Hardeman County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Hardeman County





West Tennessee county. Established 1823.

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

County Courthouse


Hardeman County Courthouse 100 N. Main Street Bolivar, Tennessee 38008-2322 Phone: 731-658-3541

Hardeman County Clerk Marriage and Probate records 100 North Main Bolivar, TN 38008 Phone: 731-658-3541

Hardeman County Register's Office Land records 100 North Main Bolivar, TN 38008 Phone: 731-658-3476

Hardeman County Chancery Court Clerk Court records P.O. Box 45 Bolivar, TN 38008 Phone: 731-658-3142

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Friday 8:30 am - 5pm

History
The county is named after "Thomas Jones Hardeman, Creek War and War of 1812 soldier, later a member of the Republic of Texas legislature."

Parent County
1823--Hardeman County was created 16 October 1823 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Bolivar

Record Loss
1864--Fire damaged records, but most are complete.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in Tennessee Genealogy Blog
 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Neighboring Counties

 * Alcorn County, Mississippi
 * Benton County, Mississippi
 * Chester
 * Fayette
 * Haywood
 * Marion
 * McNairy
 * Tippah County, Mississippi

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Hardeman County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African Americans

 * Free African Americans Enumerated in the 1850 &amp; 1860 Hardeman County, Tennessee Census, available online, courtesy: Christine's Genealogy Website: Who are Your People?

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness offers to take photographs of headstones found in Hardeman County cemeteries.

The following websites may contain Hardeman County cemetery records:


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Hardeman County linking to the information about the people buried there,


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


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


 * Hardeman County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries for Hardeman county. Some of the books or other books may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Hardeman County cemeteries

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

1840 Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Hardeman County on page 159.]

1880

 * Cox, Harold R., Davidson, Faye Tennyson and Owens, Fae Jacobs 1880 U.S. census transcriptions, Hardeman County, Tennessee Tennessee : R.H. Cox, 1993 FHL US/CAN Book 976.828 X29
 * Sistler, Barbara 1880 Census, Hardeman County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee : B. Sistler and Associates, 2001 FHL US/CAN Book 976.828 X2

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


 * [Brown] Descendant of Thomas G. Brown, resident of Hardeman County, Tennessee ca. 1824. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 69285). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 2), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Several matches have been found.

Family Histories
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General


 * Hardeman County Tennessee: Family History. 2 vols. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.828 D2h v. 2. [FHL has Vol. 2 only]

Bibliography


 * [Babb] Babb, Ernest Lloyd. Babb Families of Hardeman County, Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: E.L. Babb, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B113ba.
 * [Corley] McMaster, Phyllis Olewine and Gerald B. Corley. The Descendants of John W. Corley of Hardeman County, Tennessee: Including Allied Family Lines of Carl, Dick, Hudson, McMaster, and Thompson. Huntington Beach, Calif.: G.B. Corley, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.,273 C813mc.
 * [Davis] Wiley Jarrett Davis - Mary Ann Tedford Family Bible Record: Pocahontas-Hardeman County Tennessee. Typescript. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D299wj.
 * [Fowler] Arthur, Glenn Dora Fowler (Mrs. James Joyce Arthur).Annals of the Fowler family, with branches in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, California, and Texas. Austin, Texas, published by the author, 1901. Free digital copy.
 * [Holman] Holman Family Records. Unknown: Unknown, 2001. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Hudson] McMaster, Phyllis Olewine. Hudsons of Hardeman County, TN. Albany, Ore.: P. McMaster, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H867m.
 * [Keller] Sherfey, Steven Keller. The Kellers and Teagues of Hardeman County, Tennessee. Scottsboro, Ala.: S.K. Sherfey, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K282s.
 * [Teague] Sherfey, Steven Keller. The Kellers and Teagues of Hardeman County, Tennessee. Scottsboro, Ala.: S.K. Sherfey, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K282s.
 * [Wharton] Wharton, Richard. Richard Wharton papers, 1863 - 1906. Book contributor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A diary, letters and other writings including his service in the Confederate Army, letters relating to family matters, a genealogy of the Wharton family, poems and speeches. Free digital copy.

Land
Hardeman County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1820 and is located at Courthouse, 100 N. Main St., Bolivar, TN 38008-2322; Telephone: (731) 658-3541. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of Hardeman County deed records 1822-1891, with indexes 1822-1902; Land survey and entry books 1820-1901; and petitions 1840-1900, with indexes 1849-1900.

Law and Legislation

 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Military
Revolutionary War

The following Hardeman County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

Additional resources include:


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. [See Tennessee, Western District, Hardeman County on page 159.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Hamilton County pensioners (p. 66)]

Civil War

Lynn, H.M. ''H.M. Lynn Papers, 1858-1882. ''Southern Historical Collection, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Free digital copy. 9th Tennessee Regiment, Company C.

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 Hardeman County click on the following cities:


 * Bolivar
 * Middleton

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. West Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1821 to 1889. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2man. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Hardeman 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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Hardeman 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.

Family Findings

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Hardeman County, Tennessee records have been published in Family Findings, the quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society (42+ vols.). The Family History Library has most issues of this quarterly FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f. Vol. 5, No. 3 (July 1973) was a special issue about Hardeman County records in honor of the county's sesquientennial anniversary.

Tables of contents for some volumes are available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb Project:


 * Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
 * Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
 * Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
 * Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)

Many articles from this publication have been reproduced on the TNGenWeb Project website, try this specialized Google search.

Harde-facts

"Harde-facts is a genealogical newsletter devoted to research in Hardeman County, TN. Its purpose is to promote interest in Hardeman County family history by providing information from county records, church records, Bibles, and family genealogies." Family History Library has Numbers 1 - 37 and 50 (1984 - 1993) FHL US/CAN 976.828 D25h Indexed in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)

West Tennessee Historical Society Papers

Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 16 and 30 FHL US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w. The West Tennessee Historical Society Papers are indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Prisons
Learn if your Hardeman County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.

Probate
The following Hardeman County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1824-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]
 * [1824-1831] Hardeman County Will Books Vol. 1-1824-1831. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

Taxation
The original Hardeman County Tax Books 1824-1880 are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1975, the TSLA microfilmed these records. Copies of their films are also available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Films 989359-989361.

The following Hardeman County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1824] Tax List, 1824, Harde-facts, Issue 29 (Oct. 1990); Issue 30 (Jan. 1991); Issue 31 (Apr. 1991); Issue 32 (Jul. 1991).
 * [1836-1837] Nazor, Mary Louise Graham. "1836 Map of Civil Districts, Hardeman County, Tennessee" and "Hardeman County, Tennessee 1836 and 1837 Tax Lists," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Fall 1990):105-110; Vol. 37, No. 4 (Winter 1990):187-192; Vol. 38, No. 1 (Spring 1991):27-32; Vol. 38, No. 2 (Summer 1991):84-86. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1836] "1836 Hardeman County, Tennessee Tax List Addenda," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 39, No. 2 (Summer 1992):62-63. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1836-1837] Brown, Albert. 1836 &amp; 1837 Tax List, Hardeman Co., Tennessee. Bethel Springs, Tenn.: History &amp; Genealogy, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.828 R49b.
 * [1859, 1862] Thomas Camp Assessor's Book, 1859, 1862, Harde-facts, Issue 41 (Oct. 1994).
 * [1865-1896] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County Voter Registers and Poll Lists," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. [Not every year in the range is covered.]
 * [1874] Taxpayers, 1874, Old Timer Press, Vol. 1, No. 9 (Mar. 1982).
 * [1879] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Taxes Collected 14 July 1879," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1888] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Late Taxes for 1888," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1889] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Taxes Due July 1, 1889," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1894-1895] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Taxes Collected [1894-1895]," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1895] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Taxes Collected [on Businesses] 1895," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1903] Holloway, Charlotte. "Hardeman County TN - Misc - Taxes Collected 1903," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * [1924] Holloway, Charlotte. "Circuit Court Taxes Sept. 30 1924," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
 * [1924] Holloway, Charlotte. "County Tax Hardeman Co., TN. July 3 1924," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.

Marriage
Marriages were not officially recorded in Hardeman County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

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


 * [1823-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early West Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 1 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1823-1870] Historical Records Project Marriage records, 1823-1870, Hardeman County, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24680 items 2-5
 * [1823-1950] Tennessee, County Court (Hardeman County) Marriage licenses and marriage bonds (Hardeman County, Tennessee), 1823-1950; indexes, 1823-1950 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2000. FHL US/CAN Films
 * [1823-1956] Hardeman County (Tennessee) County Court Clerk Marriage records (Hardeman County, Tennessee), 1823-1956 Nashville, Tennessee : Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1975-1988. FHL US/CAN Film 989284-288 and 1928696-697
 * 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. Hardeman, 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.

Death
For deaths of Methodists in Hardeman County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:


 * Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 ff; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]

Web Sites

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