Rutherford County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Rutherford County Middle Tennessee county. Established 1803.

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

County Courthouse
Rutherford County Courthouse 319 N. Maple St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Phone: 1-615-898-7800

Rutherford County Clerk Marriage and probate records 319 N. Maple St., Suite 121 Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Phone: 1-615-898-7800

Rutherford County Register of Deeds Land records 319 N. Maple St., Room 133 P.O. Box 5050 Murfreesboro, TN 37133 Phone: 1-615-898-7870

Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 20 N. Public Square, Judicial Building Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Phone: 1-615-217-7119

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

History
The county is named after "Griffin Rutherford, chairman of the legislature of the Southwest Territory."

Parent County
1803--Rutherford County was established 25 October 1803 from Davidson County. Early records may be found under Davidson County. County seat: Murfreesboro

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

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
1832--Tornado damaged records

County records are complete.

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Rutherford County biography, court, family Bible, and military 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: Rutherford 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


 * 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.]

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


 * 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 Rutherford County linking to the information about the people buried there,


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


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


 * TheFamily History Library Cataloglists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Rutherford County cemeteries

Census
1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project®].

1810

Rutherford County is one of the only Tennessee counties with a surviving 1810 census; however, even this county's census schedule is incomplete. A substitute is available, see Taxation.


 * Houston, Martha Lou. Tennessee Census Records, No. 1, Rutherford County 1810. Washington, D.C., 1933. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Rutherford County, Tennessee Population Schedules of the United States census, 1810 : Head of Household Only. Typscript, 19--?.
 * 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..

1820


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Rutherford County, Tennessee Population Schedules of the United States census, 1820. Typscript, 19--?.
 * 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:.

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. ; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1840


 * Rutherford County Historical Society. The 1840 census of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Murfreesboro, Tennessee : Rutherford County Historical Society, 1974.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Rutherford County on page 157.]

1850


 * Porch, Deane. 1850 census of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee : Deane Porch, 1967.

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. ff. [Rutherford County is included in Vol. 2.]

1880


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Rutherford County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1998.

1920


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

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.


 * Rutherford County Church Records


 * - Family History Library Catalog -


 * 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 Rutherford County are:


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


 * The Historical Projects Administration published a guide in 1943 to several Rutherford County church records. Use this guide to locate the following church records:

[1858-1819] historical sketch of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Murfreesboro

[1816-1916] history of Hopewell Presbyterian (U.S.) Church

[1823-1893] history and register of Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, South

[1816-1831] sessional records of the Stones River Presbyterian Church

[1835-1840] records of the Young Men's Educational Society,

[1841-1860] church minutes of the Primitive Baptist Church Providence

Baptist


 * 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. Free digital copy.

Church of Christ


 * [1835-1860] Rock Spring Church of Christ Records. Rutherford County, 1835-1860. TSLA Reel #170
 * [1835-1860] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.1   Index to original Rock Spring Church of Christ Records. Rutherford County, 1835-1860.  Item 2

Presbyterian


 * [1812-1967] First Presbyterian Church Records. Murfreesboro, 1812-1967. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #502.
 * [1812-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original First Presbyterian Church Records. Murfreesboro, 1812-1967.
 * [1887-1972] LaVergne Presbyterian Church Records. Rutherford County, 1887-1972. Manuscript. TSLA Reel #415.
 * [1887-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol. 2 Index to original LaVergne Presbyterian Church Records. Rutherford County, 1887-1972.

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

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 Rutherford, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 45,000 entries.


 * Rutherford County, Tennessee: History &amp; Families. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2002..

Bibliography


 * [Adams] Ose, Enlow. The Family of John Washington Adams (1822-1907): and the Families of Robert Murray (1790/1800-1840/1850); Catherine Adams Stephens (ca. 1804-after 1860); Jesse Koonce (ca. 1769-ca. 1814); Nancy Brewer (ca. 1804-1850/1860); George Adams (Before 1775-1830/1840) of Rutherford and Wilson County, Tennessee. [Sacramento, Calif.]: E. Ose, 1996..
 * [Austin] Steiner, Harold Austin The Levi Austin family : of North Carolina and Tennessee Las Vegas, Nevada : Haldor Company, 2004. .Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Bingham] Bingham, Bessie Adcock The Binghams in America : a genealogical history of the Bingham family. Salt Lake City, Utah : Digitized by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2009. Digital copy available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Bishop] Gray, John W. The Life of Joseph Bishop, the Celebrated Old Pioneer in the First Settlements of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1858. Free digital copy.
 * [Bobbitt] Mount, Allen Wade. Our Bobbitt Family: genealogical and historical record of the southern branch, with the Beck, Elliott, Goodloe and Hurd families and allied lines. Prairie Village, KS: Unknown, 1972. Available at ; ; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Brothers] Brothers, Elvira. The Generations of Francis Brothers (1779-1845): A History of Francis Brothers Who Settled in Rutherford County, Tennessee about 1815, and His Descendants. [Tenn.?: Ophelia B. Willard?, 1986?]..
 * [Dickson] Smith, Austin Wheeler. The Dickson-McEwen and Allied Families Genealogy. Cookeville, TN: Unknown, 1945. Available at . Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Gambill] Brown, Louise G. and Jane C. Luna. The Descendants of Bradley Gambill. Columbia, Tenn.: P-Vine Press, 1979..
 * [Gordon] Gordon, Thomas Gilbert. The John Hilton Gordon Family of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Tampa, Fla.: Anundsen, 1988..
 * [Gregory] Spears, Josephine Lee Gregory. Joseph Gregory "The Centenarian" (1742-1842), Mecklenburg County, Virginia to Rutherford County, Tennessee and His Descendants. Raleigh, N.C.: J.G. Spears, 1990..
 * [Jordan] Bamman, Gale Williams. "Challenging the Obvious Conclusion: Which John J. Jordan Did Alexander Produce?" National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 4 (December 1994):255-268.
 * [Kerby] Tayloe, Stephanie Routon. Kerby Family of Rutherford County, Tennessee: Overall and Rucker Family. Buchanan, Tenn.: S.R. Tayloe, 2003..
 * [McEwen] See Dickson.
 * [McFerrin] Fitzgerald, O.P. and McFerrin, John B. John B. McFerrin, a biography Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986. . Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Miller] Webb, Thomas G. The Webb Families of Dekalb County, Tennessee, and 23 Related Families: Including Bethel, Cantrell, Colvert, Fuson, Gribble, Hicks, Jaco, Judkins, Magness, Mangum, Moser, Parker, Potter, Redmon, Snow, Turner, and Weedon Families, along with the Farmer and Foushee Families of Virginia; the Gray, George, and Sageley Families of Cannon County, Tennessee, the Nathaniel Miller Family of Rutherford County, Tennessee, and Others. Smithville, Tenn.: Bradley Printing Co., 2002..
 * [Pearcy] McGinnis, Rita A. A Pearcy/Piercy Family in America. Typescript, 1988.
 * [Rucker] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. History of the Rucker Family and their Descendants: Sketches of Carter, Barton, Early, Johns, Lee, Martin, Pendleton, Reade, Seldon, Taliaferro, Witt and Wyatt Families. Nashville, TN: Unknown, 1927. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Sanders] Sanders, Charles Robert and Robert S. Sanders. History of the Family of Dr. William Josiah and Fanny Adams Sanders of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 1987..
 * [Sanders] Sanders, Robert S. Descendants of Drury Josiah Sanders and Frances Jane Stockard of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Typescript, 1993..
 * [Sanders] Sanders, Charles Robert and Robert S. Sanders. A History of the Family of Dr. William Josiah and Fanny Adams Sanders of Rutherford County, Tennessee. [Murfreesboro, Tenn.: R.S. Sanders, Jr.], 1993..
 * [Smotherman] Goodwin, Sarah Jones et al. Westbrooks-Williams and Related Smothermans of Rutherford County, Tennessee: with Histories of Midland Community, Oak Grove School, Old Leb Church. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Rutherford County Historical Society, 1984..
 * [Westbrooks] Goodwin, Sarah Jones et al. Westbrooks-Williams and Related Smothermans of Rutherford County, Tennessee: with Histories of Midland Community, Oak Grove School, Old Leb Church. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Rutherford County Historical Society, 1984..
 * [Williams] Goodwin, Sarah Jones et al. Westbrooks-Williams and Related Smothermans of Rutherford County, Tennessee: with Histories of Midland Community, Oak Grove School, Old Leb Church. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Rutherford County Historical Society, 1984..
 * [Woodruff] Woodruff, Howard W.The Woodroof-Woodrough-Woodruff Family: of Surry, Brunswick, Greensville counties, Virginia, 1700-1825, and Some Branches Who Migrated to Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, 1820-1985. Independence, Mo.: A.L. Woodruff, 1985. Digital version at Internet Archive. [Revised and updated version of Tall Trees in the Forest (1966).]

Land
The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Rutherford 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 A: 1804-1808
 * 2) Deed Book H: 1811-1813
 * 3) Deed Book K: 1814-1817
 * 4) Deed Book L: 1817-1819


 * Simmons, Don and Laura Willis. Rutherford County, Tennessee, Deeds, Volume 1, 1804 - 1808. Melber, KY: Simmons Hist., 1996. Available at . Digital version available at World Vital Records. Available for purchase along with Rutherford County Deed Books Vol. 2-1808-1812 at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * Wray, Henry G. Rutherford County, Tennessee Deed Abstracts(1804-1813). Smyrna, Tennessee: s.p., n.d. Free digital copy.

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.] 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 TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Maps

 * [1878] Map of Rutherford County, TN. Originally published 1878. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

The following Rutherford 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Rutherford County on page 157.]
 * 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. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Rutherford County pensioners (p. 51-52).]

Civil War


 * Civl War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Civil War service men from Rutherford County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment)that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Rutherford County.

Confederate Soldiers

 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA
 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Field's) - CSA - Company I.
 * 1st/27th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and F.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McLemore's) - CSA
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Company G.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Rutherford County:

 * Bennett, Charles Wilkes. Historical Sketches of the Ninth Michigan infantry (General Thomas' headquarters guards) with an Account of the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Sunday, July 13, 1862. Coldwater, Michigan: Daily Courier Print, 1913.  Free digital copy.
 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.
 * Phisterer, Frederick.The Regular Brigade of the Fourteenth Army Corps, the Army of the Cumberland, in the Battle of Stone River. n.p., 1883. Free digital copy.
 * Quintard, Charles Todd. Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and Second Bishop of Tennessee. Sewanee, Tennessee: The University Press, 1905. Free digital copy. Chaplain of the 1st Tennessee Regiment.
 * Vance, William J. "Stone's River, the Turning-point of the Civil War. " New York: The Neale Publishing Co., 1914. Free digital copy.
 * Rutherford County Historical Society, The Civil War in MIddle Tennessee, Vol. 37, (The Rutherford County Historical Society, 199?), (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Online book at Internet Archive.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Rutherford County Tennessee Archives, (1 Feb 2012). Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Rutherford County, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
 * United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ...(Washington Printing Office; 1883), (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Rutherford County, page 372-373.
 * TNGenWeb, Rutherford County Related Civil War Information, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Hoover's Gap, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Located in Bedfored County and  Rutherford County.  Murfreesboro 1862, Murfreesboro 1864, Vaught's Hill and Stones River, located in Rutherford County.
 * American Memory, Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).
 * Civil War Traveler, Murfressboro and Area, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).

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 Rutherford County click on the following city or town:


 * Murfreesboro
 * Smyrna

The following newspapers have been abstracted:


 * Willis, Laura. Rutherford County, Tennessee Newspaper Abstracts, Volume 1, 1820 - 1867. Ky.: Simmons Historical Publications, 2005. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * Willis, Laura. Rutherford County Newspaper Abstracts Vol. 2-1867-1906. Ky.: Simmons Historical Publications, 2005. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Rutherford 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 Rutherford 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
 * Frow Chips
 * "Frow Chips, a semi-monthly newsletter, began in 1971. Only issues beginning with Volume 31, Issue 6, March/April 2002 up to the present are available for purchase" (per website). Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Rutherford 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.
 * Rutherford County Historical Society Publications
 * "The first Rutherford County Historical Society Publication was issued June 1973. Over the years, wonderful historical articles, genealogy, legends, stories, etc. about Rutherford County have appeared in the many publication offerings of the Society. Many of these publications are still available for purchase." (per website) Alphabetical list of topicsincluded on website. Detailed listing of issues are on Rutherford County Historical Society Seriessite. The Family History Library has volumes 1 - 33 (1973 - 1989).

Prisons
Learn if your Rutherford 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 Rutherford County Court and Chancery Court have responsibility for the probate records. Many are held by the Rutherford County Archives.

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


 * Online index to Rutherford County Record Books 1803-1880. These include mostly probate information including wills, inventories of estates, estate settlements, guardianship reports, and widow allotments. However, the Record Books also contain some other court information including manumission records, apprenticeships, and trustee’s reports. Copies of the record books are available at the Rutherford County Archives or.


 * [1804-1840] Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh; Timothy J. Edwards, indexer. Wills and Inventories of Rutherford County, Tennessee. Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1998. (FHL book 976.857 P2m, v. 1-2.)
 * [1804-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Rutherford County, Tennessee, wills and administrations, 1804 to 1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. (FHL 976.8 A1 no. 118.)

Taxation
The following Rutherford County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1809] Rutherford Co., TN, Tax List, 1809, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Summer 2001); Vol. 15, No. 2 (Fall 2001). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1809-1813] Rutherford County Tax Lists 1809-1813. Typescript, 1939, W.P.A. Collection, TSLA, Nashville.
 * [1809-1813] 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. . [Cites W.P.A.'s Rutherford County Tax Lists 1809-1813 as a source.]
 * [1809] Tax List, 1809, Frow Chips, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Nov. 2005).
 * [1810] Taxpayers, 1810, Missed on Census, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 4 (Fall 1974).
 * [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 Rutherford County.]
 * [1817] "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Rutherford County.]
 * [1836] Tax Record, 1836, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 21 (Summer 1983); Issue 22 (Winter 1984); Issue 23 (Summer 1984); Issue 33 (Summer 1989).
 * [1837] Tax Record, 1837, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 22 (Winter 1984); Issue 23 (Summer 1984); Issue 33 (Summer 1989).
 * [1839] Tax Records, 1839, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 23 (Summer 1984).
 * [1849] Tax List, 1849, Tennessee Researcher, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Dec. 1962).
 * [1849] Tax Record, 1849, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 22 (Winter 1984); Issue 33 (Summer 1989).
 * [1871] Tax Record, 1871, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 33 (Summer 1989).
 * [1890] Tax Record, 1890, Rutherford County Historical Society Publications, Issue 33 (Summer 1989).

Birth

 * [1881-1935] Birth Records, 1881-1935; death records 1881-1912. Nashville, Tennessee : TSLA, 1964.

Marriage
Early orginal marriage records for Rutherford County [1804-1940] are housed at the County Archives. Marriages after 1940 are kept in the County Courthouse.

The following Rutherford County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1804-1963] Marriage records at the TSLA.
 * [1902-1914] Marriage licenses bonds at the TSLA.
 * [1804-1963] Marriage records and bonds

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


 * [1804-1883] Online Marriage index courtesy of the Rutherford County Archives and TnGenweb.
 * [1804-1870] Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. . [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1804-1864] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. . [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1804-1872] Whitely, Edythe W. Marriages of Rutherford County, Tennessee, 1804-1872. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981.
 * [1804-1845] Marriage Records, 1804-1845, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1940.  Typescript.  Items 1-2
 * - covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 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 many counties.
 * [1717-1858] Marriage Records.
 * [1804-1850] Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Rutherford 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

 * [1881-1882, 1909-1912]  Online death index courtesy of the Rutherford County Archives and TnGenweb.
 * [1881-1912] Birth Records, 1881-1935; death records 1881-1912. Nashville, Tennessee : TSLA, 1964.

For deaths of Methodists in Rutherford 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. 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
Albert Gore Research Center "The Albert Gore Research Center is dedicated to preserving primary sources -- letters, diaries, organization records, photographs, memorabilia, oral histories, and the like -- that document the history of Middle Tennessee State University and the region that it serves. The center is open to the public and welcomes all researchers to use its collections." (per Web site) P.O. Box 193 1301 E. Main St. Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Phone: 1-615-898-2632 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (summer hours vary)

Rutherford County Archives "The archives are a hidden jewel for genealogists and researchers. The Rutherford County Archives is your source for local history." (per Web site) 435 Rice St. Murfreesboro, TN Phone: 1-615-867-4609 E-mail: archives@rutherfordcounty.org Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society P.O. Box 906 Murfreesboro, TN 37133-0906 Phone: 1-615-849-3823 "Historical Research Room located on the second floor of Linebaugh Public Library features Rutherford County, Tennessee materials and genealogical resources." (per Web site)

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

Linebaugh Public Library 105 West Vine St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130 Phone: 1-615-893-4131 Fax: 1-615-848-5038 Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 1 p.m.-6 p.m. The Linebaugh library has a historical research room which includes cemetery records, early wills, census, local histories, vital records, donated genealogy research on local families, newspapers, court records, military records, obituary index and more.

Smyrna Public Library 400 Enon Springs Road, West Smyrna, TN 37167 Phone: 1-615-459-4884 Fax: 1-615-459-2370 Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Syrna library has a small genealogy and historical collectionwhich includes cemetery records, Sewart Air Force base collection, photographs, newpapers, court records, obituaries and more.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Murfreesboro Tennessee Family History Center 902 E Clark Murfreesboro, TN Phone: 1-615-893-3616
 * Smyrna Tennessee Family History Center 316 Mayfield Dr Smyrna, TN Phone: 1-615-355-9268

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

Web Sites

 * (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Rutherford County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Rutherford County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Rutherford County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Rutherford County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rutherford County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)