Smith County, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee county established in 1799. The northern part of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.^[3]

The county is named after "American Revolutionary War officer and U.S. Senator Daniel Smith (1748–1818)."^[4]

Parent County

1799--Smith County was established 26 October 1799 from Sumner County. Early records may be found under Sumner County.
County seat: Carthage ^[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, 1890
• Lack of marriage records: 1799 to 1837
• Lack of probate records: 1799 to 1804

Although these are not burned records, applying strategies used for burned counties may aid in compensating for their loss. For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:

• Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in Tennessee Genealogy Blog
• Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
• Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

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 Smith County biographies, cemetery, church, court, family Bibles, land, marriage, and probate 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: Smith County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
• Denney, Steven L. "Research Sources for Smith County, Tennessee," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
• "Smith County Genealogical Records Survey," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 1988). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African Americans

United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

• Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

Trumm's online "Smith County Marriages Index" [1838-1909], includes many references to black marriages.

Cemeteries

Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. (RAOGK volunteer is listed under Wilson County.)

• Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.  Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.

• Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Smith County linking to the  information about the people buried there,

• Smith Co. TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.

• Smith County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.

• The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Smith County.  Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.

• ePodunk list of Smith County cemeteries
• Free online index to the Bible and Tombstone records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five Smith County CDs, which include a digitized version of these cemetery records, and a variety of other local records.

Census

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

See Smith County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. [The USGenWeb Census Project^_®].

1800 - Lost

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

• Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FHL 976.8 X22b 1820
• Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, will help researchers determine if this resource can be of assistance:

• National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

1830

• Willis, Laura. Smith County, Tennessee Census of 1830. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1999. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

1840

• Willis, Laura. Smith County, Tennessee Census of 1840. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1999. Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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, Middle District, Smith County on page 157.]

1850

• Bell, Annie W.B.Family Records of Smith County, Carthage, Tennessee as Given the United States Census Taker, 1850. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987. FHL 1321375 Item 4
• McKinney, Irene. 1850 census, Smith County Tennessee and Index. Lompoc, California : Mrs. R.Q. McKinney, 1976. FHL 976.852 X2c

1850 Agricultural Census

• Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Smith County is included in Vol. 2.]

1880

• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. ’’1880 Census Smith County, Tennessee.’’ Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1993. FHL 976.852 X2s 1880

• Smith, Mary Beth. Family Records of Smith County, Tennessee, United States Census of 1880. Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, 198-?

1890 - Lost, but substitutes are available:

• Reed, Sue S. Enumeration of Male Inhabitants of Twenty-one Years of Age and Upward, Citizens of Tennessee, January 1, 1891, as Provided for by an Act of General Assembly of Tennessee, Passed January 15, 1891, and Approved January 22, 1891. 8 vols. Houston, Texas: S.S. Reed, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 6 1891. [Smith County is included in Vol. 6.]
• Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1920

• Young, Denise, ed.. Smith County, Tennessee Census, 1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry($).

Church

• Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902.  Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee.
• Free online index to the church records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five Smith County CDs, which include a digitized version of these church records, and a variety of other local records. The church records included in the free online index are:

1. Dixon Creek Baptist Church, Minutes 1799-1807
2. Dixon Creek Baptist Church Minutes, 1799-1853
3. Dixon Creek Baptist Church Minutes, 1807-1811
4. Dixon Creek Baptist Church Minutes, 1812-1818
5. Round Lick Baptist Association Minutes, Bildad Meeting House, 1866
6. United Baptist Section Minutes, 1838-1850
   

Court

• Free online index to the court records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five Smith County CDs, which include a digitized version of these court records, and a variety of other local records. The court records included in the free online index are:

1. Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Minute Book, 1799-1800
2. Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Minute Book, 1808-1811
3. County Court Minute Book,1799-1804-1835
4. County Court Minute Book, 1813-1815
5. County Court Minute Book, 1815-1817
6. County Court Minute Book, Volume 8, 1819-1820
7. County Court Minute Book, Volume 9, 1820-1822
8. County Court Minute Book, Volume 10, 1822-1824
   

Family Histories

It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:

• Locate publications about direct ancestors
• Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
• Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Smith, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 50,000 entries.

• Family Files (Smith County, Tennessee). Original records, Smith County Archives, Carthage, Tenn. Microfilmed in 2008. FHL VAULT US/CAN Film 1670013 Item 3. [Apple, Beasley, Booker, McCarver, Nichols, Parkhurst, Smotherman, Snider families.]
• Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.

Bibliography

• [Apple] McKinney, Irene. Apple Tree: Smith and Jackson Counties, Tennessee; Especially Apple, McDonald & Ferrell Families. Lompoc, Calif.: I. McKinney, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ap52mi.
• [Barkley] Fischer, Kathryn Barkley The Barkley brigade : the story of John Barkley of Smith County, Tennessee and his descendants, 1753-1994 Covington, Louisiana : Barkley-Symons Enterprises, 1994. FamilySearch Books Online; FHL book 929.273 B246..
• [Barnett] Barnett, Albert. The Barnetts of Smith County, Tennessee: Some Ancestors and Descendants. Lubbock, Texas: A. Barnett, 1963. FHL US/CAN Film 1035690 Item 6.
• [Doss] Murphy, Nathan W. Descendants of Azariah Doss and His Wife Lydia (Ayres) Doss. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy and Associates, 1998. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D741m.
• [Gist] Dorsey, Jean Muir. Christopher Gist of Maryland and Some of His Descendants, 1679-1957, Chicago, IL: J.S. Swift Co., 1958. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G447d; digital versions at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• [Hall] Allen, Rick.  Claiborne Hall and Elizabeth Herod of Smith County, Tennessee: Ancestry and Descendants, Volume I, Festus, Missouri: No Waste Publishing, 2010. 
• [Hughes] Hughes, William Joseph Leander. The Hughes Family, and Connections especially the Gass, Ward and Boze Families. Owensboro, KY: Unknown, 1911. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.989 D2p v. 1; FHL US/CAN Film 1321218. Digital versions at Google Books (full view); and Heritage Quest ($).
• [Jordan] Bamman, Gale Williams. "Challenging the Obvious Conclusion: Which John J. Jordan Did Alexander Produce?" National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 82, No. 4 (December 1994):255-268. FHL Book 973 B2ng
• [Knight] Garrett, Jill Knight. Knight Cousins. [Columbia, TN: Unknown, 1967. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 928090; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• [Lewis] McBride, Robert Martin. A Footnote to a History of the Lewis Family. Nashville, TN: Unknown, 1954. Available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
• [Seay] Seay, Kirby Cook Here lies John Seay : a biographical history of the Seay (See) family Stanislaus County, California : K.C. Seay, 1975. FamilySearch Books Online; FHL book 929.273 Se19sk.
• [West] West, Hoke Holland. What is in a Name? West: The Life of a Family, a People, Their History, Their Homes, Their Lands and Their Hopes, Their Labors and Their Courage, Their Faith, Their Devotion and Their Loyalty, Their Love and Their Dreams. Gallatin, Tenn.: Quality Printing, 1970. FHL Book 929.273 W52a

Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 1 British alien living in Smith County.^[8]

Land

Deeds

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

1. Deed Book B: 1801-1817
2. Deed Book C: 1807-1811
3. Deed Book D: 1811-1814
4. Deed Book E: 1814-1816
5. Deed Book F: 1817-1819
6. Deed Book G: 1819-1820
7. Deed Book H: 1820-1821

• Willis, Laura. Smith County Deed Books Vol. 1-1800-1804. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications, 1997. Digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Smith 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 Smith County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1783-1804.

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 12.14.16 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.16.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Smith County.
4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Smith County."
5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Smith County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.^[9]

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

Land Grants

• Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

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

Maps

Military

Revolutionary War

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

• 1835 Pension Roll
• 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
• Ray, Worth S. Smith County Revolutionary War Soldiers from "Tennessee Cousins"  Includes biographical information.
• Select Smith County, Tennessee Revolutionary War pension files.

Additional resources include:

• 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, Middle District, Smith County on page 157.]
• 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.]

War of 1812

• Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Smith County pensioners (p. 95).]
• Lankford, Leland (submitter) Patriotic Veterans "The Carthage Gazette" A Letter  Courtesy:TNGenWeb
• Pension file and biographical information on War of 1812 veterans. Courtesy:TNGenWeb

Mexican War

• Campbell, William Bowen. Mexican war letters of Col. William Bowen Campbell of Tennessee, written to Governor David Campbell of Virginia, 1846-1847. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee Historical Magazine, 1915 (reprint).  Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive.
• "Smith County, Tennessee - Soldiers in the Mexican War," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 4, No. 5 ():3-. For access, see Periodicals.

Civil War

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

Civil War service men from Smith 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 Smith County.

Confederate Soldiers

• 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA
• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McLemore's) - CSA
• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Murray's) - CSA - Company E and H.
• 7th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Bennett's) - CSA - Company E.
• 7th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Company C.
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company A.
• 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ward's) - CSA - Company C or G.
• 11th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Gordon's) - CSA - Company F.
• 20th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K.
• 22nd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Murray's) - CSA - Company K.
• 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) - CSA - 2nd Company A.
• 28th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 28th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (2nd Tennessee Mountain Volunteers) - CSA - Company H.
• 30th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company E.
• 44th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
• 55th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (McKoin's) - CSA
• 84th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA

Union Soldiers

• 4th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies G and K.
• 8th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company D.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Smith County:

• Duke, Basil Wilson. History of Morgan's Cavalry.  Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867. Free digital copy. Includes 9th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary (Ward's).
• McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904.  Free digital copy.
• USGenWeb Archives, Smith County Tennessee Archives, (accessed 1 Feb 2012).  Civil War Records.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Smith County, (accessed 1 Feb 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 1 Feb 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Smith County, page 377.
• USGenWeb, Smith County Civil War Veterans, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). 
  

Newspapers

• The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee newspapers. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:

• 1808-1809 Carthage Gazette

• 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 Smith County click on the following town:

• Carthage

Occupations

• Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Smith 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 Smith 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.

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Smith County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Smith County Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly Newsletter

Family History Library has all the volumes to the present time. FHL US/CAN 976.852 B2s 
Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
For additional information see the Smith County Historical and Genealogical website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsmith/hg/app.html

The Upper Cumberland Researcher

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Smith County, Tennessee have been published in The Upper Cumberland Researcher, the journal of the Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. To view a list of the first 17 years of these articles, visit their online Seventeen Year Index to The Upper Cumberland Researcher (Vols. 1-17, 1975-1992). The Index contains a "Counties" section beginning on page 19. The Family History Library has most issues through the present FHL Book 976.8 B2u (1975-1993) and FHL Book 976.8 B2u (1994-present).

Prisons

Learn if your Smith 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 Smith County Court and Probate Court have responsibility for the probate records. Many records are held by the Smith County Archives, located in the basement of the Smith County Library.

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, 1803-1955
• Wills, 1803-1955 (29 vols.)
• Inventories, Wills, 1805-1823
• Administrator records, 1854-1904 (6 vols.)
• Administrator, Executor records, 1846-1886, 1934-1954 (3 vols.)
• Bonds, 1860-1966 (2 vols.)
• Bonds, Letters, 1961-1966
• Estate records, 1890-1938
• Insolvent estate records, 1865-1947 (2 vols.)
• Inventories, 1823-1966 (8 vols.)
• Letters, 1873-1931
• Settlements, 1883-1934, 1954-1966

A free online index to the wills and probate records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five Smith County CDs, which include a digitized version of these probate records, and a variety of other local records. The probate records included in the free online index are:

1. Wills and Inventories, 1812-1814
2. Wills and Inventories, 1814-1816
3. Will Book No. 4, 1816-1820
4. Will Book, No. 5, 1805-1809
5. Will Book No. 6, 1820-1823

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Smith 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 3: 1828-1851
2. Will Book 5: 1805-1807
3. Probate Records: 1805-1823
4. Will Book 7: 1843-1859
5. Will Book 8: 1859-1899

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

• [1805-1823] Crumpton, Barbara J. Smith County, Tennessee Will Books. Duncan, Oklahom : Creative Copies, 2006. 3 volumes. Indexed. (FHL book 976.852 P2c v. 1-3.)
  
• [1803-1896] Key, Finnis Carmack. Smith County, Tennessee Wills, 1803-1896. Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications, 1985. Indexed. (FHL book 976.852 P2k.)
  
• [1803-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.]
• [1805-1818] Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Smith County, Tennessee, Wills and Administrations. Melber, KY: Simmons Historical Pub., 1997-1998. 4 volumes. Indexed. Available at familysearch.org FHL US/CAN Book 976.852 P2w. Digital versions of selected volumes available at World Vital Records ($) Volume 2 Dec 1808-Feb 1815 and Volume 4 Aug 1816-May 1818 ($). Available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

Taxation

The following Smith County tax records have been abstracted:^[10]

• [1789] Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, seePeriodicals.
• [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 Smith County.]
• [1836] Roddy, Vernon. "Civil Districts of Smith County, Tennessee, in 1836," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 11, No. 1 (1986):6-12. For access, seePeriodicals.
• [1837] Shelton, Kenneth and Steven Denney. "1837 Smith County Tax List," [work in progress] available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
• [1860] Maggart, Sue W. "Smith County Tax List 1860," Smith County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 9, No. 2 (1997); Vol. 9, No. 3 (1997).
• [1862] "Smith County, Tennessee - 1862 Direct Tax List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 3, No. 4 ():25-. For access, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Smith County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice.^[11] The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:

• Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

The following Smith County marriage records are microfilmed:

• [1838-1986] Available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
• [1849-1950] Available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Loose marriage records. Includes index.
• [1849-1948, 1950] Available at the Family History Library. FHL 2371457 Index 1860-1950 included.
• {1838-1960] Marriage records Smith County, Tennessee, 1838-1960. Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.FHL 319168 Account book of purchase marriage licenses.
• [1838-1966] Marriage records Smith County, Tennessee, 1838-1966. Available at the Family History Library. Most volumes are indexed.FHL 319168 Account book of purchase marriage licenses.
• [1951-1999] Marriage records Smith County, Tennessee, 1951-1999. Available at the Family History Library. Group includes index.FHL 1670004 Account book of purchase marriage licenses.
• [1929-1935] Available at the Family History Library. FHL 2371616 Indexed.

The following Smith County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:

• [1838-1881] National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Caney Fork Chapter. Smith County, Tennessee marriage records, 1838-1881. Owensboro, Kentucky: Cook & McDowell Publications, 1981. FHL 976.852 V2s
• [1838-1870] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler & Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
• [1838-1909] Trumm, Catherine and Philip Trumm. "Smith County Marriages Index [1838-1909]," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb. [Abstracted names of brides and grooms, dates, and race.]
• [1838, 1845-1854] Marriage Records, 1838, 1845-1854, Smith County, Tennessee.  Signal Mountain, Tennessee: Mountain Press,1991. FHL 976.852 V2sc Originally published Tennessee: WPA, 1936. Includes index.
• [1838-1854] Mckinney, Mrs. Robert Q. Smith County, Tennessee Marriage schedules and index: Part one, part two, 5 Feb. 1838-15 March 1854. S.l.: s.n., 1976. FHL 976.852 V2m
• [1849-1878] Smith County Memorandum, 1849-1878. Typcscript. Nashville: TSLA, 19--. FHL 570834
• [1881-1920] Maggart, Sue W. and Louise M. Sharenberger. Smith County, Tennessee marriages, 1881-1920. Tennessee: S.W. Maggart, 1994. FHL 976.852 V28ms Indexed.
• Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - covers all counties in Tennessee.
• Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($)  Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.

Divorce

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Smith County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records, see:

• W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Smith 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 US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 ff; 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

Smith County Historical and Genealogical Society
For research questions join the mailing list for Smith County - TNSMITH-L

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society
PO Box 330948
Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507
The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Smith County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Smith County Public Library
215 North Main St.
Carthage, TN 37030
Phone: 1-615-735-1326

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Smith County, Tennessee

• Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
• Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
• Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)
• Mailing List: TN-UPPER-CUMBERLAND-L (Upper Cumberland Tennessee Region Genealogy List)
• Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
• Smith County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
• Smith County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Smith County, TN Genealogy & History (American History and Genealogy Project)
• Smith County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Smith County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Smith County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)

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), Smith County, Tennessee page 643, At various libr40ries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
3. ↑ Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804.
4. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
5. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 643. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
6. ↑ Voice of Lynnae Weller, Kingsport, Tenn. (2010).
7. ↑ Voice of Gene Black, FamilySearch employee, former resident of Bristol, Tenn. (2010).
8. ↑ Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see West Tennessee). FHL US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
9. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
10. ↑ The Heritage Quest Online version of PERSI aided in the compilation of this list.
11. ↑ Gale Williams Bamman, C.G., "Research in Tennessee," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 81, No. 2 (June 1993):105. FHL US/CAN Book 973 B2ng v. 81 (1993)

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