Tennessee Divorce Records: Difference between revisions

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''[[United States Genealogy|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Tennessee, United States Genealogy|Tennessee]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Tennessee Divorce Records|Divorce Records]]''  
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<br><br>[[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] See also [[Tennessee Court Records|Court Records]]<br>
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In the early 1800's the legislature, the circuit courts, and county courts granted divorces. Divorce records may indicate the date and place of the marriage being dissolved. Circuit courts have handled divorce proceedings in most counties. <br> The Tennessee Office of Vital Statistics has a statewide register of divorces after 1 January 1949 and can verify the date and county of a divorce or annulment. You can get application forms (and instructions) for divorce certificates from the Office of Vital Statistics web site:
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| link5=[[Tennessee Divorce Records|Divorce Records]]
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== Online Resources ==
*'''1706-1850''' [https://tslaindexes.com/database-tn-research/acts-tennessee-1796-1850?search_api_views_fulltext=&search_api_views_fulltext_1=&search_api_views_fulltext_2=divorce Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 (Legislative Papers)] at Tennessee State Library and Archives — index & images
*'''1800-1965''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1237 Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965] at Ancestry — index & images ($)
*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20498/tennessee-divorces?s=275764761 Tennessee Divorces] at MyHeritage — index & images ($)


*[http://health.state.tn.us/vr/index.htm Office of Vital Records - Tennessee Department of Health]
'''Print Publications'''<br>
*[http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/tennessee.htm Where to write for divorce records in Tennessee.]
*''Tennessee Divorces, 1797 to 1858: Taken From 750 Legislative Petitions and Acts,'' by Gale Williams Bamman. Nashville, Tennessee: G.W. Bamman, 1985. {{FSC|401184|item|disp=FS Catalog book 976.8 P2b}}; {{WorldCat|1048524682|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; This book contains abstracts of divorce decrees in alphabetical order by the name of the person requesting the divorce


A source for early Tennessee divorces is:
== Get Copies ==
''Restrictions''<br>
*Divorce records in Tennessee are confidential for 50 years.


*Bamman, Gale Williams. ''Tennessee Divorces, 1797 to 1858: Taken from 750 Legislative Petitions and Acts''. Nashville, Tennessee: G.W. Bamman, 1985. {{FSC|401184|item|disp=FS Catalog book 976.8 P2b}} This book contains abstracts of divorce decrees in alphabetical order by the name of the person requesting the divorce. It indexes every name.
*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20498/tennessee-divorces?s=275764761 Tennessee Divorces] at MyHeritage — index & images ($)


Legislative petitions represent only a small number of the divorces requested. Most went through the superior, circuit, and chancery courts.
'''Tennessee Office of Vital Records'''<br>
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower<br>
710 James Robertson Parkway<br>
Nashville, TN 37243<br>
Phone: (615) 741-1763<br>
[https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/vital-records.html Website]<br>
* They have records from 1945 to present.
* [https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/vital-records/PH-3332-Application-for-Verification-of-Divorce-Facts.pdf Divorce Request Form] from TN Office of Vital Records<br>
 
 
'''Tennessee State Library & Archives''' (TSLA)<br>
1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N.<br>
Nashville, TN 37219<br>
Phone: 615-741-2764<br>
Email: ask@tsla.libanswers.com<br>
[https://sos.tn.gov/tsla Website]<br>
*'''1945-50 years ago''' [https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/vital-records-at-the-library-and-archives#divorce Divorce Records] available through TSLA
 


Original [http://ezinearticles.com/?Search-Tennessee-Divorce-Records-Online&id=1174061 divorce records] for all years are available in the county where the divorce occurred. The FamilySearch Library has copies of the records for some counties. They can be found in the[[FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search|Place-name Search]] of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
'''Tennessee Virtual Archive (TEVA)'''<br>
[https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/customizations/global/pages/ Website]<br>
*'''1945-50 years ago''' [https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/customizations/global/pages/collections/divorce/divorce.html Divorce Records] online at TEVA


TENNESSEE - COURT RECORDS


TENNESSEE - VITAL RECORDS
''County Courthouses''<br>
*'''Early to 50 years ago''' Contact the clerk of courts in the county where the decree was granted.<br>
:*[https://www.ctas.tennessee.edu/clerks-of-court Tennessee Clerks of Court contact information] at University of Tennessee.


TENNESSEE, [COUNTY] - COURT RECORDS
== Coverage and Compliance ==
*Since formal divorces are actually court records, there is high compliance.
*Many couples simply separated, leaving no divorce record.


TENNESSEE, [COUNTY] - DIVORCE RECORDS
== Information in the Records ==
{| class="wikitable" width="30%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" align="right"
|-
| colspan = "2" |<center>'''Tennessee Divorce Records Usually Include:''' </center>
|-
| width="22%" valign="middle" height="25" bgcolor="#99ccff" align="left" | '''Names of Parties*'''
| width="8%" valign="middle" align="center" |  x
|-
| width="22%" valign="middle" height="25" bgcolor="#99ccff" align="left" | '''Original Marriage Place'''
| width="8%" valign="middle" align="center" | x
|-
| width="22%" valign="middle" height="25" bgcolor="#99ccff" align="left" | '''Divorce Place'''
| width="8%" valign="middle" align="center" |  x
|-
| width="22%" valign="middle" height="25" bgcolor="#99ccff" align="left" | '''Divorce Date'''
| width="8%" valign="middle" align="center" | x
|-
| width="22%" valign="middle" height="25" bgcolor="#99ccff" align="left" | '''# of Children Affected'''
| width="8%" valign="middle" align="center" | x
|-
| colspan = "2" |* Usually not maiden name<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;of the woman
|}
Prior to 1834, divorces are found in legislative papers (''Acts of Tennessee'' under Online Resources). Tennessee divorce records have been kept at the county level since 1834.<ref>Historical Records Survey (Tennessee), ''Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee,'' (Nashville: The Tennessee State Planning Commission, 1941), 84. '''''Online at:''''' {{FSDL|110760}}; "Divorce Records," pp. 84-116 (images 92-124 of 166).</ref>
*If the divorce involved a dispute over the division of property, then it would have been heard in the ''Chancery Court''. Otherwise it would have been heard in the ''Circuit Court''.<ref>Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Office of Vital Records, "Divorce Records," https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/vital-records-at-the-library-and-archives#divorce, accessed 22 August, 2024.</ref>
*For divorces prior to 1994, the husband's name is required to search the records.  After 1994, a search can be done using either the wife's maiden name or the husband's name.


TENNESSEE, [COUNTY] - VITAL RECORDS


<br>  
''See also:''<br>
*[https://tnsla.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/tnslapublic/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:122183/ada?qu=court+records+were+tried&d=ent%3A%2F%2FSD_ASSET%2F0%2FSD_ASSET%3A122183%7EASSET%7E0&h=8 Divorce Records] TSLA article
*[https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/courts-where-tennessee-court-cases-were-tried Courts Where Tennessee Court Cases Were Tried] TSLA article
*[[Tennessee Court Records]]
*[[United States Divorce Records|United States Divorce records]]
<br><br>


== See Also  ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}


[http://www.countyregistry.org/divorce-records/tennessee County Registry]($) Search is free, but detailed information requires subscription fee. {{Tennessee|Tennessee}}
<br><br><br><br>


[[Category:Tennessee Vital Records]]
[[Category:Tennessee, United States]] [[Category:Divorce Records]]

Revision as of 19:26, 14 September 2024

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Online Resources[edit | edit source]

Print Publications

  • Tennessee Divorces, 1797 to 1858: Taken From 750 Legislative Petitions and Acts, by Gale Williams Bamman. Nashville, Tennessee: G.W. Bamman, 1985. FS Catalog book 976.8 P2b; At various libraries (WorldCat); This book contains abstracts of divorce decrees in alphabetical order by the name of the person requesting the divorce

Get Copies[edit | edit source]

Restrictions

  • Divorce records in Tennessee are confidential for 50 years.


Tennessee Office of Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-1763
Website


Tennessee State Library & Archives (TSLA)
1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: 615-741-2764
Email: ask@tsla.libanswers.com
Website


Tennessee Virtual Archive (TEVA)
Website


County Courthouses

  • Early to 50 years ago Contact the clerk of courts in the county where the decree was granted.

Coverage and Compliance[edit | edit source]

  • Since formal divorces are actually court records, there is high compliance.
  • Many couples simply separated, leaving no divorce record.

Information in the Records[edit | edit source]

Tennessee Divorce Records Usually Include:
Names of Parties* x
Original Marriage Place x
Divorce Place x
Divorce Date x
# of Children Affected x
* Usually not maiden name
   of the woman

Prior to 1834, divorces are found in legislative papers (Acts of Tennessee under Online Resources). Tennessee divorce records have been kept at the county level since 1834.[1]

  • If the divorce involved a dispute over the division of property, then it would have been heard in the Chancery Court. Otherwise it would have been heard in the Circuit Court.[2]
  • For divorces prior to 1994, the husband's name is required to search the records. After 1994, a search can be done using either the wife's maiden name or the husband's name.


See also:



References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Historical Records Survey (Tennessee), Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee, (Nashville: The Tennessee State Planning Commission, 1941), 84. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; "Divorce Records," pp. 84-116 (images 92-124 of 166).
  2. ↑ Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Office of Vital Records, "Divorce Records," https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/vital-records-at-the-library-and-archives#divorce, accessed 22 August, 2024.





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