Humphreys County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Humphreys County 

Middle Tennessee county on the Tennessee River. Established 1809.





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

County Courthouse
Humphreys County Courthouse Courthouse Annex 102 Thompson St. Waverly, TN 37185 Phone: 1-931-296-7671

Humphreys County Clerk Marriage, land and probate records Room 2, Courthouse Annex 102 Thompson St. Waverly, TN 37185 Phone: 1-931-296-7671

Courthouse burned in 1876 and 1898. Only the land records are complete.

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

History
The county is named after "U.S. Representative from Tennessee Parry Wayne Humphreys (1778–1839)."

Parent County
1809--Humphreys County was created 19 October 1809 from Stewart County. County seat: Waverly

From 1788 to 1796 people living in what is now Humphreys County were in extinct Tennessee County. Their records for that period are now found in Robertson County, Tennessee.

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

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

Record Loss
1876, 1898--Fire damaged records


 * Lost census: 1810, 1890
 * Lost marriage records: 1809 to 1861
 * Lost probate records: 1809 to 1836

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


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

Research Guides

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

African Americans
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Census takers found no free African Americans living in Humphreys County, Tennessee in 1820.

Cemeteries
Charles A. Reeves Jr. has created a detailed map showing the locations of Humphreys County cemeteries. It may be purchased for a small fee through his website.


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


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


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


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


 * Humphreys County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


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


 * ePodunk list of Humphreys County cemeteries

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

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.

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 Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Humphreys County on page 156.]

1850


 * Garrett, Jill. Humphreys County, Tennessee 1850 Census &amp; Additional Notes.Columbia, Tennessee : J. K. Garrett, 1962.
 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee : Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 6, Northern Humphreys County.

1860


 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee : Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 7, Northern Humphreys County.

1870


 * Clifton, Betty F.1870 Census of Humphreys County, Tennessee.Taylorsville, California : B.F. Clifton, 1979.
 * Finley, Nina. Census of the Houston County Area.Erin, Tennessee : Friends of Houston County Library, 19-? Vol. 8, Northern Humphreys County.

1880


 * Fischer, Marjorie Hood and Ruth B. Burns. 1880 Census, Humphreys County, Tennessee. Vista, California : Ram Press, 1987.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 8 1891. [Humphreys County is included in Vol. 8.]
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

Court

 * Bryant, Betty Huff Jackson County, Tennessee, Chancery Court minutes, 1840-1861 Austin, Texas : [Betty Huff Bryant], 1993. FHL US/CAN book 976.851 P28b Free lookups available!

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

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 Humphreys, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 20,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * [Adams] Hampton, Estelline Adams. John Adams, Esquire (III): Ancestors and Descendants. Unknown: unknown, 1976. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 982157 Item 7; digital versions available at Ancestry ($); BYU Family History Archives; and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Beasley] Lockhart, William Thomas. The Beasley Family of Benton, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties of Tennessee. Florissant, Missouri: W. Lockhart, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B38Lw.
 * [Hamilton] Hamilton, Thomas. Autobiography of Thomas Hamilton. Typescript, microfilmed 1972. FHL US/CAN Film 896607 Item 2.
 * [Knight] Garrett, Jill Knight. Knight Cousins. [Columbia, TN: Unknown, 1967. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 928090; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [McMurtry] McMurtry, Otis D. Chronology of the Life of John McMurtry, Esq., Soldier, Privateer of the American Revolution: Progentior of the McMurtry Clan of Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. FHL US/CAN Film 570838 Item 2.
 * [McMurtry] McMurtry, Brian L. The West Tennessee McMurtry Family: A Synopsis of the Lives and Historical Background that Surrounded the McMurtry Family of Humphreys, Benton, and Henry County, TN. Newburgh, Ind.: B.L. McMurtry, 2006. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M229mb.
 * [Whitfield] Whitfield, Vallie Jo Fox. Whitfield History and Genealogy of Tennessee. [Walnut Creek, CA: Unknown,, 1964. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 879642 Item 1; digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Land

 * Humphreys County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1810 and is located at Room 3 - Court House Annex, 102 Thompson, Waverly, Tennessee 37185; 931-296-7681. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds 1810-1897 with indeses 1810-1907; land sales frm the late 1800s to the early 1900s; tax books 1898-1916.
 * Free lookups available for Tennessee Land Grants C-CZ, H-Hz, S-Sz, N-O, P-

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.] 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 TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Smith, H. K. Some Encounters with General Forrest. McKenzie, Tenn.?: unknown, 1959. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Humphreys County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pension files

Additional resources include:


 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Middle District, Humphreys County on page 156.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. 1960):65-68; Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Humphreys County pensioners 7(3):68, 7(4):90.]

Civil War


 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.
 * Tennesseans in the Civil War : a military history of Confederate an dUnion units with rosters of personnel Nashville, Tennessee : Civil War Centennial Commission, 1964. FHL US/CAN book 976.8 M2 Free lookups available!
 * Wifering, Edna and Sherrill, Charles A. Tennessee's Confederate Widows and their families Cleveland, Tennessee : Cleveland Public Staff and Volunteers, 1992. FHL US/CAN book 976.8 M28 Free lookups available!

Spanish American War


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

Newspapers
RAOGK volunteer is willing to do obituary lookups in Humphreys County newspapers covering the years 1931 to 2003.

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 Humphreys County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Bakerville
 * McEwen
 * Waverly

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 Humphreys 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
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Humphreys 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.
 * Humphreys County Historical Society
 * Family History Library has no. 1 - 36 (1978 - 2005) FHL US/CAN book 976.837 B2h Indexed a PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Humphreys 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.
 * The River Counties
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Humphreys County, Tennessee records were published in The River Counties Quarterly, (14 vols.) edited by Jill K. Garrett. The Family History Library has a complete collection FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2rc.

Prisons
Learn if your Humphreys County ancestors went to prison!


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

Probate
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within a few months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The Humphreys County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

The following Humphreys County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:


 * [1837-1861] 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.]
 * [1838-1844] Works Progress Administration. Wills and Inventories, 1838-1844. [Nashville, Tennessee]: Works Progress Administration, 1938. Typescript of the original records.

Taxation
The following Humphreys County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1812] Taxable Inhabitants, 1812, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct. 1964). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [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 tax list.]
 * [1812] Free Taxable Inhabitants, 1812, Benton County Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Apr. 1994).
 * [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 Humphreys County.]
 * [1836] Nichols, Elizabeth Riggins. "Humphreys County, Tennessee 1836 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Fall 1988):111-114. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1837] Nazor, Mary Louise Graham. "Humphreys County, Tennessee 1837 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 35, No. 4 (Winter 1988):165-170. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1837-1843] Fischer, Marjorie and Ruth B. Burns. Humphreys County, Tennessee, Records: Tax Lists, 1837-1843; Marriages, 1888-1900.Vista, California : Ran Press, 1987.
 * [1839] Tax List, 1839, River Counties, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul. 1973).
 * [1852] Tax List, 1852, District 1, River Counties, Vol. 10, Nos. 1-4 (1981).
 * [1869] "Humphreys County Land Sold for Unpaid 1869 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Summer 1999):39. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Marriage
The original Humphreys County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Due to fire, all marriage records prior to 1864 are lost. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


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

The following Humphreys County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1864-1993] Available at the TSLA.
 * [1864-1959] Available at the Family History Library. Volumes are indexed.

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


 * [1861-1888] Fischer, Marjorie H. and Ruth Blake Burns. Humphreys County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1861-1888. Vista, California: Ram Press, 1984. Information abstracted from marriage books A, C, D, F, G.
 * [1864-1868] Marriage Records, 1864-1868, Humphreys County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939.  Typescript.  Item 2
 * [1888-1900] Fischer, Marjorie H. and Ruth B. Burns. Humphreys County, Tennessee, Records: Tax Lists, 1837-1843; Marriages, 1888-1900. Vista, California: Ran Press, 1987. 
 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page, Discover Your Ancestors: indicate a surname, marriage "event", no date, and a county name (i.e. Humphreys, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.

Humphreys County is not indexed in Sistler's Early Middle Tennessee Marriages.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Humphreys County divorce papers in diverse manuscript collections, see:


 * 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
For deaths of Methodists in Humphreys 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
Humphreys County Historical Society 105 1/2 Carroll Ave Waverly, TN 37185

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Humphreys 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

Humphreys County Public Library 201 Pavo Avenue Waverly, TN 37185 Phone: 1-931-296-2143

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Humphreys County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Humphreys County, Tennessee Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Humphreys County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Humphreys County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: DanvilleCrossing-L (Tennessee River County Genealogy and History List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: DanvilleQueries-L (Tennessee River County Genealogy and History List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)