Henderson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Henderson County

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

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Lexington Organized: November 7, 1821 Parent County(s): Chickasaw Indian Lands Neighboring Counties Carroll  • Chester  • Decatur  • Hardin  • Madison See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

The County was named for James Henderson, a soldier in the War of 1812. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Henderson County Courthouse
17 Monroe Ave.
Lexington, TN 38351
County Courthouse Phone: 731-968-2801
County Clerk Phone: 731-968-2856
Register of Deeds Phone: 731-968-2941
Clerk & Master Phone: 731-968-9801

Circuit Court
170 Justice Center Drive
Lexington, TN 38351
Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 731-968-2031

Clerk of Chancellor Court has birth records
County Clerk has marriage records from 1893
Clerk of Circut Court has divorce and court records
Register of deeds has land records

County Pronunciation

Hear it spoken (female) Hear it spoken (male)

Henderson 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 Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1908	1893	1908	1850	1856	1861	1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1896 Fire damaged courthouse records. Lost marriage records: 1821 and 1892 Lost probate records: 1821 to 1894 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.

Boundary Changes

1821--Henderson County was created 7 November 1821 from Chickasaw Indian Lands. County seat: Lexington For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website.

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:

Cities
Lexington	Parkers Crossroads
Towns
Sardis	Scotts Hill
Unincorporated communities
Cedar Grove Crucifer Huron Independence	Juno Life Luray Middleburg	Middle Fork Mount Gilead Reagan Wildersville
Census-designated places
Chesterfield	Darden

History Timeline

Additional Information
West Tennessee county established in 1821.

The county is named after War of 1812 officer James Henderson.

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Henderson 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)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
• Cemeteries of Henderson County - Genealogy Trails

Census Records

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Henderson 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.

1810-1891

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

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Henderson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1820 and 1860

• Smith, Jonathan Kennon Thompson A genealogical miscellany, Henderson County, Tennessee Jackson, Tennessee J.K.T. Smith, c1997, 2001-2002 FHL US/CAN book 976.8263 N2s v. 1 - 7 (One page correction of the 1860 census and 1/2 page 1820 U.S. census, Perry County of those who lived in what became Henderson County.)

1840 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, Western District, Henderson County on page 159.

1870

• Green, Exie Johnson 1870 census, Henderson County, Tennessee Hope, Arkansas E.J. Green, 1987? FHL US/CAN book 976.8263 X2

1880

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives
• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara 1880 census Henderson County, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee B. Sistler and Associates, 2001 FHL US/CAN book 976.8263 X2

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

1900

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1910

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

1920

• Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives

Church Records

Presbyterian

• 1830-1893 - Mt. Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Lexington, Marriage Index 1830-1893. Batch M710591 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Court Records

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. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Genealogies

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

• Doss - Descendant of John Doss (1784-1846) of Henderson County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 37 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 59752). Genetic signature available online (labeled Jn-1), genealogical description available online, courtesy: The Doss DNA Project, World Families. Matches have been found.

Family Histories

• As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Henderson, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 39,000 entries.

• Waddle, Laura: Some Early Families of Henderson County, TN Arnold, Barrow, Bradford, Cooper, Christopher, Darden, Davis, Grice, Joyner, Lewis, McCarver, McGlaughlin, Meredith, Mills, Ray, Rhodes, Waddle/Waddill, Wadley. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6046873.

• 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 ($); FamilySearch Digital Library ; and Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Bell - Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. Leander Bell of Henderson County, Tennessee: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Ark.: L.C. Lewis, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B413L.
• Bell - Lewis, Leroy Carlisle. William Samuel Bell of Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas: A Genealogical Survey and Historical Record of His Life and the Lives of His Descendants and His Ancestors. Searcy, Arkansas: L.C. Lewis, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B413LLc.
• Brown - Brown, George Washington Reminiscences of the Republic of Texas 1910 Available at the Family History Library FHL book 921.73 B813bg with a digital version through FamilySearch Digital Library (found in the Library of the Alamo, San Antonio, Texas April 1965 by his Grandson Earl Travis Brown)
• Conner - See Cravens.
• Cravens - Cravens, John Park. Records of the Ancestry of John Park Cravens: The Lines of Direct Lineal Descent and a Summary. Booneville, AR: Unknown, 1957. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 288184; digital vestion at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Harwell - See Cravens.
• Herndon - See Cravens.
• Lane - See Cravens.
• Reed - King, Clefaine Elizabeth Reed. Joseph Reed Sr. and His Family Through The Years, A Legend To His Family, printed 1991. (Found in the Family History Center in La Jara, Colorado; contact Marilee, 719-274-5261.)
• Rice - See Cravens.
• Stewart - Wadley, Richard Cratis and Eunice Stewart Goddard. Tennessee Roots: Catherine Stewart of Henderson County. Norman, Oklahoma: Eunice and Jim Goddard, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 St49wr.

Land and Property Records

• Henderson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1856 and is located at the Courthouse, P.O. Box 40, 17 Monroe Street, Lexington, TN 38351; (731) 968-2856. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
• The Family History Library has microfilmed copies of deeds 1856-1900 with indexes 1856-1935.
• "Tennessee Trails" Landowners of Henderson County, TN

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Military Records

Revolutionary War
The following Henderson 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 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, Western District, Henderson County on page 159.
• 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. Includes Henderson County pensioners (pp. 67-68)

Civil War

Online Records

• 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
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Henderson 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 Henderson County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 13th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.
• 18th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Newsom's) - CSA - Company G.
• 19th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Biffle's) - CSA - Company K.
• 21st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Wilson's) - CSA - Company C and F.
• 27th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies D, F, I, and K.
• 51st Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA- Company C.
• 52nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company F.
• 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Brown's) - CSA - Company F.

Union Soldiers

• 7th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company C.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Henderson County:

• Yesterday's Henderson County. A large assortment of external links about the Civil War.
• TNGenWeb, War Records Henderson County Civil War Records.
• Those Who Served From Henderson County TN. Civil War and Civil War "Shiloh".
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Parker's Cross Roads. Location Henderson County.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Henderson 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. Henderson County, page 346-347.
  

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Henderson County:

• December 31 - Parker's Cross Roads

Map showing Civil War battles fought in Tennessee.

Newspapers

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 Henderson County click on the following cities or towns:

• Lexington
• Sardis
• Scotts Hill

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

For deaths of Methodists in Henderson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:

• 1847 - 1851 - 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.

Other Records

Historic Residences

• Crook, W. Clay. The Jeremiah Crook Plantation of Henderson County, Tennessee: ca. 1820-1865. Crook Family Archives, Crookland, Middlefork Village, Luray, Tenn. Microfilmed in 2001. FHL VAULT US/CAN Film 2243216 Item 12.

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; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
• Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search. FHL US/CAN 976.8 B2f.

• Volumes 1-10 (1969-1978)
• Volumes 11-20 (1979-1988)
• Volumes 21-24 (1989-1992)
• Volumes 32-35 (2000-2003)

• West Tennessee Historical Society Papers: Occasional publication of the West Tennessee Historical Society. FHL US/CAN Book 976.81 B5w. To view Table of Contents and complete articles from 1947 - 2005 see Shelby County Register of Deeds

Probate Records

The County Court has responsibility for the probate records of Henderson County.

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1861-1966 - Henderson County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

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.

Tax Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1824 Unpaid Taxes List, 1824, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 47, No. 4 (Winter 2000). FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 47 (2000). For access, see Henderson.
• 1836-1837 - West, Betsy F. "Henderson County, Tennessee 1836-1837 Tax Lists," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Spring 1977):11-14; Vol. 24, No. 2 (Summer 1977):83-87; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Fall 1977):111-114; Vol. 24, No. 4 (Winter 1977):159-163. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 24 (1977);digital version at society's website. For further access, see Henderson.
• 1848 "1849 Land Sales Held in 3 West Tennessee Counties for Unpaid Taxes," [1848 taxpayers in Decatur, Carroll, and Henderson counties], Ansearchin' News, Vol. 44, No. 4 (Winter 1997):12. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 44 (1997). For access, see Henderson.

Vital Records

Birth

• 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 ($)
• 1908-1912 - Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online Indexes and Records

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1790-1962 - Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 [1790-1962] - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
• 1796-1950 - Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
• 1893-1895 - Henderson County Marriage Index 1893-1895. International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• Marriages in Henderson County at Genealogy Trails

Death

• 1874-1955 - Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1933 Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
• 1914-1966 - Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

• "Tennessee Trails" Deaths Henderson County, TN

Divorce

• W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Digital Library;

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Family History Centers

Family History 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 family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

Libraries

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

Everett Horn Public Library
702 W Church St
Lexington, TN 38351
Phone: 731-968-3239
E-mail: director@ehlibrary.com
Website Facebook.

Genealogical Resources: The Tennessee Room holds a variety of resources including Cemetery Records, Census Indexes, Military records, County Histories, Tax Lists, and pre-1890 Courthouse Records.

West Tennessee Heritage Study Center
Paul Meek Library
University of Tennessee at Martin
Phone: 731-881-7060
Hours vary by semester
Website

The Heritage Study Center holds a variety of genealogical resources 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.

Societies

Listed below are societies in Henderson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.
West Tennessee Historical Society
P.O. Box 111046
Memphis, TN 38111
Phone: 901-475-6608
E-mail: efrank@memphis.edu
Website

Websites

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

• 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.
• Henderson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Yesterday's Tennessee
• Welcome to Henderson County, Tennessee "Tennessee Trails"
• Henderson County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)

Research Guides

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

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library