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Making the Best Use of Tennessee Census Index Books, 1820-1840

Descriptions of Census and Indexes

Obtaining Copies of Indexes and Census Entries

Abbreviations used for Tennessee Counties 1820, 1840-1870

Abbreviations used for Tennessee Counties 1830

Bibliography of Tennessee Census Index Books

Tennessee Census Availability at Libraries and Archives Nationwide

IMPORTANT: Census records before 1850 name only heads of households and give statistical information about family members. No names other than the head of household are available.



DESCRIPTIONS OF CENSUS AND INDEXES

1790, 1800 and 1810: Tennessee became a state in 1796. The territorial census schedules and the 1800 census were lost or destroyed. The 1810 census of Tennessee was also lost, except for Grainger and Rutherford counties, which have been indexed.

1820: This census is incomplete and most East Tennessee counties are missing. The missing counties are marked with an * on the following list. Jackson's alphabetical state-wide index lists the heads-of-household, plus a series of numbers indicating the sex and approximate age of family members. The age categories for males, given in order, are: under 10, 10-15, 16-18, 16-25, 26-44, and over 45. To the right of the first hyphen are five similar columns for females in the following age categories: under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, and over 45. Following the second hyphen is a column detailing number of slaves in the household and a column detailing number of free blacks in the household. Another index, by Bentley, only shows the heads-of-household with a county and page number for each.

1830: Sistler's index is in three volumes, East, Middle and West Tennessee. Heads of household and numbers of males and females are listed by county in the same order as they appear on the actual census, and each volume has its own alphabetical index. The numbers in each column show the number of persons in the household by age groups. Columns on the schedules are, in order, under 5, 5-10, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, and so forth up to the "over 100" category. Males are to the left of the hyphen and females to the right. Sistler's index does not include age and sex breakdowns for blacks, either free or slave, though free black heads of household are followed by the code 0-0. The actual census gives age and sex information on free blacks, slaves, and deaf, dumb, and blind people included in the household.

A note about receiving this information by mail: Because these books are not arranged in alphabetical order, we provide copies from the index where identical surnames are together in one place. A second request naming a county and page number (from the index) is necessary to receive the full statistical information. The county abbreviation codes are listed on the following 1830 Tennessee counties list.

1840: The 1840 census also shows the name of head of household and the number of males and females in each age category. Sistler's index covers the state in alphabetical order, listing heads-of-household and numbers of males and females in each family. Categories are the same as in the 1830 index. See above.

 


OBTAINING COPIES FROM INDEXES AND FROM THE CENSUS

The Tennessee State Library & Archives can provide copies from census index books 1820-1870 and from any original (handwritten) census schedule. To obtain copies of census records, please see our web page on ordering census records by mail.

Residents of Tennessee can view scanned copies of Tennessee census records by going through the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL), clicking on the Genealogy tab, and then selecting HeritageQuest Online.

Your local library may provide access to web sites such as HerigateQuest Online or AncestryLibrary.com, which have scanned the existing Tennessee census records for 1810 - 1880 and 1900 - 1940. The archives.org web site also offers scanned PDFs of Tennessee census records to the public.

 


ABBREVIATIONS USED FOR TENNESSEE COUNTIES 1820, 1840-1870

Each census index entry provides the county name and census page number.

This list will help you identify county names which have been abbreviated by the indexer.

The year the county was created is also listed.

* Indicates missing from 1820 census.

A Anderson 1801*   L Lauderdale 1835
B Bedford 1807   LK Lake 1870
BE Benton 1835   LA Lawrence 1817
BL Bledsoe 1807*   LE Lewis 1843
BO Blount 1795*   LI Lincoln 1809
BR Bradley 1836   LO Loudon 1870
C Campbell 1806*   M Macon 1842
CA Cannon 1836   MA Madison 1821
CR Carroll 1821   MR Marion 1817*
CT Carter 1796*   MS Marshall 1836
CE Cheatham 1856   MU Maury 1807
CH Chester 1875   MC McMinn 1819*
CL Claiborne 1801*   MN McNairy 1823
CY Clay 1870   ME Meigs 1836
CO CO Cocke 1797*   MO Monroe 1819*
CF CF Coffee 1836   MT Montgomery 1796
CC CC Crockett 1845   MOO Moore 1871
CU Cumberland 1856   MG Morgan 1817*
D Davidson 1783   O Obion 1823
DE Decatur 1845   OV Overton 1806
DK Dekalb 1837   P Perry 1818
DI Dickson 1803   PI Pickett 1879
DY Dyer 1823   PO Polk 1839
F Fayette 1824   PU Putnam 1854
FE Fentress 1823   R Rhea 1807*
FR Franklin 1807   RO Roane 1801*
G Gibson 1823   RB Robertson 1796
GI Giles 1809   RU Rutherford 1803
GR Grainger 1796*   S Scott 1849
GE Greene 1783*   SQ Sequatchie 1858
GU Grundy 1844   SE Sevier 1794*
HM Hamblen 1870   SH Shelby 1819
H Hamilton 1819*   SM Smith 1799
HA Hancock 1844   ST Stewart 1803
HR Hardeman 1823   SU Sullivan 1779*
HD Hardin 1819   SN Sumner 1786
HW Hawkins 1786*   T Tipton 1823
HY Haywood 1823   TR Trousdale 1870
HE Henderson 1821   U Unicoi 1875
HN Henry 1821   UN Union 1850
HI Hickman 1807   V Van Buren 1840
HO Houston 1871   W Warren 1807
HU Humphreys 1809   WA Washington 1777*
J Jackson 1801   WY Wayne 1785
JA James 1871   WE Weakley 1823
JE Jefferson 1792*   WH White 1806
JO Johnson 1836   WI Williamson 1799
K Knox 1792*   WL Wilson 1799
           



ABBREVIATIONS USED FOR TENNESSEE COUNTIES 1830

Same as listed in 1820 and 1840-1870, except as indicated here


East Tennessee

A Anderson 1801*   L Lauderdale 1835
B Bedford 1807   LK Lake 1870
BE Benton 1835   LA Lawrence 1817
BL Bledsoe 1807*   LE Lewis 1843
BO Blount 1795*   LI Lincoln 1809
BR Bradley 1836   LO Loudon 1870
C Campbell 1806*   M Macon 1842



Middle Tennessee

F Franklin   R Robertson
L Lincoln   S Smith
M Maury   SU Sumner



West Tennessee

C Carroll   MC McNairy
D Dickson   MO Montgomery
H Hardeman   S Shelby
HA Hardin   W Wayne
L Lawrence      

 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TENNESSEE CENSUS INDEX BOOKS

Bentley, Elizabeth. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.

Jackson, Ronald V. and G. Teeples. Tennessee 1820 Census. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Syst., 1974.

Sistler, Byron. 1830 Census - East Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1969.

Sistler, Byron. 1830 Census - Middle Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1971.

Sistler, Byron. 1830 Census - West Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1971.

Jackson, Ronald V. et al. Tennessee 1840 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1976.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1840 Census - Tennessee. Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1986.

Jackson, Ronald V. Tennessee 1850 Census Index. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1981.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1850 Census - Tennessee (8 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1974.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1860 Census - Tennessee (5 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1981.

[Jackson, Ronald V.] Tennessee 1860 Census Index (4 vols.). Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Syst., 1982.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1870 Census - Tennessee (2 vols.). Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1985.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census - East Tennessee. Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 1997.

Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census - Middle Tennessee. Nashville: Byron Sistler & Assoc., 2000.


TENNESSEE CENSUS AVAILABILITY AT TSLA AND ONLINE

Residents of Tennessee can view scanned copies of Tennessee census records by going through the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL), clicking on the Genealogy tab, and then selecting HeritageQuest Online.

Your local library may provide access to web sites such as HerigateQuest Online or AncestryLibrary.com, which have scanned the existing Tennessee census records for 1810 - 1880 and 1900 - 1940. The archives.org web site also offers scanned PDFs of Tennessee census records to the public.

 

Updated March 5, 2013

 

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