James County, Tennessee Genealogy

James County was created in 1871 from parts of Bradley and Hamilton counties. James County went bankrupt in 1919. As a result it was reincorporated into Hamilton County. James County is now extinct.

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. They rely on AniMap 3.0 software.

Record Loss
For a list of record loss in Tennessee counties see: Tennessee Counties with Burned Courthouses

Courthouse fires in 1890 and 1913 caused extensive record loss from the James County Courthouse. The remaining James County records are now housed in Hamilton County.

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published James County biography and marriage records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

The following book includes history, vital records, biographies and other miscellaneous records of James County:


 * Donnelly, Polly W. et al. James County: A Lost County of Tennessee. Ooltewah, Tenn.: Old James County Chapter, East Tennessee Historical Society, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.882 H2j.

The following book includes newspaper clippings, cemeteries and other miscellaneous information.


 * Wooten, John Morgan. James County Scrapbook. 1930s. FHL US/CAN Film 966946 Item 2.

Census
1880


 * 1880 Census Listing (partial) - via the James County TN Historical Society
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, James County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.882 X2s 1880.

Military
War of 1812


 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct. 1960):90-93. ; digital version at journal website. [Includes James County pensioners (p. 90).]

Vital Records
Marriage


 * Douthat, James L. James County, Tennessee, Marriages 1913-1919. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1986. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A1 no. 102.

Divorce

In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of James County divorce papers in diverse Hamilton County Courthouse records, see:


 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 A3gp.

Websites

 * James County, TN Genealogy (USGenWeb)