Henry County, Tennessee genealogy and family history research. Find links to record collections, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Henry Co., ancestors.
Henry County Quick Facts

- Government Website: www.henryco.com
- Created Date / Origin: November 7, 1821 from Chickasaw Indian lands
- County Seat: Paris
- Named After: Revolutionary-era orator and Virginia legislator Patrick Henry (1736–1799).
- Bordering Counties: Calloway County, KY (north), Stewart County (northeast), Benton County (southeast), Carroll County (south), Weakley County (west) and Graves County, KY (northwest)
- Cities & towns include: Cottage Grove, Henry, Paris, Puryear
Henry County Genealogical & Historical Societies and Family History Resources
A list of Henry County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also Tennessee Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.
- Henry County Archive and Genealogy Library, 55 Jones Bend Ext. Rd., Paris , TN 38242; Phone: (731) 642-8655, Ext. 109; The Archive is part of the county, and preserves all the “old records” of the county Government for Henry County, Tennessee. Volunteers at the Archive also man the Genealogy Room at the Library as well. Genealogical Inquiries should be directed to the Archive.
- City of Paris Municipal Archives, P.O. Box 970, Paris , TN 38242; Phone: (731) 641-1455
- Henry County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1411, Paris, TN 38242
- Paris-Henry County Heritage Center, 614 N. Poplar Street, PO Box 822, Paris, TN 38242 731-642-1030
- Tennessee State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Henry County Tennessee Archives (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County, Tennessee Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your county ancestors
- Henry County, Tennessee Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
- Genealogical “Fact Sheets” About Henry County (tn.gov) The purpose of these fact sheets is to help determine what sources are available for genealogical research about the people and places in Henry County. Although this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the possible places one might search, it does cover the major publications and microfilms available at TSLA on the Henry County.
Henry County Courthouse and Government Records
Researchers often overlook the importance of Henry County court, probate, and land records as a source of genealogy and family history information. Buried away in Tennessee courthouses and archives everywhere are the dreams and frustrations of many Tennessee citizens. The chances are great that your ancestors have left a detailed record of at least some aspects of their lives in the Henry County court records.
The following indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Henry county or in the Tennessee State Library & Archives. The dates indicated below are the first known records for each county. Rather than go to the courthouse, you might want to do all your research work at the library. All available court records have been microfilmed and are available at the Rhea Public Library. In addition to court records, you will also find funeral home records, church records, all the Henry County census, Microfilmed Henry County newspaper, and WPA records. There is also a large collection of genealogy books in the special genealogy room.
- Henry County Clerkmaintains 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.
- Address: P.O. Box 24, Paris, TN 38242
- Phone: 731-642-2412
- Marriage Records: 1838
- Probate Records: 1822
- Henry County Register of Deedshas land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Sevier county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
- Address: P.O. Box 44, Paris, TN 38242
- Phone: (731) 642-4081
- Land & Deed Records: 1822
- Henry County Clerk of Circuit Courthas jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
- Address: 101 West Washington Street, 2nd Fl., Paris, TN 38242
- Phone: 731-642-0461
- Chancery Court Minutes: 1846
- Circuit Court Minutes: 1834
- County Court Minutes: 1824
- Henry County Property Assessoris responsible for the evaluation of all real property, the cadastral mapping of the county, valuation of all business personal property and maintaining ownership records. The property assessor prepares the tax rolls for the trustee and all the municipalities. 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.
- Address: PO Box 564 Paris, TN 38242
- Phone: 731-642-0162
- Tax Records:1827-1837, 1840, 1843-1861, 1865-1873, 1875-1880, 1883-1885, 1887-1900 (located at the Tennessee State Library and Archives)
- Tennessee Department of Health (VDH) Office of Vital Records has copies for copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses and divorce decrees. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Tennesseefor current fees and application process.
- Henry County Health Department, P. O. Box 609, 803 Joy Street, Paris, TN 38242; (731) 642-4025 , issues birth certificates and death certificates (deaths which occurred in that county within the past three years, and a few county health departments keep death records for longer periods of time). Marriage license records are available from the county clerk who issued the marriage license. Court divorce orders may be obtained from the clerk of the court that granted the divorce.
- Ordering Vital Records – You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Tennessee Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.
Henry County Genealogy Links
The following are links to Genealogy, Records and Resources relating to Henry County. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.
- Henry Co. TN Books, Newspapers & Publications
- See Also Statewide Newspapers, Books & Publications Links for Tennessee
- Historical Newspapers from Tennessee (1795 – 1929 ) (genealogybank.com)
- Tennessee Newspaper List by County and City (.state.tn.us)
- Henry Co. Newspapers (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County, Tennessee Books (amazon.com)
- Tennessee Newspapers (newspaperarchives.com)
- Henry Co. TN Birth, Marriage & Death Records
- See Also Statewide Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Tennessee
- Henry Co. Vital Records (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County, Tennessee Marriage Project (http://usgwarchives.net)
- Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com) Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research.
- Henry Co. TN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
- See Also Tennessee Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records
- Tennessee Real Estate Assessment Data Property Search (assessment.state.tn.us)
- Henry County Records on Microfilm (tennessee.gov) – Order County Microfilm Inventories and Reels
- Early Henry County Records Available on Interlibrary Loan (tennessee.gov)
- Henry Co. Court Records (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry Co. Deeds (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry Co. Wills & Estate Records (usgwarchives.net)
- BLM Land Records (glorecords.blm.gov)covers the State of Tennessee. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
- Henry Co. TN Census Records
- See Also Statewide Census Links for Tennessee
- Henry County, TN Census Records (census-online.com)
- Henry County, TN Census QuickFacts (quickfacts.census.gov)
- Henry County Census Records (search.ancestry.com)Learn where your ancestors lived, who lived in the household, ages, places of birth, occupation, actual images of the Federal Censusrs and more.
- Henry Co. TN Cemeteries & Graveyards
- See Also Statewide Cemetery Links for Tennessee
- Henry Co., Tennessee Graves (findagrave.com)
- Henry Co. Cemeteries (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Henry Co., Tennessee Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Topographic Cemetery List and Map for Henry County, Tennessee (topozone.com)
- Henry Co., Tennessee Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- Henry Co. TN Church & Bible Records
- See Also Statewide Church & Bible Links for Tennessee
- Topographic Church List and Map for Henry County, Tennessee (topozone.com)
- Henry County, Tennessee Church Books (amazon.com)
- Henry Co. TN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Henry Co. Biographies (usgwarchives.net)
- Nichols and Related Families (mynicholsfamily.com)
- Henry Co. TN General and History Websites
- Henry County Tennessee (genealogytrails.com)
- Henry County History and Culture (tennesseeencyclopedia.net)
- Henry Co. Historical Records (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County, Tennessee Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- Henry County, Tennessee Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Henry Co. Tennessee Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org) has the largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records.
- Henry County History (usgwarchives.net)
- Henry County – American History and Genealogy Project (usgennet.org)
- Henry County, Tennessee (linkpendium.com) Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More
- Cyndi’s List – United States – Tennessee – Counties – Henry (cyndislist.com)
- Henry Co. Tennessee Genealogy (tngenweb.org)
- Henry County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Henry Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
- Henry Co., TN Immigration & Naturalization
- Henry Co. TN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Statewide Maps and Atlas Links for Tennessee
- Henry Co. D.O.T. County Highway Map
- 1895 Henry County Map (livgenmi.com)
- Henry Co. TN Military Records
- See Also Statewide Military Links for Tennessee
- Henry Co. Military Archives (usgwarchives.net)
- Tennessee Military Records (Fold3.com) provides access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Tennessee men and women who served. Perfect for Perfect for Henry County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.
- Henry Co., TN Schools & Directories
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