White County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for John White (1751-1846), a Revolutionary War soldier, surveyor, and frontiersman who was the first known white settler of the area. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
White County Courthouse 1 East Brockman Way Sparta,TN 38583 County Courthouse Phone: 931-836-3205 County Clerk Phone: 931-836-3712

County Pronunciation
 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

History Timeline
Additional Information Middle Tennessee county.

The county is named after "John White, Revolutionary War soldier and the first European-American settler in the county."

Biographies

 * All of the family biographies from the History of White County, Tennessee (1887) by Goodspeed Publishing Co., are availableonline at My Genealogy Hound.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes White 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 White 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 White County, Tennessee census assignments, including links to transcribed files and scanned images of census microfilm. 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. Google Books

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.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. IncludesAfrican 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:.

The following book is a useful aid for finding the original records. Aonline index, provided by Lineages,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. ; digital version at Lineages. Covers this county.

1870


 * McComb, Joyce B. White County, Tennessee, 1870 Federal Census. Lexington, South Carolina: J.B. McComb, 1990.

1880


 * Sistler, Barbara and Byron H. Sistler. 1880 Census White County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler and Associates, 1999.

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry $

1920


 * Young, Denise, ed. White County, Tennessee Census, 1920 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * White County, Tennessee Census, 1920 at Ancestry $

Church Records

 * Grime, John Harvey. History of Middle Tennessee Baptists: With Special Reference to Salem, New Salem, Enon and Wiseman Associations. Nashville, Tennessee: Baptist and Reflector, 1902.Includes names changes for places in Middle Tennessee.

Court Records

 * 1809-1975 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection. This is a collection of records from White County including marriages, 1950-1975; chancery court records 1825-1937, and circuit court records, 1809-1900. The county court records include primarily probate records. The chancery and circuit court records include disputed estate and property records, some wills, and divorces.


 * Free online indexto the court records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five White County CDs, which include a digitized version of these court records, and a variety of other local records. The court records that are included are:


 * County Court Minute Book 1806-1811
 * County Court Minute Book 1812-1814
 * County Court Minute Book, Parts 1 &amp; II 1814-1817
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes 1817-1819
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes 1819-1820
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes 1820
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes, Vol. 6, Part I 1820-1823
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes, Parts I, II &amp; III 1824-1827
 * Court of Pleas &amp; Quarter Sessions, Minutes, Parts I &amp; II 1835-1841

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.

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

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


 * Brown - Descendant of Dempsey Brown, b. 1836 White County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 25 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 103773). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 10), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Matches have been found.
 * Brown - Multiple descendants of Richard Brown, b. 1785 North Carolina, resident of White County, Tennessee 1800s-1828, d. 1850 Polk County, Missouri. Y-DNA 25 and 37 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 5292, 5233). Genetic signatures available online (labeled Group No. 6), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. A match has been found.

General


 * As of August 2010, a query for persons born in White, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 80,000 entries.


 * Heritage of White County, 1806-1999. (Sparta, Tenn.): White County History Book Committee, 1999.

Bibliography


 * Allen - Bailey, Chris. H. Eliakim Potter's Bible. Microfilmed 1995. Item 98. 1 page.
 * Austin - Boyd, Larry C. and Austin Family Association of Lost Creek. Austin Family Association of Lost Creek Annual Reunion. Newsletter. McMinnville, Tenn.: Austin Family Association of Lost Creek, 1965-1991.
 * Austin - Sampson, Douglas H. Some Inter-related Families of Livingston County, Missouri. Boulder, Colo.: D.H. Sampson, 1985.
 * Austin - Moore, Mabel Joyce Austin. John Austin, Sr. Family 1779-1999. Sparta, Tenn.: M.J.A. Moore, 1999. digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Boyd - Boyd, R. Vernon. The Boyds of Sequatchie Valley, Tn. Typescript, microfilmed in 1993. [ https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/153365-the-boyds-of-sequatchie-valley-tn?offset=1 FamilySearch Digital Library]; Item 37.
 * Cameron - Cameron, James Griffith. The Story of our Cameron, Freeman, Griffith, Masterson and Allied Families in America. Bellevue, Wash.: J.G. Cameron, 1983.
 * Charles - Smith, Sybil Roberts. The Charles Branch of My Sunshine Tree. Grove, Okla.: S.R. Smith, 1983.
 * Connelly - Wallace, Anita Margie Bailey. Connelly History: with Branches of Platte, McConnell, Pennington, Evans, Simpson, Gallagher. Tulsa, Oklahoma: A.M.B. Wallace, 1973.
 * Cope - Barry, Fredrick M. and Geneva Barry. The Family of Isaac Denton Cantrell and Sindrilla Cope. Franklin, N.C.: Genealogical Pub. Service, 1993.
 * Crain - Crain, Solon P. and Marguerite Starr Crain. Ten Sons of Oliver. Midland, Texas: S.P. &amp; M.S. Crain, 1972.
 * Creech - Heinemann, Martha. Creeches Who were Legal Heirs of Thomas Robertson of White County, Tennessee. Typescript. Microfilmed in 2000. Item 6.
 * Defreese - Gart, Jeanne Brooks. John Defreese and His Descendants. Mitchellville, Md.: J.B. Gart, 2002.
 * Derossett - Daniels, Jeanette K.B. The Derossett Family and Allied Lines. Salt Lake City, Utah?: Know Your Heritage Organization, (1990).
 * Dibrell - McMahan, Mary Louise and Marian Carter. Descendants of James Crockett Dibrell and Margaret Virginia Mooney Dibrell. McKinney, Texas: M.L. McMahan &amp; M. Carter, 1998.
 * England - Austin-Raichart, Deb and Jan Fodrocy. Descendants of Aaron England. Sparta, Tenn.: D. Austin-Raichart, (199?). FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Evett - Baer, Frank L. The McNew Family of Washington Co., Va. Typescript, National Library, DAR. Microfilmed 1971. Item 4.
 * Fergus - Fergus-O'Brien, Adele. Fergus, Loos, Snyder Histories: Photocopies of Original Publications by Other Authors. n.p.: A. Fergus-O'Brien, 1945, 1959, 1964.
 * Gillentine - Miller, Lynne D. Texas Ballards. Lincolnton, N.C.: L.D. Miller, 2000. ;.
 * Glenn - Glenn, Wayne. The Glenn Family of Lancaster County, Pa., Orange County, N.C., Caswell County, N.C., Lincoln County, N.C., White County, Tenn., Marshall County, Tenn., and Christian County, Mo.: Related Families Include Ramsay, Simpson, Reynolds, Wilson, Simmons, Clark, Grigg, Phillips, Beard, Collins. Nixa, Missouri: W. Glenn, 1985..
 * Goad - Worland, Wanda June Goad. Goad: Including Descendants of James Isham Goad, 1842-1989 and Related Families. Hemet, Calif.: W. Worland, 1992.
 * Hinesly - Nicolaides, Ray. Hinesly Family History. Typescript, microfilmed 1978. Item 19.
 * Howard - Landis, Carolynn Butler. The Ancestors &amp; Dependants [i.e. Descendants] of William Thomas Howard and Missouri Isabelle Hampton of Hamilton County, Illinois: and Allied Families of Brown, Burch, Buttery, Crouse, Hamilton, Harrington, Melton &amp; Others. Fort Jones, Calif.: C.B. Landis, 1984.
 * Jackson - Jackson, Michael Stephen. A Jackson Family History: Putnam County, Tennessee and Beyond... Freeburg, Ill.: M.S. Jackson, 1993.
 * Johnson - England, Ruth Helon Johnson. Johnson and Related Families. Sparta, Tenn.: R.H.J. England, 1988.
 * Ketcherside - Ketcherside Family Association et al. Ketcherside Newsletter. Maryville, Tenn.: N.E.K. Howard, 1990-present.
 * Ketcherside - Ketchersid, Burrell Monroe, Harry Lee Howard and Nancy Ellen Ketchersid Howard. Thomas Ketcherside and His Descendants, 1745-1995. Maryville, Tenn.: Ketchersid Family History Project, 1995.
 * McGowen - Love, Terry M. The Descendants of William McGowen of Tyrrell County, North Carolina [sic]. Lakeville, Minn.: T.M. Love, 1998.
 * McPeak - McPeak, Hugh Ray and Carroll Leroy. The William McPeak Family History [S.I.:s.n.], 1967. FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Martin - Boyd, Harold L. and Shirley R. Martin Boyd. Footprints to the Past: Boyd--Martin Genealogy, 1415-1993. Clay Center, Kansas: H.L. &amp; S.M. Boyd, (1993). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Ogle - Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. . The Ogle family is discussed in Vol. 1.
 * Parker - Parker, Gladys Harris, Anna Beth Heffernan and Pearl Scott Rattan. Robert Arthur Parker, a Texas Pioneer: Ancestors, Descendants, Related Families. Irving, Texas: A. B. Heffernan, 1985.
 * Pennington - Barnes, Josephine Auner and Irma Beghtol Kate. Genealogies of Kate--Beghtol--Vance--Boone--Pennington Families. West Des Moines, Iowa: J.A. Barnes, 1986.
 * Pennington - Jones, Marvin T. Some Descendants of Ephraim Pennington of Rowan County, North Carolina: Including those of Pennington's Point, McDonough County, Illinois. Wyndmere, North Dakota: M.T. Jones, 1994.
 * Plumlee - Houp, J. Randall. The Descendants of Isaac &amp; Margaret (Bradshaw) Plumlee, White County, Tennessee. Alma, Ark.: J. Randall Houp, 1991..
 * Porter - Keenan, Gene and Frances. Eight Generations of Porters: from 1750 in Tennessee to 1922 in California. Sparks, Nevada: E. and F. Keenan, 1992? Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Family History Library.
 * Robertson - Robertson, Frank Allen. William Crockett Robertson, Ancestors - Descendants &amp; Related Families. Houston, Texas: F.A. Robertson, 1984.
 * Robertson - Heinemann, Martha. Thomas Robertson of Gum Springs, White County, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1992. Item 32.
 * Robertson - Heinemann, Martha. John Robertson. Typescript. Microfilmed in 1992. Item 27.
 * Robertson - Heinemann, Martha. Creeches Who were Legal Heirs of Thomas Robertson of White County, Tennessee. Typescript. Microfilmed in 2000. Item 6.
 * Scarbrough - Scarbrough, John Frederick. The Scarbrough's and Houlette's of the Cumberlands. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: J.F. Scarbrough, (1994?).
 * Stewart - Stewart, Larimore. Dempsey Stewart of South Carolina and Tennessee. Sparta, Tenn.: L. Stewart, (198-?).
 * Walling - Davis, Betty Smith. Our Walling Family: Texans, Tennesseans and Others. Humble, Texas: B.S. Davis, 1991..
 * Webb - Webb, Charles C. The Webb Family of White County, Tennessee. 195-?..
 * Whitaker - Swafford, William Bryson and Jeannette Lain Swafford. The Swafford--Whitaker Connection. Fort Smith, Ark.: W.B. &amp; J.L. Swafford, 199-.
 * Whiteley - Graves, Francis Marie. Isaac Whiteley Descendants. MSS., Carroll County Historical Society, Berryville, Ark. Microfilmed 1981.

Land and Property Records
Online Records and Indexes
 * 1801-1809 Deed Book A: 1801-1809 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1807-1809 Deed Book B: 1807-1809 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1810-1811 Deed Book C: 1810-1811 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1811-1812 Deed Book D: 1811-1812 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1812-1817 Deed Book E: 1812-1817 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1817-1820 Deed Book F: 1817-1820 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1820-1828 Deed Book G: 1820-1828 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1834-1842 Deed Book I-J: 1834-1842 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1842-1844 Deed Book N: 1842-1844 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1844-1849 Deed Book O: 1844-1849 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1848-1851 Deed Book P: 1848-1851 Strictly By Name - Index only
 * 1851-1852 Deed Book Q: 1851-1852 Strictly By Name - Index only

Local Histories

 * The Goodspeed Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren and White Counties: With Biographical Sketches and Aboriginal Map of Tennessee. McMinnville, TN: B. Lomond Press, 1972. Reprint. Originally published: Nashville, TN: Goodspeed Pub. Co., 1887. Available at Digital version available at World Vital Records ($). Available for purchase at Quintin Publications.
 * Seals, Monroe. History of White County. 1935. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 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. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, White County on pages 157-158.
 * 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.

War of 1812
 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Jul. 1961):95-98; Vol. 8, No. 4 (Oct. 1961):122-124. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes White County pensioners (p. 123).

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  (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry  (free)
 * 1891-1965 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 at Ancestry
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Colms') (20th Battalion) (Confederate) - Companies A, B, C, D, and E.
 * 13th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Gore's) - CSA - Companies D, H, I, and K.
 * 16th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies G and K.
 * 22nd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Murray's) - CSA - Companies A and B.
 * 25th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies A, C, E, and K.
 * 28th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company C.
 * 28th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (2nd Tennessee Mountain Volunteers) - CSA - Company K.
 * 50th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry- CSA - Companies H and K.

Union Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Mounted Infantry - Company B

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from White County:


 * USGenWeb Archives, White County Tennessee Archives. Military Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: White 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. White County, page 386.
 * TNGenWeb, White County Civil War Units.
 * Legends &amp; Stories of White County, TN, By Coral Williams.Abstract, Contents, &amp; Introduction. "The purpose of this study is to bring together the legends and stories of White County, Tennessee, and thus to collect and preserve the adventures and experiences of those hardy pioneers who established the country and of those brave characters who endured the fortunes of the Civil War."
 * Head, Thomas A. Campaigns and battles of the Sixteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers, in the war between the states, with incidental sketches of the part performed by other Tennessee troops in the same war.1861-1865. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1885. Free digital copy.

Newspapers

 * The organization Strictly By Name providesonline indexes to early Sparta, White County, Tennessee newspapers. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:
 * 1824 Sparta Review - Sparta, Tennessee
 * 1825 Sparta Review - Sparta, Tennessee
 * 1829-1831 Miscellaneous Newspapers - Sparta, Tennessee
 * 1832-1833 Miscellaneous Newspapers - Sparta, Tennessee
 * 1841-1855 Miscellaneous Newspapers - Sparta, Tennessee
 * 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 White County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Bon Air
 * Doyle
 * Sparta


 * 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;
 * 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 Past Finder: Quarterly published by the White County Genealogical-Historical Society. See Table of Contents
 * 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 White County Court and County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records.Many records are held by the White County Archives (click here for more information.)

Online Records
 * 1779-2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry  $
 * 1810-1967 White County portion of  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; handwritten indexes may be found at the front or back of some volumes.
 * 1810-1828 Wills and Inventories: 1810-1828 Strictly By Name - Index only

Free online index to the probate records transcribed by the WPA, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells a set of five White County CDs, which include a digitized version of these probate records, and a variety of other local records. The probate records that are included are:
 * Inventories and Will Book A 1810-1828
 * Inventories and Will Book B (not complete) 1831-1840

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * 1841-1855 - Hickerson, Elma Lee. Tennessee Records of White County Wills, 1841-1855. 2 volumes. Nashville, Tennessee: Filmed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1968. Volume 1 is an indexed, volume is not. (FHL film 464153-464154 Item 1.)
 * 1810-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990. . Includes an index to this county's probate records.

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
The original White County tax records are held at the County Courthouse. Julia Cauble Smith's "White County Tax Districts -- Overview," hosted online by TNGenWeb, will help researchers understand how the county was divided into tax districts.

Images of White County's original tax records have been reproduced multiple times:


 * 1811-1815 - White County Tax Book 1811-1815. TSLA Reel #123, Nashville, Tenn.
 * 1811-1876 - Haston, Wayne. 1811-1876 Tax Lists: White County, Tennessee. CD-ROM. Purchase at The Heritage of Daniel Haston. Free transcripts of Militia/Civil District for Caney Fork-Cane Creek Area 1811-1839, taken from this resource, are available online.
 * 1811-1965 - White County Tax Books 1811-1865. 28 microfilm reels
 * 1816-1829 - White County Tax Books 1816-1829. Items 2-4
 * 1832-1836 - White County Tax Books 1832-1836. Item 1
 * 1955-1966- Federal tax liens for White County, Tennessee, 1955-1966. Nashville: TSLA, 1967.  Item 2

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1811-1815 - 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. Google Books. Cites White County Tax Book, 1811-1815 as a source.
 * 1811 - Hughes, T.P.. "White County, Tennessee 1811 Tax List," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1971):106-118. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see White.
 * 1811-1815 - Historical Records Survey.Tax books, 1811-1815, White County, Tennesssee. Nashville: TSLA, Typescript. ''
 * 1811, 1825 Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. (Includes 1811 and 1825 tax lists.)
 * 1811-1826 - Select abstracts of White County, Tennessee Tax Lists 1811-1826, available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb. (Source: FHL US/CAN Film 507969.)
 * 1812 "White County, Tennessee: Census of Taxable Inhabitants, 1 Jan. 1812," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 12, No. 4 :189-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1812 Gant, Wanda. "White County, TN 1812 Tax List," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. Source: TSLA Roll# 123 Book 1812.
 * 1813 "White County Sheriff Reports Some Unpaid 1813 Taxes," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 46, No. 3 (Fall 1999):39. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1813 Sheriffs Report, Unpaid Taxes, 1813, Past Finder, Vol. 6, No. 5 (Sep. 1999).
 * 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 White County.)
 * 1820-1821 - Road Docket, 1820/21, Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 4 (Winter 1991).
 * 1826 "A List Containing the Names and Number of Free Male Inhabitants of the Age of Twenty-one Years and Upwards. Resident Citizens of White County, Tennessee, on the 1st Day of January 1826," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 9, No. 2 :42-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1836 "White County, Tennessee Civil District Boundaries 1836," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 9, No. 3 :80-; Vol. 10, No. 1 :7-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1844 "White County, Tennessee: District 9 Taxpayers 1844," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 12, No. 2 :92-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1848 "White County, Tennessee: Delinquent Taxpayers 1848," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 13, No. 2 :77-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1851 "White County, Tennessee: Eligible Voters as of 1 January 1851," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 17, No. 2 :68-; Vol. 17, No. 3 :101-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1854 "White County, Tennessee: A List of Some White County, TN Voters, 1854," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 10, No. 3 :83-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1860s - "White County, Tennessee: Civil War Tax List," The Upper Cumberland Researcher, Vol. 3, No. 5 :3-. For access, see Periodicals.
 * 1862 Assessments, 1862, Past Finder, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Jul. 1999).
 * 1862 Persons Released from Paying Taxes, 1862, The Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 1 (Spring 1987). For access, see Periodicals.

Vital Records

 * For free lookups of vital statistics 1914-1925, see White County TNGenWeb.

Birth

 * 1881-1909 - White County Birth Index 1881-1909 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 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
 * 1809-1859 - White County, Tennessee Oldest Marriage Book, 1809-1859. Digital Book MyHeritage
 * 1838-1860 - Marriage Records, 1838-1860, White County, Tennessee. FHL Film 24865 Item 1 Typescript. (click on camera to open)
 * 1838-1888 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1838-1933 - White County Marriage Index 1838-1933 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1851-1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry $

Book Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1809-1870 - Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. FHL Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 Indexes of brides, grooms, marriage or marriage bond dates for this county for specified years.
 * 1859-1881 - White County Marriage Records: Part of book 1, January 11, 1859 to June 11, 1881. FHL Book 976.866 V2w
 * 1921-1957 - White County, Tennessee, Marriages March 1921-August 1957. FHL Book 976.866 V28a

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 $
 * 1914-1966 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * W.P.A. Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: The Tennessee Historical Records Survey, 1941. FamilySearch Books Online

Libraries
White County Public Library 11 North Church St. Sparta, TN 38583 931-836-3613 Website
 * Genealogical resources include regional history books, family history books, and White County records on microfilm. A computer provides Internet access and the full texts of obituaries from The Expositor in recent years, with an index for each year.

Societies
White County Genealogical-Historical Society 1 E. Bockman Way, Room 304 Courthouse Sparta, TN 38583-2035 Website
 * Publication: PastFinder. Quarterly since 1994. Table of Contents online. The society collects numerous genealogical materials about the area. See the website for a list of resources available.

Bon Air Mountain Historical Society 9479 Crossville Hwy Sparta, TN 38583 931-935-6463 website

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 Website
 * The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which White County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Websites

 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * White County, TN Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * White County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * White 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: White County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)