Madison County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Madison County West Tennessee county. Established 1821.





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

County Courthouse


Madison County Courthouse 100 East Main, Room 105 Jackson, TN 38301 Phone: 1-731-423-6022

Madison County Clerk Marriage and probate records 100 E. Main Street, Suite 105 Jackson, TN 38301 Phone: 1-731-423-6022

Madison County Register of Deeds Land records 100 E. Main Street, Suite 109 Jackson, TN 38301 Phone: 1-731-423-6089

Madison County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 515 S. Liberty Street, Suite 200 Jackson, TN 38301 Phone: 1-731-423-6035

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

History


The county is named after President James Madison (1751-1836).

Parent County
1821--Madison County was created 7 November 1821 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Jackson

County Pronunciation


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

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

Record Loss

 * Census: 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1821 to 1837
 * Lost probate records: 1821 to 1824

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

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Madison County biography, court, and marriage 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: Madison County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African Americans
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans


 * Free African Americans Listed in the 1850 and 1860 Madison County,. Tennessee Free Census Schedules, available online, courtesy: Christine's Genealogy Website: Who are Your People?

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 Hollywood Cemetery and Riverside Cemetery.

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


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


 * Madison 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 Madison county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Madison County cemeteries

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

1840 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, Madison County on page 159.]

1850


 * Carpenter, Mrs. V.K. Seventh census of the United States, 1850 : Madison County, Tennessee, free population schedules Huntsville, Arkansas : Century Enterprises Genealogical Services, 1971 FHL US/CAN book 976.827 X2

1870


 * Wiggins, Joy Darlene Madison County, Tennessee, 1870 census Jackson, Tennessee: Joy Darlene Wiggins, 1992 FHL US/CAN book 976.827 X2

1880


 * Sistler, Barbara 1880 census Madison County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee : Byron Sistler, 2001 FHL US/CAN book 976.827 X2

Church
Methodist

Memphis Conference United Methodist Archives Luther L. Gobbel Library Lambuth University 705 Lambuth Boulevard Jackson, TN 38301 Telephone: 901-425-3270 Internet: http://www.lambuth.edu

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


 * [Brown] Descendant of Milton A. Brown, m. 1866 Madison County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 25 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 3726). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Several matches have been found.
 * [Doss] Descendant of Charles Wesley Doss (1846-1885) of Madison County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 67 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 40282). Genetic signature available online (labeled Jw-1), 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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Madison, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 20,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * [Bonner] Bonner, Kathryn R. The Bonner Family Record: This Record is Primarily of the Bonners of Surry and Sussex Counties, Virginia, Those that Went to Wilson, Madison and Shelby Counties, Tennessee, and Those that Went on to Phillips County, Arkansas: Today the Descendants are Spread into Many States. Marianna, Ark.: K.R. Bonner, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 3414.
 * [Byron] See Byrum.
 * [Byrum] Byron, Mark Bennett. Descendants of Henry Byrom of Virginia. Waterbury, CT: Heminway Press, 1956. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 872775; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Derryberry] Williams, John T. The John Wesley C. Derryberry Family, ca. 1800-1973. MSS., microfilmed in 1983. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6019288.
 * [Derryberry] Graziano, Eugene Edward and Freida Mullen Graziano. The Andrew Derryberry, Sr., (bef. 1780) Family Line: A Genealogy Including Individuals Related through Marriage ... Goleta, Calif.: E. &amp; F.M. Graziano, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D448g.
 * [Gibbs] Smith, Jonathan K.T. The Gibbs Place in Madison County, Tennessee. n.p.: J.K.T. Smith, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G355s.
 * [Luckey] Luckey, Ann Colvin and Elizabeth Luckey Bennett. The Luckey Family of Tennessee: A Genealogical History of the John Henry Luckey, William Franklin Luckey and Samuel Joseph Luckey of Gibson/Madison Counties, Tennessee Their Ancestors and Descendants, 1732-1987. Cullman, Ala.: Gregath, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L964L.
 * [Robison] Robison, Maude. Robison Family of Jackson, Madison, Tennessee. MSS., microfilmed in 2002. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6004138.
 * [Watlington] Watlington, Elton A. and Janice T. Watlington. Watlingtons of West Tennessee, 1830-1997. Jackson, Tenn.: Minuteman Press, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W329w.
 * [Watlington] Watlington, Janice T. and Elton A. Watlington. Watlingtons and Allied Families: Genealogical Data, 1830-1997; Madison County, Western Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: J.T. Watlington, 1997?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W329w supp.
 * [Young] Young, Joseph Futrell. Ancestors of Joseph Clifford Young, b. 23 June 1891, Madison County, Tennessee, d. 6 Jul 1967, Marianna, Lee, Arkansas. n.p.: J.F. Young, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Y85j.

Land

 * Madison County Register of Deeds at 100 East Main St. Suite 109 Jackson, Tennessee 38301, telephone 731-423-6089, has records of deeds, trust deeds, liens, charters of incorporation, maps, plats, military discharges, and all UCC filing on personal property.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds 1821-1964 and trust deeds which are indexed; and land ownership map for 1877 from the Library of Congress.

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.

Maps

 * [1870] Bird's Eye View of the City of Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee. Originally published 1870. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

The following Madison 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, Madison County on page 159.]
 * 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. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-23. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Madison County pensioners (p. 21).]

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 Madison County click on the following city:


 * Jackson

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 Madison 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 Madison 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.
 * Family Findings
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Madison 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 Madison 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 a few 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 Circuit Court have responsibility for the probate records of Madison County.

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


 * [1821-1861] 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.]
 * [1862-1927] Smith, Jonathan Kennon Thompson. Genealogical Abstracts from Will Books, Madison County, Tennessee. 3 volumes. Jackson, Tennessee: J.K.T. Smith, 1994-1998. Each volume is indexed. (FHL book 976.827 P28s v. 1-3.)
 * Jonathan K.T. Smith's Last Will and Testament Abstracts for Madison County Will Books 1 to C (1821 to 1937) are available for free online, courtesy: David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository.

Taxation
The following Madison County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1821-1826] Madison County, Tennessee Tax Book, Vol. I, 1821-26, Family Findings, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Oct. 1983). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1822-1832] Historical Records Project. Tax Books, 1822-1832, Madison County, Tennessee. Typescript, Tennessee State Library, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24759.
 * [1823] Tax Roll, 1823, Family Findings, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Jul. 1972). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1833] "Madison County Justices Approve Land Sale for Unpaid 1833 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 50, No. 3 (Fall 2003):8. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1837] "Madison County Unpaid 1837 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Winter 1999):50. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1854] Delinquent Railroad Taxes, 1854, Family Findings, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Oct. 2005). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1857] Tax Collector Report, 1857, Family Findings, Vol. 37, No. 3 (2005). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1865-1866] Smith, Jonathan K.T. Persons Appearing on the Federal Direct Tax, Madison County, Tennessee, 1865-1866. 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.827 R4s.
 * [1866] Madison County, Tennessee Poll Tax Insolvencies for 1866, Family Findings, Vol. 32, No. 3 (July 2000). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1866] Poll Tax Insolvencies, 1866, Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 6 (Dec. 2000).
 * [1867] Delinquent Tax Payers, 1867, Family Findings, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Jan. 1999). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1870-1871] Taxation, 1870-71, Family Findings, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Jan. 1999). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1873] Persons Asking to be Released from Poll Tax, 1873, Family Findings, Vol. 31, No. 4 (1999). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1880s] Madison County, Tennessee Courthouse Records Release of Poll Tax 1880s, Family Findings, Vol. 32, No. 2 (April 2000). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1919] Madison County, Persons Released from Paying Poll Tax in 1919, Family Findings, Vol. 34, No. 3 (July 2002). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * Smith, Jonathan K.T. Antebellum Militia, Justices and Some Early Taxpayers Madison County, Tennessee. Jackson, Tenn.: J.K.T. Smith, 1998. FHL US/CAN Book 976.827 P2sjk.

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


 * [1823-1832] Douthat, James L. Madison County, Tennessee, loose marriage bonds, 1823-1832 : taken from the WPA records Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.827 V2mc
 * [1838-1847] Historical Records Project, 1937 Madison County, Tennessee, marriage book 2, 1838-1847 Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, [199-]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.827 V2mct
 * [1823-1871] 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.]
 * [1838-1871] Historical Records Project and Historical Records Survey Marriage records, 1838-1871, Madison County, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1940. FHL US/CAN Film 24758 items 407
 * [1838-1963] Madison County, Tennessee County Court Clerk Marriage records, 1838-1963 Nashville, Tennessee : Filmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1965,1998 and Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. FHL US/CAN Films 390180-91, 2110938 item 2, 2111179-83, 2111231-38, 2111421-28, 2111540-43, 2111558-59, 2129822-27. 2129945, 2129947 item 1
 * [1868-1888] Smith, Jonathan Kennon Thompson Public marriage records of black persons in Madison County, Tennessee 1868-1888 Jackson, Tennessee : J.K.T. Smith, c1998. FHL US/CAN Book 976.827 V2sj
 * 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. Madison, 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 Madison County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, 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. [Madison County is included in Vol. 2]
 * Hutcherson, Sarah. "Madison County, TN - Vital Records - 1930 Death Certificates," abstacts available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

For deaths of Methodists in Madison 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.]

Family History Centers
Jackson Tennessee 923 Pipkin Rd Jackson, Madison, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 731-664-2274

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

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