Montgomery County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Montgomery County

Middle Tennessee county established in 1796. The eastern half of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.





Quick Dates
Montgomery County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse


Montgomery County Courthouse 350 Pageant Lane Clarksville, TN 37040 Phone: 931-648-5700

Montgomery County Archives 350 Pageant lane, Suite 101-D Clarksville, TN 37040 Phone: 931-553-5159

Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 4 pm

History
The county is named after "John Montgomery (c. 1750–1794), leader of the Nickajack Expedition."

Parent County
1796--Montgomery County was established 9 April 1796. Originally organized as Tennessee County, North Carolina and the name was susequently changed to Montgomery County when Tennessee became a State. County seat: Clarksville

From 1788 to 1796 people living in what is now Montgomery County were in extinct Tennessee County. Their records for that period are now found in Robertson County, Tennessee.

Record Loss
1878, 1900--Fires damaged records

1999--Tornado damaged records


 * Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1796 to 1837

Although these are not burned records, applying strategies used for burned counties may aid in compensating for their loss. For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


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

Research Guides

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

African Americans

 * 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.]

The following have information concerning African American research. Both should be used:


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * African American Research for Tennessee is specific for Tennessee

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

Census
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Montgomery 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.

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


 * Beach, Ursula S. and Ann E. Alley. 1798 Property Tax List and 1820 Census of Montgomery County, Tennessee. Clarksville, Tenn.: Beach &amp; Alley, 1969.
 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * 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.]

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, MontgomeryCounty on page 156.]

1850


 * Alley, Ann E. and Ursula Beach. 1850 Federal Census of Montgomery County, Tennessee. Clarksville, Tenn.: Alley and Beach, 1971.

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 [Montgomery County is included in Vol. 1.]

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Samuel Sistler. 1880 Census Montgomery County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee : Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1998.

Church
Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration. For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.


 * Montgomery County Church Records


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Montgomery County Church Records


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Montgomery County Church History


 * If the records you need are not through the Family History Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Montgomery County are:


 * - List of Montgomery County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Bedford County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Montgomery County church records was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they were housed in 1936.

Baptist


 * [1851-1921] New Providence Baptist Church Records. New Providence, 1851-1921. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #497.
 * [1851-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original New Providence Baptist Church Records.

Espiscopal


 * [1832-1965] Trinity Episcopal Church Records. Clarksville, 1832-1965. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #400.
 * [1832-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original Trinity Episcopal Church Records.

Methodist


 * [1861-1961] Hopewell Methodist Church, Montgomery County, 1861-1961. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #128.
 * [1861-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 1 Index to original Hopewell Methodist Church, Montgomery County, 1861-1961 records.

Court

 * Willis, Laura and Doris Dublin. Montgomery County, Tennessee County Court Minutes, December 1805 - December 1807. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.845 P2wL. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($).

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Montgomery County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * [Brown] Descendant of William Jasper or Joseph Brown, b. 1894 Montgomery County, Tennessee, d. 1973 Chrisney, Indiana. Y-DNA 12 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit N25799). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 5), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Matches have been found.

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


 * East Tennessee Historical Society. First Families of Tennessee: A Register of Early Settlers and Their Present-day Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 H2ff. [Identifies families that had settled in Tennessee before it achieved statehood in 1796.]
 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.
 * Montgomery County Historical Society. Montgomery County, Tennessee Family History Book. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.845 H2m.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Red River Settlers: Records of the Settlers of Northern Montgomery, Robertson, and Sumner Counties, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.84 D2w. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).

Bibliography


 * [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.
 * [Haggard] Haggard, David D. History of the Haggard Family in England and America, 1433 to 1899. Bloomington, IL: Unknown, 1899. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 982126 Item 3; digital versions at BYU Family History Archives; Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Hutchison] Winthurst, Phyllis. The Hutchison Chronicles: Some Stories of the Nine Generations of Descendants of John and Margaret Hutchison, Prince William and Shenandoah Counties, Virginia and Montgomery County, Tennessee. Tucson, Ariz.: P.R. Winthurst, 1998. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H975w.
 * [Jameson] See Jamison.
 * [Jamison] Jamison, Henry Downs. The Jamison Family, 1647-1960: Genealogical Records and Memoranda. Nashville, TN: Unknown, 1960. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J245ja; FHL US/CAN Film 854155 Item 2; digital versions at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Spain] See Jamison.
 * [Trotter] Trotter, Susie Eager. Trotter Genealogy: The Virginia-Tennessee-Mississippi Trotter Line, 1725-1948. Louisville, KY: Press of Mayes Print. Co., 1948. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 1401448; digital versions at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land
Deeds


 * Willis, Laura. Montgomery County, TN, Deeds. Melber, Kentucky: Simmons Historical, 1996. 5 volumes. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.845 R29w. Digital versions of selected volumes available at World Vital Records ($): Volume 1 1796-1800; Volume 4 1805-1809; and Volume 5 1808-1812. All volumes available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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.] 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 TSLA; 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.
 * Montgomery County Tennessee. Clarksville, Tennessee: c1900. Booklet advertising the amenities of Montgomery county in 1900. Free digitzed copy.

Maps

 * [1870] Ruger, A. Bird's Eye View of the City of Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee. Originally published 1870. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1877] Map of Montgomery County, TN. Originally published 1877. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Montgomery County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Soldiers Includes biographical information.

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, MontgomeryCounty 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. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-24; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Montgomery County pensioners 8(1):24, 8(2):49.]
 * Montgomery County, Tennessee War of 1812 Soldiers Includes biographical information. Courtesy: TNGenWeb

Independence of Texas 1836


 * Montgomery County, Tennessee Independence of Texas Soldier Joseph Bayliss who fought and died in the defense of the Alamo in Texas. Courtesy : TNGenWeb

Mexican War 1846-1848


 * Montgomery County, Tennessee Mexican War Soldiers Courtesy : TNGenWeb

Spanish American War


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

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 Montgomery County click on the following city:


 * Clarksville

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 Montgomery 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
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Montgomery County, Tennessee records 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.
 * The Corn Sheller
 * The Family History Library has Volume 14, no 2 (Feb. 1991) FHL US/CAN 976-845 D25c See Montomgery County Historical Society website for further information: http://www.mchsociety.org/
 * Family Findings
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Montgomery County, Tennessee records have been published in Family Findings, the quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society (42+ vols.). The Family History Library has most issues of this quarterly FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f.
 * Tables of contents for some volumes are available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb Project:
 * Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
 * Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
 * Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
 * Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)
 * Many articles from this publication have been reproduced on the TNGenWeb Project website, try this specialized Google search.
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Montgomery 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.
 * The Montgomery County Genealogical Journal
 * The Family History Library has Volume 1 - 10 (1972 - 1981)FHL US/CAN 976.845 B2m Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)
 * The River Counties
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Montgomery County, Tennessee records were published in The River Counties Quarterly, (14 vols.) edited by Jill K. Garrett. The Family History Library has a complete collection FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2rc.

Prisons
Learn if your Montgomery County ancestors went to prison!


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

Probate
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within four months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The Montgomery County Court has responsibility for the probate records.The Montgomery County Archives holds probate records from 1796.

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


 * 1) Will Book A: 1796-1809
 * 2) Will Book B: 1810-1818
 * 3) Will Book C: 1819-1821
 * 4) Will Book D: 1818-1826
 * 5) Will Book E: 1826-1829
 * 6) Will Book F: 1829-1834

The following Montgomery County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:


 * [1796-1818] Darnell, Anita Whitefield. Abstracts of Wills and Records, Recorded in Books A &amp; B, Montgomery County, Tennessee, 1796-1818. Clarksville, Tennessee: Darnell, 1976. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8 A1 no. 65.)
 * [1795-1861] 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.]
 * [1796-1834] Strictly By Name (see above).
 * [1796-1826] Willis, Laura. Montgomery County, Tennessee Wills and Administrations [1796-1826]. Melber, KY: Simmons Historical Pub., c1995. All 14 volumes (1796-1830) are available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications. 10 volumes available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.845 P2w. Digital versions of select volumes available at World Vital Records ($):



Taxation
The following Montgomery County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [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] Beach, Ursula S. and Ann E. Alley. 1798 Property Tax List and 1820 Census of Montgomery County, Tennessee. Clarksville, Tenn.: Beach &amp; Alley, 1969.
 * [1798] O'Hara, Virginia G. "Taxable Property in the County of Montgomery (Tennessee) - 1798," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 11, No. 2 (April 1964):63-68; Vol. 11, No. 3 (July 1964):127-132. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1798] 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 1798 tax list.]
 * [1798] Tax List, 1798, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Apr. 1998).
 * [1798] Douthat, James L. Montgomery County, Tennessee 1798 Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 200-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.845 R4d.
 * [1798] "1798 Montgomery County Tax List (partial - companies later part of Stewart County)," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1799] "1799 Unpaid Montgomery County TN taxes," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Tennessee Gazette, 23 June 1802.]
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Dec. 1974).
 * [1800] Tatum, Ausborn C. "Montgomery County, Tennessee Tax List 1800," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 31, No. 2 (Summer 1984):77-82. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. Free digital version at Montgomery Co., TNGenWeb.
 * [1801] "Unpaid 1801 Montgomery County Taxes," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Tennessee Gazette, 1 Jan. 1803.]
 * [1802] "1802 Unpaid Montgomery County Taxes," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Tennessee Gazette, 7 Sep. 1803.]
 * [1804] Tax List and Delinquents, 1804, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Dec. 1971).
 * [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 Montgomery County.]
 * [1818] Public Sale for Delinquent Property Tax, 1818, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Dec. 1977).
 * [1826] Tax Collectors, 1826, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Dec. 1973).
 * [1836] Tax List, 1836, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Mar. 1975); Vol. 4, No. 4 (Jun. 1975); Vol. 5, No. 1 (Sep. 1975).
 * [1841] Tax Credits Issued, 1841, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Sep. 1978).
 * [1842] Delinquent Taxes, 1842, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Dec. 1980).
 * [1858-1861] Tax Sales for Districts 18 and 19, 1858-61 (sel.), Duck's Old Time Journal (Jan. 2002).
 * [1859-1860] Property Assessment List, 1859-60, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Mar. 1972).
 * [1865] "Montgomery County Land Sold for Unpaid 1865 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Summer 1999):17. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1867] Tax Sales, Districts 16-20, 1867, Duck's Old Time Journal (Aug. 2003).
 * [1882] Tax Assessors List, 1882, Duck's Old Time Journal (Feb. 2000).
 * [1919] Automobile Tax Increase, 1919, Duck's Old Time Journal (Jan. 2006).

Birth

 * [1880-1910] Available at the Family History Library. Delayed birth certificates.

Marriage
The original Montgomery County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Marriages were not officially recorded in Montgomery County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

The following Montgomery County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1838-1967] Available at the TSLA. Marriages 1817-1899 are available for interlibrary loan.
 * [1837-1950] Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.
 * [1838-1961] Available at the Family History Library. Most volumes are indexed.
 * [1961-1967] Available at the Family History Library.

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


 * [1838-1963] General index to marriages.
 * [1838-1854] Marriage Records, 1850-1866, Montgomery County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1940.  Typescript.  Items1-2
 * [1838-1870] 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 ff. [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 TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1838-1867] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1838-1869] Montgomery County, Tennessee, Marriage Records. 3 vols. (1838-1874). Purchase at Simmons Historical Publications. Select digitized volumes are available at World Vital Records ($):


 * Vol. 1 Grooms (1838-1857)
 * Vol. 2 Brides (1858-1869)
 * Vol. 2 Grooms (1857-1869)


 * Black, James M. Southern States Genealogical Records: Bible records, Tombstone Inscriptions, Historical Records, Southern States Mission Records. Salt Lake City, Utah: s.n., 190-?
 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page, Discover Your Ancestors: indicate a surname, marriage "event", no date, and a county name (i.e. Montgomery, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.
 * [1752-1854] Marriage Records.
 * [1802-1850] Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Death

 * 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 Montgomery 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
Montgomery County Historical Society 189 10th Street Clarksville, TN 37040-6323 Phone: 931-553-2486 P.O. Box 262 zip 37041-0262 Email: mchs@mchsociety.org

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Montgomery 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

Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library 350 Pageant Lane Clarksville, TN 37040 Phone: 931-648-8826 Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 am - 8 pm Friday - Saturday 9 am - 6 pm Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm Library has a nice genealogy section with an index of what is available in the library as well as online sources.

Family History Centers
Clarksville Tennessee 3242 Hwy 41-A S Clarksville, Montgomery, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 931-358-5264

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

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