Giles County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Giles County

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

Giles County, Tennessee
Map
Location in the state of Tennessee
Location of Tennessee in the U.S.
Facts
Founded:	November 14, 1809
County Seat	Pulaski
Courthouse
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Giles County Tennessee Quick Dates

Giles County's civil records start the following years:

Birth	Marriage	Death	Census	Land	Probate
1908	1865	1908	1820	1810	1860

Giles County Tennessee Courthouse

Giles County Courthouse, Pulaski, Tenn.

Giles County Courthouse
PO Box 678;
1 Public Square
Pulaski, TN 38478-0678
Phone: 931-363-1509 

County Clerk has marriage records from 1865 and probate records.
Clerk and Master has divorce records.
Clerk Circuit Court has court records.
Register of Deeds has land records.

Old Courthouse Records
Clara M. Parker, Director
1 Public Square
Phone: 1-931-363-8434
E-mail: gcarchives@bellsouth.net
All county records from 1810 to 1900 are stored in this department. They cover deeds, wills, marriages, and records from the Chancery, County and Circuit Courts.

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

Giles County Tennessee History

Gov. William B. Giles (1762-1830)

Middle Tennessee county.

The county was named after Virginia Senator William B. Giles (1762-1830), who later served as a Virginia Governor.

Parent County

1809--Giles County was created 14 November 1809 from Maury County.
County seat: Pulaski

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the Map of US web site.

Record Loss

1813, 1857 and 1907 - Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

• Lost marriage records: 1809 to 1865
• Lost probate records: 1809 to 1860

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

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

Giles County Tennessee Places/Localities

Populated Places

Anthony Hill	Cole (hist.)	Kedron	Pulaski
Ardmore	Conway	Krapp Spring	Rich
Aspen Hill	Crescent View	Lesters	Richland (hist.)
Aymett Town	Diana	Liberty	Riversburg
Baugh	Dickson Town	Liberty Hill	Sexton
Beech Hill	Elkmont springs	Lower Elkton (hist.)	Speiden
Berea	Elkton	Lynnville	Stella
Bethel	Five Points	Malone	Sumac
Bivens	Forest Hill (hist.)	Marbuts	Tarpley
Blooming Grove	Frankewing	Marcella (hist.)	Trigg
Blue Creek	Friendship	Minor Hill	Vinta Mill
Bodenham	Gileston (hist.)	Morrell Mill	Waco
Bradshaw	Goodspring	Oak Grove	Wales
Brick Church	Gordon	Odd Fellows Hall	Weakley
Bryson	Green Field	Olivet	Westside
Bufords	Happy Hill	Peach	Wheelerton
Bunker Hill	Harwell	Pisgah	Woodrow
Campbellsville	Highland Heights	Poplar Hill	Yokley
Chapmans	Jonestown	Prospect

Neighboring Counties

• Lauderdale County, Alabama
• Lawrence
• Limestone County, Alabama
• Lincoln
• Marshall
• Maury

Giles County Tennessee Genealogy Resources

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Giles County biography, census, court, history, probate, and tax 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.

A good place to start is Byron and Samuel Sistler's Every Name Index to 18 Middle Tennessee County Record Books (Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1992) FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22sb. It is a comprehensive index to eight publications about Giles County, Tennessee records. It also covers records from nearby Bedford and Lincoln counties.

Research Guides

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

African Americans

United States African Americans Tennessee 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.]

Biographies

• Family Biographies from The History of Giles County, Tennessee (1886) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
  

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
TNGenWeb	WorldCat	BillionGraves
TNGenWeb Archives		Linkpendium
Tombstone Project		Gravestones
TNGenWeb Cemeteries		Epodunk
BillionGraves
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census

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

1810 Lost - A substitute is available:

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

1810 - 1891

• Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1820

• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820
• Lauderdale County Library (Florence, Alabama). Vertical Files, Census Fecords.Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. FHL 1034009 Item 2
• Presley, Leister E. Giles County, Tennessee Population Schedules of the United States Census of 1820.S.p., 19-?FHL 976.861 X2p 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.

1840

• Smith, Linda H.1840 Giles County, Tennessee, Census. S.I.: Linda H. Smith, 2001. FHL 976.861 X2s 1840

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Giles County on pages 155-156.

1850

• Lightfoot, Marise P. and Evelyn B. Shackelford. Maury County Neighbors : Records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee.Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee : s.n., 1967. FHL 976.8 V22Ls
• Porch, Deane. Giles County, Tennessee 1850 Census.S.p.: Deane Porch, 1971. FHL 976.861 X2p 1850

1860

• Smith, Linda H. 1860 Giles County, Tennessee, Census. S.I.:Linda H. Smith, 200-? FHL 976.861 X2s 1860

1880

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives
• Sistler, Byron H. 1880 Census, Giles County, Tennessee.Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler & Associates, 2000. FHL 976.861 X2s 1880

1890 Lost - A subtitute is available:

• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler and Associates, 1978. FHL 976.8 X2s 1890

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1910

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1920

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives]

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.

Methodist

• 1813 - 1867 - Minutes of Trustees and Building Committee of Pisgah (Methodist) Church. TSLA, Roll 22 of Record Group 107. GSC Associates Historical Records Products,for a small fee, sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.

Presbyterian

• 1828 - 1830 - First Presbyterian Church & Masonic Hall, Pulaski, Tennessee. TSLA, Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.

• 1843 - 1885 - First Presbyterian Church & Masonic Hall, Pulaski, Tennessee. TSLA, Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
  

Court

• 1813 - 1815 - County Court Minute Book B. These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
  
• 1816 - 1817 County Court Minute Book C. These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
  
• 1823 - 1825 - County Court Minute Book H, Parts I & II. These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
  
• 1825-1827 - Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, Minute Book 1. These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
  
• 1833 - County Court Minutes. These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.

DNA

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

• Doss - Descendant of John Doss, b. abt 1809 of Henry County, Virginia, d. 1868 Giles County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 81232). Genetic signature available online (labeled Gi-1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families.

Family Histories

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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Giles, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 70,000 entries.

• Butler, Margaret. Legacy: Early Families of Giles County; an Account of Some of the Pioneer Families of Giles County, Tennessee and Their Contributions to the Political, Professional, Economic and Social Scenes of the Day, Pictures of Some of the Houses in which They Lived. Pulaski, Tenn.: Sain Pub., 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 H2b.
• Giles County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Giles County, Tennessee. Waynesville, N.C.: County Heritage, 2006. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 H2hg.
• Giles County Historical Society. Giles County Lineage Book. 2 vols. Huntsville, Ala.: M.M. Cowart, 1987. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 D2gc.

Bibliography

• Abernathy - See also Rose.
• Abernathy - Abernathy--McCaffaty Family Bible Records, ca. 1843-1929. MSS., TSLA. FHL US/CAN Film 968963 Item 4.
• Ashmore - Russell, Oscar G. Descendants of Joshua Ashmore. 1991?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 As36r.
• Auten - Langston, Kathryn. Auten News. [Newsletter]. Lavon, Texas: K. Langston, 1997-2002. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.27305 Au81a.
• Barnes - Barnes, Logan G. The Barnes and Correlated Families, ca. 1578-1948. Typescript, microfilmed 1985. FHL US/CAN Film 1035740 Item 5.
• Benson - Jackson-Laufer, Guida M. Virginia Diaspora: Southern Bensons and Related Families: McCracken/Dickson/Scruggs/Clack/ Foster/Davis/Youngblood/Patterson/Harwell/Hume/Fowler/Many More: and Civil War Memoirs of Lt. Peru Hardy Benson, C.S.A.: and Dunkle's 1869 List of "The Immortal Six Hundred" Prisoners of War. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B443j; also CD-ROM no. 825.
• Blasingim - Blasingim--Walker--Coffman Family Bible Records, 1833-1931. MSS., Giles County Historical Society, Pulaski, Tenn. Microfilmed 1974. FHL US/CAN Film 968963 Item 8.
• Boyd - McWilliams, Mike. The Pioneering Roots of James Jackson Boyd and Mary Abigal Hayter: Ancestors of the Following Names, Boyd, Campbell, Darroch, Dickson, Estill, Evans, Hatton, Hayter, Hutton, Smith, Wallace, Woods. Dallas, Texas: M. McWilliams, 2005. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B692mm. Supplement: FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B692mm supp.
• Brown - Brown, Alice Faye Weaver. Inman-Wilson-Carden-Brown: Families of Tennessee -- Missouri -- Arkansas -- California -- Missouri -- Indian Territory -- Oklahoma. Stroud, Oklahoma: A.F.W. Brown, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 In6ba.
• Carden - Brown, Alice Faye Weaver. Inman-Wilson-Carden-Brown: Families of Tennessee -- Missouri -- Arkansas -- California -- Missouri -- Indian Territory -- Oklahoma. Stroud, Oklahoma: A.F.W. Brown, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 In6ba.
• Cockrell, Cockrill - See Rose.
• Coffman - Blasingim--Walker--Coffman Family Bible Records, 1833-1931. MSS., Giles County Historical Society, Pulaski, Tenn. Microfilmed 1974. FHL US/CAN Film 968963 Item 8.
• Coggin - Coggin, B.G. Coggin Family. Nettleton, Mississippi: B.G. Coggin, 1960. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C656cb.
• Comer - Comer Family Bible Records, 1861-1959. MSS., TSLA. Microfilmed 1974. FHL US/CAN Film 968963 Item 5.
• Craig - Craig, Marion Stark. John Craig and Some Descendants: Two Centuries of a Southern Family, 1773-1976. Little Rock, Ark.: M.S. Craig, 1977. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C844a.
• Creasy - Holt, Stacey E. The Creacy/Creecy Family of Wayne County, Tennessee. Collinwood, Tenn.: S.E. Holt, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 8024.
• Crowson - Crowson, Noel A. The Trail of the Crowson Family: Soldiers, Frontiersmen, and Pioneers. n.p.: N.A. Crowson, 1995. FHL US/CAN Film 2393818 Item 14.
• Davidson - Palmer, Floreine D. Descendants of Joseph Peter Davidson. Sarasota, Fla.: Aceto Bookmen, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D283p.
• Davis - Wiley Jarett Davis - Mary Ann Tedford Family Bible Record: Pocahontas-Hardeman County Tennessee. MSS. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D299wj.
• Davis - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Sam Davis, Confederate Hero, 1842-1863. [Nashville, Tenn.?: n.p.], 1947. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D29we.
• Davis - Davis, Richard W. William & Emeline: The Tennessee Beginning. Wyandotte, Oklahoma: Gregath, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D299drw.
• Deavenport - Deavenport, 1766-1926. 1926. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6005053.
• Doggett - Skinner, Eugene Elam. The Ancestry of Carolyn Call Skinner. Dallas, Texas?: E.E. Skinner, 1950?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sk34s.
• East - Young, John E. Thomas East, Sarah Graves: Their Descendants. Fresno, Calif.: J.E. Young, 1981. FHL FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 Ea77y.
• Erwin - Knisely, Mary Jane. John Armstrong Erwin and Alice Brandon of North Carolina. Orlando, Fla.: M.H. Knisely, (197-?). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 3450; digital version at FamilySearch Books Online.
• Erwin - Knisely, Mary Jane. Documentary Material on John Armstrong Erwin: A Veteran of the Revolutionary War, Enlisted in Rowan County, N.C., Died in Giles County, Tenn. Orlando, Fla.: M. Knisely, 199-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Er94km.
• Garner - Fletcher, Jouise B. Garner. Garner and Boone and Associated Families. Clifton, Colo.: J.B.G. Fletcher, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G186f.
• Glasco - Boucher, Jessie Faye Glasco and Mary Helen Glasco Hawkins. From the Root of Jesse: The Biography of Jesse Martin Glasco, 1818-1886. Quitman, Texas: F.G. Boucher, 1995. FHL FAM HIST Book 921.73 G461b.
• Glover - Fletcher, Jouise B. Garner. Garner and Boone and Associated Families. Clifton, Colo.: J.B.G. Fletcher, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G186f.
• Harris - Lies, Fay Howell. Harris Family, ca. 1775-1962. Typescript. FHL US/CAN Film 1674175 Item 6.
• Hudson - McMaster, Phyllis Olewine. Hudsons of Hardeman County, TN. Albany, Oregon: P. McMaster, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H867m.
• Inman - Brown, Alice Faye Weaver. Inman-Wilson-Carden-Brown: Families of Tennessee -- Missouri -- Arkansas -- California -- Missouri -- Indian Territory -- Oklahoma. Stroud, Oklahoma: A.F.W. Brown, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 In6ba.
• Johns - Snider, Marolyn. Looking Up the Johns Tree. Ozark, Missouri: M. Snider, (198-?). FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J62s.
• Kennamer - Kennamer, John Robert and Lorrin Garfield Kennamer. The Kennamer Family. Nashville, Tenn.: McQuiddy Printing Co., 1924. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K36k; digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Kennamer - Kennamer, John Robert and Lorrin Garfield Kennamer. The Kennamer Family. 2nd ed., 1973. Online description.
• Knox - Knox, Margery Stewart. Passengers on the Wings of Time: A Knox, Stewart Genealogy. Cullman, Ala.: Gregath, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K77k.
• McLaurine, McLaurin
• May -Wampler, Roy H., John B. Haines, and David Hugh May. May Family Genealogy: The Family of Robert E. Lee May and Wife Mary M. "Maggie" Dickey: Ancestors and Descendants. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 2002. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M451wr.
• Mitchell - Mitchell, Gwenneth Aenone Marshall. The Mitchells of Linn Flat: A Story of Linn Flat and a Family Who Have Their Roots There and of Their Ancestors Who Were Pioneers There. Austin, Texas: G.A.M. Mitchell, 1981. FHL US/CAN Film 1318150 Item 6.
• Myers - Myers, Wilbur Thomas. William Henry Myers. Sulphur Springs, Texas: W.T. Myers, [198-?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M992mwt.
• Powers - Ames, Edwina Gray Powers and Stanley Richard Ames. Gray, Powers and Their Interrelated Families, Descendants of Col. Thomas Holden Wade: Including Arledge, Bailes, Butts (Virginia), Dupree, Hendricks, Legg, Martin, Massenburg, McWilliams, Sims, Wade of Limestone County, Alabama. Rochester, New York: S.R. Ames Enterprises, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G791am.
• Rose - Rose, Virginia. Colonel William Rose of Tennessee. Jonesboro, AR: Sammons Print. Co., 1939. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R72r; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Sims - Sims, Almon James. The Paris (Pariss-Parish) Henry Sims Branch of the Sims Family of Scotland, England, Ireland and America. Knoxville, Tenn.?: Unknown, 1948. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Stegall - Henderson, Charline Roye and Edith Jenkins Simpson. Supplement to the Stegall Family of Pontotoc County, Mississippi: From 1735 Jamestown, Virginia to 1991 Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Tupelo, Mississippi: E.J. Simpson, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 St32sej supp.; digital version at FamilySearch Books Online.
• Street - Street, John Kennedy, 1837 - 1914. John Kennedy Street papers, 1858 - 1899. Contributor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Chiefly letters from John Kennedy Street to his wife, Melinda Pace Street (1839-1899) describing marches, camp life, picket duty, sickness, hospitals, bushwahackers, religious revivals, and the formation of a Young Men's Christian Association in his brigade.
• Sutterfield - Sutterfield, Gene. Sutterfield-Satterfield Genealogy. Pencil Bluff, Ark.: H.G. Sutterfield, 19-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Su86s.
• Taylor - Byars, Neva Fern Young. Some George Taylors of Henry County, Virginia, and Giles County, Tennessee. Albuquerque, N.M.: N.F.Y. Byars, 1978. FHL FAM nbsp;HIST Book 929.273 T214b.
• Teasdale, Tisdale - See Rose.
• Tenery - Weddington, Andy Simmons. Genealogy of the Tenery Family. Pulaski, Tenn.: A.S. Weddington, 1957. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018573.
• Tuttle - Hawk, Margaret Irene and Julia Sevarine Cannon Reed. Solomon Tuttle Revisited: A Supplement to "Solomon Tuttle of old Mt. Comfort" by Julia Sevarine Reed ... Fairfax, Va.: M.I. Hawk, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T888h.
• Westmoreland - Claypool, Edward A. Westmorland Lineage and Descendants of Thomas Westmoreland, the Immigrant to Virginia. Typescript, Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence, R.I., 1908. FHL US/CAN Film 22337 Item 7.
• White - Davis, Richard W. William & Emeline: The Tennessee Beginning. Wyandotte, Oklahoma: Gregath, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D299drw.
• Whitley - Whitley, Lala Vadeina. Whitley History. 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W59wL.
• Whitley - Whitley, Lala Vadeina. Whitley Data. MSS., microfilmed 1997. FHL US/CAN Film 1750833 Item 13.
• Wilson - Smith, Othella Boyd. Descendants of Hiram and Mariah Wilson of Marshall County, Tennessee. Typescript, National Library, DAR. Microfilmed 1971. FHL US/CAN Film 879650 Item 2.
• Wilson - Coal, Darlene White. Wilsons of Abbott's Creek, Lexington, NC and Wilsons of Pott's Creek, Rowan County, NC: Wilson Family Notes, Giles County, Tennessee. Orangeville, Calif.: D.W. Cole, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W691cw.
• Wilson - Brown, Alice Faye Weaver. Inman-Wilson-Carden-Brown: Families of Tennessee -- Missouri -- Arkansas -- California -- Missouri -- Indian Territory -- Oklahoma. Stroud, Oklahoma: A.F.W. Brown, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 In6ba.
• Yancey - "Alfred M. Yancey of Giles County, Tennessee (1789- ???)," Dennis J. Yancey et al, Yancey Family Genealogical Collection. MSS, 1995. FHL US/CAN Film 1598377 Item 19.
• Young - Young, John E. Young Family of Early Giles County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 1986. FHL US/CAN Film 1421702 Item 15.

Land

Deeds

Giles County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1810 and is located at the Courthouse, P.O. Box 678, Madison & 1st Street, Pulaski, Tennessee 38478-0678; (931) 363-5137. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.

• The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deed books 1790-1889 with indexes1810-1931; land entry books 1824-1889.
• 1810 - 1859 - General Index to Deeds, Book A.These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA  on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Giles County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Giles County, even though it belonged to the state of Tennessee at the time. Years covered: 1778-1820. 

Instructions:

1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
3. Type 12.14.8 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.8.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Giles County.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Giles County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Giles County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

Law and Legislation

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

• Goodspeed firm, publishers, Chicago. History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin and Moore counties.Nashville, Tenn., The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886. Free digital copy.

• A Bibliography of Tennessee History, 1973-1996," by W. Calvin Dickinson, Eloise R. Hitchcock

Maps

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• Map of 1888 Giles County, Tennessee with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
  

Military

Revolutionary War

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• Giles county, Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War Includes short biographical information on soldiers.

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, Giles County on pages 155-156.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Giles County pensioners (p. 45)
• Giles County, Tennessee War of 1812 Pensioners  Includes short biographical information on soldiers. Courtesy:TNGenWeb

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861 - 1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861 - 1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1891 - 1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch — images
• Civil War Research Database $
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Giles County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Giles County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Field's) - CSA - Company K.
• 1st/27th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Clack's) - CSA - Companies A, B, C, D E, G, I, and K.
• 6th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Wheeler's) - CSA - Companies D and K.
  
• 10th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
• 11th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Gordon's) - CSA - Companies A and B.
• 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Nixon's) - CSA
• 32nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, E, F, and H.
• 53rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, C, D, E, G, I, and K.
• Holman's Battalion, Tennessee Partisan Rangers - CSA - Companies C and D.

Union Soldiers

• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company I.
• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company I.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Giles County:

• 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.
• Giles County Soldiers, 11th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion 6th (1st) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment and Holman's Battalion and the 11th Tn Cavalry. A brief history, organization and partial rosters.
• 3rd Tennessee Infantry. A brief history and organization.
• http://tngenweb.org/civilwar/csainf/csa32.html 32nd Tennessee Infantry]. A brief history and organization.
• 41st Infantry,. A brief history and organization.
• USGenWeb Archives, Giles County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Oral History.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives,Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Giles County. Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
• United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... (Washington Printing Office; 1883). Online at Internet Archive. Giles County, page 334-335.
• TNGenWeb, Giles County Tennessee, Index to Civil War Records.
• The Martin Guards. The roster of Company K, 1st Tennessee Infantry, CSA.

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Giles County click on the following cities or towns:

• Lynnville
• Pulaski

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 Giles 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 Giles County, Tennessee Genealogy 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 Book 976.8 B2a.

Family Findings

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Giles 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. Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan. 1978) includes an abstract of the 1812 Giles County tax list.

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 Giles 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 Giles County, Tennessee Genealogy ancestors went to prison!

• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850.
• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870.

Private Papers

• Adams, Louis L. Diary of Louis L. Adams of Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee. Original records, Tennessee State Library, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed by TSLA in 1974. FHL US/CAN Film 968963 Item 13.

Probate Records

Online Records

• 1779 – 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

• Wills, 1830-1917 (5 vols.)
• Bonds, Letters, 1865-1897 (3 vols.)
• Inventories, 1871-1889 (Vols. A-B)
• Minutes, 1873-1876 (2 vols.)
• Settlements, 1865-1903 (7 vols.)

The Giles County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

The following Giles County probate records have been abstracted or indexed:

• 1814 - 1900 - Parker, Clara M. Giles County, Will Abstract, 1814-1900.  [N.p.]: C.M. Parker, 1988. Indexed. (FHL book 976.861 P2pc.)
• 1814 - 1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's wills.
• 1830 - 1857 - Miscellaneous Wills.These records were transcribed and indexed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and published by TSLA on Roll 22 of Record Group 107. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
• 1867 - 1910 - White, Elizabeth W. Estate Settlements of Giles County Court. Pulaski, Tennessee: HBA Rapid Print. Indexed. Contains File Boxes 1-40. (FHL book 976.861 P28w.)

Taxation

The following Giles County tax records have been abstracted:

• 1812 - Hughes, Thomas P. and Jewel B. Standefer. "Giles County, Tennessee Tax List, 1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Summer 1974):78-80. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• 1812 - Tax List, 1812, Giles County Historical Society Bulletin. Pulaski TN: Oct 1977. Vol. 4 Iss. 4.
• 1812, 1819 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1812 and 1819 tax lists.
• 1812 - Giles County, Tennessee Tax List, 1812, Family Findings, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jan. 1978). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• 1812 - Tax List, 1812, Wagoner Genealogist. Wagoner OK: Sep 1987. Vol. 7 Iss. 3.
• 1813 - "Giles County Land Sold for Unpaid 1813 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Spring 1997):34. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• 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 Giles County.
• 1836 - Douthat, James L. 1836 Giles County, Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2004. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.
• 1836 - County Tax Listings by Civil Districts, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History. Signal Mountain TN: 2004. Vol. 8 Iss. 1-2.
• 1836 - Tatum, Ausborne C. and Harry M. Cleveland Jr. "Giles County, Tennessee - 1836 Map of Civil Districts" and "Giles County, Tennessee - 1836 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Fall 1992):102-108; Vol. 39, No. 4 (Winter 1992):175-180; Vol. 40, No. 1 (Spring 1993):23-26, 42. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• 1836 - Tax List, 1836, Giles County Historical Society Bulletin. Pulaski TN: Apr 1997. Vol. 24; Jul 1997. Vol. 24; Oct 1997. Vol. 24; Jan 1998. Vol. 25; Apr 1998. Vol. 25 ; Jul 1998. Vol. 25.
• 1848 - Tax List, 16th Dist., 1848, Giles County Historical Society Bulletin. Pulaski TN: Apr 1999. Vol. 26.
• 1890 - County Tax List, District 2, 1890, Giles County Historical Society Bulletin. Pulaski TN: Jan 1996. Vol. 23.
• 1896 - Tax List, 1896, Giles County Historical Society Bulletin. Pulaski TN: Oct 1995. Vol. 22.

Vital Records

See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

• 1828 - 1939 - Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch.org — index

• 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

• 1908 - 1912 - Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

The original Giles County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. The courthouse burned in 1864 and all marriage records before 1865 are lost. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1794 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL 976.8 V2L.

Additional indexes using alternative marriage sources are listed below.

The following Giles County marriage records are microfilmed:

• 1865 - 1998 - Available at the TSLA. These include indexed bonds, and bound marriage volumes.

• 1865 - 1954 - Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.FHL 1928675

The following Giles County marriage records have been indexed:

• 1790 - 1950 - Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1818 - 1862 - Smith, Jean W. Marriages of Giles County, Tennessee, 1818 through 1862. Microreproduction of original published: Elkmont, Ala.: [s.n], 1952. FHL 924006 Item 11

• 1818 - 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 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 TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.

• 1818 - 1864 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1988. FHL ;US/CAN ;Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.

• 1837 - 1860 - Hill, Jewel Adams Early Giles County, Tennessee marriages, c1837-1860, from various sources. Salt Lake City, Utah: Digitized by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2008.FHL book 976.861 V25. Digitized version available at FamilySearch Books Online

• 1838 - 1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1865 - 1895 - Giles County Marriage Index 1865-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

• 1865 - 1885 - Cosby, Jean B. Giles County, Tennessee, Marriage Books, 1871-1885. Pulaski, Tennessee: HBA Rapid Print, 19--? FHL 976.861 V28c 3 vols.

• 1865 - 1870 - Marriage Records, 1865-1870, Giles County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939. Typescript. FHL 24653 Item 4.Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells six Giles County CDs, which include a digitized version of these records, and a variety of other local records.
• Giles Co., Tennessee Marriages, 1800's. Typescript on film. FHL 924488 Item 2
• Grimsley, Mildred A. and Genevieve Jensen. Early Tennessee Marriages: Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Shelby and Sumner Counties.Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994. FHL 1598122 Item 6
• Lightfoot, Marise P. and Evelyn B. Shackelford. Maury County neighbors : records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee. Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee: (s.n.), 1967. FHL 976.8 V22Ls
• Parker, Clara M. Early Marriages of Giles County, Tennessee. Pulaski, Tennessee: HBA Rapid Print, 199? FHL 976.861 V28p
• Weddington, Andy Simmons. Previously unpublished early marriage records of Giles County, Tennessee. Round Rock, Texas: Williamson County Genealogical Society (Texas), 1994. FHL 976.861 V2w

• 1780 - 2002 - 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.

• 1810 - 1869 - Marriage Records.

• 1810 - 1849 - Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Divorce

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Giles County divorce papers in diverse manuscript collections, including some separate divorce cases, 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

• 1874 - 1955 - Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch.org — index

• 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

• 1914 - 1966 - Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in Giles County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:

• 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.

Giles County Tennessee Genealogy Libraries

Giles County Public Library
122 South Second Street
Pulaski, TN 38478
Telephone: 1-931-363-2720
Fax: 1-931-424-7032
E-mail: glibrary@bellsouth.net

Robert B. Jones Memorial Library and Museum
135 Main Street
Lynnville, TN 38472
Phone: 1-931-527-3466
Facebook Page

Family History Centers

Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.

• Introduction to Family History Centers

Giles County Tennessee Genealogy Societies

See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Giles County Historical Society
P.O. Box 693
Pulaski, TN 38478
Phone: 1-931-363-2720 (ask for Genealogy Room)

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

Giles County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

• FamilySearch Catalog (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
• Giles County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Giles County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)

Giles County Tennessee Genealogy References