Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Sevier County East Tennessee county in the Great Smoky Mountains region. Established 1794. From 1784 to 1788, this land was claimed by the abortive, and short-lived State of Franklin. Existed, governing itself, from 1788 until it was formed as part of Jefferson County in 1791.

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

County Courthouse


Sevier County Courthouse 125 Court Ave. Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 1-865-453-4654 - 5502

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

Sevier County Clerk Marriage and probate records 125 Court Ave., Suite 202E Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 1-865-453-5502

Sevier County Register of Deeds Land records 125 Court Ave., Suite 209W Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 1-865-453-2758

Sevier County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 125 Court Ave., Room 204E Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 1-865-774-3693

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

History


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

North Carolina first organized the land that would eventually become Sevier 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 March 1786 the Franklin legislature created several new counties including Sevier (all in present-day Tennessee). By 1789 Franklin's hopes of statehood had faded.

However, in 1789 North Carolina ratified the Constitution, was admitted the union, and ceded her westermost 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. The Southwest Territory reconstituted Sevier County in 1794 from part of Jefferson County.

In 1796 the land of all these counties became part of the new State of Tennessee.

Parent County
1794--Sevier County was established 28 September 1794 from Jefferson County. Early records may be found under Jefferson County. County seat: Sevierville

County Pronunciation

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

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
1856--Fire damaged records


 * Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Lost marriage records: 1794 to 1855
 * Lost probate records: 1794 to 1848

The Foxes published a book that attempts "to help compensate for the loss of the records in the courthouse":


 * Fox, George and Juanita Fox. Sevier County, Tennessee Pre-1856 Courthouse Fire Records. n.p.: G.&amp;J. Fox, 2009..

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


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

Populated Places

 * 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..

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Sevier County biographies, land, and marriage 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: Sevier 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 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 Data.

The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Census
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..

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.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Sevier County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 2 :84. For availability, see Periodicals.

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..

Church
Methodist Episcopal


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

Historic Residences

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

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.

Land
Deeds

Sevier County's early Deed Books do not survive. The Foxes published a substitute for lost Sevier County land records, see Record Loss. 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.

Law and Legislation

 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. [In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service.] TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

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

Maps

 * [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.

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Some Revolutionary, 1812, and Civil War Pensioners Connected to Sevier County

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).

Civil War

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

Civil War service men from Sevier 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 Sevier County.

Confederate Soldiers


 * 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, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications : Sevier County, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
 * United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ...(Washington Printing Office; 1883), (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Online at Internet Archive. Sevier County, page 374-375.
 * TNGenWeb, Sevier Countians in the Civil War, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). Civil War Soldiers and Units.  Some Sevier County Civil War Veterans, biographies.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Fair Garden, (accessed 1 Feb 2012). 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

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.]

Periodicals

 * Smoky Mountain Historical Society Newsletter


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Sevier 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, as well as Journal Contents and Index of Names: 1977 thru 1996.

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


 * Wills, 1849-1922 (3 vols.)
 * Bonds, Letters, 1872-1907 (3 vols.)
 * Inventories, 1856-1866, 1877-1896 (2 vols.)
 * Settlements, 1856-1866, 1871-1906 (4 vols.)

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


 * [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!

Taxation
The original Sevier County Tax Books 1864-1872 are kept at the County Courthouse. 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).

The following Sevier County tax records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [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 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 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 Periodicals. [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 Periodicals
 * [1864] "1864 Tax List - Partial Transcription," available online, courtesy: Sevier County, Tennessee Genealogy &amp; History.

Marriage
The original Sevier County Marriage Books are kept at the County Courthouse. Early marriage books are lost. In the 1970s and 1980s, TSLA microfilmed Marriage Books 1 to 29 (1856-1951). FHL copies:.

The following databases may be searched online at the Sevier County TNGenWeb site.


 * Sevier County Marriages from the 1840's-1930's
 * Sevier County Chancery Court Divorces, 1881-1960

The following Sevier County marriage records have been abstracted:


 * [1856-1873] Historical Records Project. Marriage Records, 1856-1873, Sevier County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, microfilmed in 1940..
 * [1856-1873] 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!
 * [1920-1934] Parton, Robert J., Larry D. Fox, and Smoky Mountain Historical Society. Sevier County, Tennessee Marriage Records 1920-1934. [Sevierville, Tennessee]: Smoky Mountain Historical Society, 1998..

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

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

Sevier County Public Library System 321 Court Ave. Sevierville, TN 37862 Phone: 1-865-453-3532

King Family Library 408 High St. Sevierville, TN 37862 Hours: Mon. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tues. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thurs. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Sevier County History Center 321 Court Ave. Sevierville, TN 37862 Hours: Mon. 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Tues.-Fri. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Genealogy resources include court records, land records, history and more. To see what is available at the center and online accessibility of some records click here.

Anna Porter Public Library 158 Proffitt Road, out Highway 321 at the Gatlinburg Community Center Phone: 1-865-436-5588 E-mail: kt@annaporterpl.org Hours: Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thurs. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The Anna Porter Library houses a collection of items relating to Gatlinburg, the Great Smoky Mountains and southern Appalachia. This includes oral history audio tapes recorded over 30 years ago.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Sevierville Tennessee Family History Center 

401 Hardin Ln Sevierville, TN Phone: 1-865-428-8550

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: DumplinTN [very active; covers Jefferson and Sevier County]
 * Mailing List: TNSEVIER-L (Sevier County, Tennessee List) (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) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)
 * Mailing List: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)
 * Sevier County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Sevier County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Sevier County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Sevier County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Sevier County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest Compiled Genealogies of Local Families