Trousdale County, Tennessee Genealogy

Trousdale County, Tennessee ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to Trousdale County (established 1870) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Description
The County was named for William Trousdale (1790–1872), Brigadier General in the Mexican War, Governor of Tennessee, 1849–1851, and U.S. Minister to Brazil, 1853–1857. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

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

County Courthouse


Trousdale County Courthouse 200 East Main Street Main Stree and Court Street Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-2996 - 2906

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from1906. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Trousdale County Clerk Marriage and probate records 200 East Main St. Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-2906

Trousdale County Register of Deeds Land records 200 East Main St. Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-2921

Trousdale County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 200 East Main St. Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-3411

Hours: Mon.,Tues., Thurs., and Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wed.and Sat. 8 a.m.-noon

History
Middle Tennessee county established in 1870. Trousdale County's land belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

The county is named after "William Trousdale (1790–1872), Creek and Mexican-American War soldier and officer, state senator and Governor of Tennessee."

Parent County
1870--Trousdale County was established 21 June 1870 from Sumner, Macon, Smith, and Wilson Counties. Early records may be found under Sumner, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. County seat: Hartsville

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (female)

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss
1900 and 1904 Fires damaged courthouse records.


 * Lost marriage records: 1870 to 1904
 * Lost probate records: 1870 to 1904

Research Guides

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

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Biographies

 * Douthat, James L. Trousdale County, TN Biographies. 1887; reprint, Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census
1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Trousdale 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.

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1880


 * Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 &amp; 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records : with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee : Bet-Nel Books, 1998.
 * Sistler, Byron H. ’’1880 Census Dickson County, Tennessee.’’ Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999.

1890 - Lost, but substitutes are available:


 * Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. . Trousdale County is included in Vol. 6.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1900


 * Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 &amp; 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records : with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee : Bet-Nel Books, 1998.

1910


 * Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 &amp; 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee : Ridge Runner, 2000.

1920


 * Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 &amp; 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee : Ridge Runner, 2000.
 * Young, John C., comp. Trousdale County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry ($).

1930


 * Bronner, Lorrain and Walter L. Buckinham. 1930 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lebanon, Tennessee: Brawner Books, 2005.

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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Trousdale, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 3,500 entries.


 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. . Supplements: ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography


 * Bishop - Bishop, Maurice Lytle. Families of Maurice Lytle Bishop. MSS., Wright State University Archives, Dayton, Ohio. FHL US/CAN Film 1769339.
 * Hallum - Hallum, John. The Diary of an Old Lawyer; or, Scenes Behind the Curtain. Nashville, Tennessee: Southwestern Publishing House, 1895. Free digital copy.
 * Hughes - Townsend, Evelyn Hughes and Edward E. Townsend. The Ancestors and Descendants of John Walker Hughes, Jr.: Born 1854, Died 1927. Cleveland, Tenn.: E. Townsend, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H874t.

Land
Land Grants


 * Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library.

War of 1812

 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Trousdale County pensioners (p. 97).

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Trousdale County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment)that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Trousdale County:

Confederate Soldiers


 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
 * 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.
 * 7th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Bennett's) - CSA - Companies A, B, and F.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ward's) - CSA - Companies B, E, and H.
 * 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Trousdale County:


 * Duke, Basil Wilson. History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867. Free digital copy. Includes 9th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary (Ward's).
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Trousdale 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 at Internet Archive. Trousdale County, page 379.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Hartsville. Located in Trousdale County.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle took place in Trousdale County:


 * December 7, 1862 = Hartsville


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at 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 Trousdale County click on the following town:


 * Hartsville

Early newspapers have been abstracted: http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/newspapers-microfilm-tennessee-state-library-and-archives-h#Hartsville


 * Scott, Betty C. Meadows. Trousdale County, Tennessee, Obituaries, Articles and Scrapbook Clippings: August 1862 - December 1958. 2 vols. Lafayette, Tenn.: Ridge Runner, 2002-2004. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8482 V4s ff.

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 Trousdale County, Tennessee records 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
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Perry 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.
 * Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter
 * Family History Library has Volume 6, issue 4 (Oct - Dec 1995) Volumes 1 - 11 (Jan 1990 - Jan 2000) indexed at PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) For additional information see the Trousdale County Historical Society website

Probate Records
The Trousdale County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Taxation

 * 1789- Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1917 - Jim Marshall Tax Assessment, Hartsville, 1917, Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Jul. 2002).

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1908-1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage
The original Trousdale County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Due to fire, the marriage records of Trousdale County are lost until 1905.

State Marriage Records


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1780-2002 - at FamilySearch.org— index


 * 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1796-1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $

The following Trousdale County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * 1905-1991 - Available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.


 * 1905-1959 - Available at the Family History Library.

The following Trousdale County marriage records are abstracted and/or indexed:


 * 1905-1950 - Walker, Dorothy and Eldon Walker. Trousdale County, Tennessee, marriage index, 1905-1950. S.l.: s.n., 1995. Bride and groom indexes.

Trousdale County is not included in Sistler's Early Middle Tennessee Marriages.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Trousdale County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see the following resources:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death

 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in Trousdale County (or what later became Trousdale County) between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:


 * 1847-1814 - 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. ff; 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.

Libraries
Fred A. Vaught Memorial Library 211 White Oak St Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-3677

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Societies
Trousdale County Historical Society 211 White Oak St. Hartsville, TN 37074 Phone: 1-615-374-3677 The society publishes a quarterly newsletter.

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

Trousdale County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
 * Trousdale County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Trousdale County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Trousdale County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Trousdale County TN Genealogy  (ldsgenealogy.com)