Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for John Sevier, governor of the failed State of Franklin and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Sevier County Courthouse 125 Court Ave. Sevierville, TN 37862 County Courthouse Phone: 865-453-4654 County Clerk Phone: 865-430-3404 County Register of Deeds Phone: 865-453-2758 County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 865-774-3731

County Clerk has marriage records from 1856 and probate records from 1850. Register of Deeds has land records.

County Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (female)

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:


 * Wear, Jerry L., Mary Alice Teague and Lynn Alexander. Lost Communities of Sevier County, Tennessee: Greenbrier. Coshocton, Ohio: School Annual Pub., 1985.


 * Wear, Jerry L. Sugarlands: A Lost Community of Sevier County. Coshocton, Ohio: School Annual Pub., 1986.

History Timeline
1776 - North Carolina first organized the land that would eventually become Sevier County as part of Washington District 1777 - Organized as part of Washington County 1783 - Organized as part of Greene County 1784 - 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. 1785 - 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. 1786 - In March 1786 the Franklin legislature created several new counties including Sevier (all in present-day Tennessee). 1789 - Franklin's hopes of statehood had faded. 1789 - North Carolina ratified the Constitution, was admitted to the union, and ceded her westernmost counties to the United States. The United States used them to form the Southwest Territory. The new counties created by the Franklin government were not recognized by North Carolina, the Southwest Territory, or by Tennessee. When they were reconstituted, no mention was made of their Franklin predecessor county governments. 1794 - The Southwest Territory reconstituted Sevier County from part of Jefferson County. 1796 - The land of all these counties became part of the new State of Tennessee.

Additional Information

East Tennessee county in the Great Smoky Mountains region.

Sevier County is named after Revolutionary War General Gov. John Sevier (1745-1815).

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. . Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Sevier County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * The Smoky Mountain Historical Society published records of more than 350 Sevier County cemeteries in the following book:
 * In the Shadow of the Smokies: Sevier County, Tennessee Cemeteries. Sevierville, Tenn.: Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1984. A free surname index is available online. Purchase the book and its supplement at Smoky Mountain Historical Society.

Census Records
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Sevier 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 Sevier County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

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

1810 Lost, but a substitute is available:


 * Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001..

1810-1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry $

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:.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. A free online index, provided by Lineages, which cites the original document numbers, 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. ; indexed at Lineages. Covers this county.
 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Sevier County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 2 :84. For availability, see Sevier.

1830


 * Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee: 1830-1840 Federal Censuses, 1814-1837-1838 Tax Lists. n.p.: G.&amp;J. Fox, 2004..
 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969..

1840


 * Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee: 1830-1840 Federal Censuses, 1814-1837-1838 Tax Lists. n.p.: G.&amp;J. Fox, 2004..

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, Sevier County on page 154.

1850


 * Creekmore, Pollyanna and Blanche C. McMahon. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850, Seventh Census, for Sevier County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: P. Creekmore, 1953..

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. ff. Sevier County is included in Vol. 2.

1860


 * Greene, Elmer A. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1860 (Eighth U.S. Census) for Sevier County, Tennessee. Kingsport, Tenn.: E.A. Greene, 1971..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Sevier County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1996..

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. . Sevier County is included in Vol. 1.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry — index $

Church Records
Churches Of Sevier County TN website Courtesy of Sevier County History Center

Methodist Episcopal


 * Green, William. Life and Papers of A.L.Pl Green, D.D.. Nashville, Tennessee: Southern Methodist Pulblishing House, 1877. Free digital copy.

Court Records

 * 1840-1930.pdf Divorces-Bigamy-Bastard Bonds 1840-1930: Courtesy of Sevier County History Center
 * Chancery Court 1841-1930: Courtesy of Sevier County History Center
 * Chancery Court Files Index, Pre-1900:Courtesy of Sevier County History Center

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 a total of 11 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Sevier County.


 * Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see East Tennessee). FHL US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($)

Genealogies
More than 50 genealogies have been published about Sevier County families. To view a list, visit Sevier County, Tennessee Compiled Genealogies

Land and Property Records
Deeds


 * Sevier County's early Deed Books do not survive. The Foxes published a substitute for lost Sevier County land records, see Sevier. Extant Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed surviving Deed Books H to 3 (1845-1909), Trust Deed Book 2 (1883-1890), and an accompanying Index to both (1845-1911). FHL copies:.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Sevier 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 Sevier County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Year covered: 1799.

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 12.14.2 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.2.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Sevier County.
 * 4) Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Sevier County."
 * 5) In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Sevier 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

 * Crozier, E.W. The White-Caps: A History of the Organization in Sevier County. Knoxville, Tenn.; Bean, Warters and Gaut, 1899
 * Sevier County Family Links: Courtesy of the Sevier County History Center

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * 1794 Reeves, Charles A. Sevier County [Tennessee] - Created September 27, 1794 from Jefferson County. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 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 Records

 * Some Revolutionary, 1812, and Civil War Pensioners Connected to Sevier County

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Revolutionary War Soldiers Buried in Sevier County: Courtesy of the Sevier County History Center

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, Sevier County on page 154.
 * 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 &amp; Military Pensioners, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Spring 1981).
 * Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1818, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Jan. 1974).
 * Robert Duggan Marker, d.1845, Tennessee Rifleman, Vol. 40, No. 3 (Summer 1999).
 * Robert Duggan, Sr., Marker, d.ca.1845, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Summer 1999).

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr. 1961):49-52; Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Sevier County pensioners 8(2):52, 9(3):95.
 * War of 1812 Militia Companies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring 1988).
 * Payroll of Drafted East Tenn. Militia Commanded by Captain Andrew Lawson of the ___ Regiment Commanded by Colnel William Johnson in the Service of the United States from 20 Sep 1814 to 3 May 1815: Courtesy of the Servier County History Center

Civil War

Online Records
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry- CSA - Company B.
 * 37th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (7th Infantry) (1st East Tennessee Rifles) - CSA - Company I.
 * 39th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (W. M. Bradford's) (31st Infantry) - CSA - Company A.

Union Soldiers


 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Companies K, L, and M.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Sevier County:


 * USGenWeb Archives, Sevier County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Sevier 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. Sevier County, page 374-375.
 * TNGenWeb, Sevier Countians in the Civil War. Civil War Soldiers and Units. Some Sevier County Civil War Veterans, biographies.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Fair Garden. Located in Sevier County.

Civil War Battle The following Civil War Battle was fought in Sevier County:


 * January 27, 1864 - Fair Garden


 * 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 Sevier County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Gatlinburg
 * Pigeon Forge
 * Sevierville
 * Seymour


 * 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. 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
Historic Residences
 * Jones, Robbie D. The Historic Architecture of Sevier County, Tennessee. Sevierville, Tenn.: Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1996..

 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

 * Ansearchin' News: Quarterly magazine of the Tennessee Genealogical Society. For a keyword search, go to the county index. Read previous issues on their website;
 * East Tennessee Roots: Published by East Tennessee Roots The table of contents for some issues are available on their website;.
 * Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter: Journal of the Smoky Mountain Historical Society. and Journal Contents and Index of Names: 1977 thru 1996.

Probate Records
Early Sevier County Will Books do not survive. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Will Books 1 to 2 (1849-1922). FHL copy:. See also.

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
 * 1849-1922 Sevier County portion of  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1849-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's wills. Free Lookups Available!

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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 Sevier County Tax Books 1864-1872 are kept at the Sevier. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copy:.

A list of Sevier County tax assessors 1912-1992 was published in Smoky Mountain Historical Society Journal and Newsletter, Vol. 26, No. 2 (Summer 2000).

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1799 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. Includes 1799 tax list.
 * 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 Sevier; 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 Sevier. Includes Sevier County.
 * 1814, 1837-1838 - Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee: 1830-1840 Federal Censuses, 1814-1837-1838 Tax Lists. n.p.: G.&amp;J. Fox, 2004..
 * 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 Sevier. Includes Sevier County.
 * 1820, 1822 - Edwards, Olga Jones. The Montgomery Papers, 1817-1913. Tacoma, Washington: O.J. Edwards, 1964. . Includes a partial transcripts of 1820 and 1822 tax lists.
 * 1837 Linn, Beulah D. "1837 Sevier County Tax List," Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 11, No. 4 (1985); Vol. 12, No. 1 (1986). For FHL access, or to purchase back issues, see Sevier
 * 1864 - "1864 Tax List - Partial Transcription," available online, courtesy: Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy &amp; History.

Birth
Courtesy of Sevier County History Center:


 * Birthdays of Sevier County: Collected by Stephen Huskey in various books of his. Most of the women on the list are by their married names and not their maiden names such as the case of Sarah McMahan she was a Byrd before marriage. John W. Huskey was the son of Stephen Huskey.
 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry$
 * 1908-1912 - Birth Certificates, 1908-1912
 * 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1790-1962 - - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. Covers all counties in Tennessee.
 * 1796-1950 - (Indexes only) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1840-1930s - Sevier County Marriages from the 1840's-1930's at TNGenealogy.net
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1856-1895 - Sevier County Marriage Index 1856-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1856-1873 - Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. . Indexes brides, grooms, marriage dates for this county for specified years. Free Lookups Available!


 * 1920-1934 - Sevier County, Tennessee Marriage Records 1920-1934 FHL US/CAN 976.8893 V2p

Death

 * 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 — index and images $
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * Divorces-Bigamy-Bastard Bonds 1840-1930: Courtesy of Sevier County History Center
 * Chancery Court Divorces, 1841-1930: Courtesy of Sevier County History Center
 * 1881-1960 - Sevier County Chancery Court Divorces, 1881-1960

Family History Centers

 * Sevierville Tennessee Family History Center

Libraries
Sevier County Public Library System 321 Court Ave. Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 865-453-3532 Website

King Family Library 408 High St. Sevierville, TN 37862 Website

Anna Porter Public Library 158 Proffitt Road Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Phone: 865-436-5588 E-mail: kt@annaporterpl.org Website
 * The Anna Porter Library houses a collection of items relating to Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Mountains, and southern Appalachia. This includes oral history audiotapes recorded over 30 years ago.

Societies
Smoky Mountain Historical Society PO Box 5078 Sevierville, TN 37864-5078 E-mail: smhs@SmokyKin.com Website

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

Websites

 * Sevier County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Sevier County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest Compiled Genealogies of Local Families
 * Sevier County TN Genealogy  (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – 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: Sevier County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)