Sumner County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Sumner County

Middle Tennessee county established in 1786. Sumner County belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.





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

County Courthouse
Sumner County Courthouse 355 North Belvedere Drive Gallatin, TN 37066 Phone: 615-452-4282

Sumner County Archives 365 North Belvedere Drive Gallatin, TN 37066 Phone: 615-452-0037 The archives is the official depository and research facility for county records. Almost all early county records are housed in the Archives. Hours: 8 am - 12 pm and 1 pm - 4:30 pm Mon. - Fri.

Sumner County Clerk Marriage and probate records 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111 Gallatin, TN 37066 Phone: 615-452-4063

Sumner County Register of Deeds Land records 355 North Belvedere Drive, Room 201 P.O. Box 299 Gallatin, TN 37066-0299 Phone: 615-452-3892

Sumner County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 101 Public Square P.O. Box 549 Gallatin, TN 37066 Phone: 615-452-4367

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 am - 4:30 pm Friday 8 am - 5:15 pm

History
The county is named after "Jethro Sumner (1733–1785), an American colonist who defended North Carolina against the British in 1780."

Parent County
1786--Sumner County was established 18 November 1786 from Davidson County. Early records may be found under Davidson County. County seat: Gallatin

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1810
 * County records are complete

Populated Places
Mansker's Fort built in 1780

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Sumner County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Genealogical Research in Sumner County," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 1988). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * "Sumner County Research," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Winter 1992). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African Americans

 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]


 * Free African Americans Enumerated in the 1860 Sumner County, Tennessee Census, available online, courtesy: Christine's Genealogy Website: Who are Your People?

Cemeteries

 * Tennessee cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Snider, Margaret Cummings and Yorgason, Joan Hollis Sumner County, Tennessee cemetery records Owensboro, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, 1981. FHL US/CAN book 976.847 V3 Free lookups available!


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Sumner County linking to the information about the people buried there,


 * Sumner Co. TN Cemetery Records, part of the TNGenWeb Cemetery Database, lists many cemeteries in the county, often with indexes and transcripts of the burials.


 * Sumner County, Tennessee, USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project lists many cemeteries in the county and has transcripts of the tombstones arranged by cemetery.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Sumner county. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Sumner County cemeteries

Census
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population censuses of Sumner 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.

1790 - Lost, only statistics survive, but substitutes are available:


 * Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. Purchase information at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog. [Includes a reconstructed 1790 census, sources: "Contemporary lists–tax lists, militia rolls, land grants and deeds, claims for pre-emption lands, names recorded in diaries and journals. And numerous histories compiled by local historians from records that we have not seen or read ourselves."]
 * Fulcher, Richard Carlton, comp. 1770-1790 Census of the Cumberland Settlements: Davidson, Sumner and Tennessee Counties (In what is now Tennessee). Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2f; digital version at World Vital Records ($).
 * McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990. FHL US/CAN Films 1728882 Item 4 and 1683130 Item 3.

1800 - Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

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


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * Presley, Leister E. Sumner County, Tennessee, Population Schedules of the United States Census of 1820. n.p.: n.p., n.d. FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 X2p 1820.
 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free 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: 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, 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.]

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, Middle District, Sumner County on page 157.]

1850


 * Porch, Deane. Sumner County, Tennessee, 1850 Census. Franklin, Tenn.: Louise G. Lynch, 1972. FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 X2p 1850.

1870


 * 1870 U.S. Census, Sumner County, Tennessee. Gallatin, Tenn.: Sumner County Archives, [1995]. FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 X2 1870.

1880


 * Sumner County Archives and Samuel D. Sistler. 1880 Census, Sumner County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Assoc., 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 X2s 1880.

Church
Methodist Episcopal


 * Mathews, Reverend John D.D. Peeps into Life Autobiography. Methodist Episcopal Church Tennessee Conference, 1904. Free digital copy.

Court

 * Wilson, Shirley Sumner County, Tennessee: index to the loose records, 1786 to 1930 Richley Enterprises, 1988. Free lookups available!

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


 * [Brown] Descendant of Dance Brown, b. abt 1776/1777 Virginia, d. 1860 Sumner County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 25 Marker Test, FTDNA (Kit 96783). Genetic signature available online (labeled Group No. 57), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study. Matches have been found.
 * [Brown] Multiple descendants of Leonard Brown, b. 1740 Orange County, Virginia, d. 1833 Sumner County, Tennessee. Y-DNA 12 and 67 Marker Tests, FTDNA (Kits 96759, 103390). Genetic signatures available online (labeled Group No. 79), genealogical description available online, courtesy: Brown/Browne/Braun DNA Study.

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


 * Cisco, Jay Guy. Historic Sumner County, Tennessee, with Genealogies of the Bledsoe, Gage and Douglass Families and Genealogical Notes of Other Sumner County Families. Nashville, Tenn. Folk-Keelin Printing Company, 1909. Free digital copy, courtesy: Internet Archive. 1909 edition: FHL US/CAN Film 24838. 1984 index: FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 H2cj index. 1977 index: FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 H2c index.
 * 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. FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d. Supplements: FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 E7d supp. 1 ff. Purchase at Cumberland Pioneer Settlers.
 * Schell, William Buck. Genealogical Records: Schell, Cantrell, Sanders, Douglas, Baker Families, Sumner County, Tennessee - Fort Worth, Texas. Typescript, Clayton Library, Houston, Texas. Microfilmed in 1982. FHL US/CAN Film 1317399 Item 1.
 * Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Red River Settlers: Records of the Settlers of Northern Montgomery, Robertson, and Sumner Counties, Tennessee. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.84 D2w. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($) and World Vital Records ($).

Bibliography


 * [Abbott] See Lem(m)on.
 * [Alley] Lake County, California Genealogical Society. Alley Family Research File. MSS., microfilmed 1991. FHL US/CAN Film 1764674 Item 11.
 * [Barkley] Fischer, Kathryn Barkley The Barkley Brigade: The Story of John Barkley of Smith County, Tennessee and His Descendants, 1753-1994. Covington, Louisiana: Barkley-Symons Enterprises, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 929.273 B246; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Bledsoe] See also General section.
 * [Condley] Johnson, Mrs. Ross B. Some Early Settlers in Hickory County, Missouri from Sumner and Wilson Cos., Tenn.: with Some Genealogical Data on the Jordan L. Rhea Family, the Thomas Davis Family, the Robert Davis Family, the John S. Williams Family, the Elisha T. Condley Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 1975. FHL US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.
 * [Davis] Johnson, Mrs. Ross B. Some Early Settlers in Hickory County, Missouri from Sumner and Wilson Cos., Tenn.: with Some Genealogical Data on the Jordan L. Rhea Family, the Thomas Davis Family, the Robert Davis Family, the John S. Williams Family, the Elisha T. Condley Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 1975. FHL US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.
 * [Defrees] Gart, Jeanne Brooks, Frank W Defriece, and Elva Ann Bishop. James Defrees and His Descendants. Knoxville, Tenn.: Tennessee Valley Pub., 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 D362dg.
 * [Douglas] See also General section.
 * [Ferrell] Ferrell, Ed. Ferrell Family Records, ca. 1789-1930. [Juneau, Alaska]: E. Ferrell, 1991. FHL US/CAN Book 929.273 F413fee.
 * [Gage] See also General section.
 * [Garrison] Garrison, Lloyd Russell. The Descendants of John Garrison of Sumner County, Tennessee. Denton, TX: Terrill Wheeler Print. Co., 1961. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Gleaves] Barnes, Hilda H. Gleaves Families in Middle Tennessee. n.p.: Gleaves Family Association, 2009. FHL FAM HIST Compact Disc CD-ROM no. 5792.
 * [Green] Green, Elmore Allen. Edward Green of Sumner County, Tennessee: and Descendants. [Portland, Tenn.: n.p., 1972]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G821g.
 * [Hamilton] Hamilton, Thomas. Autobiography of Thomas Hamilton. Typescript, microfilmed 1972. FHL US/CAN Film 896607 Item 2.
 * [Harris] Elder, Pat Spurlock and Shelly Fingerett. Harris Portraits. Memphis, Tenn.: P.H. Elder, 1991. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 7741.
 * [Heermans] Heermans Family Bible Records, 1785-1893. Bible published 1850. FHL US/CAN Film 24840 Item 1.
 * [Hobdy] Law, Bob. History of the Hobdy (Hobday), Law, Helm, Cornwell, Lucas, Hanes and Related Families. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Law, [1981?]. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H652L.
 * [House] House, Luther Porter and Henry B. Brackin. Chronological Summary for Jacob and Micajah House Families and Descendants: Edgecombe County, North Carolina to Sumner County, Tennessee (1772-1988). [Atlanta?, Ga.: L.P. House?], 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 A1 no. 5975.
 * [Keen] Keen, H.T. Genealogy of the Keen Family of Wayne County, Illinois. Lawrenceville, Ill.: H.T. Keen, 1965. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 K25kf.
 * [Lauderdale] Lauderdale, Charles J. The Lauderdales of Scotland and America, 1056-1936. Joplin, MO: Gahagan Print. Co., 1937. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 1307515 Item 5, digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Leddy] Giles, Sharon Estis. John Leddy: Descendants of John Leddy, Born 1797 Ireland. n.p.: S.E. Giles, 2003. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 L498g.
 * [Lem(m)on] Lemmon, Gene Charles and the Lem(m)on Genealogical Society A genealogical biogrpahy of John Lem(m)on, Sr. Lancaster, California:G.C. Lemmon, 2003 FHL book 929.273 L543. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Loving] Hubbs, Ferol Frost. Hubbs - Frost and Allied Families. 1958. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H862hf.
 * [McAdams] Towell, Roy H. Isaac Towell and His Family: Including Towell-McAdams-Whitworth-Shaw-Fitzgerald &amp; Others, 1764-1990. Beaumont, Texas: R.H. Towell, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T65tr.
 * [McMurtry] McMurtry, Otis D. Chronology of the Life of John McMurtry, Esq., Soldier, Privateer of the American Revolution: Progentior of the McMurtry Clan of Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. FHL US/CAN Film 570838 Item 2.
 * [Neel] Neel, Charles Wayne. Neel and Allied Families. Grass Valley, Calif.: Memory Maker Productions,2007. FHL book 929.273 N292; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Pritchett] Horlacher, Doris Melissa Pritchett. Pritchett in America, Waller, Pritchard, Prickett, Phelan, 1987. Orem, Utah: Horlacher and Sons, 1987. FHL US/CAN Film 1421821 Item 9.
 * [Rhea] Johnson, Mrs. Ross B. Some Early Settlers in Hickory County, Missouri from Sumner and Wilson Cos., Tenn.: with Some Genealogical Data on the Jordan L. Rhea Family, the Thomas Davis Family, the Robert Davis Family, the John S. Williams Family, the Elisha T. Condley Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 1975. FHL US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.
 * [Tate] Carpenter, Evelyn Yates. Tate and Allied Families of Robertson County, Tennessee: Includes the Nearby Tennessee Counties of Davidson, Sumner, and Wilson. Includes Virginia and North Carolina, the States of Tate Family Origin. Includes Counties in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri and Throughout the United States Where Many Tate Families Migrated. Clarksville, Tenn.: Jostens, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T187c.
 * [Towell] Towell, Roy H. Isaac Towell and His Family: Including Towell-McAdams-Whitworth-Shaw-Fitzgerald &amp; Others, 1764-1990. Beaumont, Texas: R.H. Towell, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T65tr.
 * [Watts] Brooks, Dorothy Claybroke Watts. Thomas Watts and Alexander McElwain, Their Ancestors, Descendants, and Related Families. Memphis, Tenn.: D.C.W. Brooks, 1980. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6019187.
 * [West] Giulvezan, Isabel Stebbins. Notes on Amos West (1766-1819) of Sumner County, Tennessee, and Logan County, Kentucky. 1960. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W52gi; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * [West] Ikelman, Joy Hagen. Leonard West (1760-1842) and Descendants: A History of the West Family in Sumner County, Tennessee, Simpson County, Kentucky, and Pueblo County, Colorado: Includes Information on Couwenhoven, Dorris, Frost, Hendricks, Holloway, McMurry, Morgan, Schenck, Wyckoff. Longmont, Colo.: J.H. Ikelman, 1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W52i.
 * [Wilson] Johnson, Mrs. Ross B. Some Early Settlers in Hickory County, Missouri from Sumner and Wilson Cos., Tenn.: with Some Genealogical Data on the Jordan L. Rhea Family, the Thomas Davis Family, the Robert Davis Family, the John S. Williams Family, the Elisha T. Condley Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 1975. FHL US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.

Land
Deeds

Online limited every name index to early Sumner County Archive land records.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Sumner 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: 1797-1798
 * 2) Deed Book 1: 1793-1797
 * 3) Deed Book 2: 1798-1802
 * 4) Deed Book 3: 1800-1805

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. To view the land grants platted on maps, purchase the books described on this site, or access those available at the Family History Library FHL US/CAN Large Q Book 976.8 E7d.

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

 * Albright, Edward. Early History of Middle Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: Brandon Printing Co., 1909. Free digitzed copy.


 * Jay Guy. Historic Sumner County, Tennessee, with genealogies of the Bledsoe, Gage and Douglass families and genealogical notes of other Sumner County families. Nashville, Tenn. Folk-Keelin printing company, 1909. Free digital copy.

Maps

 * [1786] Reeves, Charles A. Hawkins &amp; Sumner Counties [Tennessee] - Created in 1786. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Migration

 * Johnson, Mrs. Ross B. Some Early Settlers in Hickory County, Missouri from Sumner and Wilson Cos., Tenn.: with Some Genealogical Data on the Jordan L. Rhea Family, the Thomas Davis Family, the Robert Davis Family, the John S. Williams Family, the Elisha T. Condley Family. Typescript, microfilmed in 1975. FHL US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.

Military
Online limited every name index to early Sumner County Archive military records.

Revolutionary War

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


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Cisco, Jay Guy Sumner County in War - Revolutionary Soldiers From Historic Sumner County, Tennessee 1909
 * Select Sumner County, Tennessee Revolutionary War pension records

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, Middle District, Sumner County on page 157.]
 * 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. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. [Includes Sumner County pensioners (pp. 96-97).]
 * Durham, Walter T. War of 1812 Muster Rolls from Old Sumner, A History of Sumner County, TN, from 1805-1861 Courtesy:TNGenWeb

Civil War


 * Duke, Basil Wilson. History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867. Free digital copy. Includes 9th Regiment, Tennessee Calvary (Ward's).
 * McMurray, William Joseph. History of the 20th Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. Nashville, Tennessee: s.p., 1904. Free digital copy.

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 Sumner County click on the following cities or towns:


 * Gallatin
 * Hendersonville
 * Portland
 * Westmoreland
 * White House

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Sumner 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 Sumner County, Tennessee records 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.

Bits and Pieces

For additional information see Sumner County Historical Society website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnsumner/schs.htm

The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History

Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Sumner County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2005). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly FHL US/CAN Book 976.85 D25m.

Prisons
Learn if your Sumner 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
Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death that relate to a court’s decisions regarding the distribution of the estate to the heirs or creditors and the care of any dependents. You may find the names of married daughters or other relatives and their residences; or information about the adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records do not always give an exact date of death, but the death usually occurred within four months of probate. These documents are important to family history researchers because they usually exist for time periods before civil birth and death records were kept.

The Sumner County Court has responsibility for the probate records.

Online limited every name index to early Sumner County Archive probate records.

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


 * 1) Will Book 1: 1789-1822
 * 2) Will Book 2: 1823-1842
 * 3) Will Book 3: 1842-1870
 * 4) Will Book 4: 1870-1891
 * 5) Will Book 5: 1891-1906

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


 * [1788-1861] 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 wills.]
 * [1789-1906] Strictly By Name (see above).
 * [1788-1882] Wilson, Shirley Sumner County, Tennessee, will abstracts, 1788-1882 Hendersonville, Tennessee : Wilson, 1987. FHL US/CAN book 976.847 P2w Free lookups available!

Taxation
The following Sumner County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1787-1795] Online limited every name index to Sumner County Archive tax records.
 * [1787] Moore, Betty Givens. "Sumner County, Tennessee, [1787] Tax List and [1817] Petition," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1967):133-135. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1787, 1792, 1811, 1816, 1823] 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 1787, 1792, 1811, 1816, and 1823 tax lists.]
 * [1787] Tax List, 1787, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Dec. 1979).
 * [1787] Tax List, 1787, Tennessee Genealogy and History, Vol. 3, No. 3 (1999).
 * [1787] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Taxable Property in Sumner County for the Year 1787," available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. (Source: Sumner County Tax Book, Sumner County Archives, Catalog #976.847SN-T.)
 * [1787-1794] Tax list, 1787-1794, Sumner County, Tennessee. Typescript, Historical Records Collection. Nashville: TSLA. Item 3
 * [1788] Tax List, 1788, Montgomery County Genealogical Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Mar. 1980).
 * [1788] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Taxable Property in Sumner County for the Year 1788," available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. (Source: Sumner County Tax Book, Sumner County Archives.)
 * [1789] Cumberland Settlements, Tax List, 1789, The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1990). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1789] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Tax, Paid for the paying of, the Militia employed in cutting the road and escorting families from the town and of Clinch Mountain to the Cumberland Settlements August 25th 1789, Part I," [Surnames A-H] available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. Part II [Surnames J-W] available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1790] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Tax for the year 1790, Part I," [Surnames A-H] available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. (Source: Sumner County Tax Book, Sumner County Archives, Catalog #976.847SN-T.] Part II [Surnames J-Y] available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1792] Agricola, David and Diane Payne. "Record of the Taxes in Sumner County for the Year 1792, Part I," available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. Part II, available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1794] Agricola, David, Diane Payne, Linda Carpenter, and Danene Vincent. "Record of the Taxes in Sumner County for the Year 1794, Part I," available online, published 1997-2001, courtesy: USGenWeb. Part II, available online, published 1997, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1802] [Partial] "Record of the Taxes in Capt. Bruces Company, Sumner County, TN 1802," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1810] 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. [Cites Sumner County 1810 Tax List, from Early Tax Lists microfilm reel #5; TSLA, Nashville.]
 * [1811] [Partial] "A List of Taxable Property &amp; Polls in Capt. Strators (Stratons) Company for the year 1811," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1812] [Partial] "A List of Taxable Property &amp; Polls in Capt. Strators (Stratons) Company for the year 1812," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [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 Sumner 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 Sumner County.]
 * [1817] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Taxable Property, 1817 - Alphabetical Index, Sumner Co. TN," available online, published 2002, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1818] Payne, Diane and Danene Vincent. "Record of the Taxable Property, 1819 Sumner Co. TN," available online, published 2001, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1821] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Taxable Property, 1821 - Alphabetical Index Sumner Co. TN," available online, published 2002, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1822] Payne, Diane. "Record of the Taxable Property, 1822 Sumner Co. TN," available online, published 2003, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * [1826] Collins, Robyn and Diane Payne. "Tax List, 1826," available online, published 2003, courtesy: USGenWeb. [Source: Sumner County Archives, Misc. Loose Records #64.]
 * [1838] Payne, Diane and Danene Vincent. "Sumner County, TN 1838 Tax List - District 6," available online, published 1997, courtesy: USGenWeb. [Source: Original loose records at the Sumner County Archives; also available on Microfilm #5174-B1-302.]
 * [1872] Payne, Diane and Joyce Stark Blocker. "1872, Tax on Gallatin Town Lots," available online, published 2003, courtesy: USGenWeb. [Source: Sumner County Archives.]

Marriage
Early Sumner County marriage records are housed in the Sumner County Archives. The following Sumner County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * [1787-2004] Marriage records. Available at the TSLA.
 * [1787-1915] Loose marriage records. Available at the TSLA.
 * [1899-1927] Marriage bonds. Available at the TSLA.
 * [1787-1967} Marriage records, 1787-1967. Available at the Family History Library.
 * [1787-1915] Loose marriage records. Available at the Family History Library.

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


 * [1787-1870] Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2t v. 1 ff. [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1787-1838] Whitley, Edythe Rucker Whitley and Gary Parks. Marriages of Sumner County, Tennessee, 1787 - 1838. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. Available at FHL US/CAN Book 976.847 V2w. Digital versions available at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).
 * [1787-1835} Wilson, Shirley. Sumner County, Tennessee, bond book, 1787-1835. Hendersonville, Tennessee: S. Wilson, 1994.
 * [1787-1875] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2sb v. 2 ff. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]
 * [1787-1838] Marriage Records, 1787-1838, Sumner County, Tennessee. Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 19.  Typescript.  Item 6-7
 * [1820-1944] Shrum, Shelta R. Sumner County, Tennessee Newspapers. Lafayette, Tennessee: Ridge Runner, 2004-2008. 3 vols.
 * [1839-1875] Stinson, Era W. Sumner County, Tennessee Marriages, 1839-1875. Bowling Green, Kentucky : W.W. Stinson and E.S. Spurlock, 1985.
 * [1903-1950] Sumner County, Tennessee Marriage Lookups 1903-1950 Free lookups.
 * Bowen, Zoie L. Sumner County, Miscellaneous Records. Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, 1997.
 * Grimsley, Mildred S. Early Tennesse Marriages : Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Shelby and Sumner counties. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994. Item 6

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Sumner County marriage records. They offer a record retrieval service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:  Marriages 1787-1798


 * RecordSearch at FamilySearch now includes indexed Tennessee marriages. This is a free pilot site and still under construction.  At this time, it is best to search from the home page, Discover Your Ancestors: indicate a surname, marriage "event", no date, and a county name (i.e. Dickson, Tennessee).  Browse through the results for that surname. You may need to supply any variant spellings of the surname in separate searches.
 * Many county marriage records are indexed with images at Ancestry's Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. ($) Be aware that this index is not complete for many counties.

Death

 * Meier, Oveda. Tennessee Ancestors: The Brave and the Dead, Probate and Death Records of Early Middle Tennessee, 1780–1805. Salt Lake City, Utah: O. Meier, 1990. (Family History Library book 976.8 P2m; film 1697372.) This source contains abstracts of probate, Bible, and court records, county histories, and military death records for Davidson and Sumner counties. It includes a surname index.

For deaths of Methodists in Sumner 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.]

Libraries

 * Edward Ward Carmack - Sumner County Public Library 658 Hartsville Pike Gallatin, TN 37066 Phone: 615-452-1722


 * Elmer Hinton Memorial Public Library 301 Portland Blvd Portland, TN 37148 Phone: 615-325-2279 Fax: 615-325-7061 Email: portlandlibrary@bellsouth.net Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10 am - 8 pm Wednesday and Friday 10 am - 6 pm Saturday 10 am - 2 pm The Bailey Museum is located within the Portland Public Library Email: ehmlgenealogy@bellsouth.net The museum includes the James Bailey Tennessee History Collection, Tandy Civil War Collection, Dr. Samuel Collins Collection, James Harold Haynes Collection, newspapers, cemtery records, obituaries, death records, land records and more. Museum hours: Tuesday 10 am - 3:30 pm Wednesday 10 am - 3:30


 * Curtis-Hendersonville Public Library 116 Dunn St Hendersonville, TN 37077 Phone: 615-824-0656 Hours: Monday and Thursday 10 am - 8 pm Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm Saturday 10 am - 2 pm


 * Westmoreland Public Library 2305 Epperson Springs Road Westmoreland, TN 37186 Phone: 615-644-2026 Hours: Monday 11 am - 6 pm Tuesday 11 am - 7 pm Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm Friday 10 am - 5 pm Saturday 10 am - 3 p m


 * White House Inn Library and Museum 412 Hwy 76 White House, TN 37188,br&gt;Phone: 615-672-0239 Fax: 615-672-9733 Hours: Monday - Wednesday 10 am - 5:30 pm Thursday Noon - 8 pm Saturday 10 am - 4 pm

Societies

 * Sumner County Historical Society P O Box 1871 Gallatin, Tennessee 37066 Publication: Bits and Pieces


 * Bledsoe's Lick Historical Association, Inc. Wynnewood Old Highway 25 Box 210 Castalian Springs, Tennessee 37031


 * Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Sumner 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

Family History Centers
Gallatin Tennessee 1360 E Main St Gallatin, Sumner, Tennessee, United States Telephone: 615-452-2741

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

 * Cumberland Pioneer Settlers Cumberland Compact Signers, Pioneer Land Grant Recipients, Publication Descriptions, Free Book Indexes
 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Rootwalker: Genealogy Pages for Northern Middle TN Free Genealogy Resources for the Region
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-ROOTWALKER-L (North Central Tennessee Genealogy List)
 * Sumner County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Sumner County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Sumner County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Sumner County, Tennessee Genealogists Companion. (RootsWeb) Transcribed documents acquired from micro-film and original records.