Shelby County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States Tennessee  Shelby County

West Tennessee county.

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

.*Memphis births begin in 1874, Shelby County births begin in 1881 †Deed index only

Quick Facts
The county is named after Kentucky's First Governor Isaac Shelby (1750-1826).

Parent County
24 November 1819: Shelby County was established from Hardin County. Early records may be found under Hardin County.

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

County Offices
Shelby County Health Department Birth and death records 814 Jefferson Ave., Room 101 - 103 Memphis, TN 38105 Phone: 1-901-544-7608

Shelby County Clerk Marriage records 150 Washington Ave. Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: 1-901-545-4244

Shelby County Register of Deeds Land records 1075 Mullins Station Rd, Suite W165 Memphis, TN 38134 Phone: 1-901-379-7500

Shelby County Probate Court Clerk Probate records 140 Adams Ave., Room 124 Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: 1-901-545-4040

Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 140 Adams Ave.,Room 324 Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: 1-901-545-4006

Hours: Mon.- Fri. 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890
 * County records are virtually complete

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Shelby County newspaper, tax, and WPA records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Shelby County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * Cunningham, Rose-Anne. "Shelby County, Tennessee: A Partial Bibliography," available online, updated 2009. [Don't forget to check all four web pages.]
 * Nazor, Mary Louise. Genealogical Sources Available for Shelby County in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis/Shelby Co. Public Library and Information Center, 198-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.819 A3n.

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans


 * Hamilton, G.P. The Bright Side of Memphis: A Compendium of Information Concerning the Colored People of Memphis, Tennessee, Showing Their Achievements in Business, Industrial and Professional Life and Including Articles of General Interest on the Race. Memphis, Tenn.: G.P. Hamilton, 1908. Digital version at Google Books. [A who's who of African Americans in Memphis, including biographical sketches.]
 * Hughes, Louis. Thirty Years a Slave. From Bondage to Freedom. The institution of slavery as seen on the plantation and in the home of the planter. Milwaukee : South Side Printing Company, 1897. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * 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 Runaway Slave Blog is a free online resource where runaway slaves listed in pre-1865 West Tennessee newspapers are identified. The runaway ads appeared in several Memphis newspapers.

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

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


 * Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.


 * Shelby County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®.
 * USGenWeb Archives

1820

 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Census, Lawrence, Perry, Shelby Counties, Tennessee, 1820. Searcy, Arkansas: Presley, 198-?.
 * 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.

1840 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. US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Shelby County on page 159.]

1850 Agriculture

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

1880

 * Sistler, Samuel D. 1880 census, Shelby Co., Tennessee: head-of-household index Nashville, Tennessee: Byron Sistler and Associates, 2003 US/CAN book 976.819 X22]

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. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 4 1891. [Shelby County is included in Vol. 4.]
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890].

Court Records
The Shelby County Register of Deeds a Chancery Court Divorce Index and the Circuit Court Indexes online.

Directories
The Shelby Courty Register of Deeds has Memphis city directories on-line for many years beginning with 1859 to 1901.

Additional Memphis city directory resources include:


 * [1883] Weatherbe, C.F. Sholes Directory of the Taxing District of Memphis, Shelby County, Tenn. 1883, Volume 10.Memphis, Tenn.: Rogers &amp; Co. Book and Job Printers and Publishers, 1883. Digital version at Google Books. (F)
 * [1890] Dow's Memphis Directory, 1890. Memphis, Tenn.: Dow's, 1890. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [1891] Dow's Memphis Directory, 1891. Memphis, Tenn.: Dow's 1891. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [1909] R.L. Polk and Co.'s 1909 Memphis City Directory: Containing an Alphabetically Arranged List of Business Firms and Private Citizens, Street, Avenue and Householders' Guide, Miscellaneous Directory, City and County Officers, Terms of Court, Churches, Colleges and Schools, Public Parks and Buildings, Banks, Railway and Steamship Lines, Secret, Benevolent, Trade and Social Organizations, etc., etc., etc., and a Complete Classified Business Directory. Memphis, Tenn.: R.L. Polk and Co., 1909. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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


 * [Doss] Descendant of Parker S. Doss, b. abt 1768 Cumberland County, Virginia, resident of Shelby County, Tennessee in 1830, d. 1855 Fannin County, Texas. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 42897). Genetic signature available online (labeled Ju-1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.
 * [Doss] Descendant of Samuel H. Doss, b. 1803 Virginia, resident of Shelby and Moore counties, Tennessee; Illinois; and Madison County, Arkansas. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 85939). Genetic signature available online (labeled Sh-1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

Genealogy
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]

Mailing Lists
Rootsweb Mailing Lists:


 * Mailing List: SW-TN-L (Southwest Tennessee List) (Shelby)
 * Mailing List: TNSHELBY-L (Shelby County, Tennessee List) (Shelby)
 * Mailing List: WEST-TNCHAT-L (West Tennessee Chat List) (Shelby)
 * Mailing List: WESTTN-L West Tennessee List) (Shelby)

Message Boards

 * Shelby County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Shelby County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)

General
As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Shelby, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 30,000 entries. A query for persons born in Memphis, Tennessee results in more than 29,000 entries.


 * Cargill, Bernice Taylor and Brenda Bethea Connelly. Settlers of Shelby County, Tennessee and Adjoining Counties. Memphis, Tenn.: Descendants of Early Settlers of Shelby County, Tennessee, 1989. US/CAN Book 976.819 H2c.
 * Matthews, Paul A. Early Families of the Memphis Area: Profiles of 135 Families of Fayette, Shelby and Tipton Counties in Tennessee, Crittenden County, Arkansas and DeSoto and Marshall Counties in Mississippi: With Historical Time Lines and Photogrpahs of Those Counties. Memphis, Tennessee: Descendants of Early Settlers of Shelby and Adjoining Counties, 2008. US/CAN Book 976 D2m].

History

 * Williams, Joseph R. The Builders of the Pyramid; the story of Shelby County: its Resources and Developments. Memphis: De Garis Printing Company, 1897. Free digital copy.

Land and Property

 * Search the online Shelby County Deed Register to determine if an ancestor owned land in this area. Once you locate an ancestor in the deed records, you can contact the Shelby County Courthouse to order the land records or examine the microfilm copies of these records at the Family History Library. Land records may contain details about an ancestor. Also, if an ancestor owned land, they may have willed that land to family member, so remember to check Wills and Estate Records in Shelby County as well.

150 Washington Ave. Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: (901) 545-4244 Fax: (901) 545-3779 Hours of Operation: M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.


 * The Family History Library does not have microfilmed deed records for Shelby County Tennessee. However it does have: books of estrays 1875-1886, 1896-1944 Circuit Court minutes 1837-1894 Land grants 1788-1827 Entry books 1836-1849 Survey books 1821-1889; Tax records 1846-1896.

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.

Other Shelby County law and legislation resources include:


 * Dupree, L.J. A Digest of the Ordinances of the City Council of Memphis, from the Year 1826 to 1857: Together with All Acts of the Legislature of Tennessee which Relate Exclusively to the City of Memphis, with an Appendix. Memphis, Tenn.: Printed at the Office of the Memphis Bulletin Company, 1857. Digital version at Google Books.

Maps

 * [1870] Ruger, A. Bird's Eye View of the City of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. Originally published 1870. Free digital version at American Memory; purchase a high-quality reproduction at ReevesMaps.com.
 * [1887] Henry Wellge &amp; Co. Perspective Map of the City of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. Originally published 1887. Free digital version at American Memory; purchase a high-quality reproduction at ReevesMaps.com.
 * [1894] Cram's Universal Atlas of the World. A City Map of Memphis, Tennessee. Originally published 1894. Free digital version at WardMaps LLC; purchase a high-quality reproduction at ReevesMaps.com.
 * [1939] Viking Press for WPA. A Map of Memphis. Originally published 1939. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

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


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

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; US/CAN Film 2321]. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Shelby County on page 159.]
 * 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. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Shelby County pensioners (p. 95).]

Civil War

 * Lynn, H.M. H.M. Lynn Papers, 1858-1882. Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.; Free digital copy.; 9th Tennessee Regiment, Company C.
 * Morton, John Watson. The Artillery of Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry, "the Wizard of the Saddle". Nashville, Tennessee: Publishing House of the M.E.Church, 1909. Free digital copy.
 * Mathes, J. Harvey. The Old Guard in Gray- Sketches of Memphis Veterans Who Upheld Her Standard in the War, and of Other Confederate Worthies. (illustrated) Memphis, Tennessee Press of S.C. Toof and Co., 1897. Free digital copy.
 * Thurman, John P. John P. and Sallie Ecklin Thurman Papers1884-1896. Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Department, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tennessee 3rd and 4th Calvary. Free digital copy.

Naturalization and Citizenship
The Shelby County Register of Deeds has naturalization records on-line for the years 1856-1906.

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 Shelby County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Bartlett
 * Collierville
 * Cordova
 * Farragut
 * Frayser
 * Germantown
 * Memphis
 * Millington
 * Raleigh
 * Whitehaven

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. US/CAN 976.8 U2man. May purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Shelby 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
 * Approximately 50 genealogical articles with abstracts of Shelby 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.]
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers
 * Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 16 and 30 US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w]. The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers are indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Prisons
Learn if your Shelby 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 Records
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 a few 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 Probate Court has responsibility for the probate records of Shelby County.

The following Shelby County probate records have been indexed:


 * [1830-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., 1990. US/CAN 976.8 P22s]. [Includes an index to this county's wills.]

Taxation
The original Memphis and Shelby County Tax Records 1846-1896 are kept at TSLA. That facility microfilmed these records in the 1990s. FHL copies: US/CAN Films 2411277 ff.

The original Memphis Comptroller Reports 1874-1876 were microfilmed by TSLA. FHL copy: US/CAN Film 375237 Item 8.

The following Shelby County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1824] Shelby County, Tennessee 1824 Delinquent Tax, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 47 (2000). For access, see Periodicals.
 * [1836-1837] Nazor, Mary Louise and Elizabeth Riggins Nichols. "1836 Map of Shelby County, Tennessee" and "Shelby County, Tennessee Tax Lists, 1837-1838," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Winter 1986):152-158; Vol. 34, No. 1 (Spring 1987):9-14; Vol. 34, No. 2 (Summer 1987):79-82; Vol. 34, No. 3 (Fall 1987):129-132. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1836] Tax List, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 1 (2002).
 * [1837] Douthat, James L. 1837 Shelby County, Tennessee Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2002. US/CAN Book 976.819 R4d]; online: free surname index and purchase details.
 * Nazor, Mary Louise Graham. Memphis Tax Lists. Memphis, Tenn.: M.L.G. Nazor, 1991.

Tax Districts


 * Heiskell, Carrick White. Digest of the Acts Repealing the Charters of Certain Municipal Corporations; the Proclamation of the Governor thereon; the Acts Establishing Taxing Districts, and the Ordinances of the Taxing District of Shelby County, Tennessee. Memphis, Tennesssee: Price, Jones and Co., 1879. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.

Vital Records
The Shelby County Register of Deeds has the following indexes online:


 * Birth Records 1874-1906
 * Death Records 1848-1957
 * Marriage Records 1820-1920

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


 * [1819-1850] Shelby County, Tennessee County Clerk and Memphis Genealogical Society (Tennessee) Marriage records, 1819-1850 Memphis, Tennessee: Memphis Genealogical Society, 1957. US/CAN 976.819 V25s
 * [1819-1865] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1989. US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 1 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1820-1858] Edythe Johns Rucker Whitley and Deborah G. Sherr Marriages of Shelby County, Tennessee, 1820-1858 Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1982. US/CAN Book 976.819 V2we
 * [1820-1865] Historical Records Project Marriage records, 1820-1865, Shelby County, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1940. US/CAN Film 24825 items 1-4
 * [1820-1945] Shelby County, Tennessee County Clerk Marriage records (Shelby County, Tennessee), 1820-1945 Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1993-1997 Index: FHL US/CAN Film 1148770-72 Marriage bonds and licenses FHL US/CAN Film 1148773-840, 1465425-500, 1512717-26, 1512740
 * [1820-1946] Shelby County (Tennessee) County Court Clerk's Office Marriage licenses and bonds (Shelby County, Tennessee), 1820-1946 Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1995, 1998 Marriage bond index: FHL US/CAN Film 1784654 Marriage bonds FHL US/CAN Film 1784640-53, 1784692, 1784655-79
 * - covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 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 all counties.

Freedman's Bureau Marriage Certificates (1861-1869) is an index to the marriage records kept by the Memphis Field Office of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. It includes groom's surname, groom's given name, groom's age, bride's surname, bride's given name and other information.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Shelby County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death
For deaths of Methodists in Shelby 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. 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.]

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Frayser Tennessee Family History Center
 * Memphis Tennessee Family History Center 8150 Walnut Grove Rd Cordova, TN Phone: 1-901-754-2545
 * Memphis Tennessee North Family History Center

4195 Whitten Rd Bartlett, TN Phone: 1-901-388-9974

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

Websites

 * Linkpendium
 * Shelby County, TNGenWeb
 * Shelby County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * (FamilySearch)