Tennessee, Madison County Cemetery Paupers Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
The collection consists of images of pauper and coffin files for 1849-1899, located in Jackson, Tennessee.

Cemeteries begin keeping records as soon as they are opened. The purchase of a burial plot is a land transaction and is recorded with a deed. Cemetery records are kept as a permanent record of who was buried and usually who purchased the burial plot. The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The key genealogical facts of these records may include the following:
 * Name of Cemetery
 * Location of grave including Section and Lot number
 * Names of all individuals in burial plot
 * Date of death
 * Designation if grave is a veteran's grave
 * Designation whether plot is full or half

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what is information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the burial record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date or year to search for birth records
 * Use the birth date along with your relative’s names to find the family in census records
 * Use the locality and relative's name to locate church and land records
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person with the same surname. This is especially helpful for rural areas or unusual surnames
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify
 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Tennessee.
 * Tennessee Guided Research
 * Tennessee Record Finder
 * Tennessee Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information.