Smith County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Smith County





Middle Tennessee county established in 1799. The northern part of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

County Courthouse
Smith County Courthouse 122 Turner High Circle Carthage, TN 37030 Phone: 615-735-2092

Smith County Clerk Marriage and probate records 122 Turner High Circle, Suite 101 Carthage, TN 37030 Phone: 615-735-9833

Smith County Register of Deeds Land records 122 Turner High Circle, Suite 113 Phone 615-735-1760

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm

History
The county is named after "American Revolutionary War officer and U.S. Senator Daniel Smith (1748–1818)."

Parent County
1799--Smith County was established 26 October 1799 from Sumner County. Early records may be found under Sumner County. County seat: Carthage

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1799 to 1837
 * Lack of probate records: 1899 to 1804

Although these are not burned records, applying strategies used for burned counties may aid in compensating for their loss. For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in Tennessee Genealogy Blog
 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Smith County, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * Denney, Steven L. "Research Sources for Smith County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
 * "Smith County Genealogical Records Survey," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 1988). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African Americans

 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

Trumm's online "Smith County Marriages Index" [1838-1909], includes many references to black marriages.

Census
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Smith 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.

1800 - Lost

1810 - Lost, but a substitute is available:


 * Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, will help researchers determine if this resource can be of assistance:


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1830


 * Willis, Laura. Smith County, Tennessee Census of 1830. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1999. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

1840


 * Willis, Laura. Smith County, Tennessee Census of 1840. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1999. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

1850


 * Bell, Annie W.B.Family Records of Smith County, Carthage, Tennessee as Given the United States Census Taker, 1850. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987. Item 4
 * McKinney, Irene. 1850 census, Smith County Tennessee and Index. Lompoc, California : Mrs. R.Q. McKinney, 1976.

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Smith County is included in Vol. 2.]

1880


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. ’’1880 Census Smith County, Tennessee.’’ Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1993.


 * Smith, Mary Beth. Family Records of Smith County, Tennessee, United States Census of 1880. Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, 198-?

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 6 1891. [Smith 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1920


 * Young, Denise, ed.. Smith County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry($).

Church

 * Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902. Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee.

Family Histories
It is anticipated that 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


 * Family Files (Smith County, Tennessee). Original records, Smith County Archives, Carthage, Tenn. Microfilmed in 2008. FHL VAULT US/CAN Film 1670013 Item 3. [Apple, Beasley, Booker, McCarver, Nichols, Parkhurst, Smotherman, Snider families.]
 * 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. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * [Apple] McKinney, Irene. Apple Tree: Smith and Jackson Counties, Tennessee; Especially Apple, McDonald &amp; Ferrell Families. Lompoc, Calif.: I. McKinney, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ap52mi.
 * [Barkley] Fischer, Kathryn Barkley The Barkley brigade : the story of John Barkley of Smith County, Tennessee and his descendants, 1753-1994 Covington, Louisiana : Barkley-Symons Enterprises, 1994. FHL book 929.273 B246. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Barnett] Barnett, Albert. The Barnetts of Smith County, Tennessee: Some Ancestors and Descendants. Lubbock, Texas: A. Barnett, 1963. FHL US/CAN Film 1035690 Item 6.
 * [Doss] Murphy, Nathan W. Descendants of Azariah Doss and His Wife Lydia (Ayres) Doss. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy and Associates, 1998. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D741m.
 * [Gist] Dorsey, Jean Muir. Christopher Gist of Maryland and Some of His Descendants, 1679-1957, Chicago, IL: J.S. Swift Co., 1958. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G447d; digital versions at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Hughes] Hughes, William Joseph Leander. The Hughes Family, and Connections especially the Gass, Ward and Boze Families. Owensboro, KY: Unknown, 1911. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.989 D2p v. 1; FHL US/CAN Film 1321218. Digital versions at Google Books (full view); and Heritage Quest ($).
 * [Knight] Garrett, Jill Knight. Knight Cousins. [Columbia, TN: Unknown, 1967. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 928090; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Lewis] McBride, Robert Martin. A Footnote to a History of the Lewis Family. Nashville, TN: Unknown, 1954. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Seay] Seay, Kirby Cook Here lies John Seay : a biographical history of the Seay (See) family Stanislaus County, California : K.C. Seay, 1975. FHL book 929.273 Se19sk. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.

Land
Deeds

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Smith County land records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Deed Book B: 1801-1817
 * 2) Deed Book C: 1807-1811
 * 3) Deed Book D: 1811-1814
 * 4) Deed Book E: 1814-1816
 * 5) Deed Book F: 1817-1819
 * 6) Deed Book G: 1819-1820
 * 7) Deed Book H: 1820-1821


 * Willis, Laura. Smith County Deed Books Vol. 1-1800-1804. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1997. Digital version available at World Vital 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 FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Military
Mexican War


 * Campbell, William Bowen. Mexican war letters of Col. William Bowen Campbell of Tennessee, written to Governor David Campbell of Virginia, 1846-1847. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee Historical Magazine, 1915 (reprint). Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * "Smith County, Tennessee - Soldiers in the Mexican War," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 4, No. 5 :3-. For access, see Periodicals.

Civil War


 * 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).


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.

Newspapers

 * The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee newspapers. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1808-1809 Carthage Gazette


 * Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. 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 Smith County click on the following town:


 * Carthage

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Smith County.]

Periodicals
Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:


 * Ansearchin' News


 * Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Smith County, Tennessee records have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.


 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Smith County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.


 * Smith County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly Newsletter


 * Family History Library has all the volumes to the present time. FHL US/CAN 976.852 B2s Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). For additional information see the Smith County Historical and Genealogical website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsmith/hg/app.html


 * The Upper Cumberland Researcher


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Smith County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The Family History Library has most issues through the present FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).

Prisons
Learn if your Smith County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Probate
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Smith County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Will Book 3: 1828-1851
 * 2) Will Book 5: 1805-1807
 * 3) Probate Records: 1805-1823
 * 4) Will Book 7: 1843-1859
 * 5) Will Book 8: 1859-1899

The following Smith County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1803-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]
 * Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Smith County, Tennessee, Wills and Administrations. [1805-1818] Melber, KY: Simmons Historical Pub., 1997-1998. 4 volumes. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.852 P2w. Digital versions of selected volumes available at World Vital Records ($) Volume 2 Dec 1808-Feb 1815 and Volume 4 Aug 1816-May 1818 ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

Taxation
The following Smith County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [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 Periodicals.
 * [1814] "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Smith County.]
 * [1836] Roddy, Vernon. "Civil Districts of Smith County, Tennessee, in 1836," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1986):6-12. For access, see Periodicals.
 * [1837] Shelton, Kenneth and Steven Denney. "1837 Smith County Tax List," [work in progress] available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
 * [1860] Maggart, Sue W. "Smith County Tax List 1860," Smith County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 2 (1997); Vol. 9, No. 3 (1997).
 * [1862] "Smith County, Tennessee - 1862 Direct Tax List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 3, No. 4 :25-. For access, see Periodicals.

Vital Records
Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Smith County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

The following Smith County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1838-1870] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1838-1909] Trumm, Catherine and Philip Trumm. "Smith County Marriages Index [1838-1909]," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb. [Abstracted names of brides and grooms, dates, and race.]

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Smith County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * 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. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 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.]

Societies and Libraries
Smith County Historical and Genealogical Society For research questions join the mailing list for Smith County - TNSMITH-L

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Smith 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

Smith County Public Library 215 North Main Street Carthage (S), TN 37030 Phone: 615-735-1326

Web Sites

 * Smith County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List)
 * Smith County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Smith County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)