Henderson County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Quick Dates
Henderson County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Henderson County Courthouse 17 Monroe Ave. Lexington, TN 38351 Phone: 1-731-968-2801

County Clerk has marriage and probate records. Register of Deeds has land records. Circuit Court Clerk has court records.

Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fri. 8 a.m.-noon Closed on Wednesdays

History
West Tennessee county established in 1821.

The county is named after War of 1812 officer James Henderson.

Parent County
1821--Henderson County was created 7 November 1821 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Lexington

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1896 Fire damaged courthouse records.


 * Lost marriage records: 1821 and 1892
 * Lost probate records: 1821 to 1894

Neighboring Counties

 * Carroll
 * Chester
 * Decatur
 * Hardin
 * Madison

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Henderson County biography and cemetery records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click 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

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Henderson County, TSLA (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Cemeteries of Henderson County - Genealogy Trails

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Henderson 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.

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Henderson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1820 and 1860


 * Smith, Jonathan Kennon Thompson A genealogical miscellany, Henderson County, Tennessee Jackson, Tennessee : J.K.T. Smith, c1997, 2001-2002 (One page correction of the 1860 census and 1/2 page 1820 U.S. census, Perry County of those who lived in what became Henderson 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Western District, Henderson County on page 159.

1870


 * Green, Exie Johnson 1870 census, Henderson County, Tennessee Hope, Arkansas : E.J. Green, 1987?

1880


 * Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara 1880 census Henderson County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee : B. Sistler and Associates, 2001

1891 Male Voters 


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1900


 * Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1910


 * Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1920


 * Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

Church
''Presbyterian'


 * 1830 - 1885 - Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Baptism Index 1830-1885. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1830 - 1893 - Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Marriage Index 1830-1893. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

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


 * Doss - Descendant of John Doss (1784-1846) of Henderson County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 59752). Genetic signature available online (labeled Jn-1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

Family Histories
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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Henderson, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 39,000 entries.


 * Waddle, Laura. Some Early Families of Henderson County, TN : Arnold, Barrow, Bradford, Cooper, Christopher, Darden, Davis, Grice, Joyner, Lewis, McCarver, McGlaughlin, Meredith, Mills, Ray, Rhodes, Waddle/Waddill, Wadley..

Bibliography


 * Adams - Hampton, Estelline Adams. John Adams, Esquire (III): Ancestors and Descendants. Unknown: unknown, 1976. Available at ; digital versions available at Ancestry ($); ; and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Bell - Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. Leander Bell of Henderson County, Tennessee: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Ark.: L.C. Lewis, 1987..
 * Bell - Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. William Samuel Bell of Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Arkansas: L.C. Lewis, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B413LLc.
 * Brown - Brown, George Washington Reminiscences of the Republic of Texas 1910 Available at the Family History Library with a digital version through  (found in the Library of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas April 1965 by his Grandson Earl Travis Brown)
 * Conner - See Cravens.
 * Cravens - Cravens, John Park. Records of the Ancestry of John Park Cravens: The Lines of Direct Lineal Descent and a Summary. Booneville, AR: Unknown, 1957. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 288184; digital vestion at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Harwell - See Cravens.
 * Herndon - See Cravens.
 * Lane - See Cravens.
 * Reed - King, Clefaine Elizabeth Reed. Joseph Reed Sr. and His Family Through The Years, A Legend To His Family, printed 1991. (Found in the Family History Center in La Jara, Colorado; contact Marilee, 719-274-5261.)
 * Rice - See Cravens.
 * Stewart - Wadley, Richard Cratis and Eunice Stewart Goddard. Tennessee Roots: Catherine Stewart of Henderson County. Norman, Oklahoma: Eunice and Jim Goddard, 1990..

Historic Residences

 * Crook, W. Clay. The Jeremiah Crook Plantation of Henderson County, Tennessee: ca. 1820-1865. Crook Family Archives, Crookland, Middlefork Village, Luray, Tenn. Microfilmed in 2001..

Land

 * Henderson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1856 and is located at the Courthouse, P.O. Box 40, 17 Monroe Street, Lexington, TN 38351; (731) 968-2856. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
 * The Family History Library has microfilmed copies of deeds 1856-1900 with indexes 1856-1935.
 * "Tennessee Trails" Landowners of Henderson County, TN

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.

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Revolutionary War
The following Henderson 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Western District, Henderson 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. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Henderson County pensioners (pp. 67-68)

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1891 - 1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Henderson 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 Henderson County:

Confederate Soldiers


 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.
 * 18th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Newsom's) - CSA - Company G.
 * 19th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Biffle's) - CSA - Company K.
 * 21st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Wilson's) - CSA - Company C and F.
 * 27th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies D, F, I, and K.
 * 51st Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA- Company C.
 * 52nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company F.
 * 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Brown's) - CSA - Company F.

Union Soldiers


 * 7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company C.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Henderson County:


 * Yesterday's Henderson County. A large assortment of external links about the Civil War.
 * TNGenWeb, War Records Henderson County Civil War Records.
 * Those Who Served From Henderson County TN. Civil War and Civil War "Shiloh".
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Parker's Cross Roads. Location Henderson County.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Henderson 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. Henderson County, page 346-347.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Henderson County:


 * December 31 = Parker's Cross Roads


 * Map showing Civil War battles fought in Tennessee.

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 Henderson County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Lexington
 * Sardis
 * Scotts Hill

Periodicals

 * Family Findings
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Henderson County, Tennessee records have been published in Family Findings, the quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society (42+ vols.). The Family History Library has most issues of this quarterly.
 * Tables of contents for some volumes are available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb Project:
 * Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
 * Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
 * Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
 * Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)
 * Many articles from this publication have been reproduced on the TNGenWeb Project website, try this specialized Google search.
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers
 * Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 16 and 30 . The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers are indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

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

Online Records


 * 1779 - 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * Wills, 1873-1932 (2 vols.)
 * Inventories, Wills, 1893-1906 (Vol. 13)
 * Bonds, 1861-1966 (3 vols.)
 * Bonds, Letters, 1890-1919
 * Insolvent estate records, 1867-1940 (2 vols.)
 * Settlements, 1866-1915 (4 vols.)

Taxation
The following Henderson County tax records have been abstracted:


 * 1824 - Unpaid Taxes List, 1824, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Winter 2000). FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 47 (2000). For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1836 - 1837 - West, Betsy F. "Henderson County, Tennessee 1836-1837 Tax Lists," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Spring 1977):11-14; Vol. 24, No. 2 (Summer 1977):83-87; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Fall 1977):111-114; Vol. 24, No. 4 (Winter 1977):159-163. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 24 (1977); free digital version at society's website. For further access, see Periodicals.
 * 1848 - "1849 Land Sales Held in 3 West Tennessee Counties for Unpaid Taxes," [1848 taxpayers in Decatur, Carroll, and Henderson counties], Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Winter 1997):12. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 44 (1997). For access, see Periodicals.

Vital Records
See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

 * 1828 - 1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1891 - Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1908 - 1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage
Marriages were not officially recorded in Henderson County during the first few years of its existence. In 1838, a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1796 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..


 * 1780 - 2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1780 - 2002 - at FamilySearch.org— index


 * 1790 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1796 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1838 - 1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1851 - 1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $

The following Henderson County Courthouse marriage records have been indexed:


 * 1893 - 1895 - Henderson County Marriage Index 1893-1895. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1893 - 1951 - Henderson County, Tennessee County Court Clerk Marriage records (Henderson County, Tennessee), 1893-1951 Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Library and Archives, [197-?]-1988. FHL US/CAN Film 978744-46, 1928717-21
 * 1894 - 1950 - Tennessee, County Court (Henderson County) Henderson County, Tennessee, marriage records, 1894-1950 Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1999. FHL US/CAN Film 2137204, 2223403-04, 2138636, 2138771, 2138988, 2137020
 * "Tennessee Trails" Marriages in Henderson County

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Henderson County divorce papers in diverse manuscript collections, see the following resources:


 * 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

 * 1874 - 1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1914 - 1963 - at FamilySearch — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in Henderson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:


 * 1847 - 1914 - 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.


 * "Tennessee Trails" Deaths Henderson County, TN

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Henderson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Henderson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNHENDER-L (Henderson County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: WEST-TNCHAT-L (West Tennessee Chat List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: WESTTN-L (West Tennessee List)
 * Yesterday's Tennessee
 * Welcome to Henderson County, Tennessee "Tennessee Trails"
 * Henderson County TN Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)