Trousdale County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Trousdale County

Guide to Trousdale 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: Hartsville Organized: June 21, 1870 Parent County(s): Sumner, Macon, Smith, Wilson Neighboring Counties Macon  • Smith  • Sumner  • Wilson 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 William Trousdale (1790-1872), Brigadier General in the Mexican War, Governor of Tennessee, 1849–1851, and U.S. Minister to Brazil, 1853–1857. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Trousdale County Courthouse
200 East Main Street Main Stree and Court Street
Hartsville, TN 37074
County Website Phone: 615-374-2996
County Clerk Phone: 615-374-2906
County Register of Deeds Phone: 615-374-2921
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 615-374-3411

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1906.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records.
Register of Deeds has land records.

County Pronunciation

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

Trousdale 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	1906	1909	1903	1905	1906	1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

1900 and 1904 Fires damaged courthouse records. Lost marriage records: 1870 to 1904 Lost probate records: 1870 to 1904 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

1870--Trousdale County was established 21 June 1870 from Sumner, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. Early records may be found under Sumner, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties. County seat: Hartsville

"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Populated Places

Antioch	Hartsville	Shady Grove
Barthelia	Johntown	Templow
Beech Grove	Paynes Store	Walnut Grove
Cato	Providence	Willard
Halltown	Rock House

History Timeline

Additional Information
Middle Tennessee county established in 1870. Trousdale County's land belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

The county is named after "William Trousdale (1790-1872), Creek and Mexican-American War soldier and officer, state senator and Governor of Tennessee."

Resources

Biographies

• Douthat, James L. Trousdale County, TN Biographies. 1887; reprint, Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press. Free Surname Index and purchase details at Mountain Press website.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Trousdale County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com TNGravestones
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	6,646	—
1890	5,850	−12.0%
1900	6,004	2.6%
1910	5,874	−2.2%
1920	5,996	2.1%
1930	5,629	−6.1%
1940	6,113	8.6%
1950	5,520	−9.7%
1960	4,914	−11.0%
1970	5,155	4.9%
1980	6,137	19.0%
1990	5,920	−3.5%
2000	7,259	22.6%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Trousdale 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.

1810-1891

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

1880

• Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 & 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee Bet-Nel Books, 1998. FHL 976.8482 X2s
• Sistler, Byron H. ’’1880 Census Dickson County, Tennessee.’’ Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999. FHL 976.8482 X2s 1880

1890 Lost, but substitutes are available:

• 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 6 1891. Trousdale County is included in Vol. 6.
• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1900

• Scott, Betty M. and Nelwyn M. Cannon. 1880 & 1900 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census records with Added Genealogical Information and Full Name Indexes. Hartsville, Tennessee Bet-Nel Books, 1998. FHL 976.8482 X2s

1910

• Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 & 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, 2000. FHL 976.8482 X2s 1910-1920

1920

• Scott, Betty M. and Lorrain Bronner. 1910 & 1920 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, 2000. FHL 976.8482 X2s 1910-1920
• Young, John C., comp. Trousdale County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Available at Ancestry

1930

• Bronner, Lorrain and Walter L. Buckinham. 1930 Trousdale County, Tennessee Census. Lebanon, Tennessee: Brawner Books, 2005 . FHL 976.8482 X2b

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

• As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Trousdale, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 3,500 entries.

• Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography

• Bishop - Bishop, Maurice Lytle. Families of Maurice Lytle Bishop. MSS., Wright State University Archives, Dayton, Ohio. FHL US/CAN Film 1769339.
• Hallum - Hallum, John. The Diary of an Old Lawyer; or, Scenes Behind the Curtain. Nashville, Tennessee: Southwestern Publishing House, 1895.Free digital copy.
• Hughes - Townsend, Evelyn Hughes and Edward E. Townsend. The Ancestors and Descendants of John Walker Hughes, Jr.: Born 1854, Died 1927. Cleveland, Tenn.: E. Townsend, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H874t.

Land and Property Records

Land Grants

• Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Military Records

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Trousdale County pensioners (p. 97).

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 (free)
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free)
• 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 Trousdale 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 Trousdale County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Robison's) (Walker Legion) - CSA
• 6th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.
• 7th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Bennett's) - CSA - Companies A, B, and F.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ward's) - CSA - Companies B, E, and H.
• 9th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) - CSA - Company I.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Trousdale County:

• Duke, Basil Wilson. History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867. Free digital copy. Includes 9th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary (Ward's).
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Trousdale 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. Trousdale County, page 379.
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Hartsville. Located in Trousdale County.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle took place in Trousdale County:

• December 7, 1862 - [http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn008.htm Hartsville[

Map showing Civil War battles 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 Trousdale County click on the following town:

• Hartsville
  
  
• Scott, Betty C. Meadows. Trousdale County, Tennessee, Obituaries, Articles and Scrapbook Clippings: August 1862 - December 1958. 2 vols. Lafayette, Tenn.: Ridge Runner, 2002-2004. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8482 V4s ff.

• 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. (Largely Methodist?)

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; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
• The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index. FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.
• Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter: Quarterly publication. FHL US/CAN 976.8482/H1 B2

Probate Records

The Trousdale County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $

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

• 1789 - Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Trousdale.
• 1917 - Jim Marshall Tax Assessment, Hartsville, 1917, Trousdale County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Jul. 2002).

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 - 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 $

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

Divorce

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

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Fred A. Vaught Memorial Library
211 White Oak St
Hartsville, TN 37074
Phone: 615-374-3677
Facebook

Societies

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

Trousdale County Historical Society
211 White Oak St.
Hartsville, TN 37074
Phone: 615-374-3677
Website

The society publishes a quarterly newsletter.

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
PO Box 330948
Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
Website

The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Trousdale County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Websites

• Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
• Trousdale County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Trousdale County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Trousdale County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• 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

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

Family History Library

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.