Bedford County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Bedford County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county is named after "Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford, who was a large landowner in the area." The County is located in the centre area of the state.

County Courthouse
Bedford County Courthouse 1 Public Sq Ste 101 Shelbyville, TN 37160 Bedford County Website Phone: 931-684-7944 Court Clerk 1 Public Sq Ste 101, Phone: 931-684-3223 County Clerk 100 West Side Square, Suite 102, Phone: 931-684-1921 County Clerk has marriage records from 1863, Probate records, and (as of 1985) original Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1848-1860. . Clerk Circuit Court has divorce records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Business, Commerce, and 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 Bedford County.

Cemeteries

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

Census Records
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®

Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 -  Ancestry  ($) 

1810 Lost


 * Lost, but a substitute is available:

1810


 * 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..
 * 1812 tax list, arranged by militia districts.

1810-1891


 * 1810-1890 Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry ($)

1891 Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

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 at USGenWeb Archives.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online at Free African Americans website. [Includes 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:.


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufacturers Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977..

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Bedford County on page 155.]
 * 1840 census of Bedford County, arranged by district and indexed, Bedford County Historical Quarterly, Winter 2009, Vol 35 #4. Index numbers are all off by one page

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 Tennessee located at USGenWeb Census Project.
 * Transcription to 1860 Federal Census, Rover, Bedford, Tennessee.

1880


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

1890 Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

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 Records
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


 * - FamilySearch Catalog -


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


 * - FamilySearch 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 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 were housed in 1936. The Tennessee State Library and Archives has filmed some of these records. To locate which records are available at the TSLA, go to the appropriate "county fact sheet" on the TSLA Web site and scroll down to "selected manuscript material". All filmed church records at the TSLA for Bedford county are listed.

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. . Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson through 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.
 * 1877 Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Normandy, Baptism Index 1877. Batch at FamilySearch
 * 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.

Church of the Redeemer, Shelbyville


 * 1867-1875 - Church of the Redeemer, Shelbyville, Baptism Index 1867-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1867-1895 - Church of the Redeemer, Shelbyville, Marriage Index 1867-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Court Records
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 on their website:


 * 1830-1842 - Minute Book 1, pt. 1
 * 1827-1845 - Minute Book 1, pt. 2; also WPA version
 * 1840-1848 - Minute Book 1, pt. 3
 * 1846-1854 - Minute Book 2; also WPA version
 * 1854-1858 - Minute Book 3
 * 1859-1865 - Minute Book 4
 * 1865-1868 - Minute Book A
 * 1868-1870 - Minute Book B
 * 1848-1851 - Enrollment Dockets Book B

Book Abstracts and Indexes:
 * 1837-1854 - D.A.R. (Iowa). Tennessee, Records of Bedford County, Chancery Court Records, 1837-1854. 3 vols. Typescript, 1938..
 * 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. . 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 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 on their website:


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

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..

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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online through Free African Americans website. [Includes African Americans in this county.]

Genealogies
More than 65 genealogies have been published about Bedford County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Bedford County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property Records
The southern boundary line of Military Reservation set aside for North Carolina military grants lay several miles to the north of Bedford County. However "vast areas of land lying within the present boundaries of Bedford County" were granted to land speculators residing "east of the Allegheny Mountains at the close of the Revolution. Those presenting warrants were allowed to enter, locate, survey and file for grants to be issued out of John Armstrong’s Land Office at Hillsbourgh, North Carolina, for ten pounds per hundred acres."

Land Grants

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

Deeds

Bedford County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1808 and is located at the Bedford. 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: ff. (Includes typed indexes to the burned volumes made from the register's notebook, ca. 1852-1861).

The organization Strictly By Name provides 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: 1809-1

Book Abstracts and Indexes:
 * 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 through 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 Deeds from "Tennessee Trails" through Bedford County has abstracts of selected deeds of Bedford county. They are from an unidentified book in the Shelbyville Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1777-1985 - Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * 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 Records
Revolutionary War The following Bedford County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 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, 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..
 * 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 (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. ; digital version at journal website. [Includes Bedford County pensioners (pp. 13-14).]

Civil War

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * Civl War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers
 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Turney's) - CSA - Company B.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company D.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McLemore's) - CSA
 * 17th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B and G, Captain W. A. Landis's Company, Fairfield Company, Flat Creek Company.
 * 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company F.
 * 23rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Newman's) - CSA - Companies C and D.
 * 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) - CSA-2nd Company D, 2nd Company E, 2nd Company F and Company H.
 * 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Company A.
 * 41st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, F, K and I, Bell Buckle Company, Erwin Guards, Flat Creek Company, Richmond Guards, Scudder Rifles.
 * 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company G.
 * 44th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
 * 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (McKoin's) - CSA - Company A.

Union Soldiers
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies A, C and I.
 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies C, F, H and M.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Bedford County:


 * TNGenNet, Bedford County Tennessee, Civil War Resources, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Bedford County Confederate Veterans filling out the Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionnaire, Bedford County and the Civil War, List of Civil War Soldiers Discharge Papers and weblinks available.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Bedford County. 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). Online book at Internet Archive. Bedford County, page 316 and 317.
 * Tennessee Civil War Historical Markers: Bedford County.
 * Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, The Civil War in Rutherford and Bedford Counties.
 * Tennessee Trails through Bedford, Civil War, Battle of Dover.
 * Shelbyville, the only union town of Tennessee.Sketched by Mr. H. Hubner, Third Ohio Volunteers.

Civil War Battles The following battles took place in Bedford County:


 * June 24-26, 1863: Hoover's Gap


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee

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

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


 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..


 * 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. ; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830's, 1840's, 1910's and 1920's.

Prisons

 * 1831-1850 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives


 * 1851-1870 Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;
 * Bedford County Historical Quarterly: Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). Index to Articles (1988-2005);.

Probate Records
The County Court Clerk has responsibility for Bedford County probate records.

Online Records Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1779-2008 - Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry - indexes and records ($)
 * 1847-1890 - Bedford County TNGenWeb - index only
 * 1847-1966 - Bedford County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
 * 1861-1966 - Bedford County Tennessee list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1890-1896 - Bedford County TNGenWeb - index only
 * 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. . Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson through 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.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.


 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records
GSC Associates Historical Records Products has written a very helpful guide, which is available 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.

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 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 Bedford.
 * 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 Bedford.
 * 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. 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 Bedford. 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 Bedford.
 * 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 Bedford. 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.

For missing years, alternative resource to consider is "Tennessee Legislative Petitions".

Birth
Online Records
 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1783-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols..
 * 1861-1864 - W.P.A. ''Marriage Records, 1861-1864, Bedford County, Free index
 * 1861-1898 - Official marriages of Bedford County, Tennessee.
 * 1861-1935 - Bedford County Marriage Books (including Books N-Y) Index 1861-1935 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Death
Online Indexes and Records
 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1908-1912 Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1914-1933 Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

 * 1796 - 1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1980-2014 Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library; - Inventory stating where divorce records are housed.

Libraries
East Tennessee Historical Center 601 South Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629 Phone: 865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org Mailing Address: PO Box 1629, Knoxville, TN 37901-1629 Website
 * 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.

Rutherford County Public Library 105 West Vine St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130-3673 Phone: 615-893-4131 Website
 * 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.

Shelbyville - Bedford County Public Library 220 South Jefferson Street Shelbyville, TN 37160 Phone: 931-684-7323 website
 * NOTE:Argie Cooper Public Library became Shelbyville - Bedford County Public Library in 2014. The 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.

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

East Tennessee Historical Center 601 South Gay Street PO Box 1629 Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629 Phone: 865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org website
 * 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.

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, 37203-7507 website
 * 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

Websites

 * Bedfored County TNGenWeb
 * Bedford County, Tennessee Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Bedford County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Bedford County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb) - county site, transcriptions and other records at the state level.
 * Bedford County, Tennessee Resources (American History and Genealogy Project)
 * Chestnut Ridge Cousins Genealogy Records, Surname Exchange, Maps, Obituaries, Photos, History
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides
Research Guides
 * Byron and Samuel Sistler's Every Name Index to 18 Middle Tennessee County Record Books (Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1992) . The Sistlers created a comprehensive index to nine publications about this county's records. It also reaches to nearby Giles and Lincoln counties.
 * 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 indexes on their website. The CDs are for sale individually for reasonable fees, or, if you are doing in depth research, you might want to consider purchasing one comprehensive CD that includes all 30 of their previous publications. Website.
 * "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Bedford County at 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 Bedford.
 * "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 Bedford.
 * W.P.A. Inventory of the County Archives of Tennessee No. 2, Bedford County (Shelbyville). Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Historical Records Survey Project, 1940. . Digital version at