Meigs County, Tennessee Genealogy

Meigs County, Tennessee ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to Meigs County (established 1836) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Description
The County was named for Colonel Return J. Meigs, who was to become the county's name source, operated a federal Indian agency across the river in Rhea County until 1817. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse


Meigs County Courthouse Main Street P O Box 218 Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-5747

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1836. Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Meigs County Clerk Marriage and probate records 17214 State Highway 58 N. Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-5747

Meigs County Register of Deeds Land Records P.O. Box 246 Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-5228

Meigs County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 17214 State Hwy. 58, 2nd Floor P.O. Box 205 Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-5821

Hours: Mon.-Tues. and Thurs.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat. 8:30 a.m.-Noon Closed Wednesdays

History
East Tennessee county. Established 1836.

The county is named after Revolutionary War hero and Indian Agent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_J._Meigs,_Sr. Return Jonathan Meigs] (1740-1823).

Parent County
1836--Meigs County was established 20 January 1836 from Cherokee Indian Lands. County seat: Decatur

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes
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.

Record Loss
1904 and 1964  Fires damaged courthouse records.


 * Lack of marriage records: 1836 and 1837
 * Lost deeds: 1836 to 1878

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Meigs County biography, cemetery, census, court, guardianship, land, marriage, 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: Meigs 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
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator
 * Meigs County Historical Society Meigs County, Tennessee, cemetery records Decatur, Tennessee : Meigs County Historical Society, c1996 Free lookups available!

Census
1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Meigs 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 Meigs, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1840


 * Broyles, Bettye J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. 1980..

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, Meigs County on page 154.

1850


 * Broyles, Bettye J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs Counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850. 1980..
 * Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8836 X2b. Includes 1850 census.
 * Maddux, Agnes. Tennessee Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850, Meigs County. n.p.: n.p., n.d..

1860


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8836 X2b. Includes 1860 census.

1870


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8836 X2b. Includes 1870 census.

1880


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8836 X2b. Includes 1880 census.
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Meigs County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991..

1891 Male Voters


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

1900


 * Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8836 X2b. Includes 1900 census.

Court

 * Rhea county Historical and Genealogical Society (Spring City, Tennessee) and Bettye J. Broyles Meigs County, Tennessee County Court minute book 1, 1836-1841; town of Decatur commission minutes, 1836-1840; Trustees book of claims, 1836- 1845; Strays taken up by ranger, 1836-1845; Decatur, Tennessee: Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1992.  Free lookups available!

Family Histories
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 Meigs, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 10,000 entries.

Bibliography


 * Blackwell - Saylor, Ronald. The Blackwell Researcher's Newsletter. Grass Valley, Calif.: J. Saylor, 1998-..
 * Carter - Ross, Ernest Lafayette and William C. Carter. John Andrew Hickman, John Carter, Lewis Carter: Some Ancestors and Descendents. Cleveland, Tenn.: E.L. Ross &amp; W.C. Carter, 1979..
 * Lillard - Lillard, Jasper Worth. The Lillard Collection. MSS..
 * Qualls - Curtis, John T. and Grace Curtis. Qualls Cousins: Families and Descendants of Nathan Qualls Sr. of Meigs County, Tn. Tularosa, N.M.: J. Curtis, 1992..
 * Rhinehart - Ferris, Dixie Rhinehart Calder. Caswell Rhinehart Family Journal, 1844 to 1997. Cary, N.C.: D.R.C. Ferris, 1997..
 * Rothwell - Fischer, Myra Smith. A Rothwell Book: Comprising the Descendants of Claiborne Rothwell of Albemarle County, Virginia, through Nine Generations and Interesting Sketches About Some of His Descendants. Memphis, Tennessee: M.S. Fischer, 1964. Available at ; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Tillery - Taylor, Patty Hughes. Discovering Our Tillery Family -- Yesterday and Today: Descendants of Samuel Thomas Tillery. Atkins, Ark.: P.H. Taylor, 2001..

Land
The original Meigs County Deed Books do not survive before 1879. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to 3 (1879-1964). FHL copies:. The following records serve as substitutes and may help to alleviate some of the record loss:


 * Land Abstract Books, 1835-1872. Original records, TSLA. TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies:.
 * Probate of Deeds 1836-1847. Original records, County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records in the 1960s. FHL copy:.

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.

Local Histories

 * Meigs County Heritage Book Committee The history of Meigs County, Tennessee and its people, 1836-1997 Walsworth Pub., 1997. Free lookups available!

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Migration

 * Vincent, Don. 800 Missouri Families. 5 vols. Seattle, Wash.: n.p., 1988-1990. ff. Discusses Missouri families with Meigs County origins.

Revolutionary War

 * 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, Meigs County on page 154.

War of 1812

 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-23. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Meigs County pensioners (p. 23).

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1891 - 1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Meigs 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 Meigs County.

Confederate Soldiers


 * 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.
 * 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's) - CSA - Company I.
 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McKenzie's) - CSA
 * 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company A.
 * 43rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Gillespie's) (5th East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company D.

Union Soldiers


 * 5th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company E.
 * 10th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company E.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Meigs County:


 * Allen, V.C. Rhea and Meigs counties (Tennessee) in the Confederate War Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Free lookups available!
 * USGenWeb Archives, Meigs County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Meigs 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. Meigs County, page 364-365.

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 Meigs County click on the following town:


 * Decatur


 * Meigs County, Tennessee Obituaries, from mid-2004 to Present Free lookups available!

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 Meigs 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 records of Meigs 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
 * East Tennessee Roots
 * A genealogical article with abstracts of Meigs County, Tennessee records has been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to this publication's 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.

Prisons
Learn if your Claiborne County, Tennessee Genealogy ancestors went to prison! (Courtesy TSLA)


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870

Private Papers

 * Wallis - Billings, W.P. Joseph William "Barlow" Wallis Family Bible (Records, ca. 1854-1925). MSS..

Probate Records
The original Meigs County Will Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1964, TSLA microfilmed Wills, Inventories, and Settlements for the years 1836-1964. FHL copies:.

Online Records


 * 1779 – 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * Wills, 1836-1964 (4 vols.)
 * Inventories, Sales, Wills, 1850-1858
 * Guardian records, 1836-1850
 * Insolvent estate records, 1876-1958
 * Probate records, 1836-1962 (6 vols.)
 * Settlements, 1837-1929 (4 vols.)

The following Meigs County probate records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * 1836 - 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 probate records. Free Lookups Available!

Taxation
The original Meigs County Tax Books (1839-1863, 1872-1883, 1940-1964) are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records in 1964. FHL copies:.

Vital Records
See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.


 * 1914 - 1930 - Meigs County Vital Statistics (1914-1930). Free Lookups Available!

Birth

 * 1828 - 1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1909 - 1912 - Meigs County Birth Index 1909-1912 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free. Batch.


 * 1908 - 1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1794 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..

The following Meigs County Courthouse marriage records have been indexed:


 * 1790 – 1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1838 - 1895 - Meigs County Marriage Index 1838-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free.


 * 1838 - 1850 - Broyles, Bettye J. A Compendium of Rhea and Meigs counties, Tennessee, 1808 through 1850 S.I.: s.n., 1980. Includes records of marriages, census, and other miscellaneous information. . Free Lookups Available!


 * 1838 - 1870 - Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. ff. Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.


 * 1838 - 1865 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1987. . (Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.) Free Lookups Available!


 * 1838 - 1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1850 - 1900 - Broyles, Bettye J. Meigs County, Tennessee Census and Marriage Records, 1850 through 1900. (S.I.: s.n.), 1983. .Free Lookups Available!


 * 1851 - 1865 - Meigs County Marriages (1851-1865) Free Lookups Available!


 * 1851 - 1900 Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $

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


 * 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

 * 1874 - 1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1914 - 1966 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1925 - 1937 - Meigs County Death Index 1925-1937 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free. Batch.

For deaths of Methodists in Meigs County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:


 * 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 1830's, 1840's, 1910's and 1920's.

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Meigs County Historical Museum and Society 200 Smith Ave. Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-4424

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

Meigs-Decatur Public Library 120 Memorial Drive Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 1-423-334-3332 blogspot Hours: Mon. and Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Meigs County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Meigs County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Meigs County, Tennessee History (American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors with in the context of their local history.
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNMEIGS-L (Meigs County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List)
 * Meigs County TN Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)