Davidson County, Tennessee Genealogy

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



Description
Davidson County was named for William Lee Davidson, a North Carolina general who was killed opposing General Cornwallis and the British Army's crossing of the Catawba River on February 1, 1781. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Davidson County Courthouse 700 2nd Ave South Nashville, TN 37210 Davidson County Website Phone: 615-862-5710 County Clerk Phone: 615-862-6050 Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 615-862-5181 Register of Deeds Phone: 615-862-6790 Clerk and Master Phone: 615-862-5710 Davidson Metropolitan Government Archives Phone: 615-862-5880 County Clerk has marriage records from 1789 and probate records from 1783. Clerk of the Circuit Clerk has divorce and court records. Register of Deeds and land 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:

All of Davidson County is included in the consolidated Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. In many cases if the municipalities were incorporated before consolidation they retained some autonomy as independent municipalities. For the purpose of U.S. Census, the portions of Davidson County that are outside the boundaries of the six independently incorporated municipalities are collectively treated as the Nashville-Davidson balance.

History Timeline
Additional Information Davidson County was officially established in April of 1783 by an act of the North Carolina legislature. It was named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of North Carolina in the Revolutionary war.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby Enacted by the authority of the same, that all that part of this State lying west of the Cumberland Mountain where the Virginia line crosses, extending westward along the said line to Tennessee River, thence up said river to the mouth of Duck River, thence up Duck River to where the line of marked trees run by the commissioners for laying off land granted the Continental Line of this State intersects said river (which said line is supposed to be in thirty-five degrees fifty minutes north latitude) thence east along said line to the top of Cumberland Mountain, thence northwardly along said mountain to the beginning, shall after the passing of this Act be and is hereby declared to be a distinct county by the name of Davidson.

In 1780, the Cumberland Compact referred to the settlement on the bluff above the Cumberland River as Nashborough. Nashborough was also the name used in the minutes of the Davidson County court which commenced in the fall of 1783. Although Nashborough was the formal name given to the fort, the pioneering settlers, by and large, referred to it as French Lick Station. (Eastin Morris' TENNESSEE GAZETTEER, 1834)

In April of 1784, the legislature of North Carolina passed an act that made the town official, changing the name to Nashville. The bill set aside "two hundred acres of land, situate on the south side of Cumberland River, at a place called the Bluff, adjacent to the French Lick, in which said Lick shall not be included, to be laid off in lots of one acre each, with convenient streets, lanes, and alleys, reserving four acres for the purpose of erecting public buildings, on which land, so laid off according to the directions of this act, is hereby constituted and erected, and established a town, and shall be known and called Nashville, in memory of the patriotic and brave Gen. Nash." Five Trustees were appointed to handle the business of the town and a treasurer was named. A plan of town lots of one acre each and a public square of four acres was surveyed. Proceeds from the sale of the lots were to be used to build a courthouse and a jail on the public square.

Middle Tennessee County. Davidson County was at the heart of the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

Biographies

 * Pray, Carl Esek. John Bell of Tennessee: his career in the House of Representatives. University of Wisconsin, 1913.
 * Johnson, Susannah (Brooks) b. 1794; Johnson, Adam Clarke. Recollections of the Rev. John Johnson and his home: an autobiography. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1869.
 * History of Davidson County, Tennessee with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers at Ancestry ($).

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. . Includes Davidson County.

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.
 * The Nashville City Cemetery Association website is a comprehensive site for Nashville burial information. The earliest records of burials, between 1822–1846, were lost during the Civil War years. A project to transcribe all the data in the Interment Records (1846-1979) of the 20,000 people buried in the cemetery was completed.
 * 1843-1962 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * Davidson County Cemetery Survey Project - comprehensive survey of Davidson County cemeteries

Census Records
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Davidson 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 Davidson County, TN census assignments including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1790 Lost, only statistics survive, but substitutes are available:


 * Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. Includes a reconstructed 1790 census, sources: "Contemporary lists–tax lists, militia rolls, land grants and deeds, claims for pre-emption lands, names recorded in diaries and journals. And numerous histories compiled by local historians from records that we have not seen or read ourselves."
 * Fulcher, Richard Carlton, comp. 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements: Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties (In what is now Tennessee). Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($).
 * McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990..

Lost

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Davidson.

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..

1810-1891


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

1820


 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: 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. FS Library copies:.


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

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Middle District, Davidson County on page 155.

1850


 * Porch, Deane. Davidson County, Tennessee, 1850 Census. Fort Worth Texas, American Reference Publishing Co., 1969.
 * Tarpley, Sarah. The Fourth Civil District of Davidson County, Tennessee, 1850Located at Binkley Branches..

1860


 * Index and transcription of the 1860 Federel Census for Davidson, Tennessee. Located at the USGenWegb Census Project.

1890 Lost, but a substitute is available:


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

1891 Male Voters


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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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.


 * Davidson 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 FamilySearch Library, contact the church(es) in the area where your ancestor lived. Two sites that give information about churches in Davidson County are:


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


 * In 1936, a helpful guide to early Davidson 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 Davidson County are listed. Many of these filmed records are also available at the FamilySearch Library.

Baptist


 * Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives The Southern Baptist Convention Building 901 Commerce Street #400 Nashville, TN 37203 Telephone: 615-244-0344 Internet: website

Disciples of Christ


 * Disciples of Christ Historical Society 1101 Nineteenth Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212-2196 Telephone: 866-834-7563 Internet: website

Episcopal


 * 1858-1885 - St. Ann's Episcopal Church, Nashville, Marriage Index 1858-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Jewish


 * Jewish Federation of Nashville Middle Tennessee Library and Archives 801 Percy Warner Boulevard, Suite 102 Nashville, TN 37205 Telephone: 615-356-3242 x255 Fax: 615-352-0056 Internet: website


 * 1881 - 1895 - Congregation Ohavai Sholom, Nashville, Marriage Index 1881-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Methodist Episcopal


 * Tennessee Conference 520 Commerce Street, Suite 205 Nashville, TN 37203 Telephone: 615-263-0518 (call to make an appointment) Internet: website
 * Mathews, Reverend John D.D. Peeps into Life Autobiography. Methodist Episcopal Church Tennessee Conference, 1904. Free digital copy.

Presbyterian


 * 1861-1885 Moore Memorial Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Baptism Index 1861-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Roman Catholic


 * Diocese of Nashville The Catholic Center 2400 Twenty-first Avenue, South Nashville, TN 37212-5387 Telephone: 615-383-6393 Fax: 615-292-8411 Website

Court Records
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. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Directories
Nashville City Directories are available for most years between 1853 and 1997 at the Tennessee State Archives. Links to digitized copies are at: City Directories at the Library & Archives for years 1853/54, 1855/56, 1857, 1860, 1860/61, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1880, 1881. Additional years may be digitized in the future.
 * 1855-1856 Nashville Business Directory for The City of Nashville and Suburbs, Vol. 2, 1855-6. Digital version at Don's List

Emigration and Immigration

 * During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 35 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Nashville and Davidson County. Ancestry ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
 * Black Nashville: A Bibliography, available online, courtesy: Black Nashville Genealogy &amp; History blog.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. Includes African Americans in this county.
 * Daniel Graham Slave Records - site by Konnetta Alexander
 * Employment Rolls and Nonpayment Rolls of Negroes Employed in the Defenses of Nashville, Tennessee, 1862-1863 Index On-line.
 * In 1862 Nashville built a series of forts around the city. The project was built by Union soldiers and impressed slaves and black workers in just five months. This site lists the laborers employed August 1, 1862 to April 1, 1863. The site gives the name of the slave, the slave owner and the file number.

For a case study of how to trace a slave family in early Nashville, study:


 * Franklin, John Hope and Loren Schweninger. In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Genealogies
General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Davidson, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 65,000 entries. A query for persons born in Nashville, Tennessee results in more than 45,000 entries.


 * East Tennessee Historical Society. First Families of Tennessee: A Register of Early Settlers and Their Present-day Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 2000. . Identifies families that had settled in Tennessee before it achieved statehood in 1796.

Bibliography


 * Barkley - Fischer, Kathryn Barkley The Barkley brigade: the story of John Barkley of Smith County, Tennessee and his descendants, 1753-1994 Covington, Louisiana: Barkley-Symons Enterprises, 1994 . Digital version available at.
 * Bell - Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. Leander Bell of Henderson County, Tennessee: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Ark.: L.C. Lewis, 1987..
 * Bell - Bell, Eldon Raymond. Bells History: of Shenandoah Valley, VA and Knox County, TN. Springdale, Arkansas: E.R. Bell, 1994. Available at.
 * Bishop - Gray, John W. The Life of Joseph Bishop, the Celebrated Old Pioneer in the First Settlements of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1858. Free digital copy.
 * Branch - Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: E.T. Ford, 1972. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and.
 * Buchanan - Whitworth, M.C. and Whitworth Family Association. Malchiga Coffee Whitworth, III: Member No. 76, Whitworth Family Association. Nashville: M.C. Whitworth, (1998?). FS Library US/CAN Film 1425148 Item 9.
 * Burnett - Burnett, Paul H. Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1880. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * Byrn - Turner, Mary Lalla Byrn The Byrn family: the ancestors and descendants of James Riley Byrn of middle Tennessee and western Kentucky and his wife, Emily Blackwell Oliver, from Virginia Paducah, Kentucky: M.L.B. Turner, (1985?). Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications. . Digital version available at FSbook.
 * Clupper - Clupper, Milford Lyon and Mona Atwill Clupper. Nine Generations from David Keith Clupper: Born in Nashville, Tenn. [Murfreesboro, Tenn.]: M. Clupper, 1992..
 * Flournoy - Rivers, Flournoy. "The Flournoy Family," The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jul. 1894):81-90; Vol. 2, No. 2 (Oct. 1894):190-213; Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jan. 1895):318-327; Vol. 2, No. 4 (Apr. 1895):437-447; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jul. 1895):67-79; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Apr. 1896):414-416; Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jul. 1896):97-101. Digitized by JSTOR
 * Gambill - Brown, Louise G. and Jane C. Luna. The Descendants of Bradley Gambill. Columbia, Tenn.: P-Vine Press, 1979..
 * Hardeman - Burnett, Paul H. Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1880. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
 * Harris - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Lineage of Judith Gene Harris Doss, Nashville Tennessee: Includes Hodges, Randle, Hearn, Parker, Turner, Truitt, and Smith. Typescript, 1968..
 * Key - Key, Betty and Marcus M. Key. "John and Susannah Key of Old Amherst County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1985):117-122; Vol. 29, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1985):196-204. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)..
 * McKinley - McKinley, Gay Martin and Ruth Carter McKinley. McKinley Memories: Descendants of Daniel Bell McKinley, Sr. and Mary Bonville. Wyandotte, Okla.: Gregath, 1997.
 * Smith - Dyson, Dawn. A History of the Family of Herman Hampton and Julious Bonnie Holloway Smith of Nashville, Tennessee. Athens, Ga.: D. Dyson, 1996..
 * Stephens - Stephens, Robert W. Stephens Family History: Ancestry and Descendants of Revolutionary Soldier Robert Stephens and His Wife, Sarah Farmer, of Virginia, Through Their Son Josiah Stephens. Dallas, Texas: R.W. Stephens, c1982..
 * Stumb - Saeger, Paul H. The Stumb Family of Nashville, Tennessee. Birmingham, Ala.: P.H. Saeger, 1993..
 * Swanson - McRaven, William Henry. Life and Times of Edward Swanson: One of the Original Pioneers Who with General James Robertson Founded Nashville, Tennessee, 1779; First Recorded Settler of Williamson County, Tennessee, March, 1780. Nashville, Tenn.: W.H. McRaven, 1937..
 * Tate - Carpenter, Evelyn Yates. Tate and Allied Families of Robertson County, Tennessee: Includes the Nearby Tennessee Counties of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson. Includes Virginia and North Carolina, the States of Tate Family Origin. Includes Counties in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Throughout the United States Where Many Tate Families Migrated. Clarksville, Tenn.: Jostens, 1987..
 * Taylor - Ford, Ethel Taylor. Thomas Taylor and Benjamin Branch of Nashville, Tennessee, and Related Families. Amarillo, Tex.: E.T. Ford, 1972. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($) and.
 * Thomas - Franklin, John Hope and Loren Schweninger. In Search of the Promised Land: A Slave Family in the Old South. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
 * Thurman - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Thurman Lineage: Descent of Mrs. Helen Goodpasture of Nashville, Tennessee. Typescript, 1950. ; digital version at.
 * Whiteley - Whiteley, Amos. This Brief History of the Whiteleys in America is Issued for the Purpose of Presenting Changes and Additions Since My Former Book was Issued ...: Also to Include Information Recently Procured in Regard to the Maryland Branch of the Whiteley Family. n.p.: A. Whiteley, 1922. ; digital versions at and Internet Archive.
 * Whitworth - Whitworth, M.C. and Whitworth Family Association. Malchiga Coffee Whitworth, III: Member No. 76, Whitworth Family Association. Nashville: M.C. Whitworth, (1998?). FS Library US/CAN Film 1425148 Item 9.
 * Wright - Wright, Samuel S. Wright Family. S. Wright, 1994.

Land and Property Records
Deeds


 * Davidson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1784. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries


 * The FamilySearch Library has microfilm copies of land records of deeds 1784-1940 with indexes 1784-1924; register books 1784-1789; and Davidson county land ownership maps from the Library of Congress Map division 1871-about 1900.
 * The organization Strictly By Name provides online indexes to early Davidson County land records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:
 * 1874-1787 Deed Book A
 * 1787-1791 Deed Book B
 * 1791-1796 Deed Book C
 * 1796-1798 Deed Book D
 * 1798-1802 Deed Book E
 * 1803-1806 Deed Book F

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina The original Davidson County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Davidson County, both before and after it became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1783-1824.
 * Secretary of State Land Grant Search Instructions on the Discover Online Catalog (DOC)

Land Grants
 * Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants. Online at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county..

Local Histories

 * Early History of Middle Tennessee. 1909. By Edward Albright. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
 * Early History of Nashville. c1911. By Lizzie P. Elliott. Nashville, Tennessee : Board of Education. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Davidson County, Tennessee: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. 1886. By W. W. Clayton. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
 * Nashville: "Athens of the South". 1949. By William Henry McRaven. Chapel Hill: Published for the Tennessee Book Co. by Scheer & Jervis. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * On the Watauga and the Cumberland. 1884. By Ann E. Snyder. Nashville, Tennessee: Methodist Episcopal South Publishing House. Online at: Internet Archive.
 * Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. c1996. By Edythe Johns Rucker Whitley. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co. Online at: Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers
The TSLA (TSLA) is in the beginning stages of posting digital copies of historical maps on their website through the Tennessee Virtual Archives (TEVA). Among the collection is a 1907 historical map showing Davidson County civil districts and the plotted residences of families living within those districts.

Additional Nashville and Davidson County historical maps include:


 * 1783 Reeves, Charles A. Davidson &amp; Greene Counties (Tennessee) - Created in 1783. Published 2000. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1855 General View of Nashville. Published 1855. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1860's Map of Nashville, Tennessee. Published 1860s. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1871 Map of Davidson County, TN. Published 1871. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1872 Ruger. Bird's Eye View of Nashville. Originally published 1872. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1880s Wellege. Nashville, Tennessee in the 1880s. Originally published 1872. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1894 A City Map of Nashville, Tennessee. Published 1894. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1897 ''Tennessee Centennial Exposition, Nashville, Tennessee. Originally published 1897. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1939 A Map of Nashville. Published 1939. ReevesMaps.com includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Davidson 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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Middle District, Davidson County on page 155.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records, Davidson County Pioneers: Revolutionary and War of 1812 Soldiers. 1965..
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. ; digital versions at Ancestry ($).

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Cocke County pensioners (pp. 41-42)
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Tennessee Genealogical Records, Davidson County Pioneers: Revolutionary and War of 1812 Soldiers. 1965..

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
 * Civil War Research Database
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, South Carolina Infantry (Butler's) (1st Regulars), Company D
 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Light Artillery - CSA - Company A
 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA - Companies A, B, and D
 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Feild's) - CSA - Companies A,B, C, E, F, and L.
 * 1st/27th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B, C, E, and F.
 * 2nd Tennessee Cavalry - First Battalion consisting of five companies - organized at Nashville.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies C and G.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Murray's) - CSA - Company H. organized July 22, 1861 at Nashville, Davidson County as Q. C. Sanders' Company.
 * 6th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Wheeler's)- CSA- Companies C and D.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ward's) - CSA - Companies I and K.
 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (DeMoss') - CSA - Company D
 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, C, D, F, G, H, and K.
 * 11th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Gordon's) - CSA - Companies C, D, and E.
 * 11th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, D, and G.
 * 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B and G.
 * 20th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and C.
 * 21st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's), Company A
 * 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Barteau's), Companies A and B.
 * 34th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (4th Confederate Infantry) - CSA - Company F.
 * 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
 * 54th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and B.
 * 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (McKoin's) - CSA - Companies H and I.
 * 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
 * 50th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company G.
 * Douglas' Battalion, Tennessee Partisan Rangers, Companies of Felix H. Blackman, Nathan W. Carter, and Thomas F. Perkins.
 * Napier's Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry, Company A

Union Soldiers


 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Light Artillery - organized at Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry, Company I
 * 12th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - USA - Company E.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - USA - Organized at Strawberry Plains, Nashville and Gallatin, Tennessee.
 * 14th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - USA - enlisted on duty on Nashville Northwestern Railroad.
 * 12th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company E.
 * 26th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry - Companies A, B, C, D, E, and G

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Davidson County:


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.
 * Quintard, Charles Todd. Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and Second Bishop of Tennessee. Sewanee, Tennessee: The University Press, 1905. Free digital copy. Chaplain of the 1st Tennessee Regiment.
 * TNGenWeb, Davidson County, Civil War. Includes a variety of links.
 * Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, The Civil War in Davidson County.
 * Davidson County, Tennessee Genealogy Page,Civil War. Includes links to 18th Tennessee Infantry, Map of the Nashville Battlefield, Roster of Company A, First Tennessee Artillery and Tennessee Colored Pension Applications for CSA Service.
 * Tennessee Civil War Historical Markers: Davidson County.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Davidson 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. Davidson County, page 328-331.
 * CWSAC Battle Summaries, Nashville. Located in Davidson County.
 * American Memory, Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865.

Civil War Battle The following Civil War battle was fought in Davidson County:


 * December 15-16, 1864 - Nashville. Heritage Preservation Services.


 * Map showing Civil War battles fought in Tennessee.

Spanish American War
 * Hale, Will T. The First Tennessee Regiment, United States Volunteers. Nashville, 1899. Free digital copy.

World War I Gilmore, Rose Long. ''Davidson County Women in the World War 1914-1919. ''Nashville, Tennessee: Foster and Parkes, 1923.

Naturalization and Citizenship
United States Passport Applications are available from 1796-1925 - indexed at Family Search

Newspapers
Nashville Retrospect - The Nashville Retrospect is amonthly newspaper devoted to Nashville nostalgia and history. It features reprints of long-forgotten news, articles by local historians, and remembrances by older Nashvillians. Also available by subscription if you are not local.

History Of Tennessee (Nashville, Tennessee) at Ancestry ($). Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.

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 Davidson County click on the following cities:


 * Brentwood
 * Donelson
 * Goodlettsville
 * Hermitage
 * Madison
 * Nashville
 * Old Hickory

For deaths of Methodists in Davidson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:
 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..
 * 1876 Smith, Jonathan K.T. Nashville Daily American, 1876, a Genealogical Scrapbook. Jackson, Tennessee: J.K.T. Smith, 2003.
 * 1847-1914 - 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 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.

Obituaries

 * 1907-1918 Nashville Globe (African American newspaper) Obituaries at Nashville Public Library

Photographs

 * Historic Nashville Photographs ~ About.com
 * South Nashville History
 * Historic Nashville ~ Nashville Web Review

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

Private Papers

 * Baldock, Margaret. Bible Records of James Carothers, Born 30 January 1792, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee: and Allied Families: Barfield, Goodloe, Carter, Crutcher, McMillian, Jarman. Clovis, N.M.: M. Baldock, 1990..
 * Family Bible of P. W. Duke and Mollie E. Moore: Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1963..
 * Francis McGavock Papers ~ TSLA Manuscripts
 * McGavock Family Papers ~ Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library
 * McGavock Family Papers ~ Special Collections William and Mary College
 * Rachel Jackson Manuscripts ~ Listing
 * Andrew Jackson Donelson Papers ~ University of Tennessee Knoxville Collection
 * A Guide to Andrew Jackson Donelson ~ Briscoe Center for American History
 * The Papers of Andrew Jackson ~ University of Tennessee Knoxville Collection
 * Papers of Andrew Jackson ~ The Avalon Project

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;
 * Harpeth Gleanings: Covers Bellevue and the Harpeth River Valley in southwest Davidson county. FamilySearch Library US/CAN Book
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index..

Probate Records
The Davidson County Court and the County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records, most available at the Metropolitan Government Archives.

Online Records


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1784-1792; 1792-1804 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills, Estates, Deeds ($)
 * 1784-1940 Davidson County portion of at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection
 * 1805-1809; 1805-1816 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills ($)

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


 * 1784-1794 Will Book 1: 1784-1794
 * 1794-1804 Will Book 2: 1794-1804
 * 1805-1809 Will Book 3: 1805-1809
 * 1809-1816 Will Book 4: 1809-1816

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1783-1830 - Marsh, Helen C. and Timothy R. Marsh. Davidson County, Tennessee, Wills and Inventories. Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1990. Indexed. Contains Vol. 1, 1783-1816, and Vol. 2, 1816-1830. (FS Library book 976.855 P2m.)
 * 1784-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.
 * 1784-1816 - Strictly By Name (see above).

School Records

 * Roger Williams 1884-1885 School Catalog

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
Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1787 "Davidson County Tax List for 1787," available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * 1787, 1812 Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Pioneers of Davidson County, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1996. Available at ; digital versions are available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1787 First Tax List, 1787, Brief, Krefeld Immigrants and Their Descendants. Sacramento CA: Fall 2003. Vol. 20 Iss. 2.
 * 1788, 1805, 1811 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. Includes 1788, 1805, 1811 tax lists.
 * 1789 Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1798 Duncan, Ruth Henley. "List of Taxable Property, Davidson County, Tennessee, October 1, 1798" and "List of Slaves Owned in Davidson County, Tennessee, October 1, 1798," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (July 1961):78-86. For FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1805 - West, Betsy F. "Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List-1805," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Spring 1979):80-85; Vol. 26, No. 3 (Fall 1979):128-132; Vol. 26, No. 4 (Winter 1979). For FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1805 Davidson County 1805 Tax List Annotated, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Summer 2007); Vol. 21, No. 2 (Fall 2007); Vol. 21, No. 3 (Winter 2008); Vol. 22, No. 2 (Fall 2008); Vol. 22, No. 3 (Winter 2009); Vol. 22, No. 4 (Spring 2009). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1811 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. . Cites Davidson County Tax List, 1811, Early Tax Lists microfilm reel #3, TSLA, Nashville as source.
 * 1812 - West, Betsy F. "Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List-1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Winter 1979):164-173. For FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1812 Douthat, James L. 1812 Davidson County, Tennessee, Tax List: Taken from the Microfilm Copy Found in the Tennessee State Archives. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, (2000?)..
 * 1812 "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812," Alphabetical Arrangement available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * 1812 "Enumeration of the Free Male Inhabitants of Davidson County Taken in the Year 1812." Arranged by company. Available online, courtesy: Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
 * 1812 Davidson County Tax List 1812, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Winter 2003); Vol. 16, No. 4 (Spring 2003); Vol. 17, No. 1 (Summer 2003). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Trousdale.
 * 1814 - "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. Includes Davidson 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 FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Davidson County.]
 * 1826 Release of Taxes, 1826, Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History. Nashville TN: Summer 1996. Vol. 10 Iss. 1.
 * 1829 - "Davidson County, Tennessee 1829 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Summer 1985):63-68; Vol. 32, No. 3 (Fall 1985):123-130; Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter 1985):179-182. For FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * ca.1865 Tennessee Tax Lists Holdings, ca.1865, Southern Genealogists Exchange Quarterly. Jacksonville FL: Summer 1965. Vol. 6 Iss. 34.

Birth

 * 1828-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1854-1902 Davidson County Guardian Receipts and Settlements 1854-1902 - Nashville Metro Archives
 * 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1881-1891 - Nashville Birth Index 1881-1913 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1881-1913 Nashville Birth Records 1881-1913 - Nashville Metro Archives
 * 1908-1912 Davidson County Birth Records: 1908-1912 - Nashville Metro Archives
 * 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage
Online Indexes and Records


 * 1625-1966 Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. at Ancestry ($)
 * 1788-1830 - Marriage records for Davidson County: 1788-1839 Metro Archives
 * 1789-1837; 1838-1847; 1848-1849 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Marriages ($)
 * 1789-1932 - Davidson County Marriage Index 1789-1932 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1789-1837 - Davidson County, Tennessee Marriage Digital record book I, January 2, 1789 - December 13, 1837 Click on view all pages
 * 1790-1962 [1790-1962] - at FamilySearch. index and images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection
 * 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1838-1847 - Marriage Records, 1838-1847, Davidson County, Tennessee. Typescript. FS Library|24631|film (Item 2) +++
 * 1838-1888 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1864-1905 - Marriages Recorded in Nashville, 1864-1905. Metro Archives Index courtesy of the Nashville.
 * 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1789-1847 - Marriages of Davidson County, Tennessee, 1789 - 1847. Two volumes. FS Library|976.855 V2w
 * 1789-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. v. 1. Includes names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for specified years.
 * 1789-1873 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. ff.

Death

 * 1780-1805 - Meier, Oveda. Tennessee Ancestors: The Brave and the Dead, Probate and Death Records of Early Middle Tennessee, 1780–1805. Salt Lake City, Utah: O. Meier, 1990. (FamilySearch Library .) This source contains abstracts of probate, Bible, and court records, county histories, and military death records for Davidson and Sumner counties. It includes a surname index.
 * 1874-1913 - Nashville Death Index 1874-1913 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1874-1955 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1923 - Davidson County Death Index 1900-1923 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1908-1958 Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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
 * 1914-1966 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
 * 1855-1955 Death Notices in Nashville Newspapers 1855-1907,online index, courtesy: TSLA.
 * 1908-1812 Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 Online index from TSLA.
 * 1913 Nashville Obituaries &amp; Death Notices for 1913 &gt; Part 1: Introduction,online index, courtesy: TSLA.
 * 1914 -1930 Statewide Index to Tennessee Death Records 1914-1930. Online index from TSLA.
 * 1900-1913 Davidson County Death Records 1900-1913 Online index from TSLA. Many of these records do not appear in the Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912.
 * 1949-2009 Tennessee Statewide Death Index, 1949-2009 - searchable database from the Shelby County Register of Deeds. Includes data from all over the state.
 * 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce
Online Records Online Titles
 * 1796-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
 * 1800-1965 Tennessee, Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965 at Ancestry - ($), selected counties: Anderson, Carroll, Cheatham, Dickson, Franklin, Haywood, Henderson, Obion, Tipton, Williamson
 * 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

Archives
Metropolitan Government Archives 3801 Green Hills Village Drive Nashville, TN 37215 Phone: 615-862-5880 Website Metropolitan Government Archives, a division of the Nashville Public Library, contains historical records of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee 3801 Green Hills Village Drive Nashville, TN 37215 Phone: 615-862-5880 Website Website includes links to records including cemetery records, census, tax lists, church records, court records, vital records, military records and more.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Madison Tennessee FamilySearch Center
 * Nashville Tennessee FamilySearch Center
 * Brentwood Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Nashville Public Library 615 Church St. Nashville, TN 37219 Phone: 615-862-5800 Website Houses a significant collection of Davidson County records. They have posted an online index to Nashville marriages 1864-1905 and Nashville obituaries 1964 to the present. Obituaries from 2006 are available in full text with a Nashville Library card. Copies of obituaries can be accessed at the library or at the TSLA.

Societies
Metro Nashville Archives 615 Church St. Nashville, TN 37219 Phone: 615-862-5880 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Davidson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Cyndi's List - A comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online.
 * Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County Online Records
 * – 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

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Davidson County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Genealogical Research in Davidson County," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Spring 1993). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Davidson.