Marion County, Tennessee Genealogy

Marion County, Tennessee ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to Marion County (established 1817) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

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

County Courthouse


Courthouse 1 Courthouse Square Jasper, TN 37347 Phone: 1-423-942-2515

County Clerk has marriage records from 1919 and probate records from 1874. Register of Deeds has land records.

Marion County Clerk Marriage and probate records 24 Courthouse Square, Room 101 Jasper, TN 37347 Phone: 1-423-942-2515

Marion County Register of Deeds Land records P.O. Box 789, Courthouse Jasper, TN 37347 Phone: 1-423-942-2573

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

History


Marion County is located in south-eastern Tennessee, and encompasses about five hundred square miles. It was established in 1817. The county borders both George and Alabama.

The county is named after "The Swamp Fox" Revolutionary War Brigadier General Francis Marion(c1732-1795).

Parent County
1817--Marion County was created 20 November 1817 from Cherokee Indian Lands. County seat: Jasper

County Pronunciation

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

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1922 Courthouse was destroyed by fire in August 1922; only records from the registrar's office and the county court clerk's office were saved.


 * Lost marriage records: 1817 to 1880
 * Lost probate records: 1817 to 1875

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

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Marion County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources


 * Tennessee Cemeteries - Hometown Locator

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

For a map of Marion County census districts see Marion County Census Districts.

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1820 - Lost

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. 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. ; digital version at Lineages. Covers this county.

1830


 * Douthat, James L. 1830 Sequatchie Valley Census: Marion - Bledsoe Counties. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1986..
 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969..

1840


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Sequatchie Valley Census: Bledsoe - Marion Counties. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, 1982..

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, Eastern District, Marion County on page 154.

1850


 * Douthat, James L. 1850, Marion County, Tennessee, Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, 1982..
 * Goins, Sara Agee and Norma Jean Dennis Hobbs. 1850 Census, Marion County, Tennessee. Dunlap, Tenn.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1986..

1860


 * Goins, Sara Agee and Norma Jean Dennis Hobbs. 1860 Census, Marion County, Tennessee. Dunlap, Tenn.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1986..

1870


 * Goins, Sara Agee and Norma Jean Dennis Hobbs. 1870 Census, Marion County, Tennessee. Dunlap, Tenn.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 1986..

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census, Marion County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, 1995..

1891 Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1900


 * United States Census, Marion County, Tennessee, 1900. Dunlap, Tenn.: Goins and Hobbs Genealogy Service, 19--?..

Church

 * Union/Sweetens Cove Primitive Baptist Church, 1821-1868 - 976.879 K2, FHL microfilm 1320888 Item 2

Court
The first court of Marion County was held in the house of John Shropshire in what is now Whitwell in 1817. After the Shropshire house, the court was held for one year in the old Cheek house, a two-story double log house located south of Whitwell in a place called Cheekville, later named Liberty, where court had been held while this county was still in North Carolina. In 1819 the county seat was moved to the town of Jasper.

Genealogy
As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Marion (County), Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 30,000 entries.


 * Douthat, James L. Sequatchie Families: Biographical Sketches of the Earlier Settlers of the Sequeatchie Valley of Tennessee. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, 1983..
 * Harris, Euline. Ancestor Charts: Marion County, Tennessee. 2 vols. Whitwell, Tenn.: E. Harris, 1993. ff.


 * Stewart - Blakemore, Mary Stewart. A Narrative Genealogy of the Stewarts of Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee, and Allied Families. Richmond, Va.: Dietz Press, 1960. ; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).


 * Who's Who in TN courtesy of TNGenWeb

Land
Marion County's original Deed Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1969, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to WW (1819-1915). FHL copies:.

Law and Legislation

 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Raulston, J. Leonard and James Weston Livingood. Sequatchie: A Story of the Southern Cumberlands. Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1974..

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)

Revolutionary War
The following Marion 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, Eastern District, Marion County on page 154.
 * Rejected Pension Applicants, 1832, List, Searcher, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Mar. 1990).
 * 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. 1 (Jan. 1961):20-23. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at journal website. Includes Marion County pensioners (pp. 21-22).
 * War of 1812 Veterans, Natchez Trace Traveler, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Nov. 1988).

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861 - 1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1891 - 1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Marion County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Marion County.

Confederate Soldiers


 * 2nd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Smith's) - CSA - Captain Allen Lea's company (the Lookout Rangers), Captain John F. Thomason's company, and Captain Peter T. Rankin's company.


 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McLemore's) - CSA
 * 36th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company I.

Union Soldiers


 * 9th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry - Company M.

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Marion County:


 * Blevins, Jerry. Sequatchie Valley Soldiers in the Civil War: Bledsoe, Grundy, Marion and Sequatchie Counties in Tennessee and Jackson County in Alabama. Huntsville, Ala.: J. Blevins, 1990..
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Marion 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. Marion County, page 362-363. CWSAC, Battle Summaries, Wauhatchie. Located in Hamilton County, Marion County, and Dade County.

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Marion County:


 * October 28-29, 1863 = Wauhatchie, also known as Brown's Ferry [9]


 * Map showing Civil War battles in Tennessee.

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. East Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1778 to 1911. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000. . Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Marion County.
 * Tennesse Bureau of Agriculture, Statistics and Mines. Coal Mines and Mining--Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: A.B. Travel, 1883. Free digital copy.

Periodicals

 * The Searcher
 * The Family History Library has Volume 2, no 3 (Dec 1990) - volume 15, no. 4 (winter 2003). This serial ceased publication on 15 February 2004. For further information see website: Marion County Genealogical Group. Indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI)

Probate Records
Marion County's original will books are kept at the County Courthouse. Wills proved before 1875 do not survive. In 1969, TSLA microfilmed extant wills covering the years 1875 to 1968. FHL copy:.

Online Records


 * 1779 – 2008 - Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)


 * Wills, 1875-1968 (Vols. 1-4)
 * Bonds, Letters, 1912-1969 (5 vols.)
 * Court records, 1842-1847, 1890-1900 (3 vols.)
 * Insolvent estate records, 1885-1907
 * Inventories, 1878-1968 (Vols. 1-2)
 * Minutes, 1842-1847
 * Settlements, 1877-1936 (3 vols.)

Taxation
The original Marion County Tax Books, Assessment Roll, 1875, and Tax Duplicate 1903-1904 are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1969, TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copy:.

The following Marion County tax records have been abstracted:


 * 1836 - Harris, Euline. 1836 Tax List for Marion County, Tennessee. Whitwell, Tenn.: E. Harris, n.d..
 * 1836 - Douthat, James L. Marion County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil District and Tax Lists. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. ; online: free surname index and purchase details.
 * 1836 - "Taxpayers, by District, 1836," Southern Roots &amp; Shoots, Vol. 12, No. 3 (1996).
 * 1836 - Harris, Euline. "1836 Marion County Tax List," available online, courtesy: RootsWeb. Source: TSLA microfilm; links to online 1836 Civil District Map.
 * 1853 - "Revenue Docket, Claims, Licenses, 1853," Searcher, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Winter 1995).
 * 1854 - "District One Tax List, 1854," Searcher, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Spring 2001).
 * 1856 - 1859 - "Revenue and Execution Docket, 1856-59," Searcher, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Winter 1999).
 * 1891 "Poll Tax, 1891," Searcher, Vol. 7, No. 1 (Summer 1995); Vol. 7, No. 2 (Fall 1995).

Vital Records
See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

 * 1828 - 1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Note that no birth records were recorded in Marion County in 1913.
 * 1908 - 1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1780 - 2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * 1780 - 2002 - at FamilySearch.org— index


 * 1790 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1796 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1838 - 1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1851 - 1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images $


 * 1881-1888 - Marion County Marriage Index 1881-1888 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.org - free. Batches and.

Divorce
In 1940 and 1941, W.P.A. workers pinpointed the location of Marion County divorce papers in diverse County Courthouse records; see the following resources:


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

Death

 * 1874 - 1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Note that no death records were recorded in Marion County in 1913.
 * 1914-1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in Marion County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try searching the following records:


 * 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 1830's, 1840's, 1910's and 1920's.

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society P.O. Box 175 South Pittsburg, Tennessee 37380 Phone: 1-423-837-8327 E-mail: information@historicsouthpittsburgtn.org

East Tennessee Historical Society 601 S. Gay St. P.O. Box 1629 Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-1629 Phone: 1-865-215-8824 E-mail: eths@east-tennessee-history.org

Marion County Genealogical and Historical Group 6611 Old Dunlap Rd. Whitwell, TN 37397 Phone: 1-423-658-5770

Jasper Public Library 14 West Second St. Jasper, TN 37347 Phone: 1-423-942-3369 Fax: 1-423-942-6383 Hours: Mon. 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tues., Wed., Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Beene-Pearson Public Library 208 Elm Ave. South Pittsburg, TN 37380 Phone: 1-423-837-6513

Orena Humphreys Public Library 900 Main Street, Suite 1 Whitwell, TN 37397 Phone: 1-423-658-6134

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Marion County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Marion County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Marion County, Tennessee History &amp; Genealogy (American Local History Network) Resources to help you place your ancestors with in the context of their local history.
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNMARION-L (Marion County, Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: SE-TN-L (Southeast Tennessee List)
 * Marion County TN Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)