Roane County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Roane County

East Tennessee county. Established 1801.





County Courthouse
Roane County Courthouse P.O. Box 546 200 E. Race Street Kingston, TN 37763-0546 Phone: 865-376-2487

Roane County Clerk Marriage and probate records P.O. Box 546 Kingston, TN 37763 Phone: 865-376-5556

Roane County Register of Deeds Land records P.O. Box 181 Kingston, TN 37763 Phone: 865-376-4673

Roane County Circuit Court Clerk Court records P.O. Box 73 Kingston, TN 37763 Phone: 865-376-2390

Hours: Monday 8:30 am - 6 pm Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

History
The county is named after Tennessee Governor Archibald Roane (1759/60-1819).

Parent County
1801--Roane County was established 6 November 1801 from Knox County. Early records may be found under Knox County. County seat: Kingston

Boundary Changes

 * 1807 Rhea County formed from Roane County lands. (Meigs County formed from Rhea County in 1836)
 * 1817 Morgan County formed from Roane County lands.
 * 1870 Loudon County formed from parts of Roane, Monroe, and Blount County lands.

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Many marriages licenses issued before 1838 have been lost, others were destroyed during the Civil War when the clerk's office served as a hospital
 * Most records complete

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Roane County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
A volume of "Colored Marriages" covering approximately 1860s-1880s was abstracted in Pierce's book, see Vital Records.

Cemeteries
Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness offers to take photographs of headstones found in Roane County cemeteries.

Census
1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Roane 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.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1820 - Lost

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 1024517-1024518.

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. FHL US/CAN Book 973 X2m 1820; digital version at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Roane County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 8, No. 1 :36. For availability, see Periodicals.

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

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. 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, Roane County on page 154.]

1850


 * Harvey, Florence Morris, Willis Hutcherson and Mable Harvey Thornton. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Roane County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: Clinchdale Press, 1965. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2p 1850.

1850 Agricultural Census


 * Green, Linda L. Tennessee 1850 Agricultural Census. 2 vols. Woodbridge, Va.: L.L. Green, 2000. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2g v. 1 ff. [Roane County is included in Vol. 1.]

1860


 * Roane County Genealogical Society. 1860 Census of Roane County, Tennessee. Kingston, Tenn.: Roane County Genealogical Society, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2r 1860.

1870


 * Roane County Genealogical Society. Roane County, Tennessee, 1870 Census. 2 vols. Kingston, Tenn.: Roane County Genealogical Society, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2r ff.

1880


 * Pierce, Patsy H. and Marilyn N. McCluen. 1880 Census, Roane County, Tennessee. Rockwood, Tenn.: P. Pierce and M. McCluen, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2p.
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Roane County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1990. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2r v. 5 1891. [Roane County is included in Vol. 5.]
 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: Byron Sister and Associates, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1890.

1900


 * Pierce, Patsy H. and Marilyn N. McCluen. 1900 Census, Roane County, Tennessee. Rockwood, Tenn.: P. Pierce and M. McCluen, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2p 1900.

1910


 * Bailey, Robert L. Roane County, Tennessee, 1910 Federal Census. 5 vols. Kingston, Tenn.: R.L. Bailey, 1997. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 X2b v. 1 ff.

Family Histories
It is anticipated that 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


 * Roberts, Snyder E. Roots of Roane County, Tennessee, 1792-. Kingston, Tenn.: Roane County Pub. Co., 1981. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 H2r. [Reprint of 85 newspaper articles from the column "A Glimpse of the Past" in the Roane County News from Sept. 20, 1979 to May 13, 1981.]

Bibliography


 * [Carter] Skelton, Alan G. History of the John P. Carter family of northwest Arkansas Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979 FHL film 1034756 item 5. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Cox] Roberts, Snyder E. Descendants of John Cox, 1758 Va. to 1814 Tn.: Revolutionary War Pensioner in Roane &amp; Anderson County, Tennessee. [Oak Ridge, Tenn.]: S. Roberts, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C839rs.
 * [Crass] Roberts, Pauline H. The Crass Families of Roane and Loudon Counties, Tennessee. Oliver Springs, Tenn.: P.H. Roberts, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C854r.
 * [Davis] Roberts, Snyder E. Pioneer Davis Families of Poplar Creek in Roane County, Tennessee. MSS., 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D29rs.
 * [Halburnt] Roberts, Pauline H. Descendants of James Rufus Halburnt in Roane and Nearby Counties, Tennessee. [Oak Ridge, Tenn.]: P. Roberts, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H129r.
 * [Jones] Roberts, Snyder E. Genealogical Work Papers on Three Prominent Jones Families of Anderson &amp; Roane Counties, TN. [Tenn.?]: S.E. Roberts, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 7364.
 * [Pritchett] Horlacher, Doris Melissa Pritchett. Pritchett's from VA and Roane County, TN/MO: Pritchard/Prichard/Prickett. [West Valley City, Utah: D.M.P. Horlacher, 1997]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 P939hdm.
 * [Roberts] Roberts, Snyder E. Roberts Families of Roane County, Tennessee, 1794-1969, with Related and Associated Family Names: Related and Associated Family Names Include Brashears, Nesmith, Erwin, Crow, Dickey, Martin, Edwards, Adkisson, Hagler, Silvey, Burns, Cofer, Tedder, Cooper, Henning, Maxwell, Webster, Stubbs, Peck, Jones, Hester, Barnett, Rogers, Hedgecock, Horton, Johnston, Smith, Bailey, and Amos. Oliver Springs, Tenn.: n.p., 1968. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R541ro.
 * [Stinecipher] Roberts, Snyder E. Data Sheets on Stinecipher Families of Morgan &amp; Roane Counties, Tennessee. [Oak Ridge, Tenn.]: S. Roberts, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 8047.
 * [Webster] Roberts, Snyder E. Webster Families of Roane &amp; Anderson Counties, Tennessee. [Oak Ridge, Tenn.]: S. Roberts, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 8006.
 * [Welcker] Roberts, Snyder E. Descendants of John Henry Welcker in Roane County and East Tennessee. [Oliver Springs, Tenn.]: S. Roberts, 198-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W448r.

Land
The original Roane County Deed Books are kept at TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. In 1968, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to Z1 (1801-1887) and accompanying Deed Indexes (1801-1930). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 560104-560118, 1012229.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Roane County land records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1) Deed Book A: 1801-1805
 * 2) Deed Book B: 1805-1808
 * 3) Deed Book C: 1808-1812

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

 * Two Years of Harriman, TennesseeEstablished by the East Tennessee Land Company February 26, 1890. New York :South Publishing Co., [?]. Free digital copy.


 * Wells, Emma Middleton. The History of Roane County, Tennessee 1801-1870. Chattanooga, Tenn.: The Lookout Publishing Company, 1929. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); BYU Family History Archives; and Heritage Quest Online ($).

Maps

 * [1892] Norris, George E. Harriman, Tennessee, 1892. Originally published 1892. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Roane County, Tennessee - American Revolution Includes American Revolution soldiers who lived in Roane County and select Revolutionary War applications.
 * Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Roane County, Tennessee

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. 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, Roane County on page 154.]
 * Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Revolutionary War Pension Applications, 1793-1855, Roane County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1940. FHL US/CAN Film 24792 Item 6.
 * Douthat, Marilee. Revolutionary War Pension Applications, Roane County, Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 M2d.
 * 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 War Soldier Grave Discovered, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Summer 1991).

War of 1812


 * Bailey, Robert L.(compiled by) War of 1812 Soldiers from Roane County, Tennessee List of soldiers are from the companies under Colonel John Brown.

Indian Wars


 * Cherokee War Soldiers, 1837, Roane County Roots, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer 1998); Vol. 2, No. 4 (Fall 1998).

Newspapers
A local volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to do free obituary lookups in Roane County 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 Roane County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Cardiff
 * Harriman
 * Kingston
 * Oliver Springs
 * Rockwood

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Roane 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

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Roane 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 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a.

East Tennessee Roots

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Roane County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these 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 FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.

The Pellissippian

Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Roane County, Tennessee records were published in the The Pellissippian (25 vols., 1980-2004), the quarterly of the Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society. The society has posted tables of contents for all 25 volumes on their website. They also have back issues available for purchase. The Family History Library has acquired the first 20 volumes FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25p.

Roane County Roots

By Robert L. Bailey The Family History Library has volumes 1 - 11 FHL US/CAN 976.8 D25r Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) For additional information see website: http://www.roanetnheritage.com/

Roane Ramblings

The Family History Library has volumes 1 - 17 (1985 - 2001) FHL US/CAN 976.884 B2r Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) For additional information see web site: http://www.roanetnheritage.com/

Prisons
Learn if your Roane County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: TSLA.

Probate
The original Roane County Will Books are kept at TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. In 1968, TSLA microfilmed Will and Settlement Books A to L (1802-1926). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 560100-560103, 1012228.

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


 * [1801-1861] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. FHL US/CAN 976.8 P22s. [Includes an index to this county's probate records.] Free Lookups Available!

Taxation
The original Roane County Tax Lists 1846-1849 were microfilmed by TSLA in the 1960s. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 570818 Item 1.

The original Roane County Tax Books 1858-1878 were microfilmed by the TSLA in 1968. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Films 1013616-1013617.


 * [1801-1830] Thornton, Mabel Harvey. Pioneers of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1830: Tax Lists, Muster Rolls, Election Lists, Petitions, etc. c1965. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 N2t.
 * [1801] Tax List, 1801, Cherokee Blood Newsletter (Spring 1983).
 * [1801] Tax Lists/Muster Rolls, 1801, Southern Roots &amp; Shoots, Vol. 5, No. 2 (May 1989).
 * [1801-1820] Road Book, 1801-20, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Summer 1996).
 * [1802] Tax List, 1802, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Fall 1995).
 * [1802-1808] Wells, Emma Middleton. The History of Roane County Tennessee 1801-1870. Chattanooga, Tenn.: The Lookout Publishing Company, 1927. Digital versions at BYU Family History Archives; and Heritage Quest Online ($). Joy Fisher abstracted tax lists published in this book and made them available for free online:


 * "Roane County TN ... Property Taxes 1802 - 1806," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * "Roane County TN ... Business Taxes 1805 - 1807," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * "Roane County TN ... Property Taxes 1803 - 1806," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * "Roane County TN ... Taxlists ... 1808," [10 parts] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.


 * [1802] "1802 Roane County, TN Tax List," available online, courtesy: Roane TN Heritage. (Taken by Wells's book.)
 * [1805] Thornton, Mabel H. "[Annotated] Roane County, Tennessee Tax List - 1805," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Jul. 1963):111-118. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1805] Roane County Tax List for 1805, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 9, No. 3. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals. [Includes digitized images of the original source.]
 * [1805] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. [Includes 1805 tax list.]
 * [1805] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1805 tax list.]
 * [1805] Tax List, 1805, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Spring 1988).
 * [1805] Tax List, 1805 and Index, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Spring 1990); Vol. 6, No. 3 (Fall 1990).
 * [1805] Thornton, Mable H. (Mrs. Robert E.) "Roane County Tax Records - 1805," available online, courtesy: Roane TN Heritage.
 * [1808] Taxables, 1808, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 11 [or 10?] (Spring 1995).
 * [1814-1817] Tax List, 1814-17, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Summer 1987).
 * [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 Roane County.]
 * [1814] Tax List, 1814, Bo-Wi, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998).
 * [1814-1821] Hutcherson, Willis, Marilyn N. McCluen, and Mable Harvey Thornton. Tax Lists of Roane County, Tennessee: 1814-1821. n.p.: Roane County Records Commission, 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 R4h.
 * [1815] Tax List, 1815, Bu-Wa, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998).
 * [1816] Tax List, 1816, Ba-Wi, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998).
 * [1817] Tax List, 1817, Br-Wi, Morgan County Messenger, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1998).
 * [1817] Tax Lists, 1817, Tennessee Ancestors, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Apr. 1991).
 * [1821] Tax List, 1821, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Spring 1997).
 * [1822-1851] Bailey, Robert L. Roane County, Tennessee Tax List. [1822-1851 (gaps)] 5 vols. Kingston, Tenn.: Roane County Genealogical Society, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 R4b v. 1 ff.
 * [1837] Tatum, A.C. "Roane County, Tennessee 1837 Tax Lists," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 54, No. 2 (Summer 2007):99-104; Vol. 54, No. 3 (Fall 2007):169-172; Vol. 54, No. 4 (Winter 2007):221-224; Vol. 55, No. 1 (Spring 2008):28-31. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1837] Tax List, 1837, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 1993); Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter 1993); Vol. 10, No. 1 (Spring 1994); Vol. 10, No. 2 (Summer 1994); Vol. 10, No. 3 (Fall 1994).
 * [1848] Tax List, 1848, Roane Ramblings, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Winter 1992); Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring 1992); Vol. 8, No. 3 (Summer 1992); Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring 1993); Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer 1993).
 * [1857] Bailey, Robert L. "1857 Roane County Tax Records" [16 Districts], available online, courtesy: Roane TN Heritage.
 * [1859] Bailey, Robert L. "1859 Roane County Tax Records" [8 Districts], available online, courtesy: Roane TN Heritage.
 * [1869] Bailey, Robert L. "1869 Roane County Tax Records" [17 Districts], available online, courtesy: Roane TN Heritage.
 * Land Sold for Taxes, Ansearchin' News, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Spring 2000).

Vital Records
Birth


 * Bailey, Robert L. et al. To Save the County Harmless: Roane County, Tennessee, Bastardy Cases, 1806-1900. Kingston, Tenn.: Roane County Genealogical Society, 1995. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 P2b.

Marriage

The original Roane County marriage records are kept at the County Courthouse. Hutcherson and McCluen published an excellent description of Roane's marriage records in their 1973 book. They state "unknown numbers of bonds and licenses issued from 1801 to 1838 have been lost." It was not until 1838 that marriages were recorded in registers and not just on loose sheets of paper. "During the Civil War the courthouse in Kingston was used as a hospital and many of the records in the county court clerk's office were destroyed," citing a clerk's statement in a Civil War pension application. After the Civil War, "records were stored in the attic of the courthouse for many years and they were shifted from place to place when storage space was needed for newer records." In 1934, County Court Clerk Robert Parker "had all the bonds and licenses he could find dated prior to 1838 copied into two large registers. These were placed in the clerk's office and have been used by the public as the marriage records for this county since the original papers were in the attic and not available for general use." They further state that some marriages published by Wells and the W.P.A. can no longer be found in the courthouse.

The following records have been microfilmed:


 * 1) Marriage Record and Bond Books 1801-1962. Microfilmed 1960s-1980s by TSLA. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 560087-560089, 1012216-1012220, 1928817.
 * 2) Marriage Registers 1838-1876. Microfilmed in 1960s by TSLA. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 570818 Items 2, 4-5.

Roane County's marriage records have been abstracted several times. As a guide leading you back to the original sources, Hutcherson and McCluen's book surpasses the others, as citations are made to the original courthouse volume and page numbers, as well as loose records. It also incorporates records since lost that were published by earlier editors. The following is a list of these publications:


 * [1801-1843] Wells, Emma Middleton. The History of Roane County, Tennessee 1801-1870. Chattanooga, Tenn.: The Lookout Publishing Company, 1929. Digital versions at BYU Family History Archives; and Heritage Quest Online ($). [Abstracted the following information for select records (not all records): names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, as well as dates of license.]
 * [1801-1838] Historical Records Survey (W.P.A.). Marriage Records, 1801-1838, Roane County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1940. FHL US/CAN Film 24793 Item 1.
 * [1801-1855] Hutcherson Willis and Marilyn N. McCluen. Marriage Records of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1855. 1973. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 V25h. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, sureties, bondsmen, and officiators, dates of license and marriage, as well as citations to the original bonds, licenses, and, where applicable, volume and page numbers. Source: original courthouse records and earlier published abstracts, such as Wells.]
 * [1801-1838] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1838. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 V2w. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and bondsmen, as well as dates of license and/or marriage. Sources: original bonds and licenses at the courthouse; Ellen Middleton Wells' The History of Roane County, Tennessee, 1801-1870.]
 * [1801-1875] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1987. FHL US/CAN 976.8 V2s v. 1. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.] Free Lookups Available!
 * [1856-1900] Pierce, Patsy H. Marriage Records Roane County, Tennessee [1856-1900]. 2 vols. Rockwood, Tenn.: P.H. Pierce, 1987. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 V2p ff. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, and officiators, as well as a date associated with the marriage. Source: original courthouse records; includes abstracts of TSLA microfilm "Colored Marriages," which register could no longer be found at the courthouse at the time of publication.]
 * [1856-1876] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Roane County, Tennessee, Marriages, 1856-1876. Nashville, Tenn.: Sistler, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 V22s. [Abstracts names of brides and grooms as well as dates of license and marriage. Source: TSLA microfilms.]

Divorce


 * Bailey, Robert L. Roane County, Tennessee Divorces 1807-1900. Tenn.: The Roane County Genealogical Society, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.884 V2b.

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Roane 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. FHL US/CAN Books 976.855/N1 V48s 1847-1851 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
A local volunteer, through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, offers to do genealogy lookups and make photocopies at Roane County's public libraries.

The Roane County Heritage Commission 119 Court Street P.O. Box 738 Kingston, Tennessee 37763 Phone: 865-376-9211 Email: rchcarchives@yahoo.com

Roane County Archives Library and Museum 119 Court Street Kingston, Tennessee 37763 865-376-9211 Hours: Monday 8:30 am - 6 pm Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm The Archives and Museum sponsors The Roane County Archives Library Research Room (online) "The Research room is just a small sample of the original documents found at the Roane County Archives Library and Museum in The Old Roane County Courthouse."

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

Kingston Public Library 1004 Bradford Way Kingston, TN 37763 Phone: 865-376-9905 Hours: MOnday., Tues., Wed., Fri. 9 am - 6 pm Wednesday 9 am - 6 pm Saturday 9 am - noon

Harriman Public Library 601 Walden Street Harriman, TN 37748 Phone: 865-882-3195 Email: harrimanlibrary@comcast.net Hours: Monday - Thursday 9 am - 5 pm Friday and Saturday 9 am - 1 pm Genealogy Resources: census, cemetery records for Roane and Morgan county, Funeral home records and more.

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Roane County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Roane County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Roane County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Roots of Roane County, Tennessee
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNROANE-L (Roane County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)