Giles County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Giles County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Pulaski Organized: November 14, 1809 Parent County(s): Maury Neighboring Counties Lauderdale (AL)  • Lawrence  • Limestone (AL)  • Lincoln  • Marshall  • Maury See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

The County was named for William Branch Giles, a Senator from Virginia who sponsored the admission of Tennessee as the sixteenth state into the Union. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Giles County Courthouse
PO Box 678;
1 Public Square
Pulaski, TN 38478-0678
Giles County Courthouse Phone: 931-363-1509
County Clerk Phone: 931-363-5311
Chancery Court Phone: 931-363-2620
Circuit Court Phone: 931-363-5311

Old Courthouse Records
Clara M. Parker, Director Phone: 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.

County Clerk has marriage records from 1865 and probate records
Clerk and Master have divorce records
Circut Court clerk has court records
Register of deeds has land records

County Pronunciation Hear it spoken (female) Hear it spoken (male)

Giles County, Tennessee Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1908	1865	1908	1810	1790	1810	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

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. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1809--Giles County was created 14 November 1809 from Maury County. County seat: Pulaski For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Ardmore Elkton	Minor Hill	Pulaski
Towns
Lynnville
Unincorporated communities
Aspen Hill Aymett Town Beech Hill Berea Bethel Brick Church Bodenham Bufords	Bunker Hill Cammpbellsville Diana Five Points Frankewing Friendship Goodspring Liberty Hill	Olivet Pisgah Prospect Rich Riversburg Stella Waco Wales

History Timeline

Additional Information

Middle Tennessee county.

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

Resources

Biographies

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

Business, Commerce, and 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.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Giles County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	4,546	—
1820	12,558	176.2%
1830	18,703	48.9%
1840	21,494	14.9%
1850	25,949	20.7%
1860	26,166	0.8%
1870	32,413	23.9%
1880	36,014	11.1%
1890	34,957	−2.9%
1900	33,035	−5.5%
1910	32,629	−1.2%
1920	30,948	−5.2%
1930	28,016	−9.5%
1940	29,240	4.4%
1950	26,961	−7.8%
1960	22,410	−16.9%
1970	22,138	−1.2%
1980	24,265	9.6%
1990	25,741	6.1%
2000	29,447	14.4%
2010	29,485	0.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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 ($)

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. IncludesAfrican 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 ($)

1910

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1920

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives]

Church Records

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 Records

• 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.

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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

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

Genealogies

DNA

• 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). The Doss DNA Project.

Family Histories

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 Digital Library.
• 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 Digital Library.
• 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 and Property Records

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 indexes 1810-1931; land entry books 1824-1889.

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.

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 and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

Military Records

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 PensionersIncludes 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 - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Research Database
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Giles County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in 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.
• 53rd Tennessee Infantry. A brief history and organization.

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

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.

Other Records

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.

Prisons

• 1831-1850 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
  
• 1851-1870 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

• Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
• Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search. FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f.

• Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
• Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
• Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
• Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)

• The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index. FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Probate Records

Online Records

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1830-1917 - Giles County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

The Giles County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 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.
• 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.)

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.

• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1812 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: 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

Birth

• 1828-1939 - Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1912 - Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online Indexes and Records

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
• 1790-1962 - Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 [1790-1962] at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
• 1796-1950 - Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1818-1862 - Marriages of Giles County, Tennessee, 1818-1862. Digital Book
• 1837-1860 - Early Giles County, Tennessee marriages, c1837-1860 Digital Book
• 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1865-1895 - Giles County Marriage Index 1865-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
• Maury County neighbors records of Giles, Lewis and Marshall Counties, Tennessee. Digital Book

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1789-1873 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff.
• 1783-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. FHL Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 ff.
• 1865-1885 - Giles County, Tennessee, Marriage Books, 1871-1885. 3 vols. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 V28c ff.
• Giles Co., Tennessee Marriages, 1800's. FHL US/CAN Manuscript on film 924488
• Early Tennessee Marriages: Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Shelby and Sumner Counties. FHL US/CAN Manuscript/Manuscript on Film 1598122 Item 6 ff.
• Early Marriages of Giles County, Tennessee. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 V28p ff.
• Previously unpublished early marriage records of Giles County, Tennessee. FHL US/CAN Book 976.861 V2w ff.

Death

• 1874-1955 - Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1966 - Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

Online Records

• 1796 - 1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1980-2014 Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Online Titles

• W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library; FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp - Inventory stating where divorce records are housed.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Giles County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Giles County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

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

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

Societies

Listed below are societies in Giles County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

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

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
PO Box 330948
Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
website

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

Websites

• Giles County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)

• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

• 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.

• 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.)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library