Lincoln County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Lincoln County





Middle Tennessee county in the Chestnut Ridge region. Established 1809.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse P.O. Box 577 112 Main Street South Fayetteville, TN 37334 Phone: 931-433-2454

Lincoln County Clerk Marriage records 112 Main Avenue South, Room 102 Fayetteville, TN 37334 Phone: 931-433-2454

Lincoln County Clerk and Master Probate records 112 Main Avenue South, Room B-109 Fayetteville, TN 37334 Phone: 931-433-1482

Lincoln County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 112 Main Avenue South, Room 203 Fayetteville, TN 37334 Phone: 931-433-2334

Lincoln County Register of Deeds 112 Main Avenue South, Room 104 Fayetteville, TN 37334 Phone: 931-433-5366

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm

History


The county is named after U.S. Secretary of War Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810).

Parent County
1809--Lincoln County was created 14 November 1809 from Bedford County. County seat: Fayetteville

Research Guides

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

General Advice
A good place to start is 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. It indexes multiple books about Lincoln and nearby Bedford and Giles counties.

Census
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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.

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


 * The Heritage of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Fayetteville, Tenn.: Lincoln County Heritage Book Committee, 2005. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 D2h.

Bibliography


 * [Dollins] Dollins, John Lewis. Dollins - The Descendants of Hugh A. Dollins (1800-1836), Born Albemarle Co., Virginia, Died Lincoln Co., Tennessee; the Youngest Son of Presley Dollins. Orlando, Fla.: J.L. Dollins, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D393d.
 * [Jean] Malone, Royleta Clayton. David Jean Sr. of Stokes County, North Carolina and Lincoln County, Tennessee: and Many of His Descendants. Salt Lake City, Utah: R. Malone, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 6433.
 * [Little] The Little Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. [Denver, Colo.: T.S. Little, 198-?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L721Li.
 * [McAlister] Perry, Christine Curlee. McAlister Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 13.
 * [Reeve] See Rives.
 * [Rives] Rives, Jno. R. T. Green Rives of Dinwiddie County, Virginia and Lincoln County, Tennessee and his Descendants. Birmingham, AL: Printed by A.H. Cather Pub. Co., 1958. Available at Ancestry ($); and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Smith] Perry, Christine Curlee. Family of John and Mary Clementine Caton Smith of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 14.
 * [Spencer] Spencer, Donald and D. William Neal. Spencer Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Cullman, Ala.: Gregath, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sp33sd; Supplement: FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sp33sd supp.
 * [Turner] Perry, Christine Curlee. Turner Family of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Typescript, microfilmed in 2000. FHL US/CAN Film 1425264 Item 12.
 * [Wallace] Wallace, Richard E. The Children of William Wallace of Lincoln County, Tennessee. [Overland Park, Kansas]: R.E. Wallace, 2001. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W155wre; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Goodspeed firm, publishers, Chicago. History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin and Moore counties.Nashville, Tenn., The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886. Free digital copy.

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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.

Lincoln County, Tennessee Pioneers

Edited by Jane Warren Waller, Lincoln County, Tennessee Pioneers ran for 26 volumes (1970-1997). A few additional issues were published online in 1997 and 1998. FHL has acquired most volumes: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 B2L. Tables of contents are available online, courtesy: Lincoln County, Tennessee Archives (USGenWeb Archives).

The Lincoln Lineage

"The Lincoln County Genealogical Society is a non-profit society, charted under the laws of the State of Tennessee, for the purpose of preserving and recording family histories and all vital records, providing a genealogical library of Lincoln County, the State of Tennessee and surrounding counties for genealogical research." The Family History Library has Volume 1 (1998) through the present. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 D25L See Lincoln County Genealogical Society website for further information: http://www.lincolncountytn.com/genealogy/index.htm

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Lincoln 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.

Volunteer

Published by the Lincoln County Historical Society P.O. Box 435 Fayetteville, TN Indexed at the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) Spring 1977 - Spring 2006

Prisons
Learn if your Lincoln County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

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


 * 1) Will Book A: 1809-1824
 * 2) Will Book 1: 1826-1850
 * 3) Will Book 2: 1850-1861

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


 * [1809-1861] Strictly By Name (see above).
 * [1810-1861] 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.]
 * [1864-1871] Lincoln County Will Books Vol. 7 1864-1871. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1871-1880] Lincoln County Will Books Vol. 8 1871-1880. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1880-1889] Lincoln County Will Books Vol. 9 1880-1889. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1889-1895] Lincoln County Will Books Vol. 10 1889-1895. Simmons Historical Publications. Digital version available at World Vital Records. Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

Taxation
The following Lincoln County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [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 newspaper tax list (Fayetteville only).]
 * [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 Lincoln County.]
 * [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 Lincoln County.]
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. Lincoln County, 1836 Tennessee, Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8624 R4d.

Vital Records
Death

For deaths of Methodists in Lincoln 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.]

Societies and Libraries
Lincoln County Genealogical Society 1508 West Washington Street Fayetteville, TN 37334 Hours: Weekends from 1 pm - 5 pm

Family History Centers
Fayetteville Tennessee 40 Hilltop Rd Fayetteville Lincoln, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 931-433-6296

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

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