Jefferson County, TennesseeEdit This Page

Jefferson County Courthouse
 214 W Main Street;
Dandridge, TN 37725-0710
Phone: 865.397.2935 

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1792.
Clerk and Master has divorce records.
Clerk Circuit Court has court records.
Register of Deeds has land records. ^[2]

Jefferson County Courthouse, Dandridge, Tenn.

Jefferson County Courthouse
204 West Main St.
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 1-865-397-2935

Jefferson County Clerk
Marriage and Probate records
214 W. Main St.
P.O. Box 710
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 1-865-397-2935

Jefferson County Register of Deeds
Land records
P.O. Box 58
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 1-865-397-2918

Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk
Court records
765 Justice Center Drive
P.O. Box 671
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 1-865-397-2786

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 

History

President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

East Tennessee county established in 1792. From 1784 to 1788, this land was claimed by the abortive, and short-lived State of Franklin.

Jefferson County was named after Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) who became President in 1797.

The land of Jefferson County was first organized by the State of Franklin in March 1786 from part of Greene County under the name Caswell County.^[3] However, the Franklin statehood effort faded by 1789. Caswell county existed only briefly, its legality is questionable, and little trace remains.

In the 1780s, this county's land fell within the bounds of the State of Franklin.

In 1789 North Carolina ceded its westernmost counties to the United States which used them to form the Southwest Territory. North Carolina and the Southwest Territory did not recognize Franklin's Caswell County or Sevier County. In 1792 the Southwest Territory using land from its Greene and Hawkins counties erected a new county on much of the old Caswell County land, and named it Jefferson County.^[5] Sevier County was reconsistuted in 1794 by the Southwest Territory from part of Jefferson County.

In 1796 all these lands became part of the new State of Tennessee. In 1797 Tennessee divided off Cocke County from the southeast part of Jefferson County. In 1870 Tennessee used part of Jefferson County to form part of Hamblen County.^[4]

Parent County

1792--Jefferson County was created 11 June 1792 from Greene and Hawkins Counties.
County seat: Dandridge ^[5]

County Pronunciation

1. Hear it spoken^[6] (female)
2. Hear it spoken^[7] (male)

Boundary Changes

"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the My Tennessee Genealogy website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss

• Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1820 Manufactures, 1890
• County records are complete.^[8]

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

Resources

Getting Started

Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Jefferson County biography, cemetery, church, court, guardianship, probate, and tax records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

• Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Jefferson County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
• McNamara, Billie R. Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.R. McNamara, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 D27m.

African American

United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Bibles

• Caldwell Family Bible Records, 1764-1886, Typed transcript, microfilmed 1963. FHL US/CAN Film 317309.

Cemeteries

Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. 

The definitive collection of cemetery transcriptions for Jefferson County is the three-volume set, Stories in Stone.  Volumes I and II, compiled by Cherel Henderson and David Templin, are out-of-print. Volume III, compiled by the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, is available from JCGS (see Societies and Libraries). FHL has all three volumes: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 V3t. 

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:
 

Additional published Jefferson County cemetery records:

Census

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Jefferson County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Jefferson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [The USGenWeb Census Project^®]

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 - Lost, but a substitute is available:

• Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820 - Lost^[9]

1830

• Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Jefferson County on page 153.]

1850

• Underwood, Burl H. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Jefferson County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.H. Underwood, 1977. FHL US/CAN Film 1036807 Item 5.
• Underwood, Burl H. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Jefferson County, Tennessee. 1977; reprint, Jefferson City, Tenn.: Jefferson County Genealogical Society, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 X2p 1850.

1880

• Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Jefferson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 X2s 1880.

Church

Baptist

• 1785-1844 - Stickley Collection, 1600-1946, Mf. 1198.  Box 20, folder 2. [Baptist] See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts and Small Collections
  

• 1786-1842 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs.French Broad River Baptist Church Minutes, 1786-1842.
  Nashville, Works Progress Administration, 1938. TSLA F443 .J5 F73.
  

• 1797-1860 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs. Dumplin Baptist Church Minutes, 1797-1860. Nashville, Works
  Progress Administration, 1939. TSLA F443 .J5 D85.
  

• 1829-1881 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs. Minutes of Primitive Baptist Church, 1829-1881. Nashville,
  Works Progress Administration, 1938. F443 .J5 M566
  

• 1839-1870 - Antioch Baptist Church, Records, 1839-1870. See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts & Small Collections
  

• 1839-1879 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs. Antioch Baptist Church Minutes, 1839-1879. Nashville, Works
  Progress Administration, 1938.  TSLA F443 .J5 A57.
  

• 1829-1881 - Primitive Baptist Church, Records, 1829-1881. See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts & Small Collections
  

• 1858-1902 - Friendship Baptist Church Minutes. See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts and Small Collections.
  

• 1880-1915 - Shady Grove Baptist Church Minutes. Also contains obits. See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts and Small Collections.
  

Presbyterian

• 1788-1842 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs. Hopewell Presbyterian Church Minutes, 1788-1842. Nashville,
  Works Progress Administration, 1936. TSLA F443 .J5 H66.
  

• 1816-1899 - Stickley Collection, 1600-1946, Mf. 1198. Box 20, folder 12. See Guide to Church Records at TSLA: Manuscripts & Small Collections.
  

• 1818-1921 - Westminster and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1818-1921. Batch C710681 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1818-1906 - Westminster and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1818-1906. Batch M710681 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1824-1882 - Cumberland Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1824-1882. Batch C710671 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1824-1882 - Cumberland Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1824-1882. Batch M710671 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1873-1880 - Moore, John Trotwood, Mrs. History of White Pine Presbyterian Church, 1873-1880.
  Nashville, Works Progress Administration, 1938. TSLA F443 .J5 M566.
  

• 1873-1885 - White Pine Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1873-1885. Batch C710701 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1873-1895 - White Pine Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1873-1895. Batch M710701 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1878-1885 - St. Paul's Presbyterian Church of the United States of America Baptism Index 1878-1885. Batch C710691 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

• 1878-1885 - St. Paul's Presbyterian Church of the United States of America Marriage Index 1878-1885. Batch M710691 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]

Court

Genealogy

More than 70 genealogies have been published about Jefferson County, Tennessee families. To view a list, visit Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy.

Gordon Aronhime (1911-1983) collected information on hundreds of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee pioneers. His note cards, which reference more than 4,000 early settlers of the Holston-Clinch River area and East Tennessee (1770s-1790s), are held at the Library of Virginia. The cards have been digitized and made available online. (NOTE: The surname for the first card in a sequence is listed on the site. Search through the cards for your ancestor's surname.)^[11]

Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 12 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Jefferson County.^[12]

Land

Deeds

The original Jefferson County Deed Books are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to 18 (1792-1889), Deed Indexes (1792-1929), and Trust Deed Books 1 to 4 (1868-1892). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968316-968334.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Jefferson County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Jefferson County, both before and after it became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1778-1796.

Instructions:

1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
3. Type 12.14.10 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.10.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Jefferson County.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Jefferson County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Jefferson County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.^[13]

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

Law and Legislation

• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

• Heritage Jefferson County. Restore Our County, Inc., 1976. Indexed by Billie R. McNamara, 1994. Free online index, courtesy: Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy & History website.

Maps

• Bauman, George A. and Patti Ann Bauman. Bicentennial Map, Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1776-1976: Compiled from Research and Data Obtained from the Old Map Section of the Tennessee State Archives Located at Nashville, Tennessee. [Tenn.: n.p.], 1976. FHL US/CAN Map Case 976.8924 E7b.
• [1792] Reeves, Charles A. Knox & Jefferson Counties [Tennessee] - Created June 11, 1792 from Greene & Hawkins Counties. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military

Revolutionary War

The following Jefferson County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• Select Jefferson County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pension Applications

The 1840 Census of Pensioners has been abstracted multiple times:

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FHL US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. [See Tennessee, Eastern District, Jefferson County on page 153.]
• Revolutionary & Military Pensioners, 1840, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Fall 1979).

Additional resources include:

• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." Digital version at Ancestry ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.]
• Rankin, Roy M. (compiled by) Dandridge Revolutionary War Cemetery May, 1996. Courtesy TNGenWeb

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Jefferson County pensioners (pp. 90-91).]
• Kanon, Tom, Tennessee State Library and Archives. Regimental Histories of Primary Jefferson County Units Complete document located at the TSLA web site. Courtesy: TNGenWeb
• Select Jefferson County, Tennessee War of 1812 Service and Pension Records.  Courtesy: TNGenWeb

Civil War

• Civl War Research Database $
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Civil War service men from Jefferson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Jefferson County.

Confederate Soldiers

• 1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - CSA - Companies H and K.
• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ashby's) -  CSA - Company I.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's) - CSA - Company A.
• 4th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Branner's) - CSA - Company E.
• 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Company C.
• 39th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (W. M. Bradford's) (31st Infantry) - CSA - Companies C, E and I.
• 43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennesse Volunteers) - CSA - Company G.
• 61st Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Pitts') (81st Infantry) - CSA - Company F.

Union Soldiers

• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company C.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies B, K, L and M.
• 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company L.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Jefferson County:

• Carter, William Randolph. History of the First regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Great war of the Rebellion, with the Armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, under Generals Morgan, Rosecrans, Thomas, Stanley and Wilson. Knoxville, Tennessee: Gaut-Ogden Co. Printers, 1902. Free digital copy. Union.
• USGenWeb Archives, Jefferson County Tennessee Archives, (accessed 31 Jan 2012).  Civil War Records.
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Dandridge and Mossy Creek, (accessed 31 Jan 2012).  Located in Jefferson County. 
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Jefferson County, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
• United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ... (Washington Printing Office; 1883), (accessed 30 Jan 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Jefferson County, page 349-351.
• TNGenWeb, Jefferson County in the Civil War, (accessed 31 Jan 2012). 

Civil War Battle

The following Civil War Battles were fought in Jefferson County.

• December 29, 1863 = Mossy Creek[14]
• January 17, 1864 = Dandridge[15]

Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee

Newspapers

Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Jefferson County click on the following cities or towns:

• Dandridge
• Jefferson City

Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Jefferson County.]

Periodicals

Tap into the minds of local experts. Editors of genealogical periodicals publish unique sources that researchers who are new to their area would not likely discover. This type of material may be found in local, regional, or statewide genealogical society journals. The following periodicals cover this county:

Ansearchin' News

Genealogical articles with abstracts of Jefferson County, Tennessee records have been published in Ansearchin' News, the quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. To view a list of these articles, visit their county index. To read digitized versions of the first 36 years of articles (Vols. 1-36), browse their archive or conduct a surname search. The Family History Library has a complete collection of the Ansearchin' News quarterly FHL Book 976.8 B2a.

East Tennessee Roots

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Jefferson County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these articles is available online. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available online. The Family History Library has collected most issues of East Tennessee Roots FHL Book 976.8 D25e.

Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal

The Family History Library has Volume 10, no. 2- 4 (1994) FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 B2n
Index available at PERiodical Source Index (1986 - 2007) (PERSI)

Prisons

Learn if your Jefferson County, Tennessee ancestors went to prison!

• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online through TSLA.
• Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online through TSLA.

Probate

The original Jefferson County Will Books are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Will Books 1 to 10 (1792-1921) and Index to Wills and Probate (1792-1921). FHL copies: FHL Films 968311-968315.

FamilySearch has placed scans of the following records online in the Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 collection. These are browse-only collections. Handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes:

• Index to wills, 1792-1971
• Wills, 1792-1887 (9 vols.)
  • Vol 1 1792-1810 has 4 sections.The first section from image 1 to 17 is a typescript of what appears to be an every name index (ie: purchasers are indexed). It has not been determined if the every name indexing was completed for the entire volume. The second section (image 18-21) is another, smaller typescript index. The third section contains the images of the index found at the front of Will Book One. The fourth section (starting with image 141) are actual images of Will Book 1.
• Settlements, Wills, 1887-1891 ("Vol. 9")
• Guardian records, 1871-1887
• Insolvent estate records, 1876-1960
• Bonds, 1871-1938 (3 vols.)
• Bonds, Letters, 1856-1905 (3 vols.)
• Settlements, 1805-1901 (5 vols.)

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Jefferson County probate records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:

1. Will Book 1: 1792-1810
2. Will Book 2: 1811-1826

The following Jefferson County probate records have been abstracted, indexed, or both:

• [1792-1826] Douthat, James L. Jefferson County, Tennessee Will Book ... [Will Books 1 and 2 (1792-1826)]. 2 vols. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, [198-?]. FHL Books 976.8924 P2d.
• [1792-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL Book 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.] Free Lookups Available!
• [1792-1971] Hinchey, Lura B., Pat McMurtery and Jefferson County Archives. Jefferson County, Tennessee Will Index 1792-1971. Dandridge, Tenn.: Jefferson County Archives, 1999. FHL Book 976.8924 P22j.
• [1804-1851] Bell, Annie W.B. Jefferson County, Tennessee Wills: pt. 1, 1804-1851; pt. 2, 1808-1848. 1935. FHL Book 976.8924 P2b.
• [1826-1840] Prevost, Toni Jollay. Jefferson County, Tennessee, Will Books and Sale Books [Will Books 3 and 4 (1826-1840)]. 2 vols. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1989. FHL Book 976.8924 P2p.

Schools & Education

For information about local schools & education, including student records, visit the Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy & History site.

Taxation

The original Jefferson County Tax Books 1822-1888 are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968340-968342.

The following Jefferson County tax records have been abstracted:^[16]

• [1800] Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. [Includes 1800 tax list.]
• [1800, 1822] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1800, 1822 tax lists.]
• [1800, 1822] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1800 and 1822 tax lists.]
• [1800] Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1800 Tax List. n.p.: n.p., n.d. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 R4j.
• [1801] "Tax Payers, 1801," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Issue 28 (1956).
• [1814] "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Fall 1996):115-120. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Jefferson County.]
• [1817] "U.S. Holds 1817 Public Sale of Federal Tax-Delinquent Properties in Tennessee," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer 1996):63-68. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes Jefferson County.]
• [1822-1830] Historical Records Project. Tax List, 1822-1830, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. FHL US/CAN Film 24710 Item 3.
• [1836] Douthat, James L. Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.
• [1836] Tax List, 1836, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer 1993); Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 1993).
• [1836] Paessler, Frank and Jane Paessler. "Jefferson County Map" and "Jefferson County Tax List, 1836," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Winter 1995):156-164. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
• [1859-1860] Tax List, 1859, 1860, Hamblen Heritage, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Spring 1995).
• [1861] "Tax Delinquents, 1861," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Fall 2000).
• [1861] McNamara, Billie R. Jefferson County, Tennessee, List of Free White Males, January 1, 1861. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.R. McNamara, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 N48m.
• [1861] "Jefferson County, TN, Free White Males in 1861," free index by Billie R. McNamara available online, courtesy: Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy & History. [Source: record book of voters in County Courthouse.]
• [c1861-1867] "Poll Tax Document, c. 1861-1867," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Aug. 2005).
• [1865] "List of Persons Not Home for Tax, 1865," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Spring 2002).
• [1867-1869] "Constable Report of Poll Taxpayers in Arrears, District 8, 1867, 1868, 1869," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Apr. 2004).
• [1878-1879] "Poll Tax Exempts, 1878-79, Minute Book 19," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 4, No. 4 (1989).
• [1879] Released from Poll Tax, 1879, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Jun. 1989).
• [1885] Tax Collection Places, 1885, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Summer 1998).

Vital Records

Birth

For births of illegitimate children, try:

• McNamara, Billie R. Miscellaneous Bonds: Administration, 1806-1814, Constables, 1806-1815, Maintenance (Bastardy) 1807-1857, Indentures, 1807-1828, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.R. McNamara, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 P28m.

Marriage

The original Jefferson County marriage records are kept at the County Archives. In 1982, Whitley remarked: "The WPA register was compiled from records which have since disappeared from the courthouse, so for the early period of the county's history the register offers the only evidence of marriage." Surviving records have been microfilmed:

• Marriages 1792-1953. Microfilmed in 1970s and 1980s by TSLA; FHL copies: FHL Films 968301-968302, 1928731-1928737.

Jefferson County's marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed several times. The most recent work, published by the Jefferson County Archives, is a great place to start; however, it may omit records that have disappeared from the Archives since the time of the W.P.A. register's publication (1930s). To be thorough researchers should not overlook their publication (or Whitley's reprint). The following is a list of these publications:

• 1792-1895 - Jefferson County Marriage Index 1792-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.^[10]
• [1792-1848] Bell, Annie W.B. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriages, 1792-1848. n.p.: A.W.B. Bell, 1935. FHL Film 908351 Item 3.
• [1792-1870] Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Marriage Records, 1792-1870, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1940-1941. FHL Films 24709 Item 2, 24711 Items 3-4. [W.P.A. workers assigned each document a unique number.]
• [1792-1836] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1792-1836. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982. FHL Book 976.8924 V2w. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, a date associated with the marriage, as well as W.P.A. reference numbers. Source: W.P.A. register.]
• [1792-1870] d'Armand, Virginia Carlisle. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1792-1870. Knoxville, Tenn.: V.C. d'Armand, 1983. FHL Book 976.8924 V2d.
• [1792-1870] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., 1987. FHL Book 976.8 V2s v. 1. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.] Free Lookups Available!
• [1792-1900] Jefferson County Archives. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records. [1792-1900] 2 vols. Dandridge, Tenn.: Jefferson County Archives, 2003. FHL Book 976.8924 V22j 1792-1860. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, officiators, as well as dates of bond, license, and marriage.]

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Jefferson County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

• Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. [1847-1914] 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. FHL Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. [Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.]

Societies and Libraries 

• Jefferson County Museum and Archives
  202 West Main St.
  Dandridge, TN 37725
  Phone: 1-865-397-4904
  Located in the courthouse

• Jefferson County Genealogical Society
  P. O. Box 874
  Jefferson City, TN 38562

• East Tennessee Historical Society
  601 S. Gay Street
  P.O. Box 1629
  Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629
  Phone: 1-865-215-8824
  

• Jefferson City Public Library
  1427 Russell Avenue
  Jefferson City, TN 37760-2527
  Phone: 1-865-475-1253
  Fax: 1-865-475-1253
  Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  Tues. and Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
  Sat. 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Jefferson County, Tennessee

• Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
• Jefferson County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Jefferson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Jefferson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Jefferson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Mailing List: DumplinTN [very active; covers primarily Jefferson and Sevier County]
• RootsWeb Mailing List: TNJEFFER-L (Jefferson County, Tennessee List) [not very active]
• RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: FRANKLIN-STATE-L (State of Franklin 1784-1788 List)
• RootsWeb Mailing List: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List)

References

1. ↑ "Earliest County Records," Tennessee State Library and Archives.
2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jefferson County, Tennessee page 641, At various libr40ries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
3. ↑ “State of Franklin” in The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture at http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=F061 (accessed 27 June 2010).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Robert M. McBride, "Lost Counties of Tennessee," East Tennessee Historical Society's Publications 38 (1966): 4-5.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Publ., 2002), 641.
6. ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
7. ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
8. ↑ Robert M. McBride, Tennessee County Data (Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee States Library and Archives, 1966), 30.
9. ↑ Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists: a compiled list of residents of the area covered in 22 east Tennessee counties for which there is (sic) no census records prior to 1830 (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing, 1964) FHL Book 976.8 R4c.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8} Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/d/d3/Igitennesseef.pdf.
11. ↑ "Original Virginia Records Imaged and Indexed Online," Arlene Eakle's Virginia Genealogy Blog, 12 October 2008.
12. ↑ Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see East Tennessee). FHL US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
13. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
14. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 22 August 2012)
15. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 21 August 2012)
16. ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.

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