Henry County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Henry County





West Tennessee county on the Tennessee River. Established 1821.

County Courthouse


Henry County Courthouse P.O. Box 7 101 West Washington Street Paris, Tennessee 38242 Phone: 731-642-2412

Henry County Clerk Birth, Marriage, Death and probate records 101 W. Washington Street P.O. Box 24 Paris, TN 38242 Phone: 731-642-2412

Henry County Register of Deeds Land records 213 W. Washington St., 2nd floor P.O. Box 44 Paris, TN 38242 Phone: 731-642-4081

Henry County Circuit Court Clerk P.O. Box 429 Paris, TN 38242 Phone: 731-642-0461

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm

History


The county is named after Virginia Governor Patrick Henry (1736-1799).

Parent County
1821--Henry County was created 7 November 1821 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Paris

Record Loss

 * Lost census: 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1821 to 1837

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: Henry 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.)

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness offers to take photographs of headstones found in Henry County cemeteries.

The following websites may contain Henry County cemetery records:


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Henry County linking to the information about the people buried there,


 * Henry County, TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.


 * Henry County, Tennessee, part of USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


 * Henry County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries for Henry County. Some of the books or other books may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * Some cemetery transcriptions for Henry County are on Interment.net


 * ePodunk list of Henry County cemeteries


 * Reed, Sue. "Compendium of Henry County Cemeteries," available online, courtesy: Danville Crossing.

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Henry 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 Henry County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project®]

1820


 * McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy 1820, pre-Henry county area (Stewart county, Tennessee, census) Paris, Tennessee : G.B. McNutt, c1989 FHL US/CAN book 976.832 X2

1830


 * McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy 1830 census, Henry county, Tennessee (Stewart county, Tennessee, census) Paris, Tennessee : G.B. McNutt, c1989 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2

1840


 * McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy 1840 census, Henry county, Tennessee (Stewart county, Tennessee, census) Paris, Tennessee : G.B. McNutt, c1989 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2

1850


 * Gossum, Mary Louise and Simmons, Don Henry County, Tennessee, census of 1850 Melber, Kentucky : Simmons Historical Pub., 1994 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2
 * Cooper, Gloria and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) Everyname index to the 1850 census of Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : The Center, 2001? FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1860


 * Brink, Elizabeth and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) 1860 everyname census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : The Center, 2001? FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1870


 * Brink, Elizabeth and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) 1870 everyname census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : The Center, 2001? FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1880


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara 1880 census Henry County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennesse : B. Sistler and Associates, 2001 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2
 * McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy 1840, pre-Henry county area (Stewart county, Tennessee, census) Paris, Tennessee : G.B. McNutt, c1989 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2
 * Brink, Elizabeth and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) 1880 everyname census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : The Center, 2001? FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

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. 2 1891. [Henry County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * 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.

1900


 * McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy 1900 census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : G.B. McNutt, c1989 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X2
 * Cooper, Gloria and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) 1900 everyname census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : Family History Center, 1999 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1910


 * Dunlap, Linda S. Index to the 1910 census of Henry County, Tennessee S.I. : L. Dunlap, 1997? FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1920


 * Cooper, Gloria and Family History Center (Paris, Tennessee) 1920 everyname census index, Henry County, Tennessee Paris, Tennessee : Family History Center, 1999 FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

1930


 * Dunlap, Linda S. Every-name index to the 1930 census of Henry County, Tennessee [200?] FHL US/CAN book 976.834 X22

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

Bibliography


 * [Beasley] Lockhart, William Thomas. The Beasley Family of Benton, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties of Tennessee. Florissant, Missouri: W. Lockhart, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B38Lw.
 * [Clark] Gilbert, Thomas Graves. Francis Clark of Louisa County, Virginia: and His Descendants in Carroll County, Tennessee: Family Members of Michael Clark of England and Barbados and His Son Francis Clark of Louisa County, Virginia, the Migration of His Sons to Anson County, North Carolina and Descendants to Henry Weakley and Carroll Counties of Tennessee. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 2004. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C547gt.
 * [Freeman] McClellan, Susan Webb and Freeman, Adeline Adeline Freeman : Mormon Pioneer Bountiful, Utah : Family History Publishers, 1998 Available at the Family History Library FHL 929.273 F877 with a digital version through BYU Family History Archives
 * [Fowler] Arthur, Glenn Dora Fowler (Mrs. James Joyce Arthur).Annals of the Fowler Family, with Branches in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, California, and Texas. Austin, Texas, published by the author, 1901. Free digital copy.
 * [Hagler] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. The Hagler Family of Henry Co., Tenn. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 2002?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H123t.
 * [Haymes] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. The Family of William Henry Haymes of Henry County, Tennessee. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 2000?. FHL US/CAN Book 929.273 H332t.
 * [Humphreys] Humphrey, Leonard. Humphreys of Prince George, Maryland, Caswell-Rockingham Counties, N.C., Henry County, Tennessee, Greene-Putnam-Sullivan Counties, IND, ... FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H884hL.
 * [Jones] Jones, Henry Earl. Henry Earl Jones. Fairhope, Ala.: H.C. Jones, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J71je.
 * [McMurtry] McMurtry, Brian L. The West Tennessee McMurtry Family: A Synopsis of the Lives and Historical Background that Surrounded the McMurtry Family of Humphreys, Benton, and Henry County, TN. Newburgh, Ind.: B.L. McMurtry, 2006. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M229mb.
 * [Row] Information about the family of Adam Row, Family Folders, Kentucky State Archives, Frankfort, Ky.
 * [Sanders] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. Sanders Family of Henry Co., Tennessee. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 2004. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sa56ts; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Wharton] Wharton, Richard. Richard Wharton Papers, 1863 - 1906. Book contributor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A diary, letters and other writings including his service in the Confederate Army, letters relating to family matters, a genealogy of the Wharton family, poems and speeches. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * [Williams] Williams, E. Ray. The Williams Families of Henry County, Tennessee. Paris, TN: E.R. Williams, 1971. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W67wer; FHL US/CAN Fiche 6046888; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Wilson] King, Stephen Lynn. William Duncan Wilson : Sgt. Co. K 46, Tenn. Inf., Confederate States Army, Sept. 15, 1841- Mar. 21, 1936. Bowling Green, Ky.: S.L. King, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 921.73 W699k.

Historic Residences

 * Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. Old Homes of Henry County, Tennessee. 2 vols. 2004?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 J7t v. 1 ff.

Land

 * Henry County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1822 and is located at the Courthouse, P.O. Box 24, 100 W Washington St., Paris, TN 38242; telephone (731) 642-2412. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries


 * Henry County Deed Books Vol. 1-1822-1825. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * Henry County Deed Books Vol. 2-1825-1827. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes some early deed abstracts.]
 * The Family History Library has microfilmed copies of deeds 1821-1899; Land entry books 1820-1886; surveyers report books 1826-1905; and ranger books (stray livestock) 185601873.

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.
 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes a list of legislative petitions from residents of Henry County covering the years 1821 to 1855.]

Local Histories

 * Perry, Larry T. A Pictorial History of the Old 23rd District. L.T. Perry, 198? Free lookups available!

Military
Revolutionary War


 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes 1840 Census of Revolutionary War Pensioners.]

War of 1812


 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes 1883 List of War of 1812 Pensioners.]

Newspapers
A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to do free obituary lookups in Henry County 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 Henry County click on the following city:


 * Paris

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2man. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Henry 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 records of Henry County, Tennessee 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.

Family Findings

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Henry 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 FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f.

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 to retrieve them.

West Tennessee Historical Society Papers

Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 16 and 30 FHL US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w. 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

Prisons
Learn if your Henry 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 following Henry County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1822-1861] 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.]

Simmons Historical Publications has abstracted and indexed various volumes of Henry County wills. Copies may be purchased at their webiste. The following are available online at the subscription website World Vital Records ($):


 * Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes will indexes 1856-1863, 1879-1902, some earlier will abstracts, as well as estates, guardians, orders, etc.]

Taxation
The original Henry County Tax Books 1827-1873 were microfilmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives in 1969. Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 1011525-1011526.

The following Henry County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1823] Inman, W.O. "Pen Sketches" Index: Henry County, 1824 Land Sale for Taxes (Unpaid for 1823). n.p.: W.O. Inman, n.d. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 R42i.
 * [1823] Sheriff's Sale for Taxes, March Term 1824, Henry Co., Tenn., Family Findings, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Apr. 1972). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1827-1835] Historical Records Project. Tax Books, 1827-1835, Henry County, Tennessee. Typescript, Tennessee State Library, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1943. FHL US/CAN Film 24700.
 * [1827] McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy. Henry County, Tennessee, 1827 Tax List. Paris, Tenn.: G.B. McNutt, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 R4m 1827.
 * [1836] Hughes, Thomas Proctor. "Henry County, Tennessee 1836 Tax Record," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer 1981):59-64; Vol. 28, No. 3 (Fall 1981):135-140. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. 1836 Henry County, Tennessee Civil District and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 R4d.
 * [1836] Tax Lists, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Apr. 1997).
 * [1890] McNutt, Gwyn Bellamy. Henry County, Tennessee, 1890 Tax List. Paris, Tenn.: G.B. McNutt, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 R4m 1890.

Vital Records

 * W.G. Rhea Public Library. Genealogy Department. Compilation of Henry County, Tennessee Vital Records, 1764-2002. 2 vols. Paris, Tenn.: W.G. Rhea Public Library, 2002-2003. FHL US/CAN Book 976.834 V3c v. 1 ff. [Information drawn from cemetery records, marriages, and funeral home records.]

Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Henry 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 Henry County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1838-1858] Whitley, Edythe Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records: Henry County "Old Time Stuff." 1968; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1998. Digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes abstracts of some marriages recorded between 1838 and 1858.]
 * [1838-1867] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 1 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]

Death


 * Hays, Tony. West Tennessee Death Records [ca. 1823-1852]. 2 vols. n.p.: Kitchen Table Press, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 976.8 V2ht v. 1-2. [Henry County is included in Vol. 1]

For deaths of Methodists in Henry 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
A local volunteer, through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, offers to do genealogy lookups and make photocopies at Henry County's public library.

Family History Centers
Paris Tennessee 1921 Lone Oak Rd Paris, Henry, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 731-642-2285 Hours: W 9am-2pm &amp; 6pm-8pm; Th 9:30am-2:30pm; All other times by appt.

These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Henry County, Tennessee by Dan Martin. Genealogy Resources, Local History, Queries
 * Henry County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Henry County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Henry County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNHENRY-L (Henry County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: DanvilleCrossing-L (Tennessee River County Genealogy and History List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: DanvilleQueries-L (Tennessee River County Genealogy and History List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: WEST-TNCHAT-L (West Tennessee Chat List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: WESTTN-L (West Tennessee List)