Genealogy Path

Death records for the state of Tennessee are available online in three separate indexes. Tennessee began recording death records in 1908. For the first few years, recording was erratic. The Tennessee State Archives and Library features a searchable index to their death records for 1908-1912 at www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/vital/death2.htm. This index contains almost 98,000 listings. The search results give the decedent’s name, year of death, county of death, and certificate number. This information can be used to order the complete death record.

The Memphis Public Library History and Genealogy Index Web site at tempo.memphislibrary.org/dadabik/program_files/sform.php allows the visitor to search Memphis/Shelby County deaths (1848-1945) from the Memphis Death Register books and yellow fever deaths recorded during an epidemic in 1878. Also included in the database are the Freedmen’s Bureau marriage index of 1863-4. Death records for 1913 were not recorded in Tennessee. The second online index lists Tennessee deaths from 1914 to 1924 and is at www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/vital/tndeath.htm. Again, this information should be used when ordering the full death record.

Tags: death records, online resources, records, tennessee
Posted in Resources | No Comments »