Shelby County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

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 Courthouse160 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 Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

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:

History Timeline
Additional Information

Southwest Tennessee county.

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

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. US/CAN 976.8 U2man. May purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Shelby County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Zion Community Project - restoration of the African-American Zion Cemetery

Census Records
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.
 * Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Census, Lawrence, Perry, Shelby Counties, Tennessee, 1820. Searcy, Arkansas: Presley, 198-?.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. Includes free African Americans in this county.

1840 Pensioners


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967.  US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Western District, Shelby County on page 159.

1850 Agriculture


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

1880


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

1890 Lost Substitutes are available:


 * Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 4 1891. Shelby County is included in Vol. 4.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890].

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

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


 * 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. 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. 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. 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?). 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. FAM HIST Book 921.73 A1 no. 682.
 * Person - Walker, George Fuller. Persons Lineage. Unknown: G. W. Walker, 1951. Available at 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 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. 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

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

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:


 *  A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Western District, Shelby County on page 159.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry. Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Shelby County pensioners (p. 95).

Civil War

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

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. 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.

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

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. . 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  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 &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., 1990. US/CAN 976.8 P22s]. Includes an index to this county's wills.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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:, US/CAN Films 2411277 ff.

The original Memphis Comptroller Reports 1874-1876 were microfilmed by TSLA. FHL copy: 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. 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry$
 * 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 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 US/CAN Film 24825 items 1-4 +++
 * 1820-1865 - Shelby County Marriage Index 1820-1865 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 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.

'Book Abstracts and Indexes''


 * 1819-1865 -Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols.  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 US/CAN Book 976.819 V2we

Death

 * 1848-1913 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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 $
 * 1914-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1925 Shelby County Death Index 1914-1925 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Divorce

 * 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.

Family History Centers
Frayser Tennessee Family History Center 2450 St Elmo Memphis TN 38127 Phone: 901-358-0067 Website Memphis Tennessee Family History Center 8150 Walnut Grove Rd Cordova, TN 38018 Phone: 901-754-2545 Website Memphis Tennessee North Family History Center 4195 Whitten Rd Bartlett, TN 38135 Phone: 901-388-9974 Website

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: [mailto:millingtonpubliclibrary@hotmail.com millingtonpubliclibrary@hotmail.com] Website

Sam T. Wilson Public Library 11968 Walker Arlington, TN 38002 Phone: 901-867-1954 E-mail: [mailto:library@townofarlington.org 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
West Tennessee Historical Society P.O. Box 111046 Memphis, TN 38111 Phone: 901-475-6608 E-mail: [mailto:efrank@memphis.edu efrank@memphis.edu] Website

Websites

 * Linkpendium Shelby County, Tennessee: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More
 * Shelby County, TNGenWeb
 * – 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 US/CAN Book 976.819 A3n.