Bedford County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Bedford County

Middle Tennessee county in the Chestnut Ridge region. Established 1807.





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

County Courthouse
Bedford County Courthouse 1 Public Square Shelbyville, TN 37160 Phone: 1-931-684-3223

Bedford County Clerk Marriage and Probate Records 104 Northside Square (US Bank Building Basement) Shelbyville, TN 37160 Phone: 1-931-684-1921

Bedford County Register of Deeds Land Records 108 Northside Square (US Bank Building Basement) Shelbyville, TN 37160 Phone: 1-931-684-5719

Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk Court Records 1 Public Square, Suite 101 (Second Floor Courthouse) Shelbyville, TN 37160 Phone:1- 937-684-3223

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

History
The county is named after "Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford, who was a large landowner in the area."

Parent County
1807--Bedford County was created 3 December 1807 from Rutherford County. County seat: Shelbyville

County Pronunciation


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

Record Loss
1863 and 1934 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1890
 * Lost deed book: 1852-1861, but a reconstructed index survives
 * All records before 1837, except deeds.
 * Some record loss between 1837 and 1865 due to fire.

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

Populated Places
Cities and Towns:

Getting Started
Two great places to start Bedford County family history research are:


 * 1) Byron and Samuel Sistler's Every Name Index to 18 Middle Tennessee County Record Books (Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1992) FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22sb. The Sistlers created a comprehensive index to nine publications about this county's records. It also reaches to nearby Giles and Lincoln counties.
 * 2) GSC Associates Historical Record Products has published 30 CDs with images or abstracts of Bedford County genealogical sources (including Bible, cemetery, church, court, marriage, probate, and tax records). They have many free indexes on their website. The CDs are for sale individually for reasonable fees, or, if you are doing indepth research, you might want to consider purchasing one comprehensive CD that includes all 30 of their previous publications. Website.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Bedford County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Bedford County Genealogical Records Survey," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Spring 1989). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * "Checklist for Searching Middle Tennessee before 1820," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Summer 1998). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of Tennessee No. 2, Bedford County (Shelbyville). Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. FHL US/CAN Book 976.858 A3. Digital version at BYU Family History Archives.

African American

 * 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.]

The following have information concerning African American research. Both should be used:


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * African American Research for Tennessee is specific for Tennessee

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

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Published Bedford County cemetery records:

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

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 - Lost, but a substitute is available:


 * 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.
 * Porch, Deane. Bedford County, Tennessee, 1820 Census. Nashville, Tennessee: Deane Porch, 1969.
 * Index and transcription to 1820 Federal Census, Bedford Tennessee located at USGenWeb Census Project.
 * Scott, Patricia. "1820 Federal Census, Bedford County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 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: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1830


 * Sistler, Byron. 1830 Census-Middle Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler &amp; Assoc., 1971.

1840


 * 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, Middle District, Bedford County on page 155.]

1850


 * Bell, Annie W. B. Family Records of Bedford County, Tennessee as Given the United States Census Taker in 1850.s.p., 19--?.
 * Porch, Deane. 1850 Census of Bedford County, Tennessee.s.p., 1968.

1860


 * Index and transcription to the 1860 Federal Census, Bedford Tennesseelocated at USGenWeb Census Project.
 * Transcription to 1860 Federal Census, Rover, Bedford, Tennessee.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron et al. 1880 Census-Tennessee: Transcription for Bedford County. Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press: 198--?

1890-Lost but a substitute is available


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

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.


 * Bedford County Church Records


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Bedford County Church Records


 * Church histories tell when a church started in the area, who the early members were, give data about church leaders, etc.


 * - Family History Library Catalog - Bedford County Church History


 * 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 Bedford County are:


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


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Bedford County church records was published by the Works Project Administration. Use this guide to locate which church records exist and where they are housed.

Baptist Missionary


 * [1901-1939] First Church, Shelbyville.
 * [1900-] Mount Zion Church, Shelbyville.

Church of God


 * [1933-] Church of God.

Lutheran


 * W.P.A. New Hope Lutheran Church Records, 1805-1836, Bedford County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed in 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24589 Item 6. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Bedford County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.

Methodist Episcopal


 * Mathews, Reverend John D.D. Peeps into Life Autobiography. Methodist Episcopal Church Tennessee Conference, 1904. Free digital copy.
 * [1820-] Methodist Church, Public Square, Shelbyville.
 * [1876-] Methodist Church, Wartrace.

Presbyterian


 * [1827-1956]  First Presbyterian Church Records. Shelbyville, 1827-1956. TSLA Reel #478
 * [1827-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.1   Index to original records First Presbyterian Church Records.
 * [1870-1956] Normandy Presbyterian Church Records. Normandy, 1870-1956. TSLA Reel #492
 * [1870-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records.Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.1  Index to original records Normandy Presbyterian Church.
 * Cogswell, Robert E. The History of the First Presbyterian Church Shelbyville, Tennessee, 1815-1965. Free Lookups Available!

Protestant Episcopal


 * [1867-1969] Church of the Redeemer Records. Shelbyville, 1867-1969. TSLA Reel #480
 * [1867-1900] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.1   Index to original Church of the Redeemer Records.

Court
Chancery Court

GSC Associates Historical Records Products has digitized and indexed Bedford County Chancery Court records, using TSLA microfilms and paper copies at the Bedford County Archives as their sources, for the years 1830 through 1859. Images of the records (as they appear on microfilm) are available for purchase for reasonable fees on CD. The following indexes, thanks to Brenda Carson, Steve Carson, Martha Mendez, and Allison Saxman are available to view for free on their website:


 * Minute Book 1, pt. 1 (1830-1842)
 * Minute Book 1, pt. 2 (1837-1845); also WPA version
 * Minute Book 1, pt. 3 (1840-1848)
 * Minute Book 2 (1846-1853); also WPA version
 * Minute Book 3 (1854-1858)
 * Minute Book 4 (1859-1865)
 * Minute Book A (1865-1868)
 * Minute Book B (1868-1870)
 * Enrollment Dockets Book B (1848-1851)

The following Bedford County Chancery Court records have also been abstracted:


 * [1837-1854] D.A.R. (Iowa). Tennessee, Records of Bedford County, Chancery Court Records, 1837-1854. 3 vols. Typescript, 1938. FHL US/CAN Film 850669.
 * [1838-1848] Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh. Chancery Court Records of Bedford County, Tennessee. [1838-1848] Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8583 P2mh. Free Lookups Available!

Circuit Court

GSC Associates Historical Records Products has digitized and indexed Bedford County Circuit Court records, using TSLA microfilms as their source, for the years 1840 through 1871. Images of the records (as they appear on microfilm), are available for purchase for reasonable fees on CD. The following indexes, thanks to Brenda Carson and Steve Carson, are available to view for free on their website:


 * 1840 - 1851
 * 1853 - 1855
 * 1855 - 1857
 * 1857 - 1858
 * 1858 - 1859
 * 1859 - 1860
 * 1864 - 1865

County Court

GSC Associates Historical Records Products has digitized and indexed Bedford County County Court records, using TSLA microfilms as their source, for the years 1848 through 1874. Images of the records (as they appear on microfilm), are available for purchase for reasonable fees on CD. The following indexes, thanks to Brenda Carson, Steve Carson, Loretta Kelldorf, Bobby McFarlin, Patti McFarlin, and Lucy D. Zeier, are available to view for free on their website:


 * Vol. 1 (1848-1852); also WPA version
 * Vol. 2 (1852-1855); also WPA version
 * Vol. 3 (1857-1860)
 * Vol. A (1863-1866)
 * Vol. B (1866-1869)

The following Bedford County County Court records have also been abstracted:


 * Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh. Earliest County Court Records of Bedford County, Tennessee. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8583 P2m.

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


 * [Brown] Descendant of Alexander F. Brown, b. 1807 Virginia, resident of Bedford County, Tennessee 1830s, d. aft 1840 of Calloway County, Kentucky. Y-DNA 12 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 142768). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 52), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Matches have been found.
 * [Brown] Descendant of Nathaniel G. Brown, b. 1801 Tennessee, resident of Bedford County, Tennessee 1830s, d. Henry County, Missouri. Y-DNA 25 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 76991, 77609). Genetic signatures available online (labeled Group No. 73), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. See also Burnett List.

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


 * Poplin, Dick. Bedford County, Tennessee Family History Book. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2002. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8583 D2b. Publisher's description. Purchase through Bedford County Historical Society, P.O. Box 141, Shelbyville, TN 37162.

Bibliography


 * [Chappell] Chappell, Anne Lorean Young and Florence Guttery. Chappells and Stanleys of Bedford County, TN; Jasper County, GA; Fayette and Tuscaloosa Counties, AL; and Hill and Johnston Counties, TX: Information By and About These and Allied Families and Neighbors Acquired from Various Public and Private Sources Including Personal Family Letters and a Transcript of the Voluminous Estate Records of Miles Chappell, 1790-1887. Memphis, Texas: A.L.Y. Chappell, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C368cs.
 * [Cook] Cook, Jerry Wayne. The Cook Family in America: A Family History of Thomas and Milly (Marcum) Cook and Their Descendants of Bedford County, Tennessee (c. 1770-1973). Normandy, Tenn.: Cook, 1973. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C773c. Free lookups available!
 * [Dickson] Smith, Austin Wheeler. The Dickson-McEwen and Allied Families Genealogy. Cookeville, TN: Unknown, 1945. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D561s. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Eakin] Burdette, Benjamin L. The Eakin Family: Excerpts from Memoirs of Family Members Who Came from Ireland to Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, in the Year 1822: Records from the Deed Books of Bedford County, Tennessee and Inscriptions from Grave Stones in the Eakin--Cowan Section of the Old Shelbyville Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. Typescript, donated in 1960. FHL US/CAN Film 896607 Item 1.
 * [Elkins] One page summary of Rev. Asa Elkins and family. BYU Family History Archive
 * [Ferguson] Ferguson, Herman W. Descendants of James and Elizabeth Fleming Ferguson: Bedford County (Now Marshall), Tennessee. Rocky Mount, N.C.: H. Ferguson, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 F381fhw.
 * [Frost] Frost, Wright Wilson. The Frosts and Related Families of Bedford County, Tennessee. Knoxville, TN: W.W. Frost, c1962. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 F929f and FHL US/CAN Fiche 6104871; digital versions at Heritage Quest Online ($) and World Vital Records ($).
 * [Frost] Frost, Wright Wilson. A Supplement to the Frosts and Related Families from Bedford County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: W.W. Frost, 1962, 1972. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 F929f supp. 1.
 * [Gray] Greenlee, Martha Sansom. Capt. William Gray, 1754-1841, and Some Descendants: Pension, Court, Cemetery, Census, and Old Newspaper Records from Washington, D.C.; Bedford County, Tennessee; Christian County, Kentucky; Gibson County, Indiana; Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Typescript, Willard Library, Evansville, Ind. FHL US/CAN Film 1481371 Item 10.
 * [McEwen] See Dickson.
 * [Norvell] Norvell, Grace. James Norvell of Colonial Goochland County, Virginia; the Virginia Collection; James Norvell of Bedford County, Tennessee. Austin, Texas: Grace Norvell, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 N829n.
 * [Norvell] Norvell, Grace. James Norvell of Colonial Goochland County, Virginia: Line of Capt. Hugh Norvell of Williamsburg with Some Indications of His Tidewater Ancestry; Hugh Norvell of Mecklenburg County, Virginia and James Norvell of Granville County, North Carolina; James Norvell of Bedford County, Tennessee. n.p.: G. Norvell, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 N829ng.
 * [Potts] Potts, J. Ivan. The Potts Family Descendants of Oswald Potts in Bedford County, Tennessee. 1983.
 * [Roberts] Turbett, James A. The Roberts--Smith Book: The Roberts and Smith Families of Upcountry South Carolina; Bedford County, Tennessee; Coffee County, Tennessee; Hamilton County, Tennessee; and Boone County, Arkansas. Alexandria, Va.: J.A. Turbett, 1994?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R541t.
 * [Shriver] Bond, Anne Blair. The Shrivers of Bedford County, Tennessee. 1994.
 * [Thompson] Schack, Elizabeth Thompson and Mary Thompson-Lewis LeBrecht. John Theophilus Thompson (1750s-1826): Some Ancestors and Descendants in Frederick County, Maryland; Orange County, North Carolina; Bedford County, Tennessee. New York, N.Y.: E.T. Schack &amp; M.T.-L. LeBrecht, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T374s.

Land
Deeds

Bedford County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1808 and is located at the Courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries. In 1965, the Tennessee Department of Education microfilmed Bedford County's Deed Books, Trust Deed Books, and Indexes covering the years 1808 to 1966. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 476342 ff. (Includes typed indexes to the burned volumes made from the register's notebook, ca. 1852-1861).

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


 * 1) Land Records Vol. A: 1808-1809
 * 2) Land Records Vol. B: 1809-1811

The following Bedford County land records have been indexed and/or abstracted:


 * W.P.A. General Index to Deeds, 1808-1840, Bedford County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed in 1941. Free direct (grantor) and reverse (grantee) indexes are available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells several Bedford County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
 * GSC Associates Historical Records Products. Bedford County, Tennessee Deed Index, Volume 2, 1840-1875. CD. Purchase at website.
 * Selected Deedsfrom "Tennessee Trails" through Bedford County has abstracts of selected deeds of Bedford county. They are from an unidentified book in the Shelbyville Library

Land Grants

Land grant book 1808-1809; and Land book 1824-1925 are available at FHL.

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

Maps

 * [1835] Map of Bedford County, TN. Originally published 1835. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1800s] Map of Bedford County, TN. Provenance unknown, includes civil districts, cities, towns, etc. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1878] Map of Bedford County, TN. Originally published 1878. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

The following Bedford 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, Middle District, Bedford County on page 155.]
 * Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh. Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8583 M2m.
 * 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.

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 Bedford County pensioners (pp. 13-14).]

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 Bedford County click on the following city:


 * Shelbyville

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Bedford 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 Bedford 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.
 * Bedford County Historical Quarterly
 * The Bedford County Historical Society first met in 1954. In July 1965, the society was formally organized. The Family History Library has most issues beginning with Spring 1975 and is kept current. Vol. 11, no. 4 (winter 1985), v. 12, no. 4 (winter 1986) and v. 24, no. 4 (winter 1998) are special editions which include indexes to previous quarterlies. FHL US/CAN 976.8583 B2b For additional information see website: Bedford County Historical Society. Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Bedford 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 FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Prisons
Learn if your Bedford 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 Clerk has responsibility for the probate records of Bedford County.

The following Bedford County probate records have been indexed or abstracted:


 * [1847-1982] Marsh, Helen C. Index, Bedford County Wills, 1847-1982: Loose Papers, Drawer or Box 1-18. [N.p.]: H.C. Marsh, 2006. (FHL Film 1572800 Item 5.)
 * [1830-1910] Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh. Bedford County, Tennessee Wills. Shelbyville, Tennessee: Marsh Historical Publications, 1984. Indexes and abstracts of wills from both the Chancery Court and the County Court. Includes extant and reconstructed records from before the 1863 courthouse fire. (FHL book 976.8583 P28b.)
 * [1848-1860] Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh; Timothy J. Edwards, indexer. Bedford County, Tennessee, Wills &amp; Vital Records from Newspapers, 1848-1860. (FHL book 976.8583 V28ma.)
 * [1871-1967] Marsh, Helen C.; Winston Roberts, indexer Drawers 71-72. Miscellaneous Settlement Indexes (Bedford County, Tennessee), 1871-1967. [N.p.] : H.C. Marsh, 2006. Includes conservator, executor's, and administrator's settlements. (FHL Film 1572800 Items 8-9.)
 * [1847-1881] W.P.A. Will Books, 1847-1881, Bedford County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed in 1941. FHL US/CAN Film 24588 Item 1. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Bedford County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.

USGenWeb for Bedford County has indexes and abstracts for Loose Wills in the Court Clerk Archives (indexed and transcribed by Martha Smotherman Mendez):


 * 1847-1890
 * 1890-1896

Taxation
GSC Associates Historical Records Products has written a very helpful guide, which is available for free on their website:


 * Using information found in Bedford County, Tennessee tax lists

They have also published images of the 1812, 1814, 1836, 1837, 1838, and 1839 tax lists (as taken from TSLA microfilms) on CD. Purchase the CD at their website.

The following Bedford County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1809] "Sheriff Announces Unpaid 1809 Taxes in Bedford County," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 48, No. 3 (Fall 2001):58. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1812] Duncan, Ruth Henley G. "Bedford County, Tennessee Tax List - 1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1960):17-22; Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):46-49; Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1960):69-72; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):94-97; Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):24-27; Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):53-56; Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):99-102; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1961):126-128. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1812] Tax List, 1812, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Spring 1975. Vol. 1 Iss. 1; Summer 1975. Vol. 1 Iss. 2; Fall 1975. Vol. 1 Iss. 3; Winter 1975. Vol. 1 Iss. 4; Spring 1976. Vol. 2 Iss. 1; Summer 1976. Vol. 2 Iss. 2; Fall 1976. Vol. 2 Iss. 3.
 * [1812] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1812 tax list.] Free Lookups Available!
 * [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 Bedford County.]
 * [1816] "Bedford County Lands Auctioned Off for Unpaid 1816 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 4(Winter 1996):180. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [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 Bedford County.]
 * [1836] Tax List, 1836, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Winter 1977. Vol. 3 Iss. 4; Spring 1978. Vol. 4 Iss. 1; Summer 1978. Vol. 4 Iss. 2; Fall 1978. Vol. 4 Iss. 3; Winter 1978. Vol. 4 Iss. 4; Spring 1979. Vol. 5 Iss. 1; Summer 1979. Vol. 5 Iss. 2; Fall 1979. Vol. 5 Iss. 3; Winter 1979. Vol. 5 Iss. 4; Spring 1980. Vol. 6 Iss. 1; Summer 1980. Vol. 6 Iss. 2; Fall 1980. Vol. 6 Iss. 3.
 * [1836] Tax List, 1836, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Winter 2004. Vol. 30 Iss. 4.
 * [1878] Tax List of Corporation of Shelbyville, 1878, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Winter 1980. Vol. 6 Iss. 4.
 * [1890] Tax Record, 1890, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Summer 1984. Vol. 10 Iss. 2; Fall 1984. Vol. 10 Iss. 3; Winter 1984. Vol. 10 Iss. 4; Spring 1985. Vol. 11 Iss. 1; Summer 1985. Vol. 11 Iss. 2; Fall 1985. Vol. 11 Iss. 3; Winter 1985. Vol. 11 Iss. 4.
 * [1891-1893] Tax Releases, 1891-93, Bedford County Historical Quarterly. Shelbyville TN: Summer 1988. Vol. 14 Iss. 2.

Marriages
The original Bedford County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Marriage records were originally kept in boxes, called drawers. Most of these records were copied into bound volumes. Both the drawer records and volumes are microfilmed.


 * [1854-1976] Marriages records organized by drawer begin in 1853. These marriages and bonds are indexed by Helen Marsh. This index is included in the film group.
 * [1861-1965] Marriages in volumes are filmed and available at TSLA.

Many early Bedford County marriage records are lost. The following publication, based on early newspapers that survived courthouse fires, may serve as a substitute:


 * 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 Bedford County Courthouse marriages have been indexed:


 * [1832-1850] Marriage Records: Early–1850. Contains marriage records for Bedford County 1832-1850.
 * [1861-1864] W.P.A. Marriage Records, 1861-1864, Bedford County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Item 5. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Bedford County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
 * [1861-1898] Marsh, Helen and Timothy Marsh. Official marriages of Bedford County, Tennessee. Greenville, South Carolina : Southern Historical Press, 1996. 2 vols.
 * 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 . [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1861-1878] Marriage Records. Contains marriage records for Bedford County 1861-1878.
 * 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. Bedford, 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.
 * Bedford County is not included in Sistler's Early Middle Tennessee Marriages.

Deaths
For deaths of Methodists in Bedford 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 ; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]

Libraries

 * Argie Cooper Public Library 100 South Main St. Shelbyville, TN 37160-3984 Phone: 1-931-684-7323 Web site: http://www.acolibrary.com/index.htm Summer hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed., Fri., Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Winter hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Wed., Fri., Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 1-4 p.m. The Argie Cooper Public Library has books related to genealogy and local area history as well as books from other regions of the States. It also hosts microfilms of census and county newspapers, family name file clippings, obituaries and associated clippings from old newspapers.


 * Linebaugh Public Library 105 West Vine St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130-3673 Phone: 1-615-893-4131 Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs. 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m.-5p.m. Sun. 1-6 p.m. Web site: http://www.linebaugh.org/ The Linebaugh Library System services Linebaugh, Eagleville and Smyrna. Though it does not appear to draw attention to its genealogy collection, a search of the online catalog for the word genealogy brings up nearly 4,000 titles.


 * East Tennessee Historical Center Street Address: 601 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629 Phone: 1-865-215-8824 Web site: http://www.easttnhistory.org/ E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org Mailing Address: PO Box 1629, Knoxville, TN 37901-1629 Hours: (Eastern Time): Mon. and Tues. 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Wed., Thurs. and Fri. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun.1 p.m.-5 p.m. The East Tennessee Historical Center is the home of the East Tennessee Historical Society. The center has a museum, exhibits and programs regarding the East Tennessee History. The associated Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection ranks among the top research and genealogical libraries in the Southeast because of the rare manuscript collections, an extensive photograph collection, maps, and books. The McClung Collection is your gateway to exploring the family and history of the East Tennessee region.

Societies
Bedford County Historical Society P. O. Box 141 Shelbyville, Tennessee 37162

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Bedford County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy &amp; 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

Web Sites

 * Bedford County, Tennessee Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Bedford County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Bedford County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Bedford County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Bedford County, Tennessee Resources (American History and Genealogy Project)
 * Chestnut Ridge Cousins Genealogy Records, Surname Exchange, Maps, Obituaries, Photos, History
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-CHESTNUTRIDGECOUSINS-L (Chestnut Ridge Region Genealogy List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-SOUTHCENTRAL-L (South Central Tennessee List)