Cocke County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Cocke County

East Tennessee county in the Great Smoky Mountains region. Established 1797. From 1784 to 1788, this land was claimed by the abortive, short-lived State of Franklin.





Quick Dates
Cocke County's civil records start the following years:

County Courthouse
Cocke County Courthouse 111 Court Ave. Newport, Tennessee 37821 Phone: 1-423-623-6176

Cocke County Clerk Marriage records Birth and Death records 1909-1911 and 1928 - 1930 Phone: 1-423-623-3321

Cocke County Clerk and Master Probate records 360 East Main St. Courthouse Annex Newport, TN 37821 Phone: 1-423-623-3321

Cocke County Register of Deeds Land records Phone: 1-423-623-7540

Cocke County Circuit Court Clerk Court records Phone: 1-423-623-6124

Hours: Mon.- Tues. and Thurs.- Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wed. 8 a.m.-noon

History


Cocke County is named after Senator William Cocke (1747-1828) of Tennessee.

North Carolina first organized the land that would eventually become Cocke County as part of Washington District in 1776, then as part of Washington County in 1777, and then as part of Greene County in 1783.

In August 1784 delegates of three western North Carolina counties, Washington, Sullivan, and Greene (all now in Tennessee), declared their Independence from North Carolina because of perceived neglect, and misuse by North Carolina’s legislature. By May 1785 they had petitioned to be admitted to the United States as the new State of Franklin. The Franklin statehood request was denied.

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 claims. In 1792 the Southwest Territory using land from its Greene and Hawkins counties erected a new county named Jefferson County.

In 1796 all these lands became part of the new State of Tennessee. In 1797 Tennessee divided off most of the old Greene County portion of the newer Jefferson County to form the new Cocke County.

Parent County
1797--Cocke County was created 9 October 1797 from Jefferson County. Early records may be found in Jefferson County. County seat: Newport

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

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
1876 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


 * Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Antebellum deed books are lost
 * Pre-1876 wills were destroyed
 * Pre-1877 marriages

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


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

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Cocke County biography, census, 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: Cocke County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Published Cocke County cemetery records:

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Cocke 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 Cocke County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. [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 - Lost

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the National Archives, 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; indexed at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Cocke County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 4 :180. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Cocke County, Tennessee Early Lists: 1839 Tax List, 1830-1840 Federal Census. n.p.: G. and J. Fox, 2009. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2g.
 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

1840


 * Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Cocke County, Tennessee Early Lists: 1839 Tax List, 1830-1840 Federal Census. n.p.: G. and J. Fox, 2009. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2g.

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, Cocke County on page 152.]

1850


 * Templin, David H. and Cherel Bolin Henderson. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Cocke County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2t 1850.

1860


 * Bishop, Brenda C. 1860 Census of Cocke County, Tennessee. n.p.: B.C. Bishop, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2b.
 * Templin, David H. and Cherel Bolin Henderson. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1860 for Cocke County, Tennessee. Maryville, Tenn.: n.p., 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2t 1860.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Cocke County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1996. FHL US/CAN Census Area 976.8895 X2s 1880.

Church
Church records can include birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burial information. Traditionally, Tennessee churches did not keep as much vital record information as found in other regions. For the existing records, some original church records are still at the local church. Others are gathered into a church archives or state archives or deposited with a local historical or genealogical society. For more information about church records see Tennessee Church Records and the United States Church Records.

The following church records for Cocke County are filmed:


 * [1812-1876] Minutes, Slate Creek Baptist Church available at TSLA Reel #205Item 1

The following church records are abstracted or indexed:


 * [1812-1876] Minutes, Slate Creek Baptist Church Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939. Typescript. Available at TSLA
 * [1812-1876] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Vital Statistics from 19th Century Tennessee Church Records. Nashville: Sitler and Associates, 1979. vol.1   Index to original records.
 * [1838-1860] Minutes, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939. Typescript. Available at TSLA
 * [1841-1872] Minutes, East Tennessee Association of Baptists Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939. Typescript. Available at TSLA

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Cocke County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.

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

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.


 * Hensley, Benny E. Beneath the Oaks at the Foot of Meadow Creek Mountain, Oak Hill, Parrottsville, TN. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 D2h.

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Cocke, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 60,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * [Denton] Lawson, Fred Raulston. The Lawsons of East Tennessee. Decatur, Ga.: Looking Glass Books, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L444Lf.
 * [Phillips] Jonas Phillips and descendants : children of the mountains Cosby, Tennessee : H. Phillips, 1993 FHL book 929.273 P544p. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Shultz] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The Shultz family is discussed in Vol. 2.]
 * [Thomas] Lawson, Fred Raulston. The Lawsons of East Tennessee. Decatur, Ga.: Looking Glass Books, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L444Lf.
 * [Williams] Dixon, Ben F. American Ancestry of Pryor Williams. San Diego, CA: Privately published, 1959. Available at FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018493; digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).

Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 2 British aliens living in Cocke County.

Land
Cocke County's early deed books were destroyed in the Civil War. TSLA microfilmed surviving Deed Books 1 to 20 (1865-1867, 1872-1902), General Index to Deeds (1872-1902), Trust Deed Books 1 to 3 and 10 (1877-1889, 1899-1902) and Trust Deed Index (1877-1902). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 956189-956203.

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. Bruce Price's "Cocke County, Tennessee Acts of Tennessee Index," which isolates the entries specifically for this county, is available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.

Maps

 * [1832] 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 1832 map of the county.]
 * [1926] U.S. Geological Survey. Proposed Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Originally published 1926. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * [1934] U.S. Park Service. Preliminary Base Map, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Originally published 1934. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Old Forts


 * Old Cocke County Fort, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 2 (May 1977). For access, see Periodicals.

Revolutionary War

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


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * 3) Abstracts of select Pensions

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, Eastern District, Cocke County on page 152.]
 * 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.]
 * Revolutionary War Veterans, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Summer 1987). For access, see Periodicals.

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Cocke County pensioners (p. 41)]

The following Cocke County War of 1812 records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * Captain James Cumings' Company of Volunteer Mounted Gun Men, East Tennessee Militia, War of 1812
 * Captain William Gillenwaters Company of Volunteers, East Tennessee Mmilitia, War of 1812
 * Captain George Argenbright's Company of Volunteer Riflemen in the East Tennessee Militia, War of 1812

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 Cocke County click on the following city:


 * Newport

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 records of Cocke County, Tennessee 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.
 * East Tennessee Roots
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Cocke 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 US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.
 * Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Cocke County, Tennessee records were published in the Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter (33 vols., 1977-2007), the journal of the Smoky Mountain Historical Society. Tables of contents for most issues are available online. Back issues are available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired a complete collection FHL US/CAN Book 976.889 B2s, as well as Journal Contents and Index of Names: 1977 thru 1996 FHL US/CAN Book 976.889 B2s index. Indexed in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).

Prisons
Learn if your Cocke County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.

Probate
Cocke County's early will books were destroyed. TSLA microfilmed surviving wills covering the date range 1876 to 1913. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 956185.

Taxation
TSLA microfilmed the original Cocke County Tax Books 1876-1894 (gaps). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 956205-956206.

The following Cocke County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1803] Unpaid Taxes -- 1803 (Blount, Cocke, Sevier Cos.), Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 10, No. 3 (1984). For FHL access, or to purchase back issues, see Periodicals; digital version by Duay O'Neil, at Sevier County, Tennessee, Genealogy &amp; History. [Abstract of The Knoxville Gazette, Aug. 8, 1803.]
 * [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 Cocke 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 Cocke County.]
 * [1821, 1827] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1821 and 1827 tax lists.]
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. Cocke County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee, Civil Districts and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.
 * [1839] Taxpayers, 1839, East Tennessee Historical Society Publications. Knoxville TN: 1965. Vol. - Iss. 37.
 * [1839] 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 1839 tax list.]
 * [1839] Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Cocke County, Tennessee Early Lists: 1839 Tax List, 1830-1840 Federal Census. n.p.: G. and J. Fox, 2009. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8895 X2g.
 * [1839] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1839 Tax List, All Districts," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * [1883] Release from Delinquent Taxes, 1883, Tennessee Ancestors. Knoxville TN: Apr 2001. Vol. 17 Iss. 1.
 * [1889] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1889 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]
 * [1890] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1890 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]
 * [1891] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1891 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]
 * [1892] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1892 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]
 * [1893] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1893 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]
 * [1894] Price, Bruce. "Cocke County, Tennessee 1894 Tax List, Dist 12," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. [Source: Cocke Co., TN Tax Books 1889-1890 [1894], TSLA Microfilm #38.]

Death
For deaths of Methodists in Cocke 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
The Smoky Mountain Historical Society P.O. Box 5078 Sevierville, TN 37864-5078 E-mail: smhs@SmokyKin.com

East Tennessee Historical Society 601 S. Gay Street P.O. Box 1629 Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629 Phone: 1-865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Stokely Memorial Library 383 East Broadway Newport, TN 37821 Phone: 1-423-623-3832 Genealogical Resources: Newspapers, census, vital records, deeds, court records, funeral home records, land, church, tax lists, historical books, cemetery records and more. To see a list of microfilmed material click here.

Web Sites

 * Cocke County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Cocke County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cocke County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Cocke County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Cocke County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest Compiled Genealogies of Local Families

Various RootsWeb Mailing Lists include messages about Cocke County genealogy. Local expert Joyce Gaston Reece states, at present, the following lists "carry the communications for Cocke" (7/15/2010):


 * TNCOCKE-L (Cocke County, Tennessee List)
 * SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List)
 * NE-TN-L (Northeast Tennessee List)
 * TENNESSEE-L (State of Tennessee List)

Additional lists, that receive less traffic are:


 * 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)