Carroll County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Carroll County

West Tennessee county. Established 1821.





Quick Dates
Carroll County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Carroll County Courthouse 625 High St. Huntingdon, TN 38344 Phone: 1-731-986-1960

Carroll County Clerk 625 High St. Suite 103 Hungtingdon, TN 38344 Phone: 1-731-986-1960 Marriage and Probate records

Carroll County Register of Deeds 625 High St. Suite 104 Huntingdon, TN 38344 Phone: 1-731-986-1952 Land records

Carroll County Clerk of Circuit Court 625 High St. Huntingdon, TN 38344 Phone: 1-731-986-3031 Court records

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

History
The county is named after six-term Tennessee Governor William Carroll (1788-1844).

Parent County
1821--Carroll County was created 7 November 1821 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Huntingdon

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

Record Loss
1931 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


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

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


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

Neighboring Counties

 * Benton
 * Decatur
 * Gibson
 * Henderson
 * Henry
 * Madison
 * Weakley

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Carroll County biography and court records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Carroll County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

The following websites may contain Carroll 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 Carroll County linking to the information about the people buried there,


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


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


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Carroll county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Campbell County cemeteries

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

1830


 * Shaw, Aurora C. Carroll County, Tennessee census : U.S. census of 1830 Jacksonville, Florida : Southern Genealogist's Exchange Society, [197-?] FHL US/CAN Book 976.825 X2

1840


 * Gregory, Jannine and Guy Perry. "The 1840 Census of Carroll County TN," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Carroll County on page 158.]

1850


 * S-K Publications. "Carroll County, TN - 1850 Census Index," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

1860


 * Brown, John C. and Catheryn C. The Eighth Census of the United States 1860, Carroll County, Tennessee Mckenzie, Tennessee : Carroll County Historical Society (AR), 1979. FHL US/CAN Book 976.825 X2

1880


 * Merritt, Karen. "1880 Carroll Co. TN Census," [10 Districts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara. 1880 Census, Carroll, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler and Associates, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.825 X2.

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. [Carroll 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


 * Carroll County, Tennessee Census, 1900 - 1920 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2002 FHL Vault US/CAN Film 2139478 item 1 (Microproduction of originals housed at the Gordon Browning Museum and Genealogical Society in McKenzie, Tennessee)
 * Ing, Lisa. "1900 Carroll County TN Census," [22 Districts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

1910


 * Carroll County, Tennessee Census, 1900 - 1920 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2002 FHL Vault US/CAN Film 2139478 item 1 (Microproduction of originals housed at the Gordon Browning Museum and Genealogical Society in McKenzie, Tennessee)

1920


 * Carroll County, Tennessee Census, 1900 - 1920 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2002 FHL Vault US/CAN Film 2139478 item 1 (Microproduction of originals housed at the Gordon Browning Museum and Genealogical Society in McKenzie, Tennessee)

Church
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.


 * Carroll County Church Records


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Carroll County Church Records


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


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


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Carroll 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 Carroll County are listed.

Baptist


 * [1823-1885] Hollow Rock Primitive Baptist Church Records. Carroll County, 1823-1885. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #402
 * [1823-1885] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original Hollow Rock Primitive Baptist Church Records.
 * [1824-1971] Union Academy Missionary Baptist Church Records. McKenzie, 1824-1971. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #421.
 * [1824-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2  Index to original Union Academy Missionary Baptist Church Records. McKenzie, 1824-1971
 * [1825-1968] Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church Records. Carroll County, 1825-1968. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #425
 * [1825-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2  Index to original Mud Creek Primitive Baptist Church Records. Carroll County, 1825-1968.
 * [1858-1878] Concord Baptist Church Records. Christmasville, 1858-1878. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #408
 * [1858-1878] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2  Index to original Concord Baptist Church Records. Christmasville.
 * [1883-1966] First Baptist Church Records. McKenzie, 1883-1966. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #411.
 * [1883-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2  Index to original First Baptist Church Records. McKenzie, 1883-1966.
 * [1888-] Missionary Baptist, Huntingdon. 
 * [1896-1972} Westport Missionary Baptist Church Records. Carroll County, 1896-1972 TSLA Reel #411
 * [1896-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. Index to original Westport Missionary Baptist Church Records.
 * [1898-1972] . Mt. Nebo Baptist Church Records. Buena Vista, 1898-1972. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #407
 * [1898-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to original Mt. Nebo Baptist Church Records. Buena Vista, 1898-1972.

Methodist


 * [1889-] First Church, Huntington.
 * [1871-] McKenzie Church.
 * [1882-] McLemoresville Church.
 * [1887-] Trezevant Church.

Methodist Episcopal


 * [1867-1969] First United Methodist Episcopal Church Records. McKenzie, 1867-1968. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #406.
 * [1867-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.2   Index to original First United Methodist Episcopal Church Records. McKenzie, 1867-1968.

Presbyterian


 * [1824-1892] Hopewell Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records, 1824-1892. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #176.
 * [1824-1892] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 1 Index to original Hopewell Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records, 1824-1892.
 * [1867-1913, 1957-1970] Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records. (McKenzie, Tenn.) 1867-1913, 1957-1970. TSLA Reel #409
 * [1867-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records.
 * [1872-1927, 1954-1972] Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records. McKenzie, 1872-1927, 1954-1972. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #425
 * [1867-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church Records. McKenzie, 1872-1927, 1954-1972.
 * [1925-] Huntingdon Church.

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Carroll County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * [Doss] Multiple descendants of Rev. John Wesley Doss, b. abt 1809 Virginia, resident of Decatur and Carroll counties, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 and 67 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 40282, 88650). Genetic signature available online (labeled Jw-1 and Jw-2), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

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


 * Carroll County, Tennessee. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Publishing Co. Publisher's description.

Bibliography


 * [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.
 * [Fox] Fox, Ezelle. The Story of William Fox. Dumas, TX: E. Fox, 1954. Available at FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018326. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Glover] Hopping, Carol (Flora). Glover Family. Book and Film, West Covina, California: C. F. Hopping, 1980?. FHL FAM HIST 929.273 G518h and FHL US/CAN Film 1206423 Item 3.
 * [Glover] Hopping, Carol Flora. The Glover Family, 1806–1984. Manuscript with film, 1985. FHL FAM HIST 929.273 G518h 1985 and FHL US/CAN Film 1321083 Item 12.
 * [Gullett] Futrell, Roger Henry Lofland. George Gullett of Carroll County, Tennessee: and Son James Hickman Gullett of Robertson County, Tennessee. Frankfort, Ky.: R.H. Futrell, 2006. Digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Hamilton] Hamilton, Thomas. Autobiography of Thomas Hamilton. Typescript, microfilmed 1972. FHL US/CAN Film 896607 Item 2.
 * [Harris] Lynn, Jack. Harris Family Tree - Carroll County, Tennessee - Ancestors. El Monte, Calif.: Lynn, Jack, 2000?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H24Lj and FHL US/CAN Film 1425339 Item 6.
 * [House] Mills, Betsy. The Descendants of Benjamin House, 1810—1884.  Paris, Texas, B.H. Mills. 1994. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H816m and FHL US/CAN Film 1598359 Item 35.
 * [Johnson] Murphy, Marion Emerson. Early Johnson in Carroll County, Tennessee Their Ancestry and Descendants. [San Diego, Calif.: n.p., 1970]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J63mu.
 * [Kelly] Ross, John Kelly. Ross/Kelly Family History: A Collection of Information About the Family and Ancestors of My Grandparents Horace E. Ross and Vern Kelly of Carroll County, Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky. Clinton, Ky.: J.K. Ross, 1994. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R733rj and FHL US/CAN Film 2055193 Item 9.
 * [Killough] Killough, John Allen, Mrs. The Killough Family of America, Canada and Ireland. Typescript, Washington, Ill, Mrs. J. A. Killough, 195?. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018443.
 * [Lendermon] Boswell, Imogene May and Jean Boswell Pippenger. The Ancestors and Descendants of Henry D. Lendermon: Randolph County, North Carolina; Greenville County, South Carolina; Maury County, Tennessee; Carroll County, Tennessee; Marshall County, Mississippi. Carrollton, Texas: I.M. Boswell &amp; J.B. Pippenger, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L546p and FHL US/CAN Fiche 6100708.
 * [Love] Love, Albert G. Our Ancestors: The Love Family of Trezevant, Carroll County, Tennessee. Washington, D.C.: A.B. Love, 1953. FHL US/CAN Film 877542 Item 4.
 * [Murphy] Murphy, Marion Emerson. Early Murphys-Murpheys in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Robertson and Carroll Counties, Tennessee: Their Ancestry and Progeny. San Diego, Calif.: M.E. Murphy, 1974. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M953m.
 * [Patterson] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon and Val Rucker Routon. The Pattersons of Carroll County, Tennessee: from Stories Told by Velma Patterson Rucker. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 199-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 P277t andFHL US/CAN Film 1415145 Item 6.
 * [Pearson] Smith, Jonathan K. T. The Descendancy of Shadrach Pearson, 1809–1873. Manuscript on film, Salt Lake City, Utah, Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994. FHL US/CAN Film 1698059 Item 50.
 * [Pearson] Smith, Jonathan K.T. William Pearson, 1839-1900: (Carroll Co., Tennessee). n.p.: J.K.T. Smith, 2007. FHL FAM HIST Book 921.73 P319s; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Porter] Williams, Blake. Old Porter Relatives. Jackson, Tennessee, B. williams, 1981. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 3069 and FHL US/CAN Film 1033693 Item 12.
 * [Roach] Thomas, William J. Selah Anne Roach Thomas Genealogical Records, 1784–1913. Manuscript, Salt Lake City, Utah, Flimed by the Genealogical Society of Utah 2002. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6004396.
 * [Ross] Ross, John Kelly. Ross/Kelly Family History: A Collection of Information About the Family and Ancestors of My Grandparents Horace E. Ross and Vern Kelly of Carroll County, Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky. Clinton, Ky.: J.K. Ross, 1994. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R733rj. FHL US/CAN Film 2055193 Item 9.
 * [Rowland] Rowland, Priscilla Sutton. The Rowland Family History. Noblesville, Indiana, R. A. Rowland, 1995. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R796rp and FHL US/CAN Film 2055158 Item 23.
 * [Thomas] Thomas, William J. Selah Anne Roach Thomas Genealogical Records, 1784–1913. Manuscript, Salt Lake City, Utah, Flimed by the Genealogical Society of Utah 2002. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6004396.
 * [Wyatt] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. The Wyatt Family: of Carroll Co., Tennessee. 2 vols. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 2001-2005. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W97t, digital version of Volume 2 at BYU Family History Archives, and FHL US/CAN Fiche 6005601.

Land
Carroll County Register of Deeds is located at Courthouse,P.O. Box 110, Huntingdon, TN 38344-0110; Telephone: (731) 986-1960 and has Land Records beginning with the county organization from 1822. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.


 * Mayo, Maxine Crockett (Haywood) County, Tennessee deeds, 1785-1872 Alamo, Tennessee : M. Mayo, 1983 FHL US/CAN book 976.8225 R2m Free lookups available!

The Family History Library has filmed records of the Carroll County Registrar of:


 * Deeds for Deeds 1822-1936
 * Land Entry Files 1820--1838, 1842-1866
 * Land Surveys 1820-1825,1842-1857.

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.

Local Histories

 * Smith, H. K. Some Encounters with General Forrest. McKenzie, Tenn.?: unknown, 1959. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Military
Revolutionary War

The following Carroll County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Carroll County on page 158.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1960):13-16. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Carroll County pensioners (p. 16).]

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 Carroll County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Bruceton
 * Huntingdon
 * McKenzie

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 Carroll 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
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Carroll 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
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Carroll 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.
 * 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 Carroll County ancestors went to prison!


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

Probate
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within four months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers, because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The County Court and County Probate Judge have responsibility for the probate records of Carroll County.

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


 * 1) Will Book A: 1822-1865
 * 2) Will Book B: 1865-1904

The following Carroll County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:


 * [1830-1861] 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 wills.]
 * [1822-1852] Carroll County Will Books Vol. 1-Sept 1822-Nov 1852. (Mayfield, KY?: Simmons Historical Publications, s.d.). Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1852-1862] Carroll County Will Books Vol. 2-Dec 1852-Dec 1862. (Mayfield, KY?: Simmons Historical Publications, s.d.). Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1862-1874] Willis, Laura; Betty Sellers, indexer. Carroll County, Tenn., Wills. 5 volumes. Melber, Kentucky: Simmons Historical Pub., 2000. (FHL book 976.825 P2w v. 1-5.)

Taxation
The original Carroll County Tax Books 1848-1850, 1871, 1902 are held at the County Courthouse. In 1976, the TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Film 1008616.

The following Carroll County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1821-1826] Historical Records Project. Minutes, Tax Records, Etc., 1821-1826, Carroll County, Tennessee. Typescript, Tennessee State Library, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24609 Item 1.
 * [1836] "Carroll County, Tennessee - 1836 Map of Civil Districts" and "Carroll County, Tennessee 1836 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Spring 1992):14-20; Vol. 39, No. 2 (Summer 1992):69-74. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1848] "1849 Land Sales Held in 3 West Tennessee Counties for Unpaid Taxes," [1848 taxpayers in Decatur, Carroll, and Henderson counties], Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Winter 1997):12. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Marriage
Marriages were not officially recorded in Carroll County during the first few years of its existence. In 1838, 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..

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


 * [1838-1873] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1989. ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1838-1860] Historical Records Project Marriage records, 1838-1860, Carroll County, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1939 item 2
 * [1838-1962] Carroll County (Tennessee) County Court Clerk Marriages (Carroll County, Tennessee), 1838-1962 Nashville, Tennessee : Tennessee State Library and Archives, [19-]-1988. FHL US/CAN Films 944055-065 and 1928621-627
 * [1860-1880] Compiled and presented for print by the Carroll County Historical Society Marriages of Carroll County McKenzie, Tennessee : McKenzie Banner Press, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.825 V2c
 * [1864-1950] Tennessee County Court (Carroll County) Carroll County, Tennessee marriage license files, 1864-1950; indexes, 1864-1950 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2001-2002. FHL US/CAN Films
 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page titled Discover Your Ancestors; indicate a surname, marriage "event" and a county name (i.e. Carroll, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 ($). Be aware that this index is not complete for all counties.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Carroll County divorce papers in diverse manuscript collections, see:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

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. [Carroll County is included in Vol. 1]

For deaths of Methodists in Carroll 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.]

Web Sites

 * Carroll County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Carroll County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Carroll County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Carroll County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Carroll County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: TNCARROL-L (Carroll County, Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: WEST-TNCHAT-L (West Tennessee Chat List) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: WESTTN-L (West Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)