Haywood County
was part of Madison County when the
Tennessee General Assembly created
it in 1823-24 and was named in honor of John Haywood (1762-1826), North Carolina Superior Court and Tennesse Supreme Court judge, author of Civil & Political History of Tennessee, “father of Tennessee history.” Later, part of Haywood
County was taken to create Lauderdale
and Crockett Counties.
The state
legislature designated Brownsville
as the county seat, and in 1823 Thomas
M. Johnson sold the county fifty
acres of land for the county seat
for one dollar and a town lot. The
county court met in the home of Richard
Nixon, the first settler in the area,
until 1825, when the first log courthouse
was completed. A second courthouse
was built in 1826; in 1845 it was
rebuilt with brick. In 1868 the county
added a west wing to accommodate
the convening of the Supreme Court
for West Tennessee. The courthouse
underwent complete renovation in
1989. The first jail was built in
1825; in 1872 it was replaced with
a brick and iron jail. In 1974 a
new jail was located four miles east
of Brownsville.
Newspapers were published in Brownsville. Scattered early issues are available from 1838, and a complete run begins in 1936. See Extended History for More information.
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.
Haywood County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1859 and Probate Records from 1824 and is located at Courthouse, 1
N. Washington St.,
Brownsville, TN 38012-2561; Telephone:
(731) 772-0122. 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.
Haywood County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1820 and is located at Courthouse,
1 N. Washington St., Brownsville, TN 38012-2561; Telephone:
(731) 772-2362. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Haywood county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Haywood County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1823 and is located at Courthouse,
1 N. Washington St., Brownsville, TN 38012-2561; Telephone:
(731) 772-1112 . 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 Haywood County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood 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 Haywood 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 Haywood County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County Maps. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County for the years: 1825-1827, 1834-1835, 1837-1840, 1845-1854, 1860, 1865-1869, 1872-1900 ; 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 Haywood County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Haywood County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 Haywood County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Haywood 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 Haywood County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Haywood 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.
Cotton agriculture provided the basis for the Haywood County economy for much
of its history. Early settlers soon established a plantation system based on
slave labor. In the aftermath of the Civil War, the cotton economy returned,
although tenant farmers and sharecroppers now worked the fields. In 1828 James
Bond settled in Haywood County and built one of the largest fortunes in the state
through the cultivation of cotton.
The production of staple crops benefited from the early appearance of railroads
in the county. Trains first came to Tennessee in 1846. Both the Holly Springs
and Brownsville Railroad and the Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (later the Louisville
and Nashville) served Brownsville. Passenger service through Brownsville ended
in 1968. Today, Interstate 40 parallels the old Louisville and Nashville track
to Memphis.
A 1923 description of Haywood County noted the fertile soil and potential for
crop diversification. It listed cotton, corn, fruit, grass, and livestock as
the most important agricultural products. Today, these crops remain important,
together with soybeans. In 1939-40, the federal Farm Security Administration
established the Haywood County Farm Project near Stanton to provide small farms
for African American residents, which they could rent with an option to buy.
Some thirty-nine local families participated in the program. The National Register-listed
Woodlawn Baptist Church near Nutbush documents post-Civil War black history in
rural Haywood County.
Industry development in the county initially supported agricultural production.
In 1828 Hiram Bradford began operation of the county's first cotton gin. Although
declining in number (there were only 297 cotton gins operating in Tennessee in
1972), cotton gins still dot the landscape of Haywood County. In 1829 a horse-propelled
grist mill began operation, and by 1874 the county had a cotton mill. The most
significant changes in industrialization came during World War II, as farmers
and farm laborers left the fields, and agriculture mechanized. Today, several
manufacturers employ local residents in industries ranging from the production
of riding lawn mowers to the manufacture of vinyl garden hoses, PVC pipe fittings,
and powdered ball bearings.
The county's first newspaper, the Phoenix, began publication in 1833.
Nine other papers appeared during the next century and a half. The States
Graphic issued its first publication in 1900 and continues publication
today.
The county's first Sunday school opened in Brownsville in 1831. During the first
decade of settlement, Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians established congregations.
The Episcopal Church arrived in 1834, and the Catholics and Cumberland Presbyterians
built churches circa 1870. Temple Adas Israel (1882) stands as a reminder of
the migration of Jews into rural communities in the nineteenth century.
Haywood County's first school was built by Howell Taylor in the Tabernacle neighborhood
in 1827. Early schools were subscription schools, and public schools were not
available until 1897. Among the county's many historic schools were Union Academy,
Brownsville Male Academy, Brownsville Female Institute, Dancyville Female Institute,
Brownsville Seminary, Cageville Male and Female Academy, and Wesleyan Female
College. The Dunbar School for African American children became Haywood County
Training School around 1920, then Carver High School in 1950. Brownsville Baptist
Female College (1850, later a high school) became the nucleus for the National
Register-listed College Hill Historic District. The former college's Center Building
now houses a comprehensive Lincoln Collection and the Haywood County Museum.
Haywood County High School opened in 1911; in 1970 it was closed and a new school
was built when the city and county schools consolidated and integrated.
Brownsville residents have enjoyed a variety of services throughout the history
of the community. The Brownsville Savings Bank, organized in 1869 (reputedly
the second oldest continuously operating bank in the state), became the Brownsville
Bank in 1899. Since 1997 it has operated as part of the In-South Bank system.
Brownsville received telegraph service in 1848; Bell Telephone opened an office
in 1895. County residents began to receive rural free mail delivery in 1903.
In 1872 a gas works came to Brownsville, and the city received natural gas in
1934. Rural electrification reached the county in 1936. In 1909, $7,500 from
Andrew Carnegie's library program built a free public library, which was replaced
in 1992 with the Elma Ross Library. In 1909 Brownsville built a public Ladies
Rest Room, the first such known facility in Tennessee, to accommodate the needs
of farmwives as they shopped in town. Ridley and Mann Wills established the Haywood
County Memorial Hospital in 1930; Methodist Hospital Systems now provides medical
services.
Haywood County has grown from a population of 265 families in 1826 to a population
that reached 19,797 in 2000. A county executive and county court governs the
county. Brownsville's population rose from 400 in 1832 to 10,748 in 2000. The
town is governed by a mayor and five aldermen.
1836 Haywood County, Tennessee, Civil Districts & Tax List (Douthat, 2003)
1880 Census Haywood County, Tennessee (Sistler, 2001)
Bradford Family Record (WPA, 1939)
Crockett (Haywood) County, Tn Deeds, 1785-1872 Mayo, 1985)
Genealogical Quandary : Will Book D, 1845-1852, Haywood County, Tennessee (Smith, 2003)
Haywood, Lauderdale, Tipton County Directory (1957)
Haywood County, Tennessee, Chancery Court Records, 1808-1885 : Including Divorces, 1860-1936 : An Inventory Of Loose Records in the Haywood County Courthouse (Genealogical Society Of Utah., 1997)
Haywood County Tennessee Court Minutes, 1823-1830 (WPA, 1936)
Haywood County Tennessee Court Minutes, 1826-30 (WPA, 1940)
Haywood County Tennessee Court Minutes, 1831 (WPA, 1938)
Haywood County Tennessee Court Minutes, Journal C, 1834-40 (WPA, 19??)
Haywood County Tennessee Court Minutes, 1837-1840 (WPA, 1941)
Haywood County, Tennessee Deed Book [Vol. A-B 1823-1831] (Crumpton, 2003)
Haywood County, Tennessee Deed Book [Vol. C 1832-1833] (Crumpton, 2003)
Haywood County Tennessee Deed Book A, 1823-1830 (WPA, 1940)
Haywood County Tennessee, Directory of Brownsville, Tennessee, 1872-1873 (WPA, 1938)
Haywood County Tennessee Marriage Docket, 1859-1866 (WPA, 1938)
Haywood County, Tennessee Marriage Records : Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8, 1859-1878 (Fischer, 1987)
Haywood County Tennessee Will Book No. 1, 1826-1839 (WPA, 1937)
Seventh Census of the United States, 1850: Haywood County, Tennessee Free Population Schedules (Carpenter, 1970)
Tombstone Inscriptions From Black Cemeteries in Haywood County, Tennessee (Smith, 1998)
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 
