Step-by-Step Tennessee Research, 1880-Present

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What should be asked?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews What to Ask the Relatives
 * Genealogy: 150 questions to ask family members about their lives
 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.

Using the clues to lead to census record searches.
From this old family Bible record, we can find clues that will guide us in choosing when and where to search the census records. We will start with the Woods family. We only have initials for the parents at this point. The children have full names, however, and were born from 1900 (too late in the year to be in the 1900 census) to 1917 in Campbell County, Tennessee. So we would start by looking for the family in 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses.

'''We couldn't find them in 1920, but here they are in 1910 and 1930. Now we know the parents' full names, Stephen A. Woods and Rachel M. Woods.''' '''We can follow up on the children in the 1940 census. Bezal L. Woods is given here as an example:''' '''Now that we know their names, we can look for Stephen and Rachel in the 1900 census. Fortunately, we find his mother, Nancy Woods, living with them:''' '''Finally, we can look for Stephen A. Woods in the 1880 census in his parents home. We will need Rachel's maiden name before we can look for her.'''



Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
- For more information, see Louisiana Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations.
 * A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using the census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.

Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.

Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death: Notice that we find the maiden name of Nancy Woods in these death records for her children.
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * birth places of the deceased's parents.

How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * online databases
 * writing to a county courthouse (prior to state civil registration beginning in 1867)
 * purchasing them through the mail

Online databases, usually indexes, with some images
Some of the esources shown above are indexes. That means for each of entry an actual, original, full certificate exists. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online.

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Tennessee Counties.

Order Certificates from Tennessee Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for Tennessee Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Tennessee, see How to Find Tennessee Birth Records, How to Find Tennessee Marriage Records, and How to Find Tennessee Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Obituaries

 * Online Tennessee Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * GenealogyBuff Obituaries
 * ObitsArchive.com - Tennessee ($)
 * ObituariesHelp.org - Tennessee Newspaper Obituaries Listings
 * The Obituary Link Page - Tennessee Obituary Links
 * — index and images

Cemeteries

 * Online Tennessee Death Records &amp; Indexes
 * Tennessee Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * Findagrave.com Tennessee Cemetery Records
 * Billiongraves.com Tennessee Cemeteries
 * USGenWeb Tennessee Tombstone Transcription Project.
 * TVA Cultural Resources, Cemeteries Relocated by TVA, index
 * Tennessee Valley Cemetery Relocation Files, 1933-1990, ($), index
 * I Dream of Genealogy Tennessee Cemeteries
 * Tennessee Cemetery Records
 * Tennessee Cemetery Records

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

For more information, see Tennessee Obituaries and Tennessee Cemeteries.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card. -

'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
-
 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Civil War Pensions

 * Pensions were given to Union Civil War soldiers who sustained war-related disabilities from the Federal Government.
 * There are several Civil War pension indexes online:
 * at FamilySearch
 * General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Civil War at Ancestry - $
 * Civil War Pensions Index at Fold3 - $

- For more information and additional collections, see Tennessee Military Records.

Step 6: Look for church records.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.



'''Follow the instructions and links in these articles to search for possible church records that might fill in any gaps.

 * 1816-1995 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images, incomplete.
 * 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only, incomplete.
 * 1796-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only, incomplete.
 * 1810-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index only.

Ancestry.com

 * 1784-1825 Tennessee Marriages 1784 to 1825 ($)
 * 1874-1955 Tennessee, Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955, index, incomplete ($)

Baptist

 * 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1836-1839; 1844-1862;1867-2008 Tennessee Baptist/Baptist and Reflector Digital Project. Online images. The project is working to create an every-name index.

Lutheran

 * Marriages, Births and Deaths from Virginia and East Tennessee Lutheran Church in America Records Daughters of the American Revolution. General James Breckinridge Chapter (Roanoke, Virginia)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Other Collections
-
 * Church, cemetery, bible, and family records from Tennessee, prepared by the Historical Records Project and Historical Records Survey
 * For help with church records kept in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.
 * To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.
Example of probate records.
 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/textprototype/?content=new%20york
 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Tennessee
 * Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008, ($), index and images, incomplete.
 * Images only.
 * Images only.

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Tennessee county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Tennessee Counties

For more information, see Tennessee Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 6: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records are the next goal. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but in ship lists after 1906 you can find the actual town of birth, the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives in the place they are traveling to.

Immigration records
Passenger lists and border crossing lists are the most common immigration records. There are many immigration records available. Click here to see a complete list of available immigration records online. Notice that they are listed by state, but under the letter "U" there is a long list of records that cover all of the United States. Unless family information tells you the port where family arrived, you will need to search all of the United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records for the time period when your ancestors arrived.

Naturalization (Citizenship) Records
Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Records can include the immigrant's declaration of intent to become a citizen, petitions for citizenship, and final certificate of naturalization. Naturalization records after 1906 can show birth date and place, spouse's name, marriage date and place, and lists of children with their birth dates.

Tennessee naturalization records could be recorded at the county court or the Federal District or Circuit Court. You must look for them in both locations. Try searching first in any county where the person lived, unless the census tells you the year they were naturalized, and you have evidence of where they lived that year. If you cannot locate them in the county records, try searching for them in the Federal courts.

Tennessee Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * Tennessee, Naturalization Records, 1907-1991 ($)
 * Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - District Courts in the Southeast, 1790-1958 – covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee ($)

Local histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Tennessee; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Tennessee" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "Tennessee" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, Tennessee. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Tennessee and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.

Biographies
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.
 * County and Town Histories, with biographies
 * Index to Brief Biographical Sketches of 30,000 Tennesseans.
 * Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, e-book
 * A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, ($), index
 * A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry, and modern activities Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, vol. 5, Vol. 6, Vol. 7, Vol.8
 * Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, e-book
 * My Genealogy Hound Tennessee Biographies by county
 * Notable men of Tennessee. Personal and genealogical, with portraits Vol. 1, Vol. 2
 * Tennessee and Tennesseans, e-book
 * Some representative women of Tennessee, e-book

Step 10: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.
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 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.


 * If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Step 11: After online research, search the collection at the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch Center.

 * Search the catalog of the FamilySearch collection. Here you will find many records that have not been digitized or placed online. Microfilmed copies of the records may be available for use at FamilySearch Centers throughout the world.


 * Records are catalogued by location. Do these three searches for each place: Tennessee; the county (or counties) where your ancestors lived; and the town (or towns) where they lived.

Although FamilySearch is actively working to microfilm and preserve records throughout the world, this huge job is nowhere near complete. We have tried in the Wiki to provide information about collections, books, and records held in government and ecclesiastical archives beyond the FamilySearch Library records. In Tennessee, United States Genealogy, you can find links to these records and how to access them. Also here you will find information on records from your particular Tennessee county of interest.