View source for Lauderdale County, Tennessee Genealogy

''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Tennessee]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Lauderdale County''' 

<br>'''Lauderdale County, Tennessee''' genealogy and family history research page. Guide to '''Lauderdale County''' (established 1835) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries. 

{{TNDC}} 

{{Infobox U.S. County 
| county = Lauderdale County 
| county_map = 
| state = Tennessee
| state_map = Tennessee.png 
| latd = 
| longd = 
| founded year = 1835
| founded date = November 24
| seat = Ripley 
| building image = 
| building address = Lauderdale County Courthouse]<br>&nbsp;County Courthouse; <br>Ripley, TN 38063<br> Phone: 731.635.2561&nbsp;<br> [http://www.lctn.com/ '''Ripley County Website'''] }}

== Quick Dates  ==

Lauderdale County's civil records start the following years:<ref>''[http://www.worldcat.org/title/guide-to-public-vital-statistics-in-tennessee/oclc Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee]''. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.), 1941; [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/county/earlyrecords.htm "Earliest County Records,"] Tennessee State Library and Archives.</ref> 

{| width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"
|-
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Birth]''' 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Marriage]''' 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Vital_Records Death]''' 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Census Census]''' 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | [http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Land '''Land'''] 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | '''[http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee#Probate Probate]'''
|-
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1881 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1838&nbsp; 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1909&nbsp; 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1840&nbsp; 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1835&nbsp; 
| width="16.6%" align="center" | 1837&nbsp;
|}

== County Courthouse  ==

[http://www.lctn.com/ Lauderdale County Courthouse]<br>&nbsp;County Courthouse; <br>Ripley, TN 38063<br> Phone: 731.635.2561&nbsp;<br><br>County Clerk has marriage records from 1838 and probate records. <br>Clerk Chancery CourtCourt has divorce records. <br>General Sessions Court has court records. <br>Register of Deeds has land records. <ref name="HBG">''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002),  Lauderdale County, Tennessee page 641, {{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libr40ries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|1049485|item|disp=FHL Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref> 

'''Lauderdale County Courthouse<br>'''100 Court Square<br>Ripley, TN 38063<br>Phone: 1-901-635-2561<br><br> 

*County Clerk has marriage and probate records<br>Phone: 1-731-635-2561 
*Circuit Court Clerk has court records<br>Phone: 1-731-635-0101 
*Register of Deeds has land records<br>Phone: 1-731-635-2171

'''Hours''':<br>Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

== History  ==
<div style="width: 147%; float: left">
West Tennessee county. Established 1835. 

The county was named after "James Lauderdale, who was killed in the War of 1812."<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tennessee_county_name_etymologies "List of counties in Tennessee,"] Wikipedia.</ref> 

==== Parent County  ====

'''1835--'''Lauderdale County was&nbsp;created 24 November 1835 from [[Tipton County, Tennessee|Tipton]], [[Haywood County, Tennessee|Haywood]], and [[Dyer County, Tennessee|Dyer]] Counties.&nbsp;<br>'''County seat:''' Ripley <ref name="Handybook">''The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed''. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 641. ({{FHL|1852055|item}} Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092 WorldCat entry].</ref> 

==== County Pronunciation  ====

#[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TNLauderdale.ogg Hear it spoken]<ref>Voice of Louise Lynch, Archivist, Williamson County, Tennessee Archives (2010).</ref> (female) 
#[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TNLauderdaleWeller.ogg Hear it spoken]<ref>Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).</ref> (female)

==== Boundary Changes  ====

[http://www.mytennesseegenealogy.com/tn-maps.html "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps"] (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on [http://www.goldbug.com/store/animap3.html AniMap 3.0] software. 

==== Record Loss  ====

'''1969'''--Fire damaged records 

*Lack of marriage records: 1835 to 1837

== Places/Localities  ==

==== Populated Places  ====

{| width="700" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1"
|-
| Abernathy (hist.) 
| {{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale%2C+Durhamville|subject|disp=Durhamville}} 
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henning,_Tennessee Henning] 
| Olive Branch
|-
| Arp 
| Edith 
| Hurricane Hill 
| Opossum
|-
| Asbury 
| Flippin 
| Key Corner 
| Orysa
|-
| Ashport 
| {{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale%2C+Fort+Pillow|subject|disp=Fort Pillow}} 
| Keyes Point 
| Pleasant Hill
|-
| Barr 
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton,_Tennessee Fulton] 
| Knob Creek 
| Poplar Grove
|-
| Central 
| {{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale%2C+Gates|subject|disp=Gates}} 
| Lightfoot 
| Porter Gap
|-
| Cherry 
| Glimp 
| Luckett 
| {{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale%2C+Ripley|subject|disp=Ripley}}
|-
| Curve 
| [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golddust,_Tennessee Golddust] 
| Mack 
| Three Point
|-
| Double Bridges 
| Hales Point 
| Nankipoo 
| <br>
|-
| Dry Hill 
| {{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale%2C+Halls|subject|disp=Halls}} 
| Oak Grove 
| <br>
|}

==== Neighboring Counties  ====

{| width="99%" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| valign="top" | 
*[[Crockett County, Tennessee|Crockett]] 
*[[Dyer County, Tennessee|Dyer]]

| valign="top" | 
*[[Haywood County, Tennessee|Haywood]] 
*[[Mississippi County, Arkansas|Mississippi County, Arkansas]]

| valign="top" | 
*[[Tipton County, Tennessee|Tipton]]

|}

== Resources  ==

[[Image:Tnlauderdale.png|thumb|right|400px|Tnlauderdale.png]] 

==== Getting Started  ====

Use the free [http://www.mountainpress.com/ '''Search for Surnames'''] at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Lauderdale County biography, court, and marriage records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click [http://www.mountainpress.com/books/tn/j2l.html here]. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection. 

==== Research Guides  ====

*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/county/factlauderdale.htm Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Lauderdale County], courtesy: [http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/ TSLA]. (Identifies published county histories, published&nbsp;local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

==== African American  ====

''[[African American Research|United States African Americans]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[African-American Resources for Tennessee|Tennessee African Americans]]'' 

==== Cemeteries  ====

*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gs& Find A Grave] can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.

*Find A Grave also gives a list of [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=csr&CScn=&CScntry=4&CSst=45&CScnty=2473 cemeteries in&nbsp;Lauderdale County] linking to the information about the people buried there,

*[http://www.tngenweb.org/records/cemeteries/index.php?function=county&s_county=lauderdale Lauderdale&nbsp;County, TN Cemetery Records], part of the [http://www.tngenweb.org/records/cemeteries/index.php TNGenWeb Cemetery Database], lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.

*[http://www.usgwtombstones.org/tennessee/lauderdale.html Lauderdale&nbsp;County, Tennessee], part of [http://www.usgwtombstones.org/ USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project] lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.

*[http://www.tngenweb.org/lauderdale/cemeteries/cemeterylau.htm Lauderdale&nbsp;County] cemetery&nbsp;information with&nbsp;transcriptions on [http://www.tngenweb.org/ TNGenweb Project]

*The [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/Library/FHLC/frameset_fhlc.asp Family History Library Catalog] lists some {{FHL|Tennessee%2C++Lauderdale|subject|disp=records&nbsp;for&nbsp;Lauderdale County}}. Some of the books or other books&nbsp;may be on [http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search Google Books] or available at public libraries.

*[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/localList.php?local=12514&locTGroup=Cemeteries&direction=down&sec=0&qty=43&stateAbbv=&stateName= ePodunk list of&nbsp;Lauderdale County cemeteries ]

Individual cemeteries 

*[http://www.billiongraves.com/pages/cemetery/cemetery.php?cemetery_id=98174 Poplar Grove Cemetery, Henning] BillionGraves

==== Census  ====

1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Lauderdale County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see [[Tennessee Census|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 [http://www.us-census.org/states/tennessee/l-tn.htm#Lauderdale Lauderdale County, TN census assignments], including links to transcribed files. [[http://www.us-census.org/ The USGenWeb Census Project<sup>®</sup>]]<br> 

'''1840''' 

*Davis, Bettie B. ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee, 1840 Census, 1850 Census, and 1850 Mortality Schedule''. Memphis, Tenn.: B.B. Davis, 1983. {{FHL|65151|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN book 976.816 X2}}.

'''1840 Pensioners''' 

*''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/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|282860|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL&nbsp;US/CAN Film 2321}}. 1841 edition digitized by the [http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1840c-01.pdf U.S. Census Bureau] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=W7JYAAAAMAAJ Google books] ''et. al''. [See Tennessee, Western District, Lauderdale County on page 159.]

'''1850''' 

*''Davis, Bettie B. ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee, 1840 Census, 1850 Census, and 1850 Mortality Schedule''. Memphis, Tenn.: B.B. Davis, 1983. {{FHL|65151|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN book 976.816 X2}}''

'''1850 Mortality Schedule''' 

*''Davis, Bettie B. ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee, 1840 Census, 1850 Census, and 1850 Mortality Schedule''. Memphis, Tenn.: B.B. Davis, 1983. {{FHL|65151|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN book 976.816 X2}}''

'''1880''' 

*Sistler, Samuel D. ''1880 Census Lauderdale County, Tennessee''. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler and Associates, 2002. {{FHL|1045453|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN book 976.816 X2}}

==== Church  ====

==== Court  ====

==== DNA  ====

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

*'''[Brown]''' Descendant of Matthew Thomas Brown, b. 1831 Ripley, Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 25 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 30372). Genetic signature available [http://brownsociety.org/browndna/groups21thru29.htm online]&nbsp;(labeled Group No. 22), genealogical description available [http://brownsociety.org/browndna/earliestancestorsGroupsOnethru50.htm online], courtesy: [http://brownsociety.org/browndna/overview.htm Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study]. Matches have been found. 
*'''[Doss]''' Descendant of George W. Doss (c1864-c1900) of Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 88650). Genetic signature available [http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/doss/results online] (labeled Jw-1), genealogical description available [http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/doss/pats online], courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, [http://www.worldfamilies.net/ World Families]. Matches have been found.

==== Family Histories  ====

It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to: 

*Locate publications about direct ancestors 
*Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family 
*Identify publications, to quote [[Elizabeth Shown Mills|Elizabeth Shown Mills]], about an ancestor's "FAN Club" ['''F'''riends, '''A'''ssociates, and '''N'''eighbors]

'''General''' 

As of August 2010, a query for [http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=Search&includedb=&lang=en&ti=&surname=&stype=Exact&given=&bplace=Lauderdale+Tennessee&byear=&brange=0&dplace=&dyear=&drange=0&mplace=&myear=&mrange=0&father=&mother=&spouse=&skipdb=&period=All&submit.x=Search persons born in Lauderdale, Tennessee] at ''[[World Connect|World Connect]]'', results in more than 15,000 entries. 

'''Bibliography''' 

*'''[Ellis]''' ''Benjamin F. Ellis Family, 1834-1952''. MSS. {{FHL|630161|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Film 1685766 Item 7}}. 
*'''[Ellis]''' Ellis, Bill. ''George Richard Ellis: His Ancestors and Descendants''. Friona, Texas: Ellis Publishing, 2002. {{FHL|1104126|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 929.273 EL59ebi}}. 
*'''[Finch]''' Tuttle, Jacqulyn Davis. ''Finch, Pyland and Related Families of Lauderdale County, TN and Craighead County, AR''. Grass Valley, Calif.: J.D. Tuttle, 1991?. {{FHL|485666|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;FAM&nbsp;HIST&nbsp;Book 929.273 F491tj}}. 
*'''[Holmes]''' Holmes, Raiford L. ''The John Holmes Family: of Montgomery and Carroll Counties, Mississippi''. Bogalusa, Louisiana: R.L. Holmes, 197-?. {{FHL|224746|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;FAM&nbsp;HIST&nbsp;Book 929.273 H736h}}. 
*'''[Powell]''' De Veau, Katharine Lee. ''Benjamin and Ambrose Powell of Culpeper County, Virginia: With Many Descendants of Benjamin.'' Unknown: K.L. deVeau, 1941. Available at [http://fsbeta.familysearch.org/s/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F120818&hash=rh2%2B403z7n4WII67nHOFMh25nvE%3D FHL US/CAN Film 548787]; digital version at [http://persi.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/books/results/image?urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3Bglhbooks%3BGenealogy-glh420344366%3B-1%3B-1%3B Heritage Quest Online] ($).

==== Land  ====

*Lauderdale County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1835 and is located at the Courthouse, 100 Court Square, Ripley, Tennessee 38063; Telephone: (731) 635-2561.The&nbsp; Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries. 
*The Family History Library has microfilmed copiies of deeds 1835-1900; land surveys 1822-1954.

==== 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&nbsp;[[Tennessee State Library and Archives|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 [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/actsintro.htm Click here]. The searchable index is available at the&nbsp;[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/actsintro.htm#names TSLA]; another version is available at [http://worldvitalrecords.com/indexinfo.aspx?ix=usa_tn_acts World Vital Records].

==== Local Histories  ====

*Williams, Joseph S. ''Old Times in West Tennessee: Reminiscences, Semi-historic, of Pioneer Life and the Early Emigrant Settlers in the Big Hatchie Country''. Memphis, Tenn.: W.G. Cheeney, 1873. {{FHL|221822|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8 H2wj 1975}}. Digital version available through {{FSbook|85924}}

==== Maps  ====

==== Military  ====

===== Revolutionary War  =====

*''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/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|282860|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL&nbsp;US/CAN Film 2321}}. 1841 edition digitized by the [http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1840c-01.pdf U.S. Census Bureau] and [http://books.google.com/books?id=W7JYAAAAMAAJ Google books] ''et. al''. [See Tennessee, Western District, Lauderdale County on page 159.]

===== War of 1812  =====

*Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," ''Ansearchin' News'', Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. {{FHL|44514|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960)}}; digital version at [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/index.html journal website]. [Includes Lauderdale County pensioners (p. 93).]

===== Civil War  =====

*[http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/military/cwrd/main.aspx Civl War Research Database] $ 
*[http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System]

Civil War service men from&nbsp;Lauderdale 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&nbsp;Lauderdale County. 

<u>Confederate Soldiers</u> 

*[[4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Neely's) (Confederate)|4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Neely's)]] - CSA - Company G. 
*[[7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Duckworth's) (Confederate)|7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Duckworth's)]] - CSA - Company M. 
*[[9th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry|9th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry]] - CSA - Company K.

<u></u> 

<u>Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from&nbsp;Lauderdale County:</u> 

*Lynn, H.M. ''[http://www.archive.org/details/unc_chapel_hill_hm_lynn_papers H.M. Lynn Papers, 1858-1882]. ''Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.&nbsp; Free digital copy.&nbsp; 9th Tennessee Regiment, Company C. 
*USGenWeb Archives, [http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/lauderdale/military.html Lauderdale County Tennessee Archives], (accessed 31 Jan 2012).&nbsp; Civil War Records. 
*CWSAC, Battle Summaries, [http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/tn030.htm Fort Pillow], (accessed 31 Jan 2012).&nbsp; Located in Lauderdale County. 
*Tennessee State Library and Archives, [http://tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/pension150.htm Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications&nbsp;:&nbsp;Lauderdale County], (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow. 
*United States Pension Bureau, [http://www.archive.org/stream/listpensionerso02buregoog#page/n375/mode/1up List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... ](Washington Printing Office; 1883), (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Online at Internet Archive.&nbsp;Lauderdale County, page 357. 
*TNGenWeb, [http://tngenweb.org/lauderdale/military/index.htm Lauderdale County TN Civil War], (accessed 31 Jan 2012).

<br> 

====== Civil War Battle  ======

The following Civil War Battle was fought in Lauderdale County. 

<br> 

*April 12, 1864 = [http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn030.htm Fort Pillow<ref>Heritage Preservation Services, [http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn030.htm Civil War Battle Summaries by State], (accessed 21 August 2012)</ref>]

<br> 

[http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/TNmap.htm Map] showing Civil War battles in Tennessee 

<br> 

===== World War I<br>  =====

*Tennessee World War I Veterans list: [http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/ww1lauderdale.htm Lauderdale County]

==== Newspapers  ====

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/tn-paper.htm 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 [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/mailill.htm#newspapers here]. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Lauderdale County click on the following cities and towns: 

*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/paper-h.htm#Halls Halls] 
*[http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/newspapers/paper-r.htm#Ripley Ripley]

==== 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|1369643|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN 976.8 U2man}}. Purchase at [http://www.genealogical.com/products/West%20Tennessees%20Forgotten%20Children%20Apprentices%201821%201889/9982.html Genealogical.com]. [Includes Lauderdale 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 records of Lauderdale County, Tennessee have been published in ''Ansearchin' News'', the quarterly magazine of the [http://www.tngs.org/ Tennessee Genealogical Society]. To view a list of these articles, visit their [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/ByCounty_ndx.html county index]. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their [http://www.tngs.org/ansearchin/index.html archive]&nbsp;or conduct a [http://www.tngs.org/search.htm surname search]. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the ''Ansearchin' News'' quarterly {{FHL|44514|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.}} 
:'''Family Findings''' 
:Genealogical articles with abstracts of Lauderdale County, Tennessee records have been published in ''Family Findings'', the quarterly of the [http://www.jmcl.tn.org/Mid-West_Tn.htm Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society]&nbsp;(42+ vols.). The Family History Library has most issues of this quarterly {{FHL|40026|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f}}. 
:Tables of contents for some volumes are available online, courtesy: [http://www.tngenweb.org/ TNGenWeb&nbsp;Project]: 
::*[http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/records/ff-tc1.htm Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)] 
::*[http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/records/ff-tc2.htm Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)] 
::*[http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/records/ff-tc3.htm Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)] 
::*[http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/records/ff-tc4.htm Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)] 
:Many articles from this publication have been reproduced on the TNGenWeb Project website, try this [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&as_q=Lauderdale&as_epq=Family+Findings&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=www.tngenweb.org&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images specialized Google search]&nbsp;to retrieve them. 
:'''West Tennessee Historical Society Papers''' 
:Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 16 and 30 {{FHL|233239|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w}}.<br>The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers are indexed in PERiodical Source Index [[Periodical Source Index (PERSI)|(PERSI)]]<br>To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see [http://register.shelby.tn.us/wths/ Shelby County Register of Deeds]

==== Prisons  ====

Learn if your Lauderdale County ancestors went to prison! 

*[http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/history/state/inmate4.htm Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870], free index available online, courtesy: [http://www.state.tn.us/tsla/ TSLA].

==== Probate  ====

The County Court, Chancery Court, and County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records of Lauderdale County. 

{{Tennpro}} 

*Wills, 1837-1904 (Vols. A-F) 
*Administrator records, 1884-1936 
*Bonds, Letters, 1847-1905 (7 vols.) 
*Guardian records, 1846-1857, 1874-1903 
*Insolvent estate records, 1849-1932 
*Inventories, Sales, Wills, 1837-1855 (3 vols.) 
*Minutes, 1836-1856 (Vols. A-C) 
*Settlements, 1871-1902 
*Widow provisions, 1866-1928

The following Lauderdale County probate records have been indexed: 

*'''[1837-1861]''' Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861''. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. {{FHL|615022|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN&nbsp;976.8 P22s}}. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]

==== Taxation  ====

Lauderdale County's original Tax Books covering 1852-1856 and 1873 to 1887 are held at the County Courthouse. [[Tennessee State Library and Archives|TSLA]] microfilmed these records in 1976.&nbsp;FHL copies:&nbsp;{{FHL|410820|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Films 1008593-1008594}}. 

The original Lauderdale County Roadwork Excuses and Poll Tax 1882-1927 are kept at the County Courthouse. [[The Genealogical Society of Utah|GSU]] microfilmed these records in 2008: {{FHL|1502538|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN&nbsp;Film 1670142 Item 8}}. 

==== Vital Records  ====

===== '''Birth'''  =====

*'''1881-1882''' - Lauderdale County Birth Index 1881-1882. Batch {{IGI|C519435}} in [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/igi International Genealogical Index] at FamilySearch - free.<ref name="vr">Genealogical Society of Utah, ''Parish and Vital Records List'' (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/8/88/Igitennesseel.pdf.</ref>

===== '''Marriage'''  =====

Marriages were not officially recorded in Lauderdale County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice.<ref>Gale Williams Bamman, C.G., "Research in Tennessee," ''National Genealogical Society Quarterly,'' Vol. 81, No. 2 (June 1993):105. {{FHL|39597|title-id|disp=FHL US/CAN Book 973 B2ng v. 81 (1993)}}</ref> The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle: 

*Lucas, Silas Emmett. ''Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851''. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. {{FHL|10843|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8 V2L}}. 
*For free lookups of Lauderdale County, Tennessee marriages 1851-1900 click [http://www.tngenweb.org/lauderdale/lookups.htm here.]

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

*'''1838-1895''' - Lauderdale County Birth Index 1838-1895 in [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/igi International Genealogical Index] at FamilySearch - free.<ref name="vr">Genealogical Society of Utah, ''Parish and Vital Records List'' (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/8/88/Igitennesseel.pdf.</ref> 
*'''1838-1866''' - Historical Records Project ''Marriage records, 1838-1866, Lauderdale, County, Tennessee'' Salt Lake City, Utah&nbsp;: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941. FHL US/CAN Film 24738 
*'''1838-1867''' - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. ''Early West Tennessee Marriages''. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1989. {{FHL|450678|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Book 976.8 V2sb v. 1}} ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.] 
*'''1838-1867''' - Davis, Bettie B. ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee marriages, 1838-1867'' Memphis, Tennessee&nbsp;: B.B. Davis, c1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.816 V2d 
*'''1838-1962''' - Lauderdale County, Tennessee County Court Clerk ''Marriage records (Lauderdale County, Tennessee), 1838-1962'' Nashville, Tennessee&nbsp;: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1976-2008. FHL US/CAN Film 1008552-54, 1928748, 1928749-50, 1670147 item 1 
*'''1844-1860''' - ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee, marriages, 1844-1860'' Signal Mountain, Tennessee&nbsp;: Mountain Press, [199-]. FHL US/CAN 976.816 V2L 
*'''1851-1875''' - Lauderdale County, Tennessee, marriages, 1851-1875. Part of the [http://www.tngenweb.org/lauderdale/marriages/marriages-1851-1875-A.htm TNGenWeb Project] 
*'''1867-1886''' - Davis, Bettie B. ''Lauderdale County, Tennessee, marriages, 1867-1886'' Memphis, Tennessee, B.B. Davis, c1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.816 V28d 
*{{RecordSearch|1619127|Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950}} - covers all counties in Tennessee. 
*Many county marriage records&nbsp;are indexed with images&nbsp;at Ancestry's [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1169 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002]&nbsp;($).&nbsp; Be aware that this index is not complete for all counties.

===== '''Divorce'''  =====

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Lauderdale County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, 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'''  =====

*Hays, Tony. ''West Tennessee Death Records'' [ca. 1823-1852]. 2 vols. n.p.: Kitchen Table Press, 1987. {{FHL|524531|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;FAM&nbsp;HIST&nbsp;Book 976.8 V2ht v. 1-2}}. [Lauderdale County is included in Vol. 2]

*'''1917''' - Lauderdale County Death Index 1917. Batch {{IGI|B003046}} in [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/igi International Genealogical Index] at FamilySearch - free.<ref name="vr" />

For deaths of Methodists in Lauderdale County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try: 

*Smith, Jonathan K.T. ''Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate''. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. {{FHL|789366|title-id|disp=FHL&nbsp;US/CAN&nbsp;Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851}} ff;&nbsp;digital versions at [http://www.tngenweb.org/records/tn_wide/obits/nca/index.html David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository]. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]

== Societies and Libraries&nbsp;  ==

{| width="100%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="6" border="0" class="FCK__ShowTableBorders"
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/regional/FDRL/index.htm '''Forked Deer Regional Library'''] <br>220 N Front St. <br>Halls, TN 38040 <br>Phone: 1-731-836-5812 <br>Toll free number: 800-426-6198 <br>'''Hours:''' <br>Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 
| valign="top" | <br>
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | '''Halls Public Library''' <br>110 N Church St. <br>Halls, TN 38040 <br>Phone: 1-731-836-5302 <br>E-mail: [mailto:citylibrary@bellsouth.net citylibrary@bellsouth.net] <br>'''Hours:''' <br>Mon.-Sat. 12-5 p.m. 
| valign="top" | <br>
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnlauder/laudhistsoc.htm '''Lauderdale County Historical Society'''] <br>For information write to: <br>Bettie B. Davis, Newsletter Editor <br>957 Doctor Hall Rd. <br>Halls, TN 38040-8727 <br>Phone: 1-901-836-7073 <br> 
| valign="top" | <br>
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | '''Lauderdale County Library''' <br>120 Lafayette St <br>Ripley, TN 38063 <br>Phone: 1-731-635-1872 <br>E-mail: [mailto:libraryl@bellsouth.net libraryl@bellsouth.net] <br>'''Hours:''' <br>Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. <br>Sat. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 
| valign="top" | <br>
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | [http://www.utm.edu/departments/acadpro/library/wthsc/ '''West Tennessee Heritage Study Center'''] <br>[http://www.utm.edu/departments/acadpro/library/lib_information/index.php Paul Meek Library] <br>[http://www.utm.edu/ University of Tennessee at Martin] <br>Phone: 1-731-881-7060 <br>Hours vary by semester 
| valign="top" | The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: [[Benton County, Tennessee|Benton]], [[Carroll County, Tennessee|Carroll]], [[Chester County, Tennessee|Chester]], [[Crockett County, Tennessee|Crockett]], [[Decatur County, Tennessee|Decatur]], [[Dyer County, Tennessee|Dyer]], [[Fayette County, Tennessee|Fayette]], [[Gibson County, Tennessee|Gibson]], [[Hardin County, Tennessee|Hardin]], [[Haywood County, Tennessee|Haywood]], [[Henderson County, Tennessee|Henderson]], [[Henry County, Tennessee|Henry]], [[Houston County, Tennessee|Houston]], [[Humphreys County, Tennessee|Humphreys]], [[Lake County, Tennessee|Lake]], [[Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee|Lauderdale]], [[Madison County, Tennessee|Madison]], [[McNairy County, Tennessee|McNairy]], [[Obion County, Tennessee|Obion]], [[Perry County, Tennessee|Perry]], [[Shelby County, Tennessee|Shelby]], [[Stewart County, Tennessee|Stewart]], [[Tipton County, Tennessee|Tipton]], [[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne]], [[Weakley County, Tennessee|Weakley]] and [[Carlisle County, Kentucky|Carlisle]], [[Fulton County, Kentucky|Fulton]], and [[Hickman County, Kentucky|Hickman]] counties in Kentucky.
|-
| width="35%" valign="top" | [http://wths.tn.org/ '''West Tennessee Historical Society''']<br>P.O. Box 111046<br>Memphis, TN 38111<br>Phone: 1-901-475-6608<br>E-mail: [mailto:efrank@memphis.edu efrank@memphis.edu] 
| valign="top" | <br>
|}

==== Family History Centers<br>  ====

*[[Introduction to LDS Family History Centers]]

== Web Sites<br>  ==

{{Wikipedia|Lauderdale County, Tennessee}} 

*{{FHL|Tennessee%2C+Lauderdale|subject|disp=Family History Library Catalog}} (FamilySearch) 
*[http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.tennessee.counties.lauderdale/mb.ashx Lauderdale County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board] (Ancestry) 
*[http://genforum.com/tn/lauderdale/ Lauderdale County, TN Genealogy Forum] (GenForum) 
*[http://www.tngenweb.org/lauderdale/ Lauderdale County, TNGenWeb] (USGenWeb) 
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/lauderdale.html RootsWeb Mailing List: TNLAUDER-L (Lauderdale County, Tennessee List)] 
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/misc.html#WEST-TNCHAT RootsWeb Mailing List: WEST-TNCHAT-L (West Tennessee Chat List)] 
*[http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/TN/misc.html#WESTTN RootsWeb Mailing List: WESTTN-L (West Tennessee List)]

== References  ==

<references />{{Tennessee|Tennessee}} 
</div>{{-}} 
[[Category:Lauderdale_County,_Tennessee]] [[Category:Tennessee_counties]]