Shelby County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Shelby County

Guide to Shelby 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: Memphis Organized: November 24, 1819 Parent County(s): Hardin Neighboring Counties Fayette  • Tipton  • Crittenden  • Mississippi  • DeSoto  • Marshall 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 Governor Isaac Shelby (1750-1826) of Kentucky. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse

Shelby County Courthouse
160 N. Main St.
Memphis, TN 38103
Shelby County Courthouse Phone: 901-222-3400
Shelby County Health Website Phone: 901-222-9000
Shelby County Clerk Phone: 901-222-3000
Shelby Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 901-222-3800
Shelby Probate Court Phone: 901-222-3750
General Sessions Court Phone: 901-222-3400
Register of Deeds Phone: 901-222-8100

County Health Department has birth, death, and burial records
County Clerk has marriage records from 1820
Clerk of Circuit Court has divorce records
Register of Deeds has land records

Shelby 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
1881	1820	1848	1820	1821	1824	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

24 November 1819: Shelby County was established from Hardin County. Early records may be found under Hardin County. County seat: Memphis 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
Bartlett Germantown	Lakeland Memphis	Millington
Towns
Arlington	Collierville
Unincorporated communities
Barretville Brunswick Cordova	Eads Ellendale Fisherville	Raleigh Rosemark

History Timeline

Isaac Shelby 1750-1826

Additional Information

Southwest Tennessee county.

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

Resources

Business, Commerce, and 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. FHL Collection US/CAN 976.8 U2man. May purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Shelby County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Shelby 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 TNGravestones
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

  Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
• Zion Community Project - restoration of the African-American Zion Cemetery

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	364	—
1830	5,648	1451.6%
1840	14,721	160.6%
1850	31,157	111.7%
1860	48,092	54.4%
1870	76,378	58.8%
1880	78,430	2.7%
1890	112,740	43.7%
1900	153,557	36.2%
1910	191,439	24.7%
1920	223,216	16.6%
1930	306,482	37.3%
1940	358,250	16.9%
1950	482,393	34.7%
1960	627,019	30.0%
1970	722,014	15.2%
1980	777,113	7.6%
1990	826,330	6.3%
2000	897,472	8.6%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 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

1810-1891

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

1820

• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820
• Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Census, Lawrence, Perry, Shelby Counties, Tennessee, 1820. Searcy, Arkansas: Presley, 198-?. FHL 976.8 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 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. WorldCat 2648500 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL Collection 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. FHL Collection 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 FHL Collection US/CAN book 976.819 X22]

1890 Lost
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. FHL Collection 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. FHL Collection US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890].

1891 Male Voters

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

Court Records

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

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.

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.

Directories

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

• Memphis, Tennessee City Directories, 1890-1891 at Ancestry $

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 & 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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• National African American Photographic Archive - from the University of Memphis
• 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.

Genealogies

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.

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. FHL Collection 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. FHL Collection US/CAN Book 976 D2m].

• Baskerville - Baskerville, P. Hamilton (Patrick Hamilton), 1848-1925. Genealogy of the Baskerville Family and Some Allied Families Including the English Descent from 1266 A.D. Richmond: W.M. Ellis Jones' Sons, Inc. 1912. Digital version at Internet Archive.
• Bland - Gottschalk, Kathrine Cox. Bland Family of Pitt County, North Carolina and of Shelby County, Tennessee. 1940. FHL Collection US/CAN Film 858784 Item 12.
• Bonner - Bonner, Kathryn R. The Bonner Family Record: This Record is Primarily of the Bonners of Surry and Sussex Counties, Virginia, Those that Went to Wilson, Madison and Shelby Counties, Tennessee, and Those that Went on to Phillips County, Arkansas: Today the Descendants are Spread into Many States. Marianna, Ark.: K.R. Bonner, 1979. FHL Collection FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 3414.
• Ellis - Angevine, Erma Miller. Ellis, Taylor and Certain Related Families: Ancestors and Descendants of Clyde Taylor Ellis. Chevy Chase, Md.: C.T. Ellis, 1979. FHL Collection FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 4874.
• Irby - Turner, W. R. Notes Concerning the Irby Family. Blackstone, VA: Nottoway Pub. Co., 1930. Available at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online (LAR).
• Jacks - Skinner, Eugene Elam. The Ancestry of Carolyn Call Skinner. Dallas, Texas?: E.E. Skinner, (1950?). FHL Collection FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sk34s.
• Land - Bliss, Callie Crosby and Sebrina Land Heard Hildebrant Hawley Grace. Sebrina Land: December 2, 1836, Shelby County, Tennessee - May 27, 1908, Milford, Beaver, Utah. Wellsville, Utah: C.C. Bliss, 1991. FHL Collection FAM HIST Book 921.73 A1 no. 682.
• Person - Walker, George Fuller. Persons Lineage. Unknown: G. W. Walker, 1951. Available at FHL Collection FAM HIST Large Q Book 929.273 P432w ▲ US/CAN Film 973017 Item 1; digital version at Heritage Quest Online (LA).
• Rootes - Rootes, T.R. "The Rootes Family," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Oct. 1896):204-211. Digital version at JSTOR - free.
• Stephenson - Stephenson, J. C. The Stephenson Family. Nashville, TN: The author, 1906. Available at FHL Collection US/CAN Film 823660 Item 3; digital version at Heritage Quest Online (LAR).
• Thurman - 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. Free digital copy.
• Wharton - Wharton, Richard. Richard Wharton papers, 1863-1906. Book contributor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A diary, letters and other writings including his service in the Confederate Army , letters relating to family matters, a genealogy of the Wharton family, poems and speeches.Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
• Woodbury - Woodbury, Harry and Peter F. Woodbury. The John C. Woodbury and Thomas Notgrass Families of West Tennessee, 1830-1982. Gulfport, Miss.: H. Woodbury, 1982. FHL Collection FAM HIST Book 929.273 W852wha.

Land and Property Records

• 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.

Local Histories

• 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.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• 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 & 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.

Military Records

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

Additional resources include:

• WorldCat 2648500 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 Collection 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

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 — index (free)
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Shelby 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 Shelby County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company C
• 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company F
• 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company G
• 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company D
• 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company H
• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Heavy Artillery (Jackson's) - CSA
• 1st/27th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA-1st Battalion of the Second Tennessee Cavalry was organized at Nashville.
• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Walker's) (Irish Regiment) - CSA
• 3rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Memphis Battalion), Local Defense - CSA
• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Neely's) - CSA - Companies A, C, D, and H.
• 7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Duckworth's) - CSA - Companies A, C, and K.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies E and I.
• 12th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Green's) - CSA - Companies D, E, and 2nd K.
• 12th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 13th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 15th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA - Company I.
• 15th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, C, F, 2nd F, H, I, and K, Captain Ed. S. Pickett's Company (withdrew) Captain Chas. E. Ross' Company.
• 16th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Logwood's) - CSA - Companies D, G, H, I, and K.
• 21st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B, D, E, F, G, H, and I.
• 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
• 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Freeman's) - CSA - Company A formerly H; The Attakapas Rifles
• 34th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (4th Confederate Infantry) - CSA - Company H.
• 38th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Looney's) (8th Infantry) - CSA - Companies A, B, D, F, G, H, I, J, K, and 2nd Company L.
• 51st Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry- CSA - Companies C and I.
• 51st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 52nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 154th Senior Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (1st Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.
  

Union Soldiers

• 1st Battalion, Tennessee Light Artillery - Organized at Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville
• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Heavy Artillery (African Descent) - Organized at Memphis.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Shelby County:

• 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.
• USGenWeb Archives, Shelby County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Shelby 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. Shelby County, page 375-377.
• TNGenWeb, Shelby County Military Links. Scroll down to "Military."
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Collierville, Memphis 1862, and Memphis 1864. Located in Shelby County.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Shelby County:

• June 6, 1862 - Memphis I
• November 3, 1863 - Collierville
• August 21, 1864 - Memphis II

Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

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

Other Newspaper Resources

• 1876: Genealogical Tidbits from the Memphis Daily Appeal
• 1857-1886: Memphis Daily Appeal -- digitized and freely available online by the Library of Congress

• 1847 - 1851 - 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. (Largely Methodist?)

• 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.

Other Records

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.
• West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. FHL US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w. To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Probate Records

The Probate Court has responsibility for the probate records of Shelby County.

Online Records

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
• 1824-1897 Shelby 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.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

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

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

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

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

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 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. FHL Collection 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 1848-2009
• Marriage Records 1820-1920

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 Record

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1790-1962 - Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - 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
• 1819-1850 - Marriage records, 1819-1850 Digital Book
• 1820-1865 - Marriage records, 1820-1865, Shelby County, Tennessee FHL Collection US/CAN Film 24825 items 1-4 +++
• 1820-1865 - Shelby County Marriage Index 1820-1865 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
• 1861-1869 - Freedman's Bureau Marriage Certificates (1861-1869) index to the marriage records kept by the Bureau of Refugees, gives groom's surname, given name, age, bride's surname, given name and other information.
• 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

'Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1819-1865 -Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL Collection US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 1 ff. Indexes names of brides, grooms, marriage dates for this county for specified years.
• 1820-1858 - Marriages of Shelby County, Tennessee, 1820-1858 FHL Collection US/CAN Book 976.819 V2we

Death

• 1848-1913 - Tennessee, Shelby County, Memphis, Board of Health Death Records, 1848-1913 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 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
• 1914-1925 - Shelby County Death Index 1914-1925 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 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 Books Online
• The Shelby County Register of Deeds a Chancery Court Divorce Index and the Circuit Court Indexes online.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Shelby 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

• Frayser Tennessee Family History Center
• Loudon Tennessee Family History Center
• Memphis Tennessee Family History Center
• Memphis Tennessee North Family History Center
• Memphis Tennessee Spanish Family History Center

Libraries

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

Germantown Community Library
1925 Exeter Rd.
Germantown, TN 38138
Phone: 901-757-7323
Website

Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center
7779 Poplar Pike
Germantown, TN 38138
Phone: 901-757-8480
Website

Genealogical Resources: Biographies, Cemetery Records, Census Records, Church Records, City Directories, County Histories, Court Records, Immigration Records, Tax Records, Military Records, Newspapers, Photographs, Vital Records, etc. The Center is also home to the Tennessee Genealogical Society.

Lucius E. and Elsie C. Burch, Jr. Library
501 Poplar View Parkway
Collierville, TN 38017
Phone: 901-457-2602
Website

Millington Public Library
4858 Navy Rd.
Millington, TN 38053
Phone: 901-872-1585
E-mail: millingtonpubliclibrary@hotmail.com
Website

Sam T. Wilson Public Library
11968 Walker
Arlington, TN 38002
Phone: 901-867-1954
E-mail: library@townofarlington.org
Website

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center
Paul Meek Library
University of Tennessee at Martin
Phone: 731-881-7060
Hours vary by semesterWebsite

The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

University of Memphis Library
Special Collections Department
126 Ned R. WcWherter Library
Memphis, TN 38152
Phone: 901-678-8242
Website

Societies

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

West Tennessee Historical Society
P.O. Box 111046
Memphis, TN 38111
Phone: 901-475-6608
E-mail: efrank@memphis.edu
Website

Websites

• Linkpendium Shelby County, Tennessee: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More
• Shelby County, TNGenWeb
• 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

• 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." Portions available: History of Shelby County and Biographical Sketches.
• Nazor, Mary Louise. Genealogical Sources Available for Shelby County in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis/Shelby Co. Public Library and Information Center, 198-?. FHL Collection FHL US/CAN Book 976.819 A3n.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

To view online images that are "locked" (as indicated by a key over the camera), you must visit a Family History Center or an Affiliate library. Go to the Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map for locations.