Sullivan County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Sullivan 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 Sullivan, a general in the Revolutionary War. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Sullivan County Courthouse 3411 Highway 126 Blountville, TN 37617 County website Phone: 423-323-6428 County Register of Deeds Suite 101, Phone: 423-323-6420

Sullivan County Department of Archives & Tourism P.O. Box 3179 Blountville, TN 37617 Sullivan County Website Phone: 423-323-4660

County Clerk has marriage records from 1863, birth records 1908-1912, and death records 1925-1938 Clerk and Master has probate records Register of Deeds has land records

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:

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History Timeline

 * 1779 - Created by the North Carolina legislature from part of Washington County.
 * 1784 - Sullivan joined two neighboring counties in declaring their independence from North Carolina.
 * 1785 - These counties applied for admission to the United States as the State of Franklin.
 * 1786 - In March 1786 the Franklin legislature created Spencer County from the western part of Sullivan County. Meanwhile, North Carolina created a duplicate of Spencer County but named it Hawkins County.
 * 1789 - Hopes for Franklin statehood faded. North Carolina refused to recognize Franklin's counties, so it is the Hawkins name that remains in use today.
 * 1796 - All the land in these counties became part of the new State of Tennessee.

Additional Information East Tennessee county established in 1779. Originally part of the North Holston Settlement, from 1784 to 1788, this land was claimed by the abortive, short-lived State of Franklin.

The county is named after Revolutionary War General and New Hampshire Governor (1740-1795).
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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 MyHeritage ($).

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

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

1790: Lost, only statistics survive, but substitutes are available:


 * Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. Purchase information at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog. Includes a reconstructed 1790 census, sources: "Contemporary lists–tax lists, militia rolls, land grants and deeds, claims for pre-emption lands, names recorded in diaries and journals. And numerous histories compiled by local historians from records that we have not seen or read ourselves."
 * Jackson, Ronald Vern. Ohio, 1790, Volume Two. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1986. US/CAN Book 977.1 X2o 1790. Includes "Territory Southwest of the River Ohio," i.e. East Tennessee.
 * McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990. US/CAN Films 1728882 Item 4 and 1683130 Item 3.

1800: Lost, but a substitute is available, see Sullivan.

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. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810; Google Books.

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: US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufacturers Census of 1820, 1964.

1830:


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.
 * Hunt, Shelia Steele. 1830 and 1840 Sullivan County, Tennessee Censuses. Kingsport, Tenn.: S.S. Hunt, 1997. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2hs.

1840:


 * Hunt, Shelia Steele. 1830 and 1840 Sullivan County, Tennessee Censuses. Kingsport, Tenn.: S.S. Hunt, 1997. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2hs.

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. ▲  US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; US/CAN Film 2321. 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Eastern District, Sullivan County on page 154.

1850:


 * Burgner, Marion Keith. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Sullivan County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: Clinchdale Press, 1963. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2p 1850.
 * Hunt, Shelia Steele. 1850 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census. Kingsport, Tenn.: S.S. Hunt, 1997. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2h 1850.

1850 Slave Schedule:


 * 1850 Slave Schedules, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 5, No. 1 :15-. See Sullivan.

1860


 * Hunt, Shelia Steele. 1860 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census. Kingsport, Tenn.: S.S. Hunt, 1997. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2h 1860].

1870:


 * Holston Territory Genealogical Society. 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Bristol, Va.: Holston Territory Genealogical Society, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.896 X29us 1870.

1880:


 * Sistler, Byron and Samuel D. Sistler. 1880 Census, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1992. US/CAN Book 976.896 X2s 1880.

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. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 7 1891. Sullivan County is included in Vol. 7.
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1900:


 * Wagner, Fred L. 1900 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census Surname Index. [Blountville, Tenn.]: F.L. Wagner, 2002. US/CAN Book 976.896 X22w 1900.

1910:


 * Wagner, Fred L. 1910 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census Surname Index. [Blountville, Tenn.]: F.L. Wagner, 2002. US/CAN Book 976.896 X22w 1910.

1920:


 * Wagner, Fred L. 1920 Sullivan County, Tennessee Census Surname Index. [Blountville, Tenn.]: F.L. Wagner, 2003. US/CAN Book 976.896 X22w 1920.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * Sullivan County Historical Society. Foundations of Faith in Sullivan, 1777-1935. Blountville, Tenn.?: Sullivan County Historical Society, 1986. A history of the early churches and religious organizations of Sullivan County in existence for more than fifty years.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Kingsport

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. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Emigration and Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding a total of 7 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Blountville and Sullivan County.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American Some "colored" marriages appear in published abstracts of nineteenth-century Sullivan County marriage books. See Vital Records.

Genealogies
More than 75 genealogies have been published about Sullivan County, Tennessee Genealogy families. To view a list, visit Sullivan County Compiled Genealogies

Land and Property Records
Deeds

The original Sullivan County Deed Books are held at the Sullivan. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books 1-58 (1775-1894) and Indexes (1781-1930) in the 1970s. FHL copies: US/CAN Films 972701-972726.

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1775-1789 Deed Book 1: 1775-1789 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1788-1796 Deed Book 2: 1788-1796 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1775-1836 - Austin, Susan Hardin. Sullivan County, Tennessee Deeds. 11 vols. (1775-1836) n.p.: S.H. Austin, 2002-2004. US/CAN Book 976.896 R2a v. 1-4 ff. Digital versions at BYU Family History Archives: (volume numbers refer to the publication and not to the original deed books) ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; . Vol. 9 (1826-1830) and Vol. 10 (1830-1833) not found online.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1775-1835 - Edwards, Shelby Ireson. Sullivan County, Tennessee, Deed Books: Abstracted from the Original Records. 10 vols. (1775-1835) Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1984-1985. US/CAN Books 976.896 R2e ff. Free Surname Indexes and purchase details for several volumes, courtesy: Mountain Press website.
 * 1775-1815 - Historical Records Project. Deeds, 1775-1815, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. US/CAN Film 24836 Items 1-7.
 * 1775-1789 - Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Sullivan County, Tenn. Deeds. Mayfield, Ky.: Willis Historical, 1998. US/CAN&amp; Book 976.896 R2w.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina The original Sullivan 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 Sullivan County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1770-1798.

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 Sullivan County.
 * 4) Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Sullivan County."
 * 5) In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Sullivan 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

 * Taylor, Oliver. Historic Sullivan: A History of Sullivan County, Tennessee with Brief Biographies of the Makers of History. Bristol, Tenn.: The King Printing Co. (Le Roi Press), 1909. US/CAN Book 976.896 H2t and Index:  US/CAN Book 976.896 H2t index; digital version at Google Books.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1777-1985 - Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * 1779 Reeves, Charles A. Sullivan and Washington Counties [Tennessee], the County Bounds in 1779. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * 1832 Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index  US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. Includes 1832 map of the county.
 * 1912 Mortimore, Thaddeus. Aero View of Bristol Virginia and Tennessee. Originally published 1912. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this couinty - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War The following Sullivan County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Militia Lists of companies which were from areas which now are located in Sullivan county. The 1774 and 1779 Militia List of Capt. Shelby The 1776 Militia List of Capt. Womack The 1778 Militia list of Capt. Thomas Vincent of Sullivan county The Battle of Kings Mountain
 * 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, Sullivan County on page 154.
 * 1840 Census Index, Military Pensioners, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 26 (1979). Available online, see see Periodicals.
 * Census of Pensioners, 1840, Eastern District (sel.), Sullivan County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Spring 2004).

Additional resources include:


 * Allen, Penelope Johnson. Tennessee Soldiers in the Revolution: A Roster of Soldiers Living During the Revolutionary War in the Counties of Washington and Sullivan. n.p.: Tennessee Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1935. US/CAN Book 976.89 M23a.
 * Long Island Flats Battle, 1776, Appalachian Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Mar. 2001).
 * 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.
 * Rejected or Suspended Revolutionary War Pensions, June 7, 1832, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 36, No. 1 (2007).
 * Revolutionary War Petitioners Rejected, Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 7, No. 25 (Dec. 1988).
 * Revolutionary War Stub Indents Books, 1782, North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr. 1975).
 * Soldiers in Battle of Kings Mountain, Holston Pastfinder, Issue 70 (Mar. 2000).
 * Soldiers of the Revolution, Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Dec. 1997).

Indian Wars


 * Service against Chickamaugas, 1790 Claims, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Dec. 1989).

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Sullivan County pensioners (p. 96).
 * 1813 Petition to Relocate Muster Ground, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 36 (1989). Available online, see Periodicals.
 * 1812 Sullivan County, Tennessee Tax List of Capt. Everitt's Company Courtesy:TNGenWeb

Civil War

Online Records


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (free)
 * 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


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - CSA - Company M.
 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Ashby's) - CSA
 * 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K.
 * 3rd Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Lillard's) - CSA - Company K.
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Murray's) - CSA - Company C.
 * 5th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McClellan's) - CSA - Company F.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Company B.
 * 19th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies C and G.
 * 26th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (3rd East Tennessee Volunteers) - CSA - Company K.
 * 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company F (Walker's Battalion).
 * 59th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Cooke's) (Eakin's 1st Battalion) - CSA - Company F.
 * 60th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Crawford's) (79th Infantry) - CSA - Company E and G.
 * 61st Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry (Pitts') (81st Infantry) - CSA - Companies E, K, and 2nd H.
 * 63rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Fain's) (74th Infantry) - CSA

Union Soldiers


 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company B.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company G.
 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company L.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company M.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Sullivan County:


 * Worsham, William J. Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, C.S.A. June, 1861-April, l865. Knoxville, Tennessee: Press of Paragon Printing Co., 1902. Free digital copy.
 * Tennessee 63rd Infantry.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Sullivan County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Sullivan 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. Sullivan County, page 377-378.
 * TNGenWeb, Sullivan County and the Civil War.
 * CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Blountsville. Located in Sullivan County.

Civil War Battles The following Civil War battle was fought in Sullivan County:


 * September 22, 1863 - Blountsville


 * 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 Sullivan County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Blountville
 * Bluff City
 * Bristol
 * Kingsport
 * Union
 * The Kingsport Times (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $
 * Kingsport News (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $
 * Kingsport Times News (Kingsport, Tennessee) at Ancestry $


 * 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 


 * Blountville: Historic House, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 49 (2002). Available at FHL, see Periodicals.

 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.
 * Holston Pastfinder: Published by Holston Territory Genealogical Society, Dec 1982-June 2003..
 * Sullivan County Historical and Genealogical Society Journal: Published by Sullivan County Historical and Genealogical Society since 1997.
 * Sullivan County Historical Society Newsletter (1977-1993): published by Sullivan County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin: Published by Watauga Association of Genealogists. The table of contents for some issues are found on their website; ; Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002).

Probate Records
The original Sullivan County Will Books are held at the Sullivan. The earliest records have been lost. TSLA microfilmed Will Books 1-2 (1838-1915) in the 1970s. FHL copies: US/CAN Film 972700].

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry $
 * 1830-1942  Sullivan 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


 * 1830-1870 - Historical Records Project (Tennessee). Will Books, 1830-1870, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. US/CAN Film 24836 Item 9].
 * 1838-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills and Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's wills.

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 Sullivan County Tax Books, 1877-1895, are held at the Sullivan. TSLA microfilmed these records in the 1970s. FHL copies: US/CAN Film 972728-972731.

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1796 Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index  US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. Includes 1796 tax list.
 * 1796-1797, 1812 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1796-1797, and 1812 tax lists.
 * 1796-1797, 1812 - Mary Barnett Curtis, Early East Tennessee Tax Lists (Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964), US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. Includes 1796-1797, and 1812 tax lists.
 * 1796 Bralley, Edgar M. "1796 Sullivan County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Source: TSLA Microfilm Reels #8 and #12 Early Tennessee Tax Lists.

Muriel Clark Spoden's abstracts of the 1811 and 1812 tax lists were published in two periodicals. Some users might find the Watauga version easier to use, as the article was not serialized.


 * 1811-1812 - Spoden, Muriel Clark. "Sullivan County, Tennessee Tax Lists, 1811-1812," Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Summer 1972):51-62. FHL US/CAN Book 976.897 B2w v. 1. For further access, see Sullivan. Source: TSLA manuscript.
 * 1811-1812 - Spoden, Muriel Clark. "Sullivan County, Tennessee Tax Lists, 1811-1812," Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 15, No. 57 (Dec. 1996):38-39; Vol. 15, No. 58 (Mar. 1997):38-39; Vol. 15, No. 59 (Jun. 1997):38-39; Vol. 16, No. 60 (Sep. 1997):43-44; Vol. 16, No. 61 (Dec. 1997):40-41. US/CAN Book 975 D25hp no. 56-59 (1996-1997);  US/CAN Book 975 D25hp v. 16 (1997-1998); indexed in FHL US/CAN Book 975 D25hp index v. 15-16. For further access, see Sullivan. Source: TSLA manuscript.
 * 1814 - "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120. For further access, see Sullivan. Includes Sullivan County.
 * 1837 - Spoden, Muriel M.C. and Pollyanna Creekmore, "Sullivan County, TN Tax List 1837," Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 1, No. 9 (Dec. 1984):27-28; Vol. 1, No. 10 (Mar. 1985):31-34; Vol. 1, No. 11 (Jun. 1985):23-26; Vol. 1, No. 14 (Mar. 1986):35-38; Vol. 1, No. 15 (Jun. 1986):29-32; Vol. 1, No. 16 (Sep. 1986):31-34; Vol. 1, No. 17 (Dec. 1986):25-28. US/CAN Book 975 D25hp no. 6-10 (1984-1985)] ff. For further access, see Sullivan.
 * 1862 - Smith, Wilma McGarry. "List of Delinquent Taxpayers from Sullivan County, Tennessee Court Minutes December, 1862," Holston Pastfinder, Vol. 15, Issue 59 (Jun. 1997):37. US/CAN Book 975 D25hp no. 56-59 (1996-1997)]; indexed in FHL US/CAN Book 975 D25hp index v. 15-16. For further access, see Sullivan. Marked with "Gone to War" or "Dead."

Birth

 * 1828-1939 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry $
 * 1881-1882, 1908-1912 - The original Sullivan County Birth Register (1881-1882, 1908-1912) is kept at the Sullivan. In the 1970s, the TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies: US/CAN Film 972699.
 * 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
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1861-1870 - Marriage Records, 1861-1870, Sullivan County, Tennessee FHL Film 24836 Item 8 (Click camera to view)
 * 1863-1895 - Sullivan County Marriage Index 1863-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1881-1882 - Sullivan County Marriage Index 1881-1882 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1980-2014 - Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1863-1893 - Simmons, Dessie L. Marriage Books 1-2-3, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 20, No. 1; Vol. 20, No. 2; Vol. 21, No. 1; Vol. 21, No. 2; Vol. 22, No. 1; Vol. 22, No. 2; Vol. 23, No. 1; Vol. 23, No. 2; Vol. 24, No. 1; Vol. 24, No. 2; Vol. 25, No. 1; Vol. 26, No. 1; Vol. 26, No. 2; Vol. 27, No. 1; Vol. 27, No. 2; Vol. 28, No. 1; Vol. 28, No. 2; Vol. 29, No. 1; Vol. 29, No. 2; Vol. 30, No. 1; Vol. 30, No. 2; Vol. 31, No. 1; Vol. 31, No. 2; Vol. 32, No. 1; Vol. 32, No. 2; Vol. 33, No. 1; Vol. 33, No. 2; Vol. 34, No. 1; Vol. 34, No. 2; Vol. 35, No. 1; Vol. 35, No. 2; Vol. 36, No. 1. FHL Book 976.897 B2w Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, dates of license and marriage, and citations to the original volume and page numbers. Includes "colored" marriages.


 * 1863-1893 - Sullivan County, Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1863-1893. US/CAN Book 976.896 V2h. Indexes marriage record books 1, 2, and 3; also at Tennessee State Library & Archives: (microfilmed)
 * 1880-1899 - Sullivan County, Tennessee, Marriage Bonds, 1880-1899 US/CAN Book 976.896 V2hs. Indexes marriage bond books 1, 2, and 3; also at Tennessee State Library & Archives: (microfilmed)
 * Some "colored" marriages appear in published abstracts of nineteenth-century Sullivan County marriage books.

Death

 * 1874-1955 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1881-1882 - Sullivan County Death Records May 1881-June 1882, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin, Vol. 35, No. 2. For FHL availability or to order back issues, see Sullivan.
 * 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 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1949-2014 - Death Records Index 1949-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1908-1925 - Nikazy, Eddie M. Sullivan County, Tennessee, Death Records (1908-1925). 2 vols. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1994. US/CAN Book 976.896 V28n ff.

Divorce
Online Records


 * 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

Online Titles
 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online

Archives
Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism, Regional History Center PO Box 3179 3425 Hwy. 126, Suite 100 Blountville, TN 37617 Phone: 423-323-4660 Email: [mailto:hunt@sullivancounty.org hunt@sullivancounty.org] Facebook Website Archives houses massive historical and genealogical holdings including original county records, vital records, cemetery abstracts, genealogy library, manuscripts collection, census records, guardianship records, tax records, maps, wills, estate settlements, thousands of surname files, massive Civil War research center, Bible records, chancery records, deeds and land records, artifacts, military collection, Native American records, newspapers, photographs, and more.

Family History Centers

 * Bristol Virginia Family History Center
 * Johnson City/Watauga/Gray Tennessee Family History Center
 * Kingsport Tennessee Family History Center
 * Morristown Tennessee Family History Center
 * Johnson City Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Washington County Public Library - Virginia (Abingdon and Damascus branches) - an affiliate library.
 * Watauga County Library - North Carolina - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Kingsport Public Library 400 Broad St. Kingsport, TN 37660 Phone: 423-229-9465 Website Library holds the Kingsport Community and Municipal Manuscript Collection which includes documents created by various departments in the Kingsport Government as well as city directories, marriage and death indexes, census, maps, newspapers from 1916 to the present and family histories. Sullivan County Public Library 1655 Blountville Blvd. PO Box 510 Blountville, TN 37617 Phone: 423-279-2714 Website Genealogy Online resources: Vital, cemetery, census, guardian, immigration, military and Native American records as well as deeds, court minutes, obituaries, tax lists and wills. Also, several resources are available on CD-ROM. See a list of the online resources. Charles C. Sherrod Library East Tennessee State University PO Box 70665 Johnson City, TN 37614 Information desk: 423-439-4307 Hours vary depending on the time of year because of school sessions. Website The Sherrod Library has genealogical information concerning the East Tennessee Region.

Societies
Sullivan County Historical and Genealogical Society PO Box 568 Blountville, TN 37617 Phone: 423-323-4660 Facebook

Websites

 * Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism
 * Sullivan County, Tennessee (American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors within the context of their local history.
 * Sullivan County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Sullivan County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Sullivan 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: Sullivan County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)