Davidson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Davidson County





County Courthouse
Davidson County Courthouse 700 2nd Avenue South Nashville, Tennessee 37210 Phone: (615) 862-5710

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm

History
Davidson County was officially established in April of 1783 by an act of the North Carolina legislature. It was named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of North Carolina in the Revolutionary war.

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby Enacted by the authority of the same, that all that part of this State lying west of the Cumberland Mountain where the Virginia line crosses, extending westward along the said line to Tennessee River, thence up said river to the mouth of Duck River, thence up Duck River to where the line of marked trees run by the commissioners for laying off land granted the Continental Line of this State intersects said river (which said line is supposed to be in thirty-five degrees fifty minutes north latitude) thence east along said line to the top of Cumberland Mountain, thence northwardly along said mountain to the beginning, shall after the passing of this Act be and is hereby declared to be a distinct county by the name of Davidson."

In 1780, the Cumberland Compact referred to the settlement on the bluff above the Cumberland River as Nashborough. Nashborough was also the name used in the minutes of the Davidson County court which commenced in the fall of 1783. Although Nashborough was the formal name given to the fort, the pioneering settlers, by and large, referred to it as French Lick Station. Eastin Morris' TENNESSEE GAZETTEER, 1834

In April of 1784, the legislature of North Carolina passed an act that made the town official, changing the name to Nashville. The bill set aside "two hundred acres of land, situate on the south side of Cumberland River, at a place called the Bluff, adjacent to the French Lick, in which said Lick shall not be included, to be laid off in lots of one acre each, with convenient streets, lanes, and alleys, reserving four acres for the purpose of erecting public buildings, on which land, so laid off according to the directions of this act, is hereby constituted and erected, and established a town, and shall be known and called Nashville, in memory of the patriotic and brave Gen. Nash." Five Trustees were appointed to handle the business of the town and a treasurer was named. A plan of town lots of one acres each and a public square of four acres was surveyed. Proceeds from the sale of the lots was to be used to build a courthouse and a jail on the public square.

Parent County
1783--Davidson County was created 6 October 1783 from Washington County. County seat: Nashville

Record Loss
1856 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Populated Places
Cities and Towns:

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Davidson County, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1863 Index On-line.

In 1862 Nashville built a series of forts around the city. The project was built by Union soldiers and impressed slaves and free black workers in just five months. This site lists the laborers employed August 1, 1862 to April 1, 1863. The site gives the name of the slave, the slave owner and the file number.

Cemeteries
For a list of Davidson county cemeteries, click here.

Census
1770-1790


 * Fulcher, Richard Carlton, comp. 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements: Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties (In what is now Tennessee). Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2f; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

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

Church
Methodist Episcopal


 * The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Nashville, Tenn. M.E. Church, South, Tenn., 1892. Digital version at Google Books.

Presbyterian


 * The First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee: The Addresses Delivered in Connection with the Observance of the One Hundredth Anniversary, November 8-15, l9l4. Nashville, Tenn.: Foster &amp; Parkes Company, 1915. Digital version at Google Books.

Directories
Nashville City Directories are available for most years between 1853 and 1997 at the Tennnessee State Archives. Digitzed copies are available online for the following years:


 * 1853
 * 1855-56
 * 1857
 * 1859
 * 1860
 * 1865
 * 1880
 * 1924

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, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

Bibliography


 * [Branch] Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: unknown, 1972?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [Taylor] Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: unknown, 1972?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Land

 * Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Davidson County, Tennessee Deeds, 1784-1796. Melber, KY: Simmons Historical, 1998. 8 volumes. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 R2w; digital versions available at World Vital Records ($) v. 1 - 1784-1787; v. 2 - 1786-1787; v. 3 - 1787-1790; v. 4 - 1790-1791; v. 5. - 1789-1791; v. 6 - 1791-1793; v. 7 - 1793-1794; and v. 8 - 1974-1796. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Beard, W.E. It Happened in Nashville, Tennessee: A Collection of Historical Incidents which Occurred in Nashville, are Commemorated There, or in Which Nashville People were Actors. Davie Printing Co., 1912. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Clarke, Ida Clyde Gallagher. All About Nashville: A Complete Historical Guide Book to the City. Marshall &amp; Bruce Co., 1912. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Clayton, W. W. History of Davidson County, Tennessee: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis, 1886. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 541321. Indexed in FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H22w. Digital versions available at Ancestry.com ($); Heritage Quest Online ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * McRaven, William Henry. Nashville: "Athens of the South". Chapel Hill: Published for the Tennessee Book Co. by Scheer &amp; Jervis, 1949. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Putnam, Albigence Waldo. History of Middle Tennessee: or, Life and Times of Gen. James Robertson. Nashville, Tenn.: A.A. Stitt, Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1859. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Military

 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Davidson County.]

Periodicals
Ansearchin' News

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Davidson County, Tennessee have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.

Prisons

 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Schools

 * Fisk University: History, Building and Site, and Services of Dedication, at Nashville, Tennessee, January 1st, 1876. New York: Published for the Trustees of Fisk University, 1876. Digital version at Google Books.
 * Stearns, Eben S. Historical Sketch of the Normal College, at Nashville, Tenn: An Address Before Its Officers and Students on Its Ninth Anniversary, Dec. 1, 1884. Cincinnati: Elm Street Printing Company, 1885. Digital version at Google Books.

Taxation

 * [1787] "Davidson County Tax List for 1787," available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * [1787, 1812] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 H2wh; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * [1788, 1805, 1811] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1788, 1805, 1811 tax lists.]
 * [1812] Douthat, James L. 1812 Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List: Taken from the Microfilm Copy Found in the Tennessee State Archives. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, [2000?]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 R4d.
 * [1812] "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812," [Alphabetical Arrangement] available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * [1812] "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812," [Arranged by company] available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.

Vital Records
Birth

Marriage


 * Some Davidson county marriage records are indexed at . At this time it is better to search from the main page, and not to go directly to the Tennessee marriage collection. On main page titled "Discover your Ancestors", enter either a full name or surname only.  Choose "event" as marriage with no year range.  For location, enter "Davidson, Tennessee, United States".  Marriages as late as 1955 are indexed in this collection.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Davidson County, Tennessee, 1789 - 1847. Baltimore, MC: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. Two volumes. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.855 V2w; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Death


 * Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1914-1930. Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Davidson County Death Records 1900-1913 Online index from Tennessee State Library and Archives. Many of these records do not appear in the Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912.

Societies and Libraries
The Nashville Public Library has a significant collection of Davidson County records. They have posted an online index to Nashville marriages 1864-1905 and Nashville obituaries 1964 to the present. Obituaries from 2006 are available in full text with a Nashville Library card. Copies of obituaries can be accessed at the library or at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. For a $15 fee, up to 5 obituaries will be researched, copied and mailed to those unable to research in person.

The Metropolitan Government Archives, a division of the Nashville Public Library, contains historical records of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. The hours are 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Metro Archives 3801 Green Hills Village Drive Nashville, TN 37215 Phone: (615) 862-5880

Family History Centers
Dickson Ward Tennessee 100 Brown Rd Burns, Davidson, Tennessee, United States Phone: 615-441-1006 Hours: T-Th 10am-2:30pm; W 6pm-8pm; Th 3:30pm-7:30pm; 3rd Sat 10am-2:30pm Closed: closed all holidays. the need for any other closing's will be posted on the door at the building.

Madison Tennessee 107 Twin Hills Dr Madison, Davidson, Tennessee, United States Phone: 615-859-6926 Hours: T-Th 10am-2pm, 7pm-9pm; Sat 10am-12pm

These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Davidson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Davidson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Davidson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County Online Records