Williamson County, Tennessee

Hugh Williamson(1735-1819)

Middle Tennessee county established in 1799. The northern part of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.^[3]

The county is named after Hugh Williamson (1735-1819), North Carolina's representative at the Constitutional Convention.^[4]

Parent County

1799--Williamson County was established 26 October 1799 from Davidson County. Early records may be found under Davidson County.
County seat: Franklin ^[5]

County Pronunciation

1. Hear it spoken^[6] (female)
2. Hear it spoken^[7] (male)

Boundary Changes

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

Record Loss

• Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1890
• County records are complete.^[8] 

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

Resources

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Williamson County biography and census records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Williamson County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
• "Searching for Williamson County Ancestors," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Fall 1993). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African Americans

United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

• Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

• Craighead, Sandra G. "1867 Voters List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Abstract of the Franklin Review Appeal, 14 June 1867; includes white and black voters.]

Cemeteries

Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Parrish Cemetery, Franklin BillionGraves photos, transcriptions.

Published cemetery records include:

• Watkins, Raymond W. A Partial List of Mississippi Confederate Soldiers Killed at Franklin Tennessee November 30, 1864 and Buried in McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Franklin Tennesee, Williamson County. Falls Church, Va.: R.W. Watkins,1993. FHL Collection 976.856/F1 V3; digital version at FamilySearch Books Online
• Watkins, Raymond Wesley and McGavock Confederate Cemetery. Some Confederate Burials, McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Franklin Tennessee, Williamson County: Missouri Soldiers. Falls Church, Va.: R.W. Watkins, 1993. FHL Collection 976.856/F1V3; digital version at FamilySearch Books Online.

Census

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Williamson 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.

See Williamson County, Tennessee census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. [The USGenWeb Census Project^®].

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 - Lost, but a substitute is available:

• Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820

• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820
• Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Williamson County, Tennessee Population Schedules of the United States Census of 1820. Typescript, 19--?. FHL 976.856 X2p 1820
• Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, will help researchers determine if this resource can be of assistance:

• National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1840 Revolutionary War 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, Middle District, Williamson County on page 158.]

1850

• Williamson County Historical Society. 1850 Census of Williamson County, Tennessee. Franklin, Tennessee : Mrs. Clyde Lynch, 1970. FHL 976.856 X2p 1850

1880

• Sistler, Barbara and Byron H. Sistler. 1880 Census Williamson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999. FHL 976.844 X2s 1880

Census Taken in Williamson County, 1880. Manuscript, Nashville, Tennessee : TSLA, 1966. FHL 454093

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. 8 1891. [Williamson County is included in Vol. 8.]
• 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.

Church

Methodist Episcopal

• Mathews, Reverend John D.D. Peeps into Life Autobiography. Methodist Episcopal Church Tennessee Conference, 1904. Free digital copy.

Court

Genealogy 

It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:

• Locate publications about direct ancestors
• Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
• Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Williamson, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 44,000 entries.

Bibliography

• [Andrews] Andrews, Ella Smith Johns. The Descendants of John, George and Ephraim Andrews, Sons of Mark Andrews of Williamson County, Tennessee. Washington, D.C.: L.C. Photoduplication Service, 1982. FHL US/CAN Film 1303300.
• [Crutcher] McCutcheon, Larry. Our Drake and Crutcher Families of Marshall County, Tennessee. Hohenwald, Tenn.: L. McCutcheon, 2007. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D789mL.
• [Giddens] Buford, Marcus Bainbridge. A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America, With Records of a Number of Allied Families. San Francisco, Calif., 1903. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
• [Holt] Cooper, Albert L. Ancestors and Descendants of John Isabel Holt, Williamson County, Tennessee. [Shelbyville, Tenn.: n.p., 1971]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H742c.
• [Howard] Landis, Carolynn Butler. The Ancestors & Dependants [i.e. Descendants] of William Thomas Howard and Missouri Isabelle Hampton of Hamilton County, Illinois: and Allied Families of Brown, Burch, Buttery, Crouse, Hamilton, Harrington, Melton & Others. [Fort Jones, Calif.]: C.B. Landis, 1984. FHL 929.273 A1 no. 4381
• [Moss] Moss, T.C. The David Moss Family: Green, Adair, Boyle, Barren, Hart, and Warren Co., Ky.; Williamson and Maury Co., Tenn.; Mississippi. Memphis, Tenn.: T.C. Moss, 1968. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M855mo.
• [Otey] Green, William Mercer. Memoir of Rt. Rev. James Hervey Otey, D.D., LL. D., the First Bishop of Tennessee. New York. J. Pott and Company, 1885. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
• [Sassin] Allen, Cameron. "Francois Sasin/Sassin of Manakin Town: The First Six Generations of the Sassin/Sasseen Family in America," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1993):3-17; Vol. 37, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1993):99-116; Vol. 37, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1993):193-205; Vol. 37, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1993):259-271. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 37 (1993).
• [Swanson] McRaven, William Henry. Life and Times of Edward Swanson: One of the Original Pioneers Who with General James Robertson Founded Nashville, Tennessee, 1779; First Recorded Settler of Williamson County, Tennessee, March, 1780. Nashville, Tenn.: W.H. McRaven, 1937. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sw24m.
• [Thomson] "A Thomson Genealogy," The South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 28, No. 3 (Summer 2000):123-136; Vol. 28, No. 4 (Fall 2000):186-191; Vol. 29, No. 1 (Winter 2001):25-38. FHL Book 975.7 B2sc v. 28-29
• [Waddey] Waddey, John H. The Waddeys of Williamson County, Tennessee. Hermitage, Tenn.: J.H. Waddey, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W117w.

Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 6 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in the town of Franklin and Williamson County.^[9]

Land

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Williamson County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Williamson County, even though its land had already become a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1800-1801.

Instructions:

1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
3. Type 12.14.22 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.22.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Williamson County.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Williamson County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Williamson County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.^[10]

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

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.

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

Local Histories

• Albright, Edward. Early History of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co., 1909.  Free digitzed copy.

Maps

Military

Revolutionary War

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

1. 1835 Pension Roll
2. 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
3. List of Bedford County pensioners who served in the Revolutionary War

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, Middle District, Williamson County on page 158.]
• Lynch, Louise Gillespie Our Valiant Men : Soldiers and Patriots of the Revolutionary War Who Lived in Williamson County, Tennessee [S.I.:s.n., c1976] FHL US/CAN book 976.856 D3L
• 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. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1961):122-124. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Williamson County pensioners (pp. 123-124).]
• For information on units from Bedford County which served in the War of 1812 see tngenweb.org/bedford/war1812.htm

Civil War

• Civl War Research Database $
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Civil War service men from Williamson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Williamson County.

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McNairy's) - CSA
• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Field's) - CSA - Company D.
• 1st/27th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company D.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Clack's) - CSA - Company F.
• 20th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies B, D and H.
• 24th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company B and D.
• 32nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company D.
• 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.
• 45th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
• 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (McKoin's) - CSA

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Williamson County:

• Cox, Jacob D. The Battle of Frankln, Tennessee, Novemeber 30, 1864. New York: Scribner's & Sons, 1897. Free digital copy.
• McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904.  Free digital copy.
• Quintard, Charles Todd. Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and Second Bishop of Tennessee. Sewanee, Tennessee: The University Press, 1905. Free digital copy.  Chaplain of the 1st Tennessee Regiment.
• Schofield, Levi Tucker. The Retreat from Pulaski to Nashville, Tenn.; Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. Cleveland: Press of the Caxton Co., 1909.  Free digital copy.
• Watkins, Raymond W. A partial list of Mississippi Confederate soldiers killed at Franklin Tennessee November 30, 1864 and buried in McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Franklin Tennesee, Williamson County Falls Church, Virginia:R.W. Watkins,1993. FHL book 976.856/F1 V3. Digital version available at FamilySearch Books Online
• Watkins, Raymond Wesley and McGavock Confederate Cemetery Some Confederate burials, McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Franklin Tennessee, Williamson County : Missouri soldiers Falls Church, Virginia:R.W. Watkins, 1993 FHL book 976.856/F1V3 Digital version available at FamilySearch Books Online.
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Brentwood, Franklin 1863, Franklin 1864 and Thompson's Station, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).  Located in Williamson County.
• USGenWeb Archives, Williamson County Tennessee Archives, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).  Military Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Williamson County, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). 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), (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Williamson County, page 386.
• TNGenWeb, The Civil War in Williamson County, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War battles were fought in Williamson County

• March 5, 1863 = Thompson's Station[11]
• March 25, 1863 = Brentwood[12]
• April 10, 1863 = Franklin I[13]
• November 30, 1864 = Franklin II[14]

Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

World War I

Hollingsworth, Patricia Merrill. World War I Draft Registration Cards: Williamson County, Tennessee. Mt. Sterling, Ky.: P.M. Hollingsworth, 2006. FHL US/CAN Book 976.856 M28h. 

Newspapers

  The Williamson County Public Library has created an Obituary Database. There are nearly 45,000 records in this database and has been organized alphabetically by the surname of the deceased. The data fields in the index include last name, first name, year, month, and day of death, newspaper name, location of the source newspaper, an abbreviated version of the obituary text, full name, and the newspaper date. Click on the View Obituary link to read the full text of the obituary, if it is available.

Note there are two links, one if you are in or outside of the library. Please click on the appropiate link to access this database.

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 Williamson County click on the following cities or towns:

• Fairview
• Franklin
• Nolensville

Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Williamson County.]

Periodicals

Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:

Ansearchin' News

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Williamson County, Tennessee records have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.

Friends of Oak Grove

Family History Library has volumes 2 and 3. Volume 2 is entitled 'The Oak Grove Story.' "Genealogical information about ancestors of residents near the Oak Grove Cemetery, especially the ancestors of James Edwin Bradford." FHL US/CAN 976.856 D25f

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Williamson County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Williamson County Historical Journal

The Family History Library has Volumes 1 - 20 (1970 - 1989) FHL US/CAN 976.856 B2w
Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) Volumes 1 - 37 ( 1970- 2004)

Prisons

Learn if your Williamson County, Tennessee ancestors went to prison!

• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online through TSLA.
• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online through TSLA.

Probate

The Williamson County Court has responsibility for the probate records. Many probate records are held by the Williamson County Archives.

FamilySearch has placed scans of the following records online in the Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 collection. These are browse-only collections. Handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes:

• Wills, 1800-1963 (Vols. 1-33)
• Inventories, Wills, 1811-1818 (Vol. B)

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Williamson County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:

1. Will Book 1: 1800-1825
2. Will Book 2: 1800-1825
3. Will Book 3: 1800-1825

The following Williamson County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:

• [1825-1834] Hays, [Mrs. Felix Burnard] and Hellen Davis Duke. Williamson County, Tennessee Will Book. 2 volumes. [No publication information.] These indexed books include only Will Books Volume 4 (1825-1830) and Volume 5 (1831-1834). (FHL book 976.856 P2h, v. 4-5.)
  
• [1838-1855] Lynch, Louise Gillespie. Record Book, Letters of Administration. Franklin, Tennessee: Lynch, 1971. Indexed. (FHL book 976.856 P2LL.)
  
• Lynch, Louise Gillespie. Williamson County Tennessee Miscellaneous Records. 5 volumes. [Franklin, Tennessee: L.G. Lynch], 1973-1984. This indexed book includes court records, probate records, land and property records, and records pertaining to slaves. The range of dates varies by record. (FHL book 976.856 P2L v. 1-6.)
  
• [1800-1818] Lynch, Louise Gillespie. Williamson County, Tennessee: Wills and Inventories, Book I & II, 1800-1818. Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1992. Indexed. (FHL book 976.856 P2LLg.)
  
• [1800-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Williamson County, Tennessee, Wills and Administrations 1800 to 1861: An Index. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler, 1989. (FHL book 976.856 P22s.)
  
• [1800-1825] Strictly By Name (see above).

Taxation

Original tax records for Williamson County

• [1800-1963] Williamson County Tax Records, 1800-1963. Nashville: TSLA.  Manuscript. On 43 microfilm reels FHL 456076

The following Williamson County tax records have been abstracted:^[15]

• [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 Periodicals.
• [1800-1813, 1809] Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810. [Cites Williamson County Tax Receipts 1809 and Lynch's publication as sources.]
• [1800-1813] Lynch, Louis G. Tax Book 1, Williamson County, Tennessee, 1800-1813. Franklin, Tenn.: Louise Gillespie Lynch, 1971. FHL 976.856 R4w
• [1801, 1806, 1810, 1815] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1801, 1806, 1810, and 1815 tax lists.]
• [1805] O'Hara, Virginia. "Williamson County, Tennessee Tax List - 1805," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan. 1962):26-27; Vol. 9, No. 2 (April 1962):65-69; Vol. 9, No. 3 (July 1962):88-91. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• [1809] Williamson County. Tax Receipts, 1809. TSLA, Record Group 37, Miscellaneous County Records, Box 5, Folder 32.
• [1814] "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Williamson County.]
• [1816] Tax List, 1816, Genealogical Reference Builders Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Aug. 1971).
• [1817] "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Williamson County.]
• [1860] Slave Holders in 1860 Tax Book, Williamson County Historical Society Journal, Issue 31 (2000).
• [1867] Craighead, Sandra G. "1867 Voters List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Abstract of the Franklin ReviewAppeal, 14 June 1867; includes white and black voters.]
• [1871] Property Tax, 1871, Williamson County Historical Society Journal, Issue 31 (2000).

An interesting article about social class in nineteenth-century Williamson County, based on tax records, was published in 1996:

• Wealth in 19th Century, Tax Records, 1837-70, Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy & History, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Winter 1996). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

Marriage

The original Williamson County marriage records are kept at the Williamson County Archives.  Most records are complete from the formation of the county. 

The following Williamson County marriage records are microfilmed:

• [1800-2000] Marriage books: available at the TSLA. 1800-1866 can be interlibrary loaned. Also at the Williamson County Archives.
  
• [1800-1850] Loose marriage records: available at the TSLA. Separate index for loose marriage records is available.
  
• [1800-1950] Licenses and bonds: available at the Family History Library. Groom index only. FHL 2073390
  
• [1800-1964] Bonds 1800-1850; separate index to 1850: available at the Family History Library. Either indexed or arranged alphabetically by groom. FHL 1002583

The following Williamson County marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:

• [1800-1837] Marriage Records, 1800-1837, Williamson County, Tennessee.  Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1940.  Typescript. FHL 24871 Item 1
• [1800-1879] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1988. FHL 976.8 V2sb v. 2 [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage or marriage bond dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
• [1800-1850] Bejach, Wilena R. and Lillian Johnson G. Williamson County, Tennessee marriage records, 1800-1850. Manuscript, 1957. FHL 976.856 V25b
• [1804-1850] Whitely, Edythe R. Marriages of Williamson County, Tennessee, 1804-1850. Baltimore, Maryland : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1982. FHL 976.856 V2w
• [1851-1879] Lynch, Louise G. Williamson County, Tennessee marriage records, 1851-1879. Franklin, Tennessee: L.G. Lynch, 1979. FHL 976.856 V2L
• Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. FHL 976.8 V2t. [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
• Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - covers all counties in Tennessee.
• Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($)  Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.
• [1706-1879] Marriage Records. ^[16]
• [1800-1850] Marriage Records: Early–1850. ^[17]

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Williamson County marriage records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:

1. Marriages 1800-1810

Divorce

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Williamson County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:

• W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Williamson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

• 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.]

Societies, Archives,and Libraries

• Williamson County Archives 
  Located at the Old Library at Five Points in downtown Franklin where Highway 431 and Highway 31 meet
  P. O. Box 1006
  Franklin, TN 37065-1006
  Phone: 1-615-790-5462
  Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., except on holidays.

• Williamson County Historical Society
  P.O. Box 71
  Franklin, TN 37065
  E-mail: info@historicfranklin.com 

• Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County
  P. O. Box 723
  Franklin, TN 37065
  E-mail: info@histricfranklin.com
  The Heritage Foundation was formed in 1967 to protect and preserve the architectural, geographic and cultural heritage of Franklin and Williamson county, and to promote the ongoing economic revitilization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation.

• Special Collection Department (genealogy and local history)
  2nd Floor
  
  Williamson County Public Library
  1314 Columbia Avenue
  Franklin, Tennessee 37064
  Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
  Closed Sunday and Monday
  Phone: 615-595-1246 ext 1
  Email: SPCOLL@williamson-tn.org for queries
  See Special Collections on Library webpage for local databases
  Website includes an alphabetical list of family histories

• Williamson County has three very active chapters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans:
  Sam Davis Camp no. 1293 of Brentwood, Tennessee. This Chapter has an online newsletter
  Captain E.D. Baxter Camp 2034 of Fairview, Tennessee. This chapter has online newsletters
  Tod Carter Camp no. 864. of the city of Franklin, Tennessee

• Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
  PO Box 330948
  Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
  The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Williamson 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

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
• Franklin Tennessee Family History Center

1100 Gray Fox Ln.
Franklin, TN
Phone: 1-615-794-4251

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Williamson County, Tennessee

• Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
• Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
• Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
• Williamson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Williamson County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Williamson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Williamson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Williamson County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)

References

1. ↑ Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.), 1941; "Earliest County Records," Tennessee State Library and Archives.
2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Williamson, Tennessee page 645, At various libr40ries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
3. ↑ Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804.
4. ↑ "Hugh Williamson," Wikipedia.
5. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 645. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
6. ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
7. ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
8. ↑ Robert M. McBride, Tennessee County Data (Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee States Library and Archives, 1966), 49.
9. ↑ Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see West Tennessee). FHL US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
10. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
11. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 19 September 2012)
12. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 17 August 2012)
13. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 21 August 2012)
14. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 21 August 2012)
15. ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.
16. ↑ Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1994. (Family History Library compact disc number 9 part 2.) Does not circulate to Family History Centers.
17. ↑ Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1992. (Family History Library compact disc number 9 part 229.) Does not circulate to Family History Centers.

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