Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States

Tennessee

Jefferson County

Guide to Jefferson County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Tennessee Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Dandridge Organized: June 11, 1792 Parent County(s): Greene, Hawkins Neighboring Counties Cocke  • Grainger  • Hamblen  • Knox  • Sevier See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: TNGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

The County was named for Thomas Jefferson. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse

Jefferson County Courthouse
202 W Main Street;
Dandridge, TN 37725-0710
County Courthouse Phone: 865-397-2935
County Clerk Phone: 865-397-2935
Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 865-397-2786
County Register of Deeds Phone: 865-397-2918
County Chancery Court Phone: 865-397-2404

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1792
Clerk and Master have divorce records
Clerk Circuit Court has court records
Register of Deeds has land records.

Jefferson County, Tennessee Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1908	1792	1908	1792	1792	1792	1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1914. General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1820 Manufactures For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1792- Jefferson County was created 11 June 1792 from Greene and Hawkins Counties. County seat: Dandridge For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Baneberry	Jefferson City
Towns
Dandridge	New Market	White Pine
Unincorporated communities
Belmont Chestnut Hill Piedmont	Reidtown (partial) Shady Grove	Strawberry Plains Talbott

History Timeline

• 1784-1788 - The land of Jefferson County was first organized by the State of Franklin Genealogy in March 1786 from part of Greene County under the name Caswell However, the Franklin statehood effort faded by 1789. Caswell county existed only briefly, its legality is questionable, and little trace remains. The records of lost Caswell County are now found at ???
  

  In the 1780s, this county's land fell within the bounds of the State of Franklin Genealogy
• 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.
• 1789 - Residents South of the French Broad (which included Jefferson County) petitioned North Carolina for relief from the Indian problems. This petition contains names of some Jefferson County residents.
• 1792 - 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.
• 1794 - Sevier County was reconstituted by the Southwest Territory from part of Jefferson County.
• 1796 - All these lands became part of the new State of Tennessee
• 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.

Additional Information

President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

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

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

• Family Biographies from The History of Jefferson County, Tennessee (1887) published by Goodspeed are availableon the My Genealogy Hound website.
  

Business, Commerce, and 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.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Jefferson County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com TNGenWeb TNGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project TNGenWeb Cemeteries BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Gravestones FamilySearch Places
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	7,309	—
1820	8,953	22.5%
1830	11,801	31.8%
1840	12,076	2.3%
1850	13,204	9.3%
1860	16,043	21.5%
1870	19,476	21.4%
1880	15,846	−18.6%
1890	16,478	4.0%
1900	18,590	12.8%
1910	17,755	−4.5%
1920	17,677	−0.4%
1930	17,914	1.3%
1940	18,621	3.9%
1950	19,667	5.6%
1960	21,493	9.3%
1970	24,940	16.0%
1980	31,284	25.4%
1990	33,016	5.5%
2000	44,294	34.2%
2010	51,407	16.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 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 Jefferson.

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.

1810-1891

• Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry ($)

1820 Lost

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.

1891 Male Voters

• 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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. Available at the Family History Library.
• 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 and 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
• 1818-1906 - Westminster and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1818-1906. Batch M710681 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 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
• 1873-1895 - White Pine Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1873-1895. Batch M710701 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 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

Court Records

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. The 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 the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Emigration and Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 12 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Jefferson County. Ancestry ($)

Genealogies

• More than 70 genealogies have been published about Jefferson County, Tennessee families. For more information visit Jefferson County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies.
• 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.)

Land and Property Records

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.

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

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 and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 1776-1976 - 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.
• 1888 - Map of 1888 Jefferson County, Tennessee with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this couinty - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

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
• 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

Online Records

• 1861-1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - Tennessee, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
• 1891-1965 - Tennessee, Confederate Pension Applications, Soldiers and Widows, 1891-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Men in Jefferson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in 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 Tennessee 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.
• 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - Company K

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. Civil War Records.
• CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Dandridge and Mossy Creek. Located in Jefferson County.
• Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Jefferson County. 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). Online at Internet Archive. Jefferson County, page 349-351.
• TNGenWeb, Jefferson County in the Civil War.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War Battles were fought in Jefferson County:

• December 29, 1863 - Mossy Creek
• January 17, 1864 - Dandridge

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

• 1847 - 1851 - 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. (Largely Methodist?)

Other Records

Prisons

• 1831-1850 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850 at Tennessee State Library and Archives
  
• 1851-1870 - Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870 at Tennessee State Library and Archives

Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

• Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website; FHL Book 976.8 B2a.
• East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website; 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)

Probate Records

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.

Online Records and Indexes

• 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
• 1792 – 1810 Images of Wills 1792-1810. Southeastern Genealogy ($)
• 1792-1810; 1811-1828 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills ($)
• 1792-1971 - Jefferson County portion of Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
• 1792-1810 Will Book 1: 1792-1810 Strictly By Name - Index only
• 1811-1826 Will Book 2: 1811-1826 Strictly By Name - Index only

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 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 http://www.digginbones.com/free-lookups.php 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.

School Records

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

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.

• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

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.

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 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 Jefferson. 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 Jefferson. 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: 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 Jefferson.
• 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,"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).

For missing years, alternative resource to consider is "Tennessee Legislative Petitions".

Vital Records

Birth

For births of illegitimate children, try searching the following records:

• 1806-1814 - 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.
• 1828-1939 - Tennessee Births and Christenings 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1912 - Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Marriage

Online indexes and Records

• 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry ($)
• 1780-2002 - Tennessee State Marriage Index 1780-2002 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1790-1962 - Tennessee County Marriages, 1790-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
• 1792-1870 - Marriage Records, 1792-1870, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Typescript,FHL Films 24709 Item 2, 24711 Items 3-4. +++
• 1792-1895 - Jefferson County Marriage Index 1792-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
• 1796-1950 - Tennessee Marriages 1796-1950 (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1838-1888 - Tennessee Civil Marriages, 1838-1888 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use this Collection
• 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry ($)
• 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes

• 1792-1836 - Marriages of Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1792-1836 FHL Book 976.8924 V2w. Abstracts names of brides, grooms, a date associated with the marriage.
• 1792-1848 - Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriages, 1792-1848 FHL Film 908351 Item 3.
• 1792-1870 - Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1792-1870 FHL Book 976.8924 V2d.
• 1792-1870 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. FHL US/CAN 976.8 V2s v. 1. Indexes names of brides, grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for specified years. Free Lookups Available!
• 1792-1900 - Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records. (1792-1900) 2 vols. FHL Book 976.8924 V22j 1792-1860. Abstracts, brides, grooms, bondsmen, officiators, as well as dates of bond, license, and marriage.

Death

• 1874-1955 - Tennessee Deaths and Burials 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1933 - Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry ($)
• 1908-1912 - Tennessee Death Records 1908-1912 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1933 - Tennessee Death Records 1914-1933 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1914-1966 - Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Divorce

• 1796-1850 - Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 at Tennessee State Library & Archives - index
• 1980-2014 - Divorce Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Jefferson County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Jefferson County Museum and Archives
Courthouse, Rm 203
202 West Main Street
P.O. Box 1194
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 865-397-4904
Website

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Morristown Tennessee Family History Center
• Sevierville Tennessee Family History Center
• King Family Library - an affiliate library.
• Knox County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Jefferson County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Jefferson County Public Library System
Website

Jefferson City Public Library
108 City Center Drive
Jefferson City, TN 37760
Phone: 865-475-9094
Email: jcpl@jcpls.org
Website

Dandridge Memorial Library
1235 Circle Drive
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 865-397-9758
Website

Parrott-Wood Memorial Library
3133 W. Old A.J. Hwy
Strawberry Plains, TN 37871
Phone: 865-933-1311
Email: parrodirector@comcast.net
Website

White Pine Public Library
1708 Main Street
White Pine, TN 37890
Phone: 865-674-6313
Email: whitepinelib@gmail.com
Website

Museums

Jefferson County Museum and Archives
Courthouse, Rm 203
202 West Main St.
Dandridge, TN 37725
Phone: 865-397-4904
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Jefferson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

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

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

Websites

• Jefferson County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Jefferson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
• Jefferson County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
• Jefferson County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

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.

Family History Library

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

To view online images that are "locked" (as indicated by a key over the camera), you must visit a Family History Center or an Affiliate library. Go to the Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map for locations.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.