Robertson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Robertson County

Robertson County, Tennessee ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to Robertson County (established 1796) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Robertson County, Tennessee
Map
Location in the state of Tennessee
Location of Tennessee in the U.S.
Facts
Founded:	April 9, 1796
County Seat	Springfield
Courthouse
Website: www.robertsoncountytn.org
Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

Description

The County was named for James Robertson, an explorer, founder of Nashville, and a state senator, who was often called the "Father of Middle Tennessee". The County is located in the north central area of the state.

Robertson County, Tennessee Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1908	1839	1908	1796	1796	1796	1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

County Courthouse

[[Image:

Robertson County Courthouse, Springfield, Tenn.

]]

Robertson County Courthouse
408 North Main St.
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-384-5895

State Library in Nashville has birth and death records from 1925, marriage records from 1839, probate records from 1796, court records from 1832 and divorce records from 1844.
Register of Deeds has land records from 1796.

Robertson County Archives
504 S. Willow St.
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-382-6928
Email: robertsoncoarch@bellsouth.net

The county's early records are located here. 

Robertson County Clerk
Marriage records
511 South Brown St.
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-384-5895

Robertson County Register of Deeds
Land records
525 South Brown St.
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-384-3772

Robertson County Clerk and Master
Probate and court records
408 North Main St., Room 100
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-382-3128

Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

History

Middle Tennessee county. Established 1796. Part of the pioneer Cumberland Settlements. Formed from Tennessee County, North Carolina

The county is named after "James Robertson (1742–1814), Tennessee state legislator and founder of the Watauga Settlements."

Parent County

1796--Robertson County was established 9 April 1796 from part of Tennessee County, North Carolina.
County seat: Springfield

County Pronunciation

1. Hear it spoken (female)
2. Hear it spoken (male)

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

• Lost censuses: 1800, 1810

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

• Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.
• When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog.
• Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Places/Localities

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Adams Cedar Hill Cross Plains Greenbrier	Millersville Orlinda Portland	Ridgetop Springfield White House
Towns
Coopertown
Unincorporated communities
Ashburn Baggettsville Barren Plains Bethlehem Black Jack Calistia Courtland Crunk Dividing Ridge Eden Corner Flewellyn Gause	Handleyton Holmansville Hubertville Hygeia Springs Jernigan Town Kinneys Lamont Milldale Mount Denson Mulloy (partial Sumner County) Neeley's Store	Oakdale Oakland Owens Chapel Port Royal Reubensville Sadlersville Sandy Springs Stroudsville Turnersville Woodard Youngville

Neighboring Counties

Cheatham Davidson Logan County, Kentucky

Montgomery Simpson County, Kentucky

Sumner Todd County, Kentucky

Resources

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Robertson County court and tax 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: Robertson County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
• "Robertson County Genealogical Records Survey," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 1988). 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.]
• Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation - blog by John Baker supplementing his book about slaves of the plantation.

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
TNGenWeb	WorldCat	Billion Graves
TNGenWeb Archives		Linkpendium
Tombstone Project		TNGravestones
TNGenWeb Cemeteries		Epodunk
Billion Graves
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Robertson County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. 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 Robertson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. The USGenWeb Census Project^®.

1800 Lost

1810 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.

1810 - 1891

• Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1820

• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820
• Lauderdale County Library (Florence, Alabama). Vertical Files, Census Fecords.Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. FHL 1034009 Item 2
• Presley, Mrs. Leister E. Robertson County, Tennessee Population Schedules of the United States Census of 1820.S.p., 19-? FHL 976.8464 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.

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, Robertson County on page 157.

1850

• Porch, Deane. Robertson County, Tennessee 1850 Census. [S.l.: Deane Porch, 1968. FHL 976.8464 X2p 1850

1850 Agricultural Census

• Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. Robertson County is included in Vol. 2.

1880

• Sistler, Byron H. 1880 Census Dickson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999. FHL 976.8464 X2s 1880

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1920

• Bush, Marisa, ed.. Robertson County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($).
• Robertson County, Tennessee Census, 1920 at Ancestry.com (Free/$)

Church

Court

Chancery Court

Genealogical information found in the loose papers of the Chancery court 1844-1872 is abstracted in Robertson County, Tennessee abstracts of Chancery Courts loose papers, 1844-1872 by Jean M. Durrett. This abstract reveals many family relationships of Robertson county residents in pre-census years. It is also avaliable at the Family History Library.

There are Plaintiff/Defendant Indexes from 1844-2005 available at Robertson County Archives.

Family Histories

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 Robertson, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 40,000 entries.

• East Tennessee Historical Society. First Families of Tennessee: A Register of Early Settlers and Their Present-day Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 2000. FHL Book 976.8 H2ff. Identifies families that had settled in Tennessee before it achieved statehood in 1796.
• 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 Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.
• Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Red River Settlers: Records of the Settlers of Northern Montgomery, Robertson, and Sumner Counties, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.84 D2w. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).

Bibliography

• Adcock - Frazier, Gloria Shipp. Adcock: Descendants of Henry and Sarah Adcock of Robertson County, Tennessee. Wyandotte, Oklahoma: Gregath, 2006. FHL Book 929.273 Ad19fg.
• Bell - Phipps, Mrs. J.R. Bell, Mayes, Phipps & Williams of Robertson Co. Tenn., with Bessinger & Dychess of S.C. & Germany. FHL Book 929.273 B413pj.
• Covington - White, Eurie Covington. Covington Cousins: A Genealogy of the Covingtons and some of the Related Families. Dallas, TX: Nolden Print. Co., 1956. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 186507; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Crutcher - Merritt, Robert K. Larkin Crutcher of Robertson County Tennessee. Typescript, 1957. FHL Fiche 6018409
• Crutcher - McCutcheon, Larry. Our Drake and Crutcher Families of Marshall County, Tennessee. Hohenwald, Tenn.: L. McCutcheon, 2007. FHL Book 929.273 D789mL.
• Darden, Dorden, Dardens, Durden, Dearden - Darden, Newton Jasper. Darden Family History: With Notes on Ancestry of Allied Families: Washington, Lanier, Burch, Strozier, Dodson, Pyles, McNair, Barnett : a memorial of Dearden-Durden-Dardens of the United States of America, Particularly in Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Washington, D.C.?: Unknown, 1957. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 461302 Item 6; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Fox - Fox, Ezelle. The Story of William Fox. Dumas, TX: E. Fox, 1954. Available at FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018326; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Green - Green, Chalman E. and Mae Chinn Green. Green, Harlow and Bowman Families. Nampa, Idaho: M.C. Green, 1984 (Newport, Ark.: Morgan Books). FHL Book 929.273 G82gc.
• Gullett - Futrell, Roger Henry Lofland. George Gullett of Carroll County, Tennessee: and Son James Hickman Gullett of Robertson County, Tennessee. Frankfort, Ky.: R.H. Futrell, 2006. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
• Halcomb - Giulvezan, Isabel Stebbins. Notes on Hiram H. Halcomb, 1789-1869 of Caswell County, North Carolina, Robertson County, Tennessee, Logan and Simpson Counties, Kentucky, and His 16 Children. Typescript, 1961. FHL Fiche 6018572.
• Jones - Watson, Walter A. Notes on Southside Virginia. Richmond, Va.: D. Bottom, Superintendant of Public Print., 1925. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Mayes - Phipps, Mrs. J.R. Bell, Mayes, Phipps & Williams of Robertson Co. Tenn., with Bessinger & Dychess of S.C. & Germany. FHL Book 929.273 B413pj.
• Murphy - Murphy, Marion Emerson. Early Murphys-Murpheys in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Robertson and Carroll Counties, Tennessee: Their Ancestry and Progeny. San Diego, Calif.: M.E. Murphy, 1974. FHL Book 929.273 M953m.
• Phipps - Phipps, Mrs. J.R. Bell, Mayes, Phipps & Williams of Robertson Co. Tenn., with Bessinger & Dychess of S.C. & Germany. FHL Book 929.273 B413pj.
• Redfern, Redfearn - Redfearn, Daniel Huntley. History of the Redfearn Family. Miami, FL: D. H. Redfearn, 1942. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R247 1942; FHL US/CAN Film 1035977 1321277 Item 4; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• Spiller - Gottschalk, Kathrine Cox. The Spiller Family of Prince William County, Virginia; Robertson County, Tennessee; Williamson County, Illinois. Typescript. Microfilmed in 1972. FHL Film 896608 Item 2.
• Tate - Carpenter, Evelyn Yates. Tate and Allied Families of Robertson County, Tennessee: Includes the Nearby Tennessee Counties of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson. Includes Virginia and North Carolina, the States of Tate Family Origin. Includes Counties in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Throughout the United States Where Many Tate Families Migrated. Clarksville, Tenn.: Jostens, 1987. FHL Book 929.273 T187c.
• Williams - Phipps, Mrs. J.R. Bell, Mayes, Phipps & Williams of Robertson Co. Tenn., with Bessinger & Dychess of S.C. & Germany. FHL Book 929.273 B413pj.

Land

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Robertson 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 Robertson County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1785-1802.

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 12.14.14 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.14.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Robertson County. 12.14.19 covers Tennessee County, Tennessee.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Robertson County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Robertson County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.

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. 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.

Local Histories

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Military

Revolutionary War

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• Select Revolutionary War pension applications

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; Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Robertson County on page 157.
• 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. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Robertson County pensioners (p. 51).

Civil War

Online Records

• 1861 - 1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861 - 1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
• 1891 - 1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch — images
• Civil War Research Database $
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments.

Civil War service men from Robertson 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 Robertson County:

Confederate Soldiers

• 11th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company F.
• 14th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies C and I.
• 30th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B, H, and K.
• 49th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Robertson County:

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Robertson 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. Robertson County, page 372.
• TNGenWeb, Military Records of Robertson Tennessee.

Spanish American War

• Hale, Will T.The First Tennessee Regiment, United States Volunteers. Nashville, 1899. Free digital copy.

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the 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 Robertson County click on the following cities or towns:

• Adams
• Greenbrier
• Springfield
• White House

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 Robertson 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 Robertson 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.

The Eastern Robertson County Historical Quarterly

Published by the Cross Plains Heritage Commission whose mission is "to preserve the history and heritage of Cross Plains, Orlinda, and the eastern part of Robertson County."
Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
For additional information see their Facebook page.

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Perry 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.

Robertson County Chimes

"The Robertson County Chimes is a newsletter published quarterly by the Robertson County Historical Society" (per website). The most current issue is online. For additional information see their website.
Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)

Prisons

Learn if your Robertson County, Tennessee Genealogy ancestors went to prison!

• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850.
• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870.

Probate Records

The Robertson County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records

• 1779 - 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 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:

• 1796 - 1818 - Bonds, Inventories, Wills, 1796-1818 (Vols. 1-2)
• 1819 - 1821 - Settlements, Wills, 1819-1821 (Vol. 3)
• 1796 - 1959 - Inventories, Wills, 1796-1959 (Vols. 4-34)
• 1912 - 1918 - Court Records, 1912-1918

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Robertson 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:

• 1796 - 1803 - Will Book 1: 1796-1803
• 1812 - 1818 - Will Book 2: 1812-1818
• 1819 - 1821 - Will Book 3: 1819-1821
• 1821 - 1825 - Will Book 4: 1821-1825

The following Robertson County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:

• 1796 - 1846 - Durrett, Jean, et al. Robertson County, Tennessee, Will Book Index, 1796-1846. Springfield, Tennesse : Springfield Print., 1991. (FHL book 976.8464 P22d.)
  
• 1796 - 1861 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 76.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's probate records.

USGenWeb's Robertson County page has some will transcriptions.

Taxation

The following Robertson County tax records have been abstracted:

• 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.
• 1812 - Hughes, T.P. and Jewel B. Standefer. "Robertson County, Tennessee - 1812 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1972):181-184. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• 1812 - 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 1812 tax list.
• 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 Robinson (Robertson) County.
• 1836 - Douthat, James L. Robertson County, Tennessee, 1836 Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8464 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.
• 1836 - Civil Districts and Tax Lists, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Aug. 1999); Vol. 3, No. 3 (1999); Vol. 4, No. 1 (2000).
• 1921 - Cross Plains Special Scool Tax Levy, 1921, Eastern Robertson County Historical Quarterly, Issue 30 (Winter 2002).

Vital Records

See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

• 1828 - 1939 - Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch.org — index

• 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

• 1908 - 1912 - Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1908 - 1912 - Roberton County Birth Index 1908-1912 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free. Batch C000281.

Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Robertson County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice.

The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1794 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL 976.8 V2L.

The original Robertson County marriage records are kept at the Robertson County Archives. Some marriage licenses between 1831 and 1839 exist and are filmed.

• 1780 - 2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index $

• 1780 - 2002 - Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch.org— index

• 1790 - 1950 - Tennessee County Marriages 1790-1950 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

• 1796 - 1950 - Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 at FamilySearch.org — index

• 1838 - 1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1851 - 1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $

The following Robertson County marriage records are microfilmed:

• 1839 - 1989 - Available at the TSLA.

• 1831 - 1950 - Available at the Family History Library. Arranged alphabetically by male surname.FHL 2223304 Marriage licenses.

• 1839 - 1965 - Available at the Family History Library. Includes indexes. FHL 425212

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

• 1829 - 1860 - Marriage Records, 1829-1860, Robertson County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1940.  Typescript. FHL 24803 Item 3

• 1839-1934 - Robertson County Marriage Index 1839-1934 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free.

• 1839 - 1861 - Whitley, Edithy R. Marriages of Robertson County, Tennessee, 1839-1861. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. FHL 976.8464 V2w

• 1839 - 1870 - 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 ff. Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.

• 1839 - 1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1988. FHL Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.

• 1839 - 1880 - Robertson County, Tennessee Marriage Index 1839-1880, available online, courtesy: Robertson County Archives.

• 1859 - 1873 - Lowe, J. Mark. Robertson County, Tennessee marriage book 2, 1859-1873. Westminster, Maryland: Willow Bend Books, 2002. FHL 976.8464 V2L Includes records of earliest marriages between former slaves. It is not a comprehensive listing of all marriages in Robertson County.

• 1730 - 1861 - Marriage Records.

• 1829 - 1850 - Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Divorce

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

• 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

• 1908 - 1912 - Robertson County Death Index 1908-1912 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free. Batch B000156.

• 1874 - 1955 - Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch.org — index

• 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

• 1914 - 1966 - Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch — index and images

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

• 1847 - 1914 - 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 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 1830's, 1840's, 1910's and 1920's.

Societies and Libraries

See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Cross Plains Heritage Commission
"The Cross Plains Heritage Commission is the local historical society for Cross Plains, Tennessee. Our organization was formed in 1986 as part of the Tennessee Homecoming '86 Celebration. Our mission is to preserve the history and heritage of Cross Plains, Orlinda, and the eastern part Robertson County." (per website)
P.O. Box 7
Cross Plains, TN 37049
Museum and archives for Cross Plains and the surrounding area is located at:
7821 Highway 25 East (Main Street)
Cross Plains, TN 37049
Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Advisable to contact before visiting

Robertson County Historical Society
124 6th Avenue West
P.O. Box 1022
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-382-7173
E-mail: rchs@bellsouth.net
On Facebook
"For genealogical questions or information please contact the Robertson County Archives."

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

Stokes Brown Public Library
405 White St.
Springfield, TN 37172
Phone: 1-615-384-5123
Email: gorhamweb@bellsouth.net
Hours: Sun. 2:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
Mon., Wed., Fri., and Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

• Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
• FamilySearch Catalog (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
• Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List) (RootsWeb)
• Robertson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Robertson County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Robertson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
• Robertson County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)

References

Family History Library