Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy

From FamilySearch Wiki
(Redirected from Wayne County, Tennessee)


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

County Facts
County seat: Waynesboro
Organized: November 24, 1817
Parent County(s): Hickman, Humphreys[1]
Neighboring Counties
Decatur • Hardin • Lauderdale (AL) • Lawrence • Lewis • Perry
See County Maps
Courthouse
TNWaynecourthouse.jpg
Location Map
Wayne County Tennessee.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Wayne County was named for General Anthony Wayne, an American soldier, officer and statesman. The nickname "Mad Anthony", as well as a generalship, was bestowed on him due to his "military exploits and fiery personality" during the American Revolutionary War.[2] The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Wayne County Courthouse
200 Court Square
Waynesboro, TN 38485
County Courthouse Phone: 931-722-5517

Wayne County Clerk
Marriage and probate records
100 Court Circle
P.O. Box 367
Waynesboro, TN 38485
County Clerk Phone: 931-722-5544
County Register of Deeds Phone: 931-722-5518

County Clerk has marriage records from 1857 and probate records from 1848.
Register of Deeds has land records.[4]

Wayne County, Tennessee Record Dates[edit | edit source]

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[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1881 1857 1881 1837 1820 1848 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

1973 Fire damaged courthouse records.[6]

  • Lost marriage records: 1817 to 1856
  • Lost probate records: 1817 to 1847

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[8]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Mooney
  • Mount Hope
  • Ovilla
  • Piney Grove
  • Ransom Stand
  • Shawnette
  • Southgate
  • Stout
  • Threet
  • Topsy
  • Upper Holly Creek
  • Whitten's Stand
  • Woodlawn


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-1796)


Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Wayne County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1820 2,459 —
1830 6,013 144.5%
1840 7,705 28.1%
1850 8,170 6.0%
1860 9,115 11.6%
1870 10,209 12.0%
1880 11,301 10.7%
1890 11,471 1.5%
1900 12,936 12.8%
1910 12,062 −6.8%
1920 12,877 6.8%
1930 12,134 −5.8%
1940 13,638 12.4%
1950 13,864 1.7%
1960 11,908 −14.1%
1970 12,365 3.8%
1980 13,946 12.8%
1990 13,935 −0.1%
2000 16,842 20.9%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Wayne County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. 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 Wayne County, Tennessee census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1810-1891

1820

  • Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FS Catalog 976.8 X22b 1820. Online at Ancestry ($).
  • Byler, Edgar D. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975 FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 1.
  • Lauderdale County Library. Vertical files, Census records. Salt Lake City, Utah Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. FS Catalog 1034009 Item 2.

1830

  • Byler, Edgar D. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 1.

1840

  • Byler, Edgar D. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 1.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

1850

  • Byler, Edgar D. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 2.
  • Porch, Deane. Wayne County, Tennessee 1850 Census. Franklin, Tennessee: Louise G. Lynch, 19--?. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p 1850

1860

1870

  • Byler, Edgar D. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 3.

1880

  • Brown, Delores R. Wayne County, Tennessee, Census Records. Collinwood, Tennessee: Byler Press, 1975. FS Catalog 976.839 X2p Vol. 4.
  • Sistler, Barbara and Byron Sistler. 1880 Census Wayne County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee B. Sistler & Associates, 1999. FS Catalog 976.839 X2s 1880

1890 Lost Substitutes are available:

The 1891 registration has been published and indexed twice:

  • Bridges, Alec F. Special, 1891, Tennessee Census, Wayne County: Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward. Columbia, Tenn.: A.F. Bridges, 1994. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.839 X2b.
  • 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. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 8 1891. Wayne County is included in Vol. 8.

1891 Male Voters

There is also the 1890 Census of Civil War Veterans:

1910

1920

1930

Church Records[edit | edit source]

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

African Americans
Census takers found no free African Americans living in Wayne County, Tennessee in 1820.[9]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

  • Wayne County Historical Society. Wayne County, Tennessee History and Families. 2 vols. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1995. FS Library Book 976.839 H2t v. 1 ff.

Bibliography

  • Cook - See Grimes
  • Creacy - Holt, Stacey E. The Creacy/Creecy Family of Wayne County, Tennessee. Collinwood, Tenn.: S.E. Holt, 1993. FS Library Book 929.273 A1 no. 8024.
  • Creacy - Daily-Geary, Jessica L. and James P. Geary. The Compiled Book of Creecy: Addendum 2001.Provo, Utah Geary Genealogical Services, 2001. FS Catalog 929.273 C861d supp. Free digitized copy.
  • Grimes - Grimes, Jay Cook. Grimes, Cook and Related Families of Wayne County, Tennessee: A Genealogy. Related Families, Johnson, Morris, Montague, 1800-1960. Auburn, Alabama: J.C. Grimes, 1960. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
  • Haddock - Koontz, Dewie Lucas. The Haddock Family of Cypress Inn, Wayne Co., Tn.: and Descendants. Arlington, Texas: D. Koontz, 1989. FS Library Book 929.273 H117kd.
  • Hasty - Hasty, Warren H. William Jordan Hasty and descendants Minneapolis, Minnesota : W.H. Hasty,2004. FS Catalog book 929.273 H279w. Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library
  • Horton - Lancaster, Beverly. Some Shipman and Horton Families of Wayne County, Tennessee and Searcy County, Arkansas. Orchard Lake, Mich.: Beverly M. Lancaster, 1986. FS Library Book 929.273 H789L.
  • Johnson - See also Grimes
  • Johnson - Massat, Theresa Fickling. History and Genealogy of John Johnson of Wayne County, Tennessee, and His Descendants, 1777-1990. n.p.: T.F. Massat, 1990?. FS Library Book 929.273 J633m.
  • Kyle - Raymond, Edith Madeline Replogle and German Burnett Kyle. German Burnett (G.B.) Kyle of Logan County, Arkansas and His Wayne County, Tennessee Ancestors: Duckworth, Kyle, Nesbitt, Staggs, Wilson and Their Descendants and Allied Families. Pullman, Washington: E.M.R. Raymond, 1990. FS Library Book 929.273 K984r.
  • Lackey - Nelson, Mary Lee Lackey. The Lackey Lines of Northern Arkansas: Their Descendants and Related Families. Independence, Missouri: M.L.L. Nelson, 1984. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 L118n.
  • Moore - Culver, Lillye Moore and C.W. Moore. The Moore's of Wayne County, Tennessee. n.p.: L.M. Culver, 1969?. FS Library Book 929.273 M781cL.
  • Morris - See Grimes
  • Montague - See Grimes
  • Rose - Rose, Christine. Ancestors and Descendants of Frederick Rose: of Sussex County, Virginia, Orange County, North Carolina, and Wayne and Hardin Counties, Tennessee. San Jose, Calif.: C.C. Rose, 1980. FS Library Book 929.273 R72rch.
  • Shipman - Lancaster, Beverly. Some Shipman and Horton Families of Wayne County, Tennessee and Searcy County, Arkansas. Orchard Lake, Mich.: Beverly M. Lancaster, 1986. FS Library Book 929.273 H789L.
  • Simmons - Jenkins, Jack S. William Simmons of Wayne County, Tennessee and Descendants. San Antonio, Texas: J.S. Jenkins, 1987. FS Library Book 929.273 Si47j.
  • Sinclair - Sinclair, Thomas Graham. The Samuel Sinclair and Hettie Jane Roach Family of Wayne County, Tennessee. Palm Desert, Calif.: T.G. Sinclair, 1996. FS Library Book 929.273 Si62st.
  • Whitten - Byler, Edgar D. and Rolla Whitten. The Whitten Family of Wayne County, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1980. FS Library US/CAN Film 1293983 Item 16.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Lewis CountyLawrence CountyLauderdale CountyHardin CountyDecatur CountyPerry CountyTN WAYNE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

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

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 US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Tennessee, Middle District, Wayne County on page 158.
  • 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

Civil War

Online Records

Regiments. Men in Wayne 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 Wayne County:

Confederate Soldiers

Union Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Wayne County:

Korean War

  • Wayne County Historical Society (Waynesboro, Tenn.). Korean War Veterans: Wayne County, Tennessee. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 2004. FS Library Book 976.839 M2k.

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Wayne County click on the following cities:

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Prisons[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

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

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

The Wayne County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

For free lookups of Wayne County, Tennessee wills and administrations 1848-1920 click here.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1848-1920 - Berry, Nell J. and June L. Scott. Wayne County, Tennessee Wills & Letters of Administration 1848-1920. Waynesboro, Tennessee: Wayne County Historical Society, 1990.
  • 1848-1861 - 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.

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 1836 Tax List, 1836, Wayne County Historian, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Jun. 1992); Vol. 5, No. 3 (Sep. 1992); Vol. 5, No. 4 (Dec. 1992); Vol. 6, No. 1 (Mar. 1993).
  • 1836 Murphy, Jerry W. "1836 Wayne County Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes 1836 Civil District Map, and 1836 Commissioner's Report.]
  • 1838 Tax List, 1838, Wayne County Historian, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Sep. 1993).
  • 1838 Murphy, Jerry W. "1838 Wayne County Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1866 - Byler, Edgar D. "Registered Voters in the 10th & 11th Civil Districts-1866, Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1866 Byler, Edgar D. "1866 Commissioners' Report to Redistrict Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1877 Moore, Gerald K. "1877 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1886 Moore, Gerald K. "1886 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1890 Moore, Gerald K. "1890 Tax List Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1890 Moore, Gerald K. 1890 Taxpayers in Wayne County, Tennessee. S.l. G.K. Moore, 200-?. FS Catalog 976.839 R4m Free online digital copy.
  • 1891 Higdon, Barbara. "1891 Voter's List Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1895 Moore, Gerald K. "1895 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1905 Moore, Gerald K. "1905 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1915 Moore, Gerald K. "1915 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1925 Moore, Gerald K. "1925 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1935 Moore, Gerald K. "1935 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
  • 1945 Moore, Gerald K. "1945 Land Owners Wayne County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.

The following article, based on Wayne County's tax records, was published in 2007:

  • Tax and Assessment Statistics, 1877-1955, Wayne County Historian, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Sep. 2007).

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Wayne County Public Library
525A Old Hwy 64 East
Waynesboro, TN 38485
Phone: 931-722-5537
Facebook
Website

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center
Paul Meek Library
10 Wayne Fisher Dr.
Martin, TN 38238
Phone: 731-881-7065
Website
Holds a variety of genealogical resources including materials relating to the following counties in Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Stewart, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley and Carlisle (KY), Fulton (KY), and Hickman (KY) counties in Kentucky.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Wayne County Historical Society
P.O. Box 866
Waynesboro, TN 38485-0866
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

Green check.png
The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Anthony Wayne" in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Wayne Wikipedia, accessed 22 Jun 2022.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wayne County, Tennessee" in Wikipedia accessed 09 Jan 2019
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Lost Records: Courthouse Fires and Disasters in Tennessee in Tennessee State Library and Archives in Tennessee Secretary of State (accessed 13 March 2016).
  7. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wayne County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_County,_Tennessee#Communities, accessed 15 December 2019.
  9. ↑ *Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website.
  10. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at Media:Igitennessees.pdf.
  11. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/6/64/Igitennessees.pdf.




v • d• e
Links to Tennessee-related articles
Topics
Counties
Anderson · Bedford · Benton · Bledsoe · Blount · Bradley · Campbell · Cannon · Carroll · Carter · Cheatham · Chester · Claiborne · Clay · Cocke · Coffee · Crockett · Cumberland · Davidson · Decatur · DeKalb · Dickson · Dyer · Fayette · Fentress · Franklin · Gibson · Giles · Grainger · Greene · Grundy · Hamblen · Hamilton · Hancock · Hardeman · Hardin · Hawkins · Haywood · Henderson · Henry · Hickman · Houston · Humphreys · Jackson · Jefferson · Johnson · Knox · Lake · Lauderdale · Lawrence · Lewis · Lincoln · Loudon · McMinn · McNairy · Macon · Madison · Marion · Marshall · Maury · Meigs · Monroe · Montgomery · Moore · Morgan · Obion · Overton · Perry · Pickett · Polk · Putnam · Rhea · Roane · Robertson · Rutherford · Scott · Sequatchie · Sevier · Shelby · Smith · Stewart · Sullivan · Sumner · Tipton · Trousdale · Unicoi · Union · Van Buren · Warren · Washington · Wayne · Weakley · White · Williamson · Wilson
Extinct
Counties
Major
Repositories
Migration
Routes
Cumberland River · Mississippi River · Tennessee River · Cumberland Trace · Black Fox Trail · Bolivar and Memphis Trail · Butterfield Overland Mail · Catawba Trail · Chattanooga-Willstown Road · Nickajack Trail · Cisco and Middle Tennessee Trail · Cumberland and Great Lake Trail · Cumberland and Ohio Falls Trail · Federal Road · Great Indian Warpath · Great South Trail · Great Trading Path · Great Valley Road · Jackson's Military Road · Jonesboro Road · Kentucky Road · West Tennessee Trail · Maysville Turnpike · Memphis, Pontotoc and Mobile Trail · Mississippi and Tennessee River Trail · Nashville Road · Nashville-Saline River Trail · Chickasaw Trail · Old Cherokee Path · Tennessee, Ohio and Great Lakes Trail · Unicoi Trail · West Tennessee Chickasaw Trail · Wilderness Road · Illinois Central Railroad

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Wayne_County,_Tennessee_Genealogy&oldid=6335772"