Jackson County, Tennessee Genealogy

Guide to Jackson County, Tennessee ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Jackson County was named for Andrew Jackson, who by 1801 had already served as a U.S. Congressman and Senator from Tennessee, a Tennessee Supreme Court justice, and a colonel in the Tennessee militia. He became more widely known as commander at the Battle of New Orleans and as the seventh President of the United States. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse 101 East Hull Ave. Gainesboro, TN 38562 Jackson County Courthouse Phone: 931-268-9212 Register of Deeds Phone: 931-268-9012 County Clerk Phone: 800-342-1003 Circuit Court Clerk  Phone: 931-268-9314 Clerk and Master Phone: 931-268-9877

County Clerk has marriage and probate records from 1870 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:

History Timeline
Additional Information

Middle Tennessee county established in 1801. The western part of the county belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.

The county was named after Colonel Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who became the Seventh President of the United States in 1829.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. . Includes Jackson County.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

Census Records
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 federal population censuses of Jackson 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 Jackson County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®

1810 Lost

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..

1810-1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry ($)

1820


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. . Online at Ancestry ($).
 * Butler, Cass. C. The 1820 U.S. Census, Jackson County, Tennessee a Transcription of the Decennial Population Enumeration and Manufacturers Schedule for the Fourth Census of the United States Taken in Jackson County, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, Utah C. Butler, c2000.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," online at Free African Americans. Includes African Americans in this county.

1820 Manufactures

The original manufactures schedules for the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee are kept at the NARA, Washington, D.C. FHL copies:.


 * National Archives. Indexes to Manufactures Census of 1820. 1920; reprint, Knightstown, Ind.: Bookmark, 1977..

1840


 * Lee, Ramona H. Jackson County, Tennessee 1840 U.S Census. Mountain Home, Arkansas R.H. Lee, 198-?.

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Jackson County on page 156.

1850


 * Lee, Ramona H. Jackson, County, Tennessee, 1850 United States Census. Mountain Home, Arkansas R.H. Lee, 1984.

1860


 * McComb, Joyce B.Jackson County, Tennessee 1860 Federal Census, USA. Lexington, South Carolina J.B. McComb, c1992.
 * McComb, Joyce B. et al. 1860 Federal Census, Jackson County, Tennessee. Lafayette, Tennessee Ridge Runner, c2004

1870


 * Cason, Mildred C. Jackson County, Tennessee 1870 Census. Nashville, Tennessee M.C. Cason, c1998

1880


 * Scanned census images. USGenWeb Archives
 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Jackson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1991.

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. . Jackson 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..
 * __.Jackson Co., Tennessee 1890 Census Notes. Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee: Filmed by the TSLA, 1975. Item 3.

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry ($)

1910


 * Ligon, Edward et al. The United States thirteenth Census of Jackson County, Tennessee, 1910. Livingston, Tennessee: R.K. Bilbrey, 2002.

1920


 * Jackson County, Tennessee Census, 1920 at Ancestry ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Baptist
 * Spring Creek. Minutes (1802-1868) available online.

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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. Includes African Americans in this county.

Genealogies

 * Jackson County Historical Society. The Jackson County Family History Book: 200 Years of Memories. Gainesboro, Tenn.: Jackson County Historical Society, 1996. Free Lookups Available!
 * Masters, Jack and Bill Puryear. Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804: Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots. Gallatin, Tenn.: Warioto Press, 2009. . Supplements: ff.
 * Darnell - Darnell, C.A. Darnell Family &amp; Related Families &amp; Papers, ca. 1750-1983: Connects to These Names, Glenn, Jefferies, Smith, Fleenor, Hensley. MSS. Microfilmed 1984:.
 * Denton - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Some of the Descendants of Rev. Richard Denton. McMinnville, TN: Womack Print. Co., 1959. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D435; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library, and Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Dyer - Preator, Richard E. The Descendants of James Dyer and Jane Finn of Jackson Co. Tennessee. Salem, Mass.: Higginson, 1998..
 * Gist - Dorsey, Jean Muir. Christopher Gist of Maryland and Some of His Descendants, 1679-1957, Chicago, IL: J.S. Swift Co., 1958. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G447; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * Grissom - McKinney, Irene. Wm. Grissom &amp; Dicy Arteberry, Wash. Co., Tn. to Jackson Co., Tn. to Monroe Co., Ky: and Some Dillards. Lompoc, Calif.: I. McKinney, 1986..
 * Hawkins - Hawkins, Harold Allen and Elrod, Janice Hawkins Echoes of Spring Creek a genealogy of the Hawkins family and related families of Jackson County and the surrounding area [S.I.] H.A. Hawkins and J.H. Elrod, c2000 . Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Maxwell - Maxwell, Harry L. Descendants of Samuel Maxwell of Putnam County and Jackson County, TN. Cookeville, Tenn.: H.L. Maxwell, (199-?). .Digital version available at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Waddell - Madeira, Pauline and Kim Beauchamp. The Ancestors of Harvey Louis Hardin with Chapters on the Descendants of Samuel Sanford Hardin, James Pate, David McAlister, William Waddell, Samuel P. Griggs and John Selby. S.l.: Rex H. Madeira, Jr., 1999.

Land and Property Records

 * Jackson County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1872 and is located at the county Courthouse, P.O. Box 346, 101 E Hull Ave, Gainesboro, Tenessee 38562; Telephone: (931) 268-9212. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds 1872-1902 with indexes 1872-1925; land entries 1873-1901; ranger books 1817-1860.

Land Grants


 * Free index to 1500+ Pioneer Cumberland Settlements Land Grants, available online, courtesy: Cumberland Pioneer Settlers. The Cumberland Settlements region covered what is now this county..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1777-1985 Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * Jackson County, Tennessee Civil Districts 1836 at Tennessee State Library & Archives.
 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Jackson County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pensioners as listed in the census of 1818, 1821 and 1840.

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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Jackson County on page 156.
 * Jones, Christine Spivey. Pension Claims from Jackson County, Tennessee. Cookeville: Tenn.: Technological University, 1994.
 * 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.
 * Works Projects Administration (Tennessee). Jackson County, Tennessee: WPA Records. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1991. . Includes Revolutionary War records.

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 Jackson County pensioners (p. 90).
 * Jackson County, Tennessee War of 1812 Research 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
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * 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


 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Murray's) - CSA - Company E.
 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies G and H.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Gore's) - CSA - Company G.
 * 17th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company R.
 * 25th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company G.
 * 28th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, B, D, and K.
 * 28th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (2nd Tennessee Mountain Volunteers) - CSA - Companies E, F, and G.
 * 34th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (4th Confederate Infantry) - CSA - Company D.
 * 51st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA

Union Soldiers


 * 8th Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Companies B and D.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Jackson County:


 * USGenWeb Archives, Jackson County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Pensions.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Jackson 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. Jackson County, page 348-349.
 * TNGenWeb, Jackson County Civil War Research. Includes Union and Confederate information.

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 Jackson County click on the following town:


 * Gainesboro


 * 1794-1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..
 * 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?)

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;
 * Family Findings: Quarterly of the Mid-West Tennessee Genealogical Society. For tables of contents and online access to issues, see TNGenWeb Project. Also try this specialized Google search..
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History: Quarterly magazine of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society. For surnames, use the volume-by-volume index, or do a keyword search of the Article Index..


 * The Trace: Available through the Jackson County Historical Society


 * The Upper Cumberland Researcher: Quarterly magazine of Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association. Articles include abstracts of records of Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren, and White counties. Index of first 17 years, with county list starting on page 19. (1975-1993) and  (1994-present).

Probate Records
The Jackson County Court has responsibility for probate records.

Online Records and Indexes


 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1809-1810 SourtheasternGenealogy.com Images of Wills ($)
 * 1810-1932 Jackson County portion of at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.

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
Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1789 Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990).
 * 1802 Hughes, Thomas P. and Jewel B. Standefer. "Jackson County, Tennessee-1802 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 19, No. 2 (April-June 1972):63-65.
 * 1802 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. [Includes 1802 tax list.]
 * 1802-1803 "1802 &amp; 1803 Tax Lists," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 4, No. 1 :6-.
 * 1802 Tax List, 1802, Overton County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Fall 1999).
 * 1802 "Jackson County Land To Be Sold for Taxes in 1802, Sheriff Says" Ansearchin' News, Vol. 48, No. 4 (Winter 2001):45.
 * 1803 Paessler, Jane "Jackson County 1803 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Fall 1995):113-115.
 * 1804-1811 "Records, A List of Residents 1804-1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 5, No. 2 :5-. (See follow-up article, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 29.)
 * 1810 Lands for Tax Sale, 1810, The Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter 1993).
 * 1811 "Delinquent Taxes - 1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 3, No. 1 :26-.
 * 1811 "Unpaid Land Taxes, 1811," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 3 :.
 * 1812 "1804-1811 Tax List is Really 1812 Voters List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 6, No. 1 :29-.
 * 1814 "Direct Federal Tax-Delinquent Property Owners Listed for 1814," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 43, No. 3(Fall 1996):115-120.
 * 1836 Tax List, 1836, The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 1997).
 * 1836 Civil Districts and Tax List, 1836, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2002).
 * 1836 Douthat, James L. 1836 Jackson County, Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2002. . Mountain Press provides online surname list.
 * 1851 "Voters List, 1851," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 14, No. 3 :137-; Vol. 14, No. 4 :168-; Vol. 15, No. 1 :14-.
 * 1860s Civil War Tax List, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1978).
 * 1865-1871 Property Sold for Taxes in Chancery Court, 1865-1871, The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Fall 2004).

Birth

 * 1828-1939 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1869-1909 Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1872-1895 - Jackson County Marriage Index 1872-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch-
 * 1888-1974 Jackson County Records, 1801-1974 at FamilySearch. Digital images of marriage records. Records of the Chancery and Circuit Courts, 1801-1962 (not added as of Nov 2019).
 * 1980-2014 Marriage Records Index 1980-2014 at Shelby County Register of Deeds - index

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * Jackson County, Tennessee Marriage and Death Records. FHL US/CAN book 976.851 V2s

Death

 * 1874-1955 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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

Divorce

 * 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

Family History Centers

 * Cookeville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Crossville Tennessee Family History Center
 * Jamestown Tennessee Family History Center
 * Art Circle Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Charles Ralph Holland Memorial Library 205 W. Hull Avenue Gainesboro, TN 38562 Phone: 931-268-9190 Fax: 931-268-5706 Email: [mailto:jacksontylibrary@yahoo.com jacksontylibrary@yahoo.com] Facebook Website Collection includes a complete set of the microfilms of the Jackson County Chancery Court Cases, newspapers, and more.

Museums
Granville Museum 169 Clover Street Granville, TN 38564 Phone: 931-653-4151 Website

Societies
Jackson County Tennessee Genealogy P.O. Box 575 Cookeville, TN 38503-0575 Facebook Jackson County Historical Society 105 West Montpelier Avenue Gainesboro, TN 38562 Facebook Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc. P.O. Box 575 Cookeville, TN 38503-0575 Email: [mailto:info@ucga.info info@ucga.info] Website

Websites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Jackson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Jackson 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: Jackson County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)