-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org- free.
 * 1864-1868 - Marriage Records, 1864-1868, Humphreys County, Tennessee. FHL Film 24705 Item 2 +++
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1861-1888 - Humphreys County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1861-1888. FHL 976.837 V2f Information abstracted from marriage books A, C, D, F, and G.
 * 1888-1900 - Humphreys County, Tennessee, Records: Tax Lists, 1837-1843; Marriages, 1888-1900. FHL 976.837 R4f.

Death

 * 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce
Online Records Online Titles
 * 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
 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online

Family History Centers

 * Clarksville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Dickson Tennessee Family History Center
 * Paris Tennessee Family History Center
 * Brentwood Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Houston County Archives - an affiliate library.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Humphreys County Public Library 201 Pavo Avenue Waverly, TN 37185 Phone: 931-296-2143 Website West Tennessee Heritage Study Center Paul Meek Library 10 Wayne Fisher Dr. Martin, TN 38238 Phone: 731-881-7065 Website Houses a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Societies
Humphreys County Historical Society 105 1/2 Meridale Waverly, TN 37185

Websites

 * Humphreys County, Tennessee Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Humphreys County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Humphreys County TN Genealogy(ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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

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