Tennessee, Jackson County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
This collection includes digital images of marriage records, 1888-1974 and records of the Chancery and Circuit Courts,1801-1962 from Jackson County, Tennessee. Additional records are available at the Jackson County Archives, P.O. Box 193, Gainesboro, TN 38562.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage
 * First name of bride
 * Maiden name of bride
 * First name of groom
 * Last name of groom
 * Place of marriage

Court
 * Names of involved individuals
 * Court date
 * Name of court
 * Location of court
 * Details of the dispute or case
 * Monies assessed or exchanged
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the bride or groom
 * The approximate marriage date
 * The place of marriage
 * The name of the intended spouse

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the residence and names to locate church and census records
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the parents’ birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county. However, ministers may have reported marriages performed in other counties
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment records or military records
 * Search for records of people in the county who shared a surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Some counties were subdivided or the boundaries may have changed. Consider searching neighboring counties as well since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Tennessee.
 * Tennessee Guided Research
 * Tennessee Record Finder
 * Tennessee Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Kim Young, ed. History of Jackson County : sketches from yesterday : towns, communities, people. Gainesboro, Tennessee : K. Young?, 199- FHL 976.851 H73y
 * Christine Spivey Jones. Jackson County, Tennessee : history from many sources. 2 volumes. Cookeville, Tennessee : C.S. Jones, c1983. FHL 976.851 H2j
 * Jackson County, Chancery Court records, 1811-1965
 * Jackson County, Marriage records, 1903-1931
 * Jackson County, Marriages, 1870-1918
 * Jackson County, Death records, 1881-1883, 1909-1912
 * Jackson County, Tax books, 1872-1884
 * Jackson County, Probate records, 1872-1932
 * Jackson County, Court transcripts of the county, chancery and circuit courts, 1839-1915
 * Jackson County, Deed records, 1872-1902; indexes, 1872-1925
 * Jackson County, Court minutes, 1872-1892; enrollment book, 1874-1899
 * Jackson County, Court minutes, 1840-1886; enrolling dockets, 1859-1889
 * Jackson County, Court minutes, 1872-1893

Citing This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information.