Claiborne County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Claiborne County

East Tennessee county. Established 1801.





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

County Courthouse
Claiborne County Courthouse P.O. Box 173 1740 Main St. Tazewell, TN 37879 Phone: 1-423-626-3283


 * County Clerk has marriage and probate records
 * Register of Deeds has land records
 * Clerk of Circuit Court has court records

Hours: Mon.-Fri.9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 8:30 a.m.-noon

History


The county is named after Governor of Louisiana and Governor of Mississippi Territory William C. C. Claiborne (c1775-1817).

Parent County
1801--Claiborne County was created 29 October 1801 from Grainger and Hawkins Counties. County seat: Tazewell

County Pronunciation


Did we get the accent right? If not, contact Nathan W. Murphy, [mailto:murphynw@familysearch.org murphynw@familysearch.org].

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
1863 and 1931 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.


 * Lost censuses: 1810, 1820, 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1801 to 1837
 * Lack of wills: 1801 to1839

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


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

Neighboring Counties

 * Bell County, Kentucky
 * Campbell
 * Grainger
 * Hancock
 * Lee County, Virginia
 * Union
 * Whitley County, Kentucky

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Claiborne County biography, court, land, probate, 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: Claiborne 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
The Tennessee Cemeteries page provides explanations of the following online resources:

Published Claiborne County cemetery records:

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

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 the National Archives, 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; indexed at Lineages. [Covers this county.]

These records have also been abstracted:


 * 1820 Census of Manufactures: Claiborne County, East Tennessee Roots, Vol. 7, No. 1 :34. 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


 * Full name index linked to appropriate scanned census image.

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, Claiborne County on page 152.]

1850


 * Full name index linked to appropriate scanned census image.

1860


 * Full name index linked to appropriate scanned census image.
 * Bishop, Brenda C. 1860 Census, Claiborne County, Tennessee. Elizabethton, Tenn.: B.C. Bishop, 1985. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 X2c.

1870


 * Minton, Vestina Lewis. Claiborne County People. Harrogate, Tenn.: T. and V. Minton, 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 X2m 1870. [Includes 1870 Census.]
 * Bishop, Brenda C. 1870 Census Tennessee: Transcription for Claiborne County. Tallahassee, Fla.: B.C. Bishop, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 X2b.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Samuel D. Sistler. 1880 Census Claiborne County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 X2s 1880.

1900


 * Minton, Vestina Laws. Claiborne County, Tennessee, 1900 (Census). Harrogate, Tenn.: T. and V. Minton, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 X2m 1900.

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Claiborne County residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.

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

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Claiborne, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 100,000 entries!


 * Claiborne County Historical Society. The People's History of Claiborne County, 1801-2005. 2 vols. n.p.: Walsworth Press, 1988-2005. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 H2ph ff.
 * Page, Bonnie M. Clearfork and More: History and Memories. Lake City, Tenn.: B.M. Page, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 D2p.
 * Stanis, Jeanne R. and P.G. Fulkerson. Every Name Index to "Early Settlers of Claiborne County" by P. G. Fulkerson: as Published in the Tazewell-New Tazewell Observer. Western Springs, Ill.: J.R. Stanis, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 H2f index.
 * Wilson, Marshall A. Families of Norris Reservoir Area. Clinton, Tennessee: Pellissippi Genealogical and Historical Society, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8935 D2w.


 * Norris Dam on the Clinch River in Eastern Tennessee was a project of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s. Nearly 3,000 families, totalling almost 14,000 persons, were required to vacate land that was to be inundated by the resulting reservoir. In connection with the removal of families and gravesites, Mr. Wilson, a TVA official, collected historical and genealogical information about Norris Valley residents; he presents information about 75 of those families, along with a brief chronology of the area. Each family record begins with the name of a father and the name of that man's father, con- tinuing through other ancestors of the direct male line back to the earliest one known. Families represented by ten or more male heads of household include Agee, Carden, Hatmaker, Irwin, Longmire, Miller, Rice, and Sharp.

Bibliography


 * [Boruff] Collins, Sonja. Boruff Family Research Data. Corryton, Tenn.: N.L. Collins, 199-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B648c.
 * [Bowman] Bowman, Roy L. The Bowman (and Related) Families of Claiborne County, Tennessee. Clinton, Tenn.: Roy L. Bowman, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B684br.
 * [Buis] Buis. 198-?. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B868bu.
 * [Cadle] Cadle, Jacqueline Walling. Descendants of David L. Cadle: The Pioneer of Lone Jack. Renton, Wash.: J. Cadle, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C114cj.
 * [Collingsworth] Marshall, Ellen Beatrice Crutchfield, Cleo Collingsworth Seals and O. Ruth. The Collingsworth Family. Ky.: n.p., 1978. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C691c.
 * [Davis] Davis--Hatfield--Parkey Family Bible Records, 1779-1919. Transcript, microfilmed in 1971. FHL US/CAN Film 855039 Item 4.
 * [Dobbs] Lessley, Ruth Hope Parker. Chesley Dobbs, 1749-1834. Typescript, Family Genealogies, Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Jeffersonville, Ind. FHL US/CAN Film 1428709.
 * [Dodson] Lehmann, Joy Deal. The Descendants of Elijah Dodson of Yamhill County, Oregon: Six Generations of Descendants Since His Arrival in Oregon Territory in 1847. Novato, Calif.: J. Lehmann, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D668Lj.
 * [Dunn] Dunn, Leon. The Searcher: A Long Walk Through Time and History: The Historical and Genealogical Facts about Francis and Joseph Dunn, and Their Families from Tennessee to Northwest Arkansas. Charleston, Ark.: L. Dunn, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D922s.
 * [Edmondson] Collins, Sonja. Edmondson Family Research Booklet, ca. 1796-1971. Corryton, Tenn.: S. Collins, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 7160.
 * [Francisco] Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley and Paul E. Fletcher. "Time and Tide": A Francisco Family History: The Ancestors and Descendants of Christopher Francisco and Halana Bowen of Southwest Virginia and Claiborne County, Tennessee. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: V.B. Fletcher, 1989. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 F847fv.
 * [Goin] Thurman, Dianne L. Stark. Goin and Variants: Family of Thomas Goin of Claiborne Co, TN., 1750, VA - 1838, TN. Wichita, Kansas: D.L.S. Thurman, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G561t.
 * [Grubb] Wanger, George F.P. and Grubb Family Association. Grubb Family Pedigree Charts. MSS., microfilmed in 1943. FHL US/CAN Film 117 Item 4.
 * [Hanson] Hanson, Ray. Some Irishmen, Some Germans, Some Finlanders and Our Hansons: A Compilation of Hanson Historical Information Concerning the Descendants of John Hanson and His Irish Wife - Immigrants to the American Colonies about 1728. Bloomington, Minn.: R. Hanson, [1996?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H198har.
 * [Hunter] Hunter, Patricia Finn. Joseph Hunter Genealogy and His Jager Connection, 1650-2000: in Speedwell, Claiborne County, Tennessee; Cherokee Creek, Washington County, Tennessee; Rockingham County, Virginia; Frederick County, Maryland; Lancaster (now York) County, Pennsylvania; Basal-Land, Switzerland. Knoxville, Tenn.: P.F. Hunter, 2000. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H917hp.
 * [Hurst] Littell, Noble K. The Hurst Family: From the Archives. Newsclipping, Family Files, Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Ind. FHL US/CAN Film 1502553 Item 51.
 * [Hurst] Branch, Virginia. The Hurst Nation: A Family History. Paragould, Ark.: V. Branch, [1987-1991?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H943b ff.
 * [Hurst] Lee, Li Ann Harper. Descendants of John C. Harper and Sarah Hurst. Layton, Utah: L.A.H. Lee, 2006. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H232L; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Johnson] Hunt, Evelyn Hatfield. My Mother's Family in America, 1776-2000. n.p.: E.H. Hunt, 2000. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J63heh.
 * [Johnston] Scott, B.D. Johnston - Southern of Claiborne County, Tennessee and Parker County, Texas: Isaac McNew Johnston (1838-1929) and Allied Families: Amis, Haynes, Huddleston, Seabolt, Southern, and Spears. Maryville, Mo.: B.D. Scott, 1996. FHL US/CAN Film 1598396 Item 1.
 * [Keck] Cavanagh, Lulu. The Keck Family. MSS., microfilmed in 1975, FHL US/CAN Film 928041 Item 44.
 * [Keck] Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley. "Down in the Barns" - The Kecks of Claiborne County, Tennessee: The Ancestors and Descendants of John "Guider" Keck and His Wife, Rebecca A. Yadon. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K234f; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Keck] Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley and Homer Craft Keck. More Kecks of Claiborne County, Tennessee: William, Henry, and Matthew Kerk, Son of John Keck Sr. and Anna Ousley: and Jacob Sowder, Soldier at Valley Forge, and His Descendants thru Adam Sowder, Who Married Anna Dunn. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: V.B. Fletcher, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K234fa.
 * [Linch] Linch, Ray Hanford. Linch/Lynch Lineage and Family History. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: R.H. Linch, 1993. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L634Lr.
 * [McAnally] McAnally, Thomas S. The McAnallys: Descendants of Hamilton and Winfred. Nashville, Tenn.: T. McAnally, 1988. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M118mt.
 * [McBee] McBee: Family Bible Records Transcript, 1797-1929. Transcript; FHL US/CAN Film 1307616 Item 59.
 * [Miller] Stirbys, Theresa Miller. Martin Miller Families, 1753-1987. Huntsville, Ala.: T.M. Stirbys, 198-. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 M612st.
 * [Owsley] Bodine, Ronny O. John Owsley. 2 vols. Fort George G. Meade, Md.: R.O. Bodine, 1989-1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Ow6b ff.
 * [Perry] Robbins, Kevin and Genevieve Perry Barham. Descendants of Nathan Perry and Rebecca Yarbrough. Countryside, Ill.: K. Robbins, 1984. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 4572.
 * [Ritchie] Stone, Hazel Ritchie. James Ritchie 1806-1850, Claiborne Co., Tenn. &amp; Virginia. 1963. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 1165.
 * [Shultz] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The Shultz family is discussed in Vol. 2.]
 * [Shumate] Ledgerwood, Marian Carter. Descendants of Mark Shumate of Claiborne County, Tennessee. Houston, Texas: M.C. Ledgerwood, 1985. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sh92Lm.
 * [Smith] Collins, Sonja. Elisha Smith and Family, 1814-1979. n.p.: S.J.S. Collins, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Sm55cs.
 * [Southern] Scott, B.D. Robert Southern, 1780-1837 of Claiborne County, Tennessee: and His Wife, Nancy Neil Including Collateral and Allied Families. Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen, 1996. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 So88s. [Primitive Baptist Minister]
 * [Southern] Padgett, Wilma Lawson. Early Virginia Settlers: Blackard, DeHart, Hubbard, Hurst, Lawson, Shelor, Southern, Thompson, Turner. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 2001. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 B561pw.
 * [Sowder] Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley and Homer Craft Keck. More Kecks of Claiborne County, Tennessee: William, Henry, and Matthew Kerk, Son of John Keck Sr. and Anna Ousley: and Jacob Sowder, Soldier at Valley Forge, and His Descendants thru Adam Sowder, Who Married Anna Dunn. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: V.B. Fletcher, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K234fa.
 * [Treece] Treece, Margaret and Mary Lou Treece. The Ancestors and Descendants of Jefferson Treece: Claiborne County, Tennessee. 2009. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T714t.
 * [Walker] Bell, Annie W.B. Walker Family Records from the Shadow of Cumberland Gap; Glaiborne [sic] County, Tazewell, Tennessee. Typescript, 1957. FHL US/CAN Film 875416 Item 3.
 * [Ward] Edgerly, Dorthea Roach and Raymond Henry Edgerly. John Murphy Ward of Harlan County, Kentucky. Oceanside, Calif.: D. Edgerly, 1999. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W213j; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Widener] Crump, Shirley Widener, Les Widener, and Ada Widener. Rough Notes on Widener Genealogy: [Descendants of David Widener and Nancy Mock]. Raleigh, N.C.: S.W. Crump, 198-. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W633c.
 * [Wilson] Wilson: Family Bible Records, 1817-1913; and Other Family Genealogical Data, 1793-1981. MSS., FHL US/CAN Film 1033990 Item 43.

Immigration
During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 4 British aliens, some of whom had families, living in Claiborne County.

Land
The original Claiborne County Deed Books are held at the County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to Z2 (1801-1895) and the Index (1801-1910). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 898403-898416.


 * Willis, Laura and Betty Sellers. Claiborne County, Tenn. Deeds. Melber, KY: Simmons Historical, 1997-1998. Three volumes. v. 1. 1802-1806 -- v. 2. 1806-1810 -- v. 3. 1803-1808. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 R29w. Digital version of volume 2 is available at World Vital Records ($). All three volumes available for purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

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

 * Holt, Edgar A. and Joy Bailey Dunn. Claiborne County. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis State University Press, 1981. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 H2h.

Military
Revolutionary War

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


 * 1) 1835 Pension Roll
 * 2) 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions

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, Claiborne County on page 152.]
 * 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 Soldiers List, Pathways, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Mar. 2005).

War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 7 (1960); digital version at journal website. [Includes Claiborne County pensioners (p. 40)]

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the 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 Claiborne County click on the following towns:


 * Cumberland Gap
 * New Tazewell
 * Tazewell

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 Claiborne County.]
 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.

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 Claiborne 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 Claiborne 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.
 * Reflections
 * The Claiborne County Historical Society was founded in 1982 and publishes a quarterly entitled "Reflections." The Family History Library has current volumes beginning with Volume 5. For further information see website: Claiborne County Historical and Genealogical Society. Reflections is indexed in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
 * The Pellissippian
 * Several genealogical articles with abstracts of Claiborne 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.
 * Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Claiborne County, Tennessee records have been published in the Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin (39+ vols., 1972-present), the journal of the Watauga Association of Genealogists. The organization has posted tables of contents for most volumes on their website. Back issues are available for purchase. The Family History Library has a complete collection FHL US/CAN Books 976.897 B2w, including Margaret W. Hougland and Betty Jane Hylton's Bulletin Subject Index: The First Thirty Years, 1972-2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.: Watauga Association of Genealogists, 2002) FHL US/CAN Book 976.897 B2w index 1972-2001.

Prisons
Learn if your Claiborne 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
Claiborne County's early Will Books have been lost. Surviving records begin in the late 1830s. TSLA microfilmed Claiborne County Wills 1893 to 1932. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 898402.

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


 * 1) Inventories and Settlements of Estates, Wills: Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions: 1812-1814

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


 * [1812-1814] Strictly By Name (see above).
 * [1837-1865] Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Will Books, 1837-1865, Claiborne County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1939. FHL US/CAN Films 24619-24620, 464088-464089. [Will Books A to D.]
 * [1837-1846] Claiborne County, Tennessee, Will Book A, 1837-1846. n.p.: Claiborne County Historical Society, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 P2c.
 * [1839-1861] 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!
 * [1844-1865] Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley. Index to the Probate Court Records Claiborne County, Tennessee 1844-1865: Estate Settlements, Wills, Inventories, Sales, Guardian Reports; the Records Copied by the Historical Records Survey Transcritpion Unit as Will Books B, C, D. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: V.B. Fletcher, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 P2f.
 * [1848-1851] Claiborne County Will Books Vol. 1-1848-1851. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications. s.d. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1851-1855] Claiborne County Will Books Vol. 2-1851-1855. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications. s.d. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1855-1865] Claiborne County Will Books Vol. 3-1855-1865. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications. s.d. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.
 * [1878-1921] Claiborne County, Tennessee, Bonds and Letters of Administration, December 1878 - August 1921. Kentucky: Simmons Historical Publications. s.d. Digital version at World Vital Records ($); purchase at Simmons Historical Publications.

Taxation
The original Claiborne County Tax Books covering the years 1850 to 1900 (gaps) were microfilmed by the TSLA. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 898419.

The following Claiborne County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1803] 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 1803 tax list.]
 * [1803] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1803 petition.]
 * [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 Claiborne County.]
 * [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 Claiborne County.]
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. Claiborne County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil District and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 R4d; online: free surname index and purchase details.
 * [1839] Lemasters, Paul W. and Claiborne County Historical Society. Claiborne County, Tennessee, 1839 Tax List. n.p.: Claiborne County Historical Society, 199-?. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 R48L.
 * [1857] District No. 10, 1857, Pathways. Maynardville TN: Sep 2002. Vol. 21 Iss. 3.

Transportation

 * Stage Book Belonging to Harman Roberts, Sr., Claiborne Co., Tennessee, 1846-1848. MSS.; FHL US/CAN Film 898421.

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


 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

The following Claiborne County Courthouse marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed:


 * [1838-1868] 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!

Death

 * Wiefering, Edna and Cleveland Public Library. Claiborne County, Tennessee, Vital Statistics, 1914 through 1925. Cleveland, Tenn.: Cleveland Public Library, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8944 V2w.

For deaths of Methodists in Claiborne 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
Claiborne County Historical Society P.O. Box 32 Tazewell, TN 37879 Phone: 1-423-526-5737

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

Barbara Reynolds Carr Memorial Library 1304 Old Knoxville Road Tazewell, TN 37879 Phone: 1-423-626-5414

Family History Centers
Cumberland Gap Tennessee 2063 Highway 63 Arthur, Claiborne, TN

Phone: 1-423-869-2481 Hours: By appt These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * Claiborne County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Claiborne County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Claiborne County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum
 * Claiborne County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Claiborne County, TN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (MyTennesseeGenealogy)
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Mailing List: TNCLAIBO-L (Claiborne 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: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List) (RootsWeb)