Fayette County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Fayette 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 Marquis de Lafayette. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Fayette County Courthouse P.O. Box 218 1 Court Square Somerville, TN 38068-0218 Fayette County Courthouse Phone: 901-465-5219 County Clerk Phone: 901-465-5213 Chancery Court and Clerk and Master Phone: 901-465-5217

County clerk has birth and death records 1925-1929, marriage records from 1838 except 1918-1925 lost in the fire Court records Clerk and Master have probate records Register of Deeds has land records County Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties

 * Benton County, Mississippi
 * Hardeman
 * Haywood
 * Marshall County, Mississippi
 * Shelby
 * Tipton

History Timeline
Additional Information

West Tennessee county.

The county is named after Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834).

Biographies

 * Douthat, James L. Fayette County, Tennessee Biographies. 1887; reprint, Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.
 * All of the family biographies from the History of Fayette County, Tennessee (1887) by Goodspeed are availableonline at My Genealogy Hound.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Fayette County.]

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

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

1810-1891


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

1840 Revolutionary War 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, Fayette County on page 158.

1850


 * Carpenter, Mrs. V.K. Seventh census of the United States, 1850 Fayette County, Tennessee,population schedules Huntsville, Arkansas Century Enterprises, 1969

1860


 * Felldin, Jeanne Robey and Tucker, Charlotte Magee 1860 United States census, Fayette County, Tennessee, surname index Tomball, Texas Genealogical Publications, c1976

1880


 * Sistler, Samuel D. 1880 census, Fayette County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Byron Sistler and Associates, 2003

Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records
Church records include baptisms, marriages and burials, as well as information about family members and clues about family migration.For additional information about church records, religions, and religious archives in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.


 * Fayette County Church Records


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


 * If the records you need are not found in the Family History Library collection, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived.Two sites that give information about churches in Fayette County are:


 * - List of Fayette County churches with addresses and phone numbers (Yellowbook)
 * - List of Fayette County churches (TN HomeTownLocator)


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Fayette County church records was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they were housed in 1936. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has filmed some of these records. To locate which records are available at the TSLA, go to the appropriate "county fact sheet" on the TSLA Web site and scroll down to "selected manuscript material". All filmed church records at the TSLA for Fayette County are listed. Many of these filmed records are also available at the Family History Library.

Baptist


 * 1832-1901 - Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church Records. Fayette County, 1832-1901. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #361
 * 1832-1900 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records.Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2 Index to original Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church Records. Fayette County, 1832-1901.

Episcopal


 * 1872-1916 - St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Somerville, Marriage Index 1872-1916. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Methodist


 * 1890-1970 - Moscow Methodist Church Records. Fayette County, 1890-1970. Typescript. TSLA Reel #360
 * 1890-1900 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records.Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2 Index to original Moscow Methodist Church Records. Fayette County, 1890-1970.
 * Historical Records Project. Immanuel Episcopal Church Minutes, La Grange, Tennessee.Typescript. Includes index.
 * Historical Records Project. St. Thomas Episcopal Church Minutes and history, Somerville, Tennessee. Typescript. Item 1

Presbyterian


 * 1847-1885 - Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1847-1885. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1847-1895 - Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1847-1895. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1847-1935 - Church Records 1847-1935. Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Fayette County, Tennessee). Manuscript. TSLA Reel #225 Item 2
 * 1858-1935 - Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Hickory Withe, Baptism Index 1858-1935. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1935 - Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Hickory Withe, Marriage Index 1858-1935. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1858-1935 - Mount Pleasant Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Hickory Withe, Death Index 1858-1935. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American The Runaway Slave Blog is a online resource where runaway slaves listed in pre-1865 West Tennessee newspapers are identified. Some of the runaway ads appeared in Fayette County newspapers.

Genealogies
More than a dozen genealogies have been published about Fayette County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Fayette County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property Records
Fayette County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1825 and is located at Courthouse, P. O. Box 99, Somerville, Tennessee 8068-0218; Telephone: (901) 465-5251. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.

The Family History has microfilm copies od deed books 1825- 1890 and land entries 1821-1881.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Fayette County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Index to Fayette County, TN Revolutionary Soldiers as taken from History of Fayette County, Tennessee 1986.

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, Fayette County on page 158.

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Fayette County pensioners (pp. 43-44)

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
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 6th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company D.
 * 7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Duckworth's) - CSA - Companies B and K.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
 * 12th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Green's) - CSA - Companies A, B, F, H, and K.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B, E, G, and H.
 * 14th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Neely's) - CSA - Company D.
 * 14th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA - Companies B, D, and H.
 * 15th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - CSA - Companies B, I, and K.
 * 15th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Stewart's) - CSA
 * 16th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Logwood's) - CSA - Companies D, F, G, H, and K.
 * 38th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Looney's) (8th Infantry)- CSA-2nd Company K.
 * 51st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company B.
 * 51st Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry- CSA - Company H.
 * 154th Senior Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (1st Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Fayette County:


 * Lynn, H.M. H.M. Lynn Papers, 1858-1882. Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Free digital copy. 9th Tennessee Regiment, Company C.
 * Thurman, John P. John P. and Sallie Ecklin Thurman Papers1884-1896. Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Department, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tennessee 3rd and 4th Calvary. Free digital copy.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Fayette 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 book at Internet Archive. Fayette County, page 333.

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the 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 Fayette County click on the following towns:

For deaths of Methodists in Fayette County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:
 * LaGrange
 * Somerville
 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..


 * 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.

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;
 * Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search..
 * West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. . 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 Fayette County.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1836-1965 - Fayette County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1836-1861 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.

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
Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1836 West, Betsy F. "Fayette County, Tennessee Tax List-1836," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 1975):30-35; Vol. 22, No. 2 (Summer 1975):90-95; Vol. 22, No. 3 (Fall 1975):140-144; Vol. 22, No. 4 (Winter 1975):188-192. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Fayette.
 * 1874 Taxpayers, 1874, Old Timer Press. Ripley MS: Mar 1982. Vol. 1 Iss. 9.

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 - [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
 * 1838-1857 - Marriage records, 1838-1857, Fayette County, Tennessee
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1895 - Fayette County Marriage Index 1838-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1838-1873 - Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols.   ff. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates in this county for the specified years.

Death

 * 1823-1852 - Hays, Tony. West Tennessee Death Records (ca. 1823-1852). 2 vols. n.p.: Kitchen Table Press, 1987. . Fayette County is included in Vol. 2]
 * 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 Digital Library; - Inventory stating where divorce records are housed.

Libraries
Somerville-Fayette County Library 216 W Market St Somerville, TN 38068 901-465-5248 Website
 * The Historical Room contains county records, state records, family histories, obituaries, cemetery records, and church records

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center Paul Meek Library University of Tennessee at Martin 731-881-7060 Website
 * The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Societies
Fayette County Historical Society PO Box 304 Somerville, TN 38068 Facebook  website West Tennessee Historical Society P.O. Box 111046 Memphis, TN 38111 901-475-6608 E-mail: efrank@memphis.edu Website

Websites

 * – 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.
 * Fayette County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Fayette County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Fayette County, courtesy: TSLA (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * Fayette County, Tennessee: A Partial Bibliography  (updated 12/30/2002), available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.