Tennessee, White County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This is a collection of records from White County including marriages, 1950-1975; chancery court records 1825-1937, and circuit court records, 1806-1900. The county court records include primarily probate records. The chancery and circuit court records include disputed estate and property records, some wills, and divorces. The chancery court records also include an index. This collection is being published as images become available.

Record Content
The content varies with each different record type, but generally includes the following information:


 * Names of primary individuals
 * Names of relatives and friends
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residences
 * Dates the documents were written or recorded
 * Occupations
 * Ages
 * Birth dates and places

How to Use the Records
To begin your search you will need to know:


 * Names of primary individuals
 * The place of residence
 * The approximate date of the event

Search the Collection
To search the collection ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "County" ⇒Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images

Many of these volumes have indexes at the beginning or end. You should search these first.
 * Check the index for the family name (surname) and then the given name. Indexes enable you to access records quickly by searching for the names of the primary individuals. Realize that some entries in earlier years may have been missed. Indexes may also contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings or misinterpretations.
 * Make a list of the volumes and page numbers for each deed you wish to check.
 * For each deed, search the noted volume and page number.

If you do not find your ancestor in the index, look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census,church, and land records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the records to identify heirs and relatives and to learn about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents.
 * Use the document (such as the will) or the recording dates to approximate a death date.
 * Use the information in probate records to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Probate and divorce records may have clues about land transactions and guardianships of minor children.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the deceased or the testator.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning or end of individual volumes. Local historical and genealogical societies may also have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * White County Tennessee Genealogy
 * White County, Tennessee Free Public Records Directory
 * White County, Tennessee Marriage Records
 * White County, Tennessee Court Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles
White County, Tennessee

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

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