Benton County, Tennessee Genealogy
Public Records
Benton County's bound public records
are housed at the courthouse.
Benton
County Courthouse
Court Square
Camden, TN 38320
901-584-6053
Most
records have mostly survived from 1836. Early loose
records however, estate settlements, marriage licenses,
etc., are kept at the Benton County Library and are
available for research.
Director: Ms. Rhonda
Tippitt
Benton County Public Library
121 South Forrest Ave., Camden, TN 38320
901-584-4772
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Saturday 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Note: Virginia Whitworth has retired.
The Benton
County Genealogical Society maintains records pertinent to
the heritage of the county.
President: Billy Hollingsworth
Benton County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 775
Camden, TN 38320
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK'S
OFFICE
1. Minute Books:
Records from 1836 to present. The first 161 pages of
Minute Book B contain the merchant's account book of N.
Morrison of Reynoldsburg, TN and contain the individual
accounts of customers for the years 1831-1833.
2. Loose Papers: Almost
complete from 1836 and were kept in the storage room of
the Clerks's Office.
CLERK and MASTER'S OFFICE
1. Chancery
Cases: Cases between 1838-1854 are held at
Huntington, Carroll County, TN, and are recorded in
Minute Books, 1836-1840, 1840-1842 and 1844-1855.
2. Bound Volumes:
Volumes include Chamber Minutes, Enrollment Books, and
Minute Books. Some loose papers go back to 1836.
COUNTY COURT CLERKS OFFICE
1. Administrators
and Executors Bonds & Letters: August
1874 forward.
2. Administrators Settlement
Books: August 1860 forward.
3. Guardian Bonds & Letters:
August 1874 forward.
4. Guardian Settlements &
Account Books: August 1860 to May 1956.
5. Minutes of Insanity Records:
1919 to 1944, but are sealed.
6. Insolvent Estates: July
1852 to December 1942.
7. Marriage Records:
1838 forward. Note: All Bonds & Licenses
were issued to the groom in the county of the bride's
residence. The performing minister initialized the
licenses, and was to return it to the County Clerk within
six months (maybe). Bound books were not required before
1838, so loose papers exist before that and were kept at
the Tennessee Room of the Benton County Library. The
marriage records for 1859 are missing. Records up to 1969
are not indexed.
8. Quarterly Court Minutes:
July 1842 forward.
9. Miscellaneous Records:
Two volumes (1836 to 1855) cover early wills, estate
records, etc.
10. Road Records:
1889 to 1907.
11. Wills:
September 1855 forward. Note: Wills before 1855
are contained in item 9 above.
12. Vital Records:
March 1881 to January 1882 & January 1900 to March
1901. The Tennessee Department of Public Health kept
records from 1914.
REGISTER OF DEED'S OFFICE
1. Land Entry
Taker Books: Two volumes, December 1820 to
1849.
2. Survey Books A & B: 1821
to 1848.
3. Deed Books:
Deed Book A (1836 to 1843) pages 1-327
contain land entries from 1848 to 1902
Deed Book B (1836 to
1843 & 1842 to 1849)
Deed Book C (1849 forward
& continuing Arabic numerals)
4.Trust Deeds:
November 1874 forward.
TRUSTEE'S OFFICE
1926 forward. Prior to 1926, tax
records are scattered. The original tax book, 1836-1842,
was kept at the Benton County Library.
BIRTH & DEATH RECORDS IN TENNESSEE
There was no official statewide
registration of births and deaths in Tennessee before
1908. Four cities did keep some earlier birth and death
records, which are available through the Tennessee State
Library & Archives. Deaths: Memphis from 1848;
Nashville from 1874; Knoxville from 1881; Chattanooga
from 1872. Births: Nashville from 1881; Chattanooga from
1879; Knoxville from 1881.
Microfilmed and available at the Tennessee
State Library & Archives are:
Death records statewide from 1908-1912 and
1914-1947
Birth records statewide are from 1908-1912 only
Some of the above information was
summarized from Jonathan K.T. Smith's "Benton
County
volume of the Tennessee County History Series" by Memphis State University Press (1979).
Return to Benton
County Genealogy
page
Graphics are courtesy of Cherished
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