Cannon County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Cannon County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Woodbury Organized: January 31, 1836 Parent County(s): Warren, Rutherford, Smith Neighboring Counties Coffee • DeKalb • Rutherford • Warren • Wilson See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Cannon County is named after Tennessee Governor Newton Cannon (1781-1841). The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Cannon County Courthouse
200 West Main St.
Woodbury, TN 37190
Cannon County Website Phone: 615-563-8142
County Clerk Phone: 615-563-4278
County Clerk & Master's Office Phone: 615-563-5936
County Register of Deeds Phone: 615-563-2041

County Clerk has marriage records from 1838.
Register of Deeds has land records.

Cannon County, Tennessee Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1881	1838	1881	1836	1836	1836	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1934 Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. Lack of marriage records: 1836 to 1837 For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1836--Cannon County was created 31 January 1836 from Warren, Rutherford, and Smith Counties. County seat: Woodbury Tennessee Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Tennessee Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes

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:

Towns
Auburntown	Woodbury
Unincorporated communities
Bluewing Bradyville Gassaway	Hopewell Iconium Midway	Readyville Sugar Tree Knob

Neighboring Counties

• Coffee
• DeKalb
• Rutherford
• Warren
• Wilson

Resources

Biographies

All of the family biographies from the History of Cannon County, Tennessee (1887) by Goodspeed Publishing Co., are available online at My Genealogy Hound.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

• Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Includes Cannon County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Cannon County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones FamilySearch Places
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

• 1888-1906 W.P.A. Cannon County Bible, Family, and Tombstone Records. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products. (The pages may load slowly.) For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Census Records

1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Cannon 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 Cannon County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project^®

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

1810 Lost, except for those records coming from portions of parent county Rutherford. A substitute exists for lost portions:

• 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. FS Catalog 976.8 X2s 1810.

1810-1891

• 1810-1891 Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry $

1891 Voter

• Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1840

• Transcription of the 1840 Federal Census for Cannon County Tennessee Located at TNGenWeb.
• Spradley, Pat. "Cannon County, TN-1840 Federal Census," available online through USGenWeb Archives. Source: NARA Roll #519, Microcopy #704, Tennessee Vol. 2 (1-191).

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. FS Library US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Middle District, Cannon County on page 155.

1850

• Porch, Deane. Cannon County Tennessee, 1850 Census. Franklin, Tennessee: C. Lynch, 1974. FS Catalog 976.8535 X2p 1850
• S-K Publications. "Cannon County, TN-1850 Census Index," available online through USGenWeb Archives.

1860

• Index and transcription of 1860 Federal Census for Cannon County Tennessee, available online through USGenWeb Census Project.

1880

• Sistler, Byron and Barabara Sistler. 1880 Census, Cannon County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: Byron Sistler and Assoc., 1974. FS Catalog 976.8 A1 no. 119

1890- Lost but a substitute is available:

• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler and Assoc., 1978. FS Catalog 976.8 X2s 1890

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Baptist

• Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902.Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee. Free digital copy.
• W.P.A. Minutes to Woodbury Baptist Church, 1888-1906. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1943. FS Library US/CAN Film 24608 Item 2.
• 1888-1906 - W.P.A. Cannon County Bible, Family, and Tombstone Records. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products. (The pages may load slowly.) For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Court Records

• 1836-1897 - W.P.A. Cannon County Deed Index, Volume 1. Typescript, TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index.
• 1836-1895 - W.P.A. Cannon, and County Record of Wills Book A. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index.

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

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

Gentry-Smith Funeral Home in Woodbury Woodbury Funeral Home in Woodbury

Genealogies

General

• Cannon County Historical Society. Cannon County, Tennessee: 1836 History and Families 1995. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1995. FS Library Book 976.8535 D2c; FS Library Book 976.8535 H2c.

Bibliography

• Alexander - Andrews, Vera B. Alexanders of Cannon Co., TN: A Family History and Genealogy, Covering 1848-1989, Plus Some Earlier. Elkhart, Ind.: V.B. Andrews, 1989. FS Library Book 929.273 AL26av.
• Dickson - Smith, Austin Wheeler. The Dickson-McEwen and Allied Families Genealogy. Cookeville, TN: Unknown, 1945. FS Library Book 929.273 D561s; available online at some libraries through HeritageQuest Online.
• Duggin - Butler, E. Dean. History of the Duggin and Related Families of Cannon County, Tennessee. Memphis, Tenn.: E.D. Butler, 1979. FS Library Book 929.273 D879d.
• George - See Gray.
• Gray - Webb, Thomsa G. The Webb Families of Dekalb County, Tennessee, and 23 Related Families: Including Bethel, Cantrell, Colvert, Fuson, Gribble, Hicks, Jaco, Judkins, Magness, Mangum, Moser, Parker, Potter, Redmon, Snow, Turner, and Weedon Families, Along with the Farmer and Foushee Families of Virginia; the Gray, George, and Sageley Families of Cannon County, Tennessee, the Nathaniel Miller Family of Rutherford County, Tennessee, and Others. Smithville, Tenn.: Bradley Printing Co., 2002. FS Library Book 929.273 W381wt.
• McEwen - See Dickson.
• Sageley - See Gray.

Land and Property Records

• Cannon County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1836 and is located at Courthouse, Public Square, Woodbury, Tennessee 37190; (615) 563-4278. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
• The FamilySearch Library has microfilm copies of deed books 1836-1892 with indexes 1836-1916; land entries 1836-1897; Surveyors' books 1836-1860; and oil and gas leases 1869-1881.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

• The Goodspeed Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren and White Counties: With Biographical Sketches and Aboriginal Map of Tennessee. McMinnville, TN: B. Lomond Press, 1972. Reprint. Originally published: Nashville, TN: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
• Map of 1888 Cannon County, Tennessee (My Genealogy Hound)
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

Revolutionary War
The following Cannon 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. FS Library Book 973 X2pc 1840; Film 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Middle District, Cannon County on page 155.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War at TNGenWeb.

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan. 1960):13-16. FS Library Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Cannon County pensioners (pp. 15-16).

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 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 Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Research Database
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Cannon County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Cannon County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA - Company E
• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies E and G.
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Companies E and G.
• 18th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A and H.
• 22nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Barteau's) - Company C.
• 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) - CSA - Company H.
• 35th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (5th Infantry) (1st Mountain Rifle Regiment) - CSA-2nd Company E.
  

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Cannon County:

• Hancock, Richard R. Hancock's Diary: or, A History of the Second Tennessee Calvary. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co., 1887. Free digital copy. Regiment organized in Auburn, Cannon county. Their movement with the Second Tennessee Calvary.
• USGennet, Cannon County and the American Civil War. Rosters of Combatants & Regimental Histories from Cannon County and Civil War Confederate Pension Applications - Cannon County, Tennessee. (This is a PDF file that includes Pensioner's Name, Soldier's Name, Unit, Pension # and Pension Type.)
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Cannon 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. Cannon County, page 322.
  

Newspapers

• Newspapers on Microfilm at the Library & Archives at TSLA; some may be accessed via interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee
  • See Interlibrary Loan Policies for more information
    

For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Cannon County click on the following towns:

• Auburntown
• Woodbury
• 1800s-Current Tennessee, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FS Library Book 976.8 V2L.

Other Records

Prisons

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

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

Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

• Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website; FS Library Book 976.8 B2a.

The Upper Cumberland Researcher

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Cannon County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The FamilySearch Library has most issues through the present FS Library Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FS Library Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).

Probate Records

The Cannon County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1836-1916 Cannon County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - images only; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.- How to Use this Collection
• 1836-1926 Images of Wills 1836-1895; 1895-1926 at Southeastern Genealogy ($)

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1836-1895 - W.P.A. Cannon, and County Record of Wills Book A. TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s.Free online index, created by Steve Carson through GSC Associates Historical Records Products. (The pages may load slowly.) For a small fee, the company sells three Cannon County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records
• 1836-1895 - Carlson, Gladys. Abstract of Cannon County, Tennessee Will Book. Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press, [2001?]. Indexed. Contains Vol. A. (FS Library book 976.8535 P28c.)
• 1836-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.

Online Probate Records

• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1847 "Cannon County, Tennessee Tax Sale, 1847," Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Aug. 1990): 181-. For access, see Cannon.
• 1854 Spradley, Pat. "Cannon County, TN - Census - Insolvent Tax List, 1854," available online through USGenWeb Archives. Source: Cannon County Clerk Minute Book C:400 (Jan Term 1855), TSLA Roll #21.
• 1869 "Cannon County Land Sold for Unpaid Taxes in 1869," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Spring 1997):8. For FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Cannon.

Vital Records

Birth

Online Records

• 1828-1939 Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

• 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry $
• 1881-1885 - Cannon County Birth Index 1881-1885. Batch C710141 at FamilySearch
• 1908-1912 Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online Indexes and Records

• 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

• 1780-2002 Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry $
• 1790-1962 Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch. index & images. Covers all counties in Tennessee.- How to Use this Collection

• 1796-1950 Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection

• 1838-1888 Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearchHow to Use this Collection
• 1838-1850; 1850-1866; 1865-1867; 1871-1892; 1888-1890 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Marriages ($)
• 1851-1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
• 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1783-1870 - 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1.
• 1838-1873 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff.
• 1838-1895 - Cannon County Marriage Index 1838-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1850 - 1866 - W.P.A. Cannon County Marriage Records, Volume 6. Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Free online index

Death

Online Records

• 1874-1955 Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 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 Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection
• 1949-2014 Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

Online Records

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

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Cannon County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• McMinnville Tennessee FamilySearch Center
• Murfreesboro Tennessee FamilySearch Center
• Smyrna FamilySearch Center
• Cleveland Bradley County Public Library History Branch - an affiliate library.
• Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Cannon County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Adams Memorial Library
212 College St.
Woodbury, TN 37190
Phone: 615-563-5861
Email: cannonlib@dtccom.net
Website

Cannon County Library Auburntown Branch
73 East Main Street
Auburntown, TN 37016
Phone: 615-464-2622
Email: aublibrary@dtccom.net
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Cannon County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

Auburntown Historical Society
P.O. Box 114
Auburntown, TN 37016-0114
Website

Cannon County Historical Society
Email: rbushcannonhistorian@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

• Cannon County TN Genealogy
• Cannon County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Cannon County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Cannon County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free genealogy resources for the region
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

Research Guides

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