Hello, I am aware that many of the early records for Wayne County were destroyed by fire. However I would like to know if there are any church records, about 1825-1835 that still exist? My gr.gr. grandparents were in 1830 Census of Wayne county. How long they were there I do not know. They were Ephriam and Mary Danley Cofer. There was also a James Cofer in that census, who might have been a father to Ephriam. Would appreciate any help, in locating some information on this family. Thanks You, Dena Cofer Iverson Vancouver, Washington

Dena and others, At present only two early church records for Wayne County are known and available. We transcribed and published the old Union Baptist Church records (1825-1860) and they are available on-line at http://www.netease.net/wayne/unionbaptist.htm The other set of early church records are for the Salem Primitive Baptist Church in the Topsy community. These have not been published but are available on microfilm from the Tennessee State Library and Archives. These records reportedly begin in 1820. Both the above records are individual church records and contain a list of the members, minutes of the church meetings and occasionally a record of a death or marriage. But from my experience in transcribing the Union Baptist Church records, there is little information in the records concerning vital information. Seems the chuch clerk was more concerned with "church" business than with information about the members. At present the above two records are the earliest I know. The records for the Presbyterian Church in Clifton begin in 1854 and the surviving records for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Waynesboro begin in 1866, although that congregation began existance as the Green River Camp of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church before 1832. The records for the old New Providence Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Ashland Presbyterian Church are available on micorfilm but don't begin any earlier than the 1860's. There should be conference and circuit records available for the Methodist churches in the county, but I've not had the time to do any research on them. I do not know of any Methodist congregation records earlier than the last decade of teh 19th century. If anyone has any additional information regarding available church records in Wayne County, Tennessee please let me know or send the information to the list. Edgar Edgar D. Byler, III Editor, Wayne County Historian Co-coordinator, Wayne County, TN Genealogy and History Page http://www.netease.net/wayne/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dena/Dick Iverson" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:00 PM Subject: [TNWAYNE] Early Church Records > > Hello, > > I am aware that many of the early records for Wayne County were > destroyed by fire. However I would like to know if there are any church > records, about 1825-1835 that still exist? My gr.gr. grandparents were > in 1830 Census of Wayne county. How long they were there I do not > know. They were Ephriam and Mary Danley Cofer. There was also a James > Cofer in that census, who might have been a father to Ephriam. > > Would appreciate any help, in locating some information on this family. > > Thanks You, > Dena Cofer Iverson > Vancouver, Washington > > > ==== TNWAYNE Mailing List ==== > Visit the Wayne County, Tennessee Genealogy and History Page at > http://www.netease.net/wayne > > >