Tennessee, Putnam County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes records from the circuit and chancery courts of Putnam County. The records include disputed property and estates, wills, divorces and records of other civil proceedings.

For a list of records by localities, document type, dates and alaphabet currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The content varies with each different record type, but generally includes the following information:


 * Names of primary individuals
 * Names of relatives and friends
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residences
 * Dates the documents were written or recorded
 * Occupations
 * Ages
 * Birthdates and places

How to Use the Records
To begin your search you will need to know:


 * Names of primary individuals
 * The place of residence
 * The approximate date of the event

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "County" ⇒Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to locate census,church, and land records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the records to identify heirs and relatives and to learn about adoptions or guardianship of any minor children and dependents.
 * Use the document (such as the will) or the recording dates to approximate a death date.
 * Use the information in probate records to substitute for civil birth and death records since the probates exist for an earlier time period.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Probate and divorce records may have clues about land transactions and guardianships of minor children.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the deceased or the testator.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning or end of individual volumes. Local historical and genealogical societies may also have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Putnam County Tennessee
 * Putnam County Research Helps
 * TNGenes Genealogy

Related Wiki Articles
Putnam County, Tennessee Putnam County, Tennessee Genealogy Putnam (old) County, Tennessee

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.