Step-by-Step Tennessee Research, 1880-Present
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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.
What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
- 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
- Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki
What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.
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Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
- A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
- For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
- Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
- Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.
Using clues to lead to census record searches.
From this old family Bible record, we can find clues that will guide us in choosing when and where to search the census records. We will start with the Woods family. We only have initials for the parents at this point. The children have full names, however, and were born from 1900 (too late in the year to be in the 1900 census) to 1917 in Campbell County, Tennessee. So we would start by looking for the family in 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses.
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We couldn't find them in 1920, but here they are in 1910 and 1930. Now we know the parents' full names, Stephen A. Woods and Rachel M. Woods.
We can follow up on the children in the 1940 census. Bezal L. Woods is given here as an example:
Now that we know their names, we can look for Stephen and Rachel in the 1900 census. Fortunately, we find his mother, Nancy Woods, living with them:
Finally, we can look for Stephen A. Woods in the 1880 census in his parents home. We will need Rachel's maiden name before we can look for her.
Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
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For more information, see Tennessee Census and United States Census.
Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or (even towns in some states) recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
- In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations.
- A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
- A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.
Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records. In addition to basic birth date and place, a birth certificate can give age, birthplace, occupation, etc. about the parents.
Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
- establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
- find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.
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Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
- birth date and place of the deceased
- maiden name of the wife
- names of the deceased's parents
- birth places of the deceased's parents.
Notice that we find the maiden name of Nancy Woods in these death records for her children.
How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
- online databases
- writing to a county courthouse (prior to the beginning of state civil registration)
- purchasing them through the mail at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Online databases, usually indexes, with some images
Some of the esources shown above are indexes. That means for each of entry an actual, original, full certificate exists. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. In some cases, the image of the original is found online.
Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Tennessee Counties.
Order Certificates from Tennessee Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
- Where to Write for Tennessee Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Tennessee, see How to Find Tennessee Birth Records, How to Find Tennessee Marriage Records, and How to Find Tennessee Death Records.
Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.
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Obituaries
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Online Tennessee Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index
- Tennessee Genealogy Data at GenealogyBuff.com — index
- Tennessee Obituaries at ObitsArchive.com — index & images ($)
- Tennessee Obituaries Help and Genealogy Resources at ObituariesHelp.org — index
Cemeteries
- 1933-1990 U.S., Tennessee Valley Cemetery Relocation Files, 1933-1990 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1949-1969 United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- BillionGraves — index & images
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- FindaGrave — index & images
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- Online Tennessee Death Records and Indexes at DeathIndexes.com — index
- Relocated Cemeteries at Tennessee Valley Authority
- Tennessee Cemeteries at I Dream of Genealogy — index
- Tennessee Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy — index
- Tennessee Death Records and Tennessee Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
- Tennessee Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Tombstones — index
U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
- The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
- You can search these records online at
- 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
- 1962-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.
For more information, see Tennessee Obituaries and Tennessee Cemeteries.
Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.
Example of a World War I draft card.
Example of a World War II draft card.
Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- 1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Civil War Pensions
Pensions were given to Union Civil War soldiers who sustained war-related disabilities from the Federal Government. There are several Civil War pension indexes online:
- 1861-1865 Tennessee Civil War Records at fold3 — index & images ($)
- 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1861-1934 United States Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1887-1942 United States Remarried Widows Index to Pension Applications, 1887-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
For more information and additional collections, see Tennessee Military Records.
Step 6: Look for church records.
Church records function as vital records.
- An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
- Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
- Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.
Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.
Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.
FamilySearch
- 1796-1950 Tennessee, Marriages, 1796-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1810-1965 Tennessee Church Marriages, 1810-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1816-1995 Tennessee, Church Records, 1816-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1828-1939 Tennessee, Births and Christenings, 1828-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1874-1955 Tennessee, Deaths and Burials, 1874-1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Ancestry.com
- 1784-1825 Tennessee, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1784-1825 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1874-1955 Tennessee, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955 at Ancestry — index ($)
Baptist
- 1750-1899 U.S., Southern Baptist Church Records, 1750-1899 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1840-Onward Tennessee Baptist/Baptist and Reflector Digital Project at Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives — images
Lutheran
- 1792-1935 Marriages, Births and Deaths From Virginia and East Tennessee Lutheran Church in America Records(*) Daughters of the American Revolution, General James Breckinridge Chapter (Roanoke, Virginia) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Presbyterian
- 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Other Collections
- Church, Cemetery, Bible, and Family Records From Tennessee(*) Historical Records Project and Historical Records Survey (Tennessee) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- For help with church records kept in Tennessee, see Tennessee Church Records.
- To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.
Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.
- County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
- In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
- Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.
Example of probate records.
Search these indexes and images for probate records.
- 1779-2008 Tennessee, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1795-1927 Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1795-1955 Tennessee Probate Court Files, 1795-1955 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Tennessee county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Tennessee Counties
For more information, see Tennessee Probate Records and United States Probate Records.
Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records are the next goal. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but in ship lists after 1906 you can find the actual town of birth, the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives in the place they are traveling to.
Immigration records
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.
Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.
Immigration Records
Tennessee Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records
- 1888-1992 Tennessee, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1888-1992 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
For more information, see Tennessee Emigration and Immigration and Tennessee Naturalization and Citizenship.
Step 9: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.
Local Histories
- Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
- Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Tennessee; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
- Google Books. Use keywords "Tennessee" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
- Family History Books
- County and Town Histories
- Internet Archive. Use keywords "Tennessee" and the county name.
- Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Tennessee and the name of the county.
FamilySearch Collected Local Histories
- Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
- If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
- Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
- In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
- A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.
Biographies
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.
- A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans : The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry, and Modern Activities, by Hale, Will T. and Dixon L. Merritt. Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1913. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust; Vol. 4 - HathiTrust; Vol. 5 - HathiTrust; Vol. 6 - HathiTrust; Vol. 8 - HathiTrust; Also at: Ancestry — index & images ($)
- County and Town Histories, Tennessee at LearnWebSkills — index & images
- Notable Men of Tennessee. Personal and Genealogical, With Portraits, by Allison, Judge John. Atlanta, Ga.: Southern Historical Association, 1905. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust
- Sketches of Prominent Tennesseans, by Speer, William S. Nashville: Albert B. Tavel, 1888. Online at: HathiTrust; Also at: Internet Archive ($)
- Some Representative Women of Tennessee, by Gilchrist, Annie Somers. Nashville, Tenn.: McQuiddy Publishing Company, 1902. Online at: HathiTrust
- Tennessee and Tennesseans, by Oldham, Bethenia McLemore. Clarksville, Tenn.: W. P. Titus, 1903. Online at: HathiTrust
- Tennessee Biographies by County at My Genealogy Hound
Step 10: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.
Step 11: Use other FamilySearch tools.Historical ImagesRecords collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
Tennessee Online Genealogy RecordsSearch any other online records listed in Tennessee Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Tennessee Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
Step 12: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Tennessee.This article focused more on Tennessee state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Tennessee. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records. |
