Davidson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Davidson County





Middle Tennessee county established in 1783. Davidson County was at the heart of the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

County Courthouse
Davidson County Courthouse 700 2nd Avenue South Nashville, Tennessee 37210 Phone: 615-862-5710

Davidson County Clerk Marriage and Probate records P.O. Box 196333 Nashville, TN 37228 Street Address: 523 Mainstream Drive Nashville, TN 37228 Phone: 615-862-5710

Davidson County Register of Deeds Land records 501 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615-862-6790

Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk Court records P.O. Box 196303 Nashville, TN 37219-6303 Street Address: 1 Public Square, Suite 302 Nashville, TN 37201 Phone: 615-862-5181

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm

Metropolitan Government Archives 3801 Green Hills Village Drive Nashville, Tennessee 37215 615-862-5880

Hours: Monday-Friday 9:30-5:30

Houses original Davidson County and Nashville City records up to about 1996

History
Davidson County was officially established in April of 1783 by an act of the North Carolina legislature. It was named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of North Carolina in the Revolutionary war.

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby Enacted by the authority of the same, that all that part of this State lying west of the Cumberland Mountain where the Virginia line crosses, extending westward along the said line to Tennessee River, thence up said river to the mouth of Duck River, thence up Duck River to where the line of marked trees run by the commissioners for laying off land granted the Continental Line of this State intersects said river (which said line is supposed to be in thirty-five degrees fifty minutes north latitude) thence east along said line to the top of Cumberland Mountain, thence northwardly along said mountain to the beginning, shall after the passing of this Act be and is hereby declared to be a distinct county by the name of Davidson."

In 1780, the Cumberland Compact referred to the settlement on the bluff above the Cumberland River as Nashborough. Nashborough was also the name used in the minutes of the Davidson County court which commenced in the fall of 1783. Although Nashborough was the formal name given to the fort, the pioneering settlers, by and large, referred to it as French Lick Station. Eastin Morris' TENNESSEE GAZETTEER, 1834

In April of 1784, the legislature of North Carolina passed an act that made the town official, changing the name to Nashville. The bill set aside "two hundred acres of land, situate on the south side of Cumberland River, at a place called the Bluff, adjacent to the French Lick, in which said Lick shall not be included, to be laid off in lots of one acre each, with convenient streets, lanes, and alleys, reserving four acres for the purpose of erecting public buildings, on which land, so laid off according to the directions of this act, is hereby constituted and erected, and established a town, and shall be known and called Nashville, in memory of the patriotic and brave Gen. Nash." Five Trustees were appointed to handle the business of the town and a treasurer was named. A plan of town lots of one acres each and a public square of four acres was surveyed. Proceeds from the sale of the lots was to be used to build a courthouse and a jail on the public square.

Parent County
1783--Davidson County was created 6 October 1783 from Washington County. County seat: Nashville

Record Loss
1856 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1890

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle
 * When the Records are Gone in Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog

Populated Places
Cities and Towns:

Neighboring Counties

 * Cheatham
 * Robertson
 * Rutherford
 * Sumner
 * Williamson
 * Wilson

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Davidson County, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Genealogical Research in Davidson County," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Spring 1993). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African Americans

 * Black Nashville: A Bibliography, available online, courtesy: Black Nashville Genealogy &amp; History blog.


 * Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1863 Index On-line.


 * In 1862 Nashville built a series of forts around the city. The  project was built by Union soldiers and impressed slaves and free black workers in just five months.  This site lists the laborers employed August 1, 1862 to April 1, 1863. The site gives the name of the slave, the slave owner and the file number.


 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

Biography

 * Pray, Carl Esek. John Bell of Tennessee: his career in the House of Representatives. University of Wisconsin, 1913. Free digital copy.
 * Johnson, Susannah (Brooks) b. 1794; Johnson, Adam Clarke. Recollections of the Rev. John Johnson and his home : an autobiography.Nashville, Tennessee : Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1869.

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness offers to take photographs of headstones found in Nashville cemeteries.

The following websites may contain Davidson County cemetery records:


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Davidson County linking to the information about the people buried there,


 * Davidson County, TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.


 * Davidson County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


 * Davidson County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Davidson county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Davidson County cemeteries

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

1790 - Lost, only statistics survive, but substitutes are available:


 * Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. Purchase information at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog. [Includes a reconstructed 1790 census, sources: "Contemporary lists–tax lists, militia rolls, land grants and deeds, claims for pre-emption lands, names recorded in diaries and journals. And numerous histories compiled by local historians from records that we have not seen or read ourselves."]
 * Fulcher, Richard Carlton, comp. 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements: Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties (In what is now Tennessee). Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2f; digital version at World Vital Records ($).
 * McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990. FHL US/CAN Films 1728882 Item 4 and 1683130 Item 3.

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820


 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

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. A free online index, provided by Lineages, will help researchers determine if this resource can be of assistance:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1850


 * Porch, Deane. Davidson County, Tennessee, 1850 Census. Fort Worth Texas, American Reference Publishing Co., 1969.
 * Tarpley, Sarah. The Fourth Civil District of Davidson County, Tennessee, 1850Located at Binkley Branches..
 * Index of the 1850 Federal Mortality Schedule for Davidson, Tennessee. Located at the USGenWeb Census Project.

1860

Index and transcription of the 1860 Federel Census for Davidson, Tennessee. Located at the USGenWegb Census Project.

1890 -- Lost, but a substitute is available:


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler and Associates, 1978.

Church
Baptist

Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives The Southern Baptist Convention Building 901 Commerce Street #400 Nashville, TN 37203 Telephone: 615-244-0344 Internet: www.sbhla.org

Disciples of Christ

Disciples of Christ Historical Society 1101 Nineteenth Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212-2196 Telephone: 866-834-7563 (toll free) Internet: http://www.discipleshistory.org/

Jewish

Jewish Federation of Nashville Middle Tennessee Library and Archives 801 Percy Warner Boulevard, Suite 102 Nashville, TN 37205 Telephone: 615-356-3242 x255 Fax: 615-352-0056 Internet: http://www.jewishnashville.org/

Methodist Episcopal

Tennessee Conference 520 Commerce Street, Suite 205 Nashville, TN 37203 Telephone: 615-263-0518 (call to make an appointment) Internet: http://www.tnumc.org/


 * Mathews, Reverend John D.D. Peeps into Life Autobiography. Methodist Episcopal Church Tennessee Conference, 1904. Free digital copy.
 * The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Nashville, Tenn. M.E. Church, South, Tenn., 1892. Digital version at Google Books.

Presbyterian


 * The First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee: The Addresses Delivered in Connection with the Observance of the One Hundredth Anniversary, November 8-15, l9l4. Nashville, Tenn.: Foster &amp; Parkes Company, 1915. Digital version at Google Books.

Roman Catholic

Diocese of Nashville The Catholic Center 2400 Twenty-first Avenue, South Nashville, TN 37212-5387 Telephone: 615-383-6393 Fax: 615-292-8411 Internet: http://www.dioceseofnashville.com/

Directories
Nashville City Directories are available for most years between 1853 and 1997 at the Tennnessee State Archives. Digitzed copies are available online for the following years:


 * 1853
 * 1855-56
 * 1857
 * 1859
 * 1860
 * 1865
 * 1880
 * 1924

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

Bibliography


 * [Barkley] Fischer, Kathryn Barkley The Barkley brigade : the story of John Barkley of Smith County, Tennessee and his descendants, 1753-1994 Covington, Louisiana : Barkley-Symons Enterprises, 1994 FHL book 929.273 B246. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Bell] Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. Leander Bell of Henderson County, Tennessee: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Ark.: L.C. Lewis, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B413L.
 * [Bell] Bell, Eldon Raymond. Bells History: of Shenandoah Valley, VA and Knox County, TN. Springdale, Arkansas: E.R. Bell, 1994. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B413ber.
 * [Bishop] Gray, John W. The Life of Joseph Bishop, the Celebrated Old Pioneer in the First Settlements of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1858. Free digital copy.
 * [Branch] Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: E.T. Ford, 1972. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T218f; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Burnett] Burnett, Paul H. Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1880. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * [Byrn] Turner, Mary Lalla Byrn The Byrn family : the ancestors and descendants of James Riley Byrn of middle Tennessee and western Kentucky and his wife, Emily Blackwell Oliver, from Virginia Paducah, Kentucky : M.L.B. Turner, [1985?] Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications. FHL book 929.273 B846. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Clupper] Clupper, Milford Lyon and Mona Atwill Clupper. Nine Generations from David Keith Clupper: Born in Nashville, Tenn. [Murfreesboro, Tenn.]: M. Clupper, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C628cm.
 * [Gambill] Brown, Louise G. and Jane C. Luna. The Descendants of Bradley Gambill. Columbia, Tenn.: P-Vine Press, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G143b.
 * [Hardeman] Burnett, Paul H. Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1880. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * [Harris] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Lineage of Judith Gene Harris Doss, Nashville Tennessee: Includes Hodges, Randle, Hearn, Parker, Turner, Truitt, and Smith. Typescript, 1968. FHL US/CAN Film 875145 Item 2.
 * [Smith] Dyson, Dawn. A History of the Family of Herman Hampton and Julious Bonnie Holloway Smith of Nashville, Tennessee. Athens, Ga.: D. Dyson, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sm58d.
 * [Stumb] Saeger, Paul H. The Stumb Family of Nashville, Tennessee. Birmingham, Ala.: P.H. Saeger, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 St95sp.
 * [Swanson] McRaven, William Henry. Life and Times of Edward Swanson: One of the Original Pioneers Who with General James Robertson Founded Nashville, Tennessee, 1779; First Recorded Settler of Williamson County, Tennessee, March, 1780. Nashville, Tenn.: W.H. McRaven, 1937. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sw24m.
 * [Tate] Carpenter, Evelyn Yates. Tate and Allied Families of Robertson County, Tennessee: Includes the Nearby Tennessee Counties of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson. Includes Virginia and North Carolina, the States of Tate Family Origin. Includes Counties in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Throughout the United States Where Many Tate Families Migrated. Clarksville, Tenn.: Jostens, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T187c.
 * [Taylor] Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: E.T. Ford, 1972. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T218f; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Thurman] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Thurman Lineage: Descent of Mrs. Helen Goodpasture of Nashville, Tennessee. Typescript, 1950. FHL US/CAN Film 1035575 Item 8; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.

Land
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Davidson County land records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Deed Book A: 1784-1787
 * 2) Deed Book B: 1787-1791
 * 3) Deed Book C: 1791-1796
 * 4) Deed Book D: 1796-1798
 * 5) Deed Book E: 1798-1802
 * 6) Deed Book F: 1803-1806


 * Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Davidson County, Tennessee Deeds, 1784-1796. Melber, KY: Simmons Historical, 1998. 8 volumes. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 R2w; purchase at Simmons Historical Publications; digital versions at World Vital Records ($)


 * v. 1 - 1784-1787
 * v. 2 - 1786-1787
 * v. 3 - 1787-1790
 * v. 4 - 1790-1791
 * v. 5. - 1789-1791
 * v. 6 - 1791-1793
 * v. 7 - 1793-1794
 * v. 8 - 1794-1796.

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.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Albright, Edward. Early History of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co., 1909. Free digitzed copy.
 * Beard, W.E. It Happened in Nashville, Tennessee: A Collection of Historical Incidents which Occurred in Nashville, are Commemorated There, or in Which Nashville People were Actors. Davie Printing Co., 1912. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Clarke, Ida Clyde Gallagher. All About Nashville: A Complete Historical Guide Book to the City. Marshall &amp; Bruce Co., 1912. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Clayton, W. W. History of Davidson County, Tennessee: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis, 1886. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 541321. Indexed in FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H22w. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($); Heritage Quest Online ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * McRaven, William Henry. Nashville: "Athens of the South". Chapel Hill: Published for the Tennessee Book Co. by Scheer &amp; Jervis, 1949. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Nashville Tennessee Centennial Album. Nashville, Tennessee: J. Prousnitzer &amp; Co., 1896. Free digital version.  Includes pictures of local public buildings and churches, private residences, and representative citizens.
 * Putnam, Albigence Waldo. History of Middle Tennessee: or, Life and Times of Gen. James Robertson. Nashville, Tenn.: A.A. Stitt, Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1859. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Snyder, Ann E. On the Watauga and the Cumberland Nashville, Tennessee: Methodist Espiscopal South Publishing House, 1884. Free digital copy. Early Davidson County history and settlers.
 * Tennessee State Fair. Official Souvenir Progam and Guide, Tennessee State Fair, September 23rd to 28th, 1907. Nashville, Tennessee: Folk-Keelin Print Co., 1907. Free digital copy. Includes pictures of local buildings and prominent citizens.
 * The Wayne Hand-Book of Nashville and the Tennessee Centennial Exposition Illustrated- a complete guide book for tourists, with maps, plans, etc. Wayne Publishing Company, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 1897. Free digital copy.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Maps
The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is in the beginning stages of posting digital copies of historical maps on their website through the Tennessee Virtual Archives (TEVA). Among the collection is a 1907 historical map showing Davidson County civil districts and the plotted residences of families living within those districts.

Additional Nashville and Davidson County historical maps include:


 * [1783] Reeves, Charles A. Davidson &amp; Greene Counties [Tennessee] - Created in 1783. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1855] General View of Nashville. Published 1855. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1860s] Map of Nashville, Tennessee. Published 1860s. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1871] Map of Davidson County, TN. Published 1871. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1872] Ruger?. Bird's Eye View of Nashville. Originally published 1872. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1880s] Wellege. Nashville, Tennessee in the 1880s. Originally published 1872. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1894] A City Map of Nashville, Tennessee. Published 1894. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1897] Tennessee Centennial Exposition, Nashville, Tennessee. Originally published 1897. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1939] A Map of Nashville. Published 1939. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military

 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records, Davidson County Pioneers: Revolutionary and War of 1812 Soldiers. 1965. FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 M23w.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).

Civil War


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.
 * Quintard, Charles Todd. Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and Second Bishop of Tennessee. Sewanee, Tennessee: The University Press, 1905. Free digital copy. Chaplain of the 1st Tennessee Regiment.

Spanish American War


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

World War I

Gilmore, Rose Long. ''Davidson County Women in the World War 1914-1919. ''Nashville, Tennessee: Foster and Parkes, 1923.

Newspapers
A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to do free obituary lookups in Davidson County newspapers.

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at 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 Davidson County click on the following cities:


 * Brentwood
 * Donelson
 * Goodlettsville
 * Hermitage
 * Madison
 * Nashville
 * Old Hickory

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Davidson County.]

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:

Ansearchin' News

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Davidson County, Tennessee have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.

Harpeth Gleanings

Covers Bellevue and the Harpeth River Valley in southwest Davidson county. Family History Library US/CAN Book 976.855 H25h

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Davidson County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Prisons
Learn if your Davidson County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Private Papers

 * Baldock, Margaret. Bible Records of James Carothers, Born 30 January 1792, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee: and Allied Families: Barfield, Goodloe, Carter, Crutcher, McMillian, Jarman. Clovis, N.M.: M. Baldock, 1990. FHL US/CAN Film 1597826 Item 11.
 * Family Bible of P. W. Duke and Mollie E. Moore : Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1963. FHL US/CAN Film 301101 Item 15.

Probate
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Davidson County probate records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Will Book 1: 1784-1794
 * 2) Will Book 2: 1794-1804
 * 3) Will Book 3: 1805-1809
 * 4) Will Book 4: 1809-1816

The following Davidson County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1784-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]
 * [1784-1816] Strictly By Name (see above).

Schools

 * Fisk University: History, Building and Site, and Services of Dedication, at Nashville, Tennessee, January 1st, 1876. New York: Published for the Trustees of Fisk University, 1876. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Stearns, Eben S. Historical Sketch of the Normal College, at Nashville, Tenn: An Address Before Its Officers and Students on Its Ninth Anniversary, Dec. 1, 1884. Cincinnati: Elm Street Printing Company, 1885. Digital version at Google Books.

Taxation
The following Davidson County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1787] "Davidson County Tax List for 1787," available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * [1787, 1812] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * [1787] First Tax List, 1787, Brief, Krefeld Immigrants and Their Descendants. Sacramento CA: Fall 2003. Vol. 20 Iss. 2.
 * [1788, 1805, 1811] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1788, 1805, 1811 tax lists.]
 * [1789] Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1798] Duncan, Ruth Henley. "List of Taxable Property, Davidson County, Tennessee, October 1, 1798" and "List of Slaves Owned in Davidson County, Tennessee, October 1, 1798," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (July 1961):78-86. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1805] West, Betsy F. "Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List - 1805," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Spring 1979):80-85; Vol. 26, No. 3 (Fall 1979):128-132; Vol. 26, No. 4 (Winter 1979). For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1805] Davidson County 1805 Tax List Annotated, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Summer 2007); Vol. 21, No. 2 (Fall 2007); Vol. 21, No. 3 (Winter 2008); Vol. 22, No. 2 (Fall 2008); Vol. 22, No. 3 (Winter 2009); Vol. 22, No. 4 (Spring 2009). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1811] 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. [Cites Davidson County Tax List, 1811, Early Tax Lists microfilm reel #3, TSLA, Nashville as source.]
 * [1812] West, Betsy F. "Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List - 1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Winter 1979):164-173. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1812] Douthat, James L. 1812 Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List: Taken from the Microfilm Copy Found in the Tennessee State Archives. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, [2000?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 R4d.
 * [1812] "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812," [Alphabetical Arrangement] available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * [1812] "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812," [Arranged by company] available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * [1812] Davidson County Tax List 1812, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Winter 2003); Vol. 16, No. 4 (Spring 2003); Vol. 17, No. 1 (Summer 2003). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1814] "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Davidson 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 possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Davidson County.]
 * [1826] Release of Taxes, 1826, Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History. Nashville TN: Summer 1996. Vol. 10 Iss. 1.
 * [1829] Tax List, 1829, Ansearchin' News. Memphis TN: Summer 1985. Vol. 32 Iss. 2; Fall 1985. Vol. 32 Iss. 3; Winter 1985. Vol. 32 Iss. 4.
 * [1832] "Davidson County, Tennessee 1829 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Summer 1985):63-68; Vol. 32, No. 3 (Fall 1985):123-130; Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter 1985):179-182. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [c1865] Tennessee Tax Lists Holdings, ca.1865, Southern Genealogists Exchange Quarterly. Jacksonville FL: Summer 1965. Vol. 6 Iss. 34.

Vital Records
Birth

Marriage

[1789-1996] The original Davidson County marriage records 1789-1966 are housed at the Metropolitan Government Archives in Nashville.

The following Davidson County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1780-1959] Available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Staff will search a 5-year range for a marriage record. A gap exists from 30 April 1941 to 19 July 1945. For records during this period, consult the Metropolitan Government Archives.
 * [1789-1951] Available at the Family History Library
 * [1911-1914] Available at the Nashville Room, Nashville Public Library.

The following Davidson County marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1789-1870] Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. v. 1[Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1789-1863] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. [Indexes brides and grooms]
 * [1789-1837] Blair, Sarah T. Marriage record book I, January 2, 1789 - December 13, 1837, Davidson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee : French Lick Chapter, NSDAR, 1952.
 * [1789-1847] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Davidson County, Tennessee, 1789 - 1847. Baltimore, MC: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. Two volumes. digital version atWorld Vital Records($).
 * [1788-1799] Davidson County Marriages 1788-1799 The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to some early Davidson County marriage records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee.
 * [1794-1851] Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..
 * [1796-1950] Many Davidson county marriage records are indexed at Record Search. Not all years are currently available. At this time it is better to search from the main page, and not to go directly to the Tennessee marriage collection.  On the main page titled "Discover your Ancestors", enter either a full name or surname only.  Choose "event" as marriage with no year range.  For location, enter "Davidson, Tennessee, United States".  Marriages as late as 1950 are indexed in this collection.
 * [1838-1847] Marriage Records, 1838-1847, Davidson County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project. Typescript.  Item 2
 * [1845-1877] Jackson, Andrew. Account book, 1845-1877. Typescript.  Item 6 [Contains data on the purchase, sale, birth, marriage, and death of slaves at the Hermitage, 1845-1877.]
 * [1864-1905] Marriages Recorded in Nashville, 1864-1905. Online index courtesy of the Metro Archives Collection, Nashville.
 * [1876] Smith, Jonathan K.T. Nashville Daily American, 1876, a Genealogical Scrapbook. Jackson, Tennessee: J.K.T. Smith, 2003.
 * Some Davidson county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete and missing many years of Davidson marriage records.
 * [1731-1872] Marriage Records.
 * [1787-1850] Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Death


 * Death Notices in Nashville Newspapers 1855-1907, free online index, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Nashville Obituaries &amp; Death Notices for 1913 &gt; Part 1 : Introduction, free online index, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1914-1930. Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Davidson County Death Records 1900-1913 Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives. Many of these records do not appear in the Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912.
 * Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at Record Search Pilot at FamilySearch. Name index with extracted death certificate information. Search by surname then browse through the results. You may need to supply variant spellings of the names.

For deaths of Methodists in Davidson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * 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.]

Societies and Libraries

 * Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee "The Friends of Archives is a nonprofit chapter of The Friends of the Public Library of Davidson County." (per website) Website includes links to records including cemetery records, census, tax lists, church records, court records, vital records, military records and more.


 * Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Davidson County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005


 * Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville - Davidson County 701 Broadway, B-20 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615-259-5027 Facebook


 * Nashville Public Library 615 Church Street Nashville, TN 37219 Telephone: 615-862-5800 Internet: http://www.library.nashville.org The Nashville Public Library has a significant collection of Davidson County records. They have posted an online index to Nashville marriages 1864-1905 and Nashville obituaries 1964 to the present.  Obituaries from 2006 are available in full text with a Nashville Library card.  Copies of obituaries can be accessed at the library or at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. For a $15 fee, up to 5 obituaries will be researched, copied and mailed to those unable to research in person.


 * The Metropolitan Government Archives, a division of the Nashville Public Library, contains historical records of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. The hours are 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Metro Archives 3801 Green Hills Village Drive Nashville, TN 37215 Phone: (615) 862-5880

Family History Centers
Dickson Ward Tennessee 100 Brown Rd Burns, Davidson, Tennessee, United States Phone: 615-441-1006 Hours: T-Th 10am-2:30pm; W 6pm-8pm; Th 3:30pm-7:30pm; 3rd Sat 10am-2:30pm Closed: closed all holidays. the need for any other closing's will be posted on the door at the building.

Madison Tennessee 107 Twin Hills Dr Madison, Davidson, Tennessee, United States Phone: 615-859-6926 Hours: T-Th 10am-2pm, 7pm-9pm; Sat 10am-12pm

These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Davidson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Davidson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Davidson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County Online Records
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)