The
Tennessee General Assembly established
Fayette County on September 29, 1824,
and wasformed from Shelby and Hardeman Counties. It was Marquis de la Fayette (1757-1834), French nobleman, statesman and soldier who entered American service in the Revolutionary War and was commissioned major-general. The county seat, Somerville,
was named to honor Lieutenant Robert
Somerville, hero of the battle of
Tohopeka in Alabama. The first court
proceedings took place at the home
of Robert G. Thornton on the banks
of the North Fork of the Wolf River
on December 6, 1824.
Settlement began in the area as early as 1820, and by 1826 there were enough
residents for the incorporation of the two oldest towns, Somerville and LaGrange.
In both towns restored antebellum homes symbolize the wealth and culture of the
plantation period. The entire town of LaGrange, named for Lafayette's ancestral
home, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Today there are
nine incorporated towns in the county: Braden, Gallaway, LaGrange, Moscow, Oakland,
Piperton, Rossville, Somerville, and Williston.
Newspapers were published in Somerville. Scattered early issues are available from 1840, and a complete run begins in 1957. See Extended History for More information. There was a fire at the Fayette County courthouse in 1925.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Fayette County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1838 and Probate Records from 1836 and is located at P.O.
Box 218,
Somerville, TN 38068-0218;
(901)
465-5219. The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.
Fayette County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1825 and is located at Courthouse, P.O.
Box 218,
Somerville, TN 38068-0218; Telephone:
(901) 465-5213. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Fayette county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Fayette County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1824 and is located at Courthouse,
P.O. Box 218, Somerville, TN 38068-0218; Telephone:
901-465-5205 . Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
[View
Criminal Records Instantly!] [View
Criminal Records] [Court
Record Searches]
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, Tennessee 37243;
Phone (615) 741-1763,
FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July
1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, TN, 37243.
Tennessee
State Library and Archives have the following records:
Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates:
Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known).
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name. Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Death Records:
Tennessee began keeping death records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1955. To find a death record, we need the following information: name of individual, date of death (or three year range to search), county of death (if known) and name of spouse (if known). Please keep in mind that some deaths were not recorded, due to poor record-keeping by local officials.
For death records from 1956 to the present, contact theOffice of Vital Records above.
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). Only the early Nashville and Memphis death records are indexed. TSLA can search the unindexed records for one year only; you must provide us with the name of individual, date of death, the city, and the name of the spouse (if known).
There is a $20 fee to search for a death record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Fayette County, Tennessee are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Fayette County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Maps. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Tennessee tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves. They usually do not provide other personal information.
The tax lists enumerated for Fayette County for the years: 1836 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]
The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on “every freeman of
the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold
in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of
this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one
county in the State six months immediately preceding the day
of the election, shall be entitled to vote....”
Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort
to replace the missing federal censuses.
Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective
county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its
collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.
The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county
were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically
within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees
office in counties are available on microfilm as well.
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Fayette County Historical Society,
Somerville-Fayette County Library
216 West Market Street, Somerville, TN 38068 901-465-5248
Tennessee Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Although
few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there
are church records for almost every county in the state.
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions
of early settlers in the state, and documents from these
groups make up the largest number of records available. Other
representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ,
Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee
churches only kept minutes and membership records.
Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage,
burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or
several of these categories maintained by one church. .
As with cemetery records, the DAR has collected church records
for Tennessee, available at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,
and through the FHL.
Many compilations of church records have been compiled and/or
published for the state. The Tennessee
State Library and Archives has records of over one hundred churches that pre-date 1900.
There is a online Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records which contains over 25,000 records for the state of Tennessee for the years approximately 1720-1890. This includes marriages, births, deaths, and wills, etc., has been obtained from family bibles, church, court, and county records.
A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.
County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Fayette County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Fayette County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Fayette County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Tennessee Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Religious zeal soon prompted the organization of the county's churches. Somerville's
First Presbyterian Church dates to 1829. Immanuel Parish in LaGrange, established
in 1832, is the oldest Episcopal church in West Tennessee. Nineteenth-century
camp meetings live on at Joyner's Campground, where annual services are held
each July in the open-air tabernacle built in 1893.
Historically, the economy of Fayette County has been based on agricultural production,
principally cotton and corn. Large plantations and small farms supported the
gins that were located in every town and many of the smaller crossroads communities.
However, recent years have witnessed agricultural diversification, with soybeans
becoming an important cash crop, followed by beef cattle, dairying, and egg production.
Slaves worked pre-Civil War plantations. Following the war, many former slaves
remained in the county, with most employed as tenant farmers and sharecroppers.
The county's African Americans constituted a majority of the population until
the 1980 census. During the 1960s and 1970s, civil rights activists worked for
voter registration and school integration. They established two "tent cities" to
accommodate black residents who sought refuge following their eviction from their
tenant farms after attempting to register to vote. Today, Fayette County public
schools and faculties are fully integrated in seven elementary schools, a comprehensive
high school, and a vocational school. J. B. Summers and Joseph Martin each served
long terms as county superintendent of schools. The only African American to
serve in this role was Dr. Warner Dickerson, who ably guided the schools in the
late 1980s. Three private academies also hold classes in the county.
The fields of Fayette County have favored the activities of sports enthusiasts
and environmentalists. Wolf River, which meanders across the southern part of
the county, is widely recognized by outdoor enthusiasts as a unique natural treasure.
In 1995 conservationists aided the State of Tennessee in acquiring a vast forest
area filled with cypress-studded swamps bordering the river near LaGrange. As
a result of their efforts, visitors now enjoy the beauty of the Wolf River Wildlife
Management Area and the Ghost River State Natural Area. Herb Parsons Lake was
named in honor of Herb Parsons, a world champion Winchester rifle exhibition
shooter. The best-known outdoors event of the county is the National Field Trials
for bird dogs, which has been held annually since 1903 on the historic Ames Plantation
in southeast Fayette County.
In the 1960s Troxel Manufacturing Company located a factory at Moscow, and most
towns have developed one or more industrial parks to lure new companies. Historically,
manufacturers have had excellent transportation facilities in Fayette County.
The first railroad chartered by the State of Tennessee, the LaGrange-Memphis
Railroad, was to be built in Fayette County in 1835. The LaGrange-Memphis Railroad
later became the Memphis and Charleston Railroad before being incorporated into
the Southern Railway system. Today, the Norfolk-Southern Railway traverses the
southern portion of the county. In addition, the modern Fayette County Airport
is equipped with a 3,500-foot runway with NBD approach and an automated weather
observation system.
Politically, the county traditionally voted Democratic until recent years, when
votes shifted to the Republican Party in statewide and national elections while
retaining a Democratic majority in local county offices. During the 1940s the
county was embroiled in the States' Rights (Dixiecrat) movement. Charles Stainback,
veteran Somerville lawyer, served as state chairman; Somerville was the host
to the statewide convention in 1948. The best-known Fayette politician is John
Shelton Wilder, Democrat from Longtown, who was first elected to the state Senate
in 1959 and has served continuously in that office since 1966. He has established
a record-breaking tenure, acting as Speaker of the Senate and lieutenant governor
for fourteen consecutive terms.
Although Fayette County remains a rural, agricultural area, it is now in a period
of transition as it faces the suburban sprawl from nearby Memphis. Its population
in 2000 stood at 28,806.
1880 Census, Fayette County, Tennessee (Sistler, 2003?)
Cemetery Records from Fayette County, Tennessee (Morton, 1974)
Fayette County, Tennessee, County Court Minute Book B, 1840-1844 (West, 1983)
Fayette County, Tennessee Deed Books [vol. 1 April 1825-February 1835; vol. 2 February 1835-July 1837] (Hutchings, 2001-)
Fayette County, Tennessee, History of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Somerville, Tennessee (WPA, 1938)
Fayette County, Tennessee, Immanuel Episcopal Church Record, 1848-1854 (WPA, 19??)
Fayette County, Tennessee, Marriage Record Book A, 1838-1857 (WPA, 1936)
Fayette County, Tennessee Marriages 1838-1857 (Swenson & Ingmire, 1981)
Fayette County, Tennessee, Marriages, 1838-1871 (Sistler, 1989)
Fayette County, Tennessee, Minute Book A, 1824-29 (WPA, 1938)
Private Acts of Fayette County, Tennessee (McIntyre, 1994)
Seventh Census of the United States, 1850 : Fayette County, Tennessee, Free Population Schedules (Carpenter, 1979)
Transcription of the Historical Record of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Gallaway, Tennessee, 1879 (Rosser & Cargill, 1992)
The following companies are currently offering free trials on their subscriptions from 7 to 14 days. You can receive more information by clicking the links below:
.
Tennessee 
