Trousdale County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Trousdale 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 William Trousdale (1790-1872), Brigadier General in the Mexican War, Governor of Tennessee, 1849–1851, and U.S. Minister to Brazil, 1853–1857. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Trousdale County Courthouse 200 East Main Street Main Stree and Court Street Hartsville, TN 37074 County Website Phone: 615-374-2996 County Clerk Phone: 615-374-2906 County Register of Deeds Phone: 615-374-2921 County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 615-374-3411

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1906. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

History Timeline
Additional Information Middle Tennessee county established in 1870. Trousdale County's land belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

The county is named after "William Trousdale (1790-1872), Creek and Mexican-American War soldier and officer, state senator and Governor of Tennessee."

Biographies

 * Douthat, James L. Trousdale County, TN Biographies. 1887; reprint, Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Trousdale 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.

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

1810-1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry $

1880


 * Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 &amp; 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee Bet-Nel Books, 1998.
 * Sistler, Byron H. ’’1880 Census Dickson County, Tennessee.’’ Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999.

1890 Lost, but 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. . Trousdale County is included in Vol. 6.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1900


 * Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 &amp; 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee Bet-Nel Books, 1998.

1910


 * Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 &amp; 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, 2000.

1920


 * Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 &amp; 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, 2000.
 * Young, John C., comp. Trousdale County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry

1930


 * Bronner, Lorrain and Walter L. Buckinham. 1930 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lebanon, Tennessee: Brawner Books, 2005.

Court Records
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.

Genealogies

 * As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Trousdale, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 3,500 entries.


 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. . Supplements: ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * Bishop - Bishop, Maurice Lytle. Families of Maurice Lytle Bishop. MSS., Wright State University Archives, Dayton, Ohio. FHL US/CAN Film 1769339.
 * Hallum - Hallum, John. The Diary of an Old Lawyer; or, Scenes Behind the Curtain. Nashville, Tennessee: Southwestern Publishing House, 1895.Free digital copy.
 * Hughes - Townsend, Evelyn Hughes and Edward E. Townsend. The Ancestors and Descendants of John Walker Hughes, Jr.: Born 1854, Died 1927. Cleveland, Tenn.: E. Townsend, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H874t.

Land and Property Records
Land Grants


 * Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library.

Military Records
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 Trousdale County pensioners (p. 97).

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  (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (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


 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
 * 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.
 * 7th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Bennett's) - CSA - Companies A, B, and F.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ward's) - CSA - Companies B, E, and H.
 * 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Trousdale County:


 * Duke, Basil Wilson. History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867. Free digital copy. Includes 9th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary (Ward's).
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Trousdale 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. Trousdale County, page 379.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Hartsville. Located in Trousdale County.

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle took place in Trousdale County:


 * December 7, 1862 - [http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn008.htm Hartsville[


 * Map showing Civil War battles 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 Trousdale County click on the following town:


 * Hartsville
 * Scott, Betty C. Meadows. Trousdale County, Tennessee, Obituaries, Articles and Scrapbook Clippings: August 1862 - December 1958. 2 vols. Lafayette, Tenn.: Ridge Runner, 2002-2004. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8482 V4s ff.


 * 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?)

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;
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index..
 * Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter: Quarterly publication.

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

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $

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

 * 1789 - Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Trousdale.
 * 1917 - Jim Marshall Tax Assessment, Hartsville, 1917, Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Jul. 2002).

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 Records


 * 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
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Death

 * 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 $
 * 1908-1912 - Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1914-1933 - Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce
Online Records Online Titles
 * 1796 - 1850 - Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1980-2014 - Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index
 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online

Libraries
Fred A. Vaught Memorial Library 211 White Oak St Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 615-374-3677 Facebook

Societies
Trousdale County Historical Society 211 White Oak St. Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 615-374-3677 Website
 * The society publishes a quarterly newsletter.

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 Website
 * The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Trousdale County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Trousdale County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Trousdale County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Trousdale County TN Genealogy  (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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: Trousdale County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)