Meigs County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Meigs County





East Tennessee county. Established 1836.

County Courthouse
Meigs County Courthouse Main Street Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-5747

Meigs County Clerk Marriage and probate records 17214 State Highway 58 N. Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-5747

Meigs County Register of Deeds Land Records P.O. Box 246 Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-5228

Meigs County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 17214 State Hwy. 58, 2nd Floor P.O. Box 205 Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-5821

Hours: Mon.-Tues. and Thurs.-Fri. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Saturday 8:30 am - noon Closed Wednesdays

History
The county is named after Revolutionary War hero and Indian Agent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_J._Meigs,_Sr. Return Jonathan Meigs] (1740-1823).

Parent County
1836--Meigs County was established 20 January 1836 from Cherokee Indian Lands. County seat: Decatur

Record Loss
1904, 1964--Fires damaged records


 * Lost census: 1890
 * Lack of marriage records: 1836 and 1837
 * Lost deeds: 1836 to 1878

Although these are not burned records, applying strategies used for burned counties may aid in compensating for their loss. For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Arlene Eakle, When the Records are Gone in Tennessee Genealogy Blog
 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Research Guides

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

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

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

Bibliography


 * [Blackwell] Saylor, Ronald. The Blackwell Researcher's Newsletter. Grass Valley, Calif.: J. Saylor, 1998-. FHL 929.27305 B568b.
 * [Carter] Ross, Ernest Lafayette and William C. Carter. John Andrew Hickman, John Carter, Lewis Carter: Some Ancestors and Descendents. Cleveland, Tenn.: E.L. Ross &amp; W.C. Carter, 1979. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 C245r.
 * [Lillard] Lillard, Jasper Worth. The Lillard Collection. MSS. FHL US/CAN Film 570830-570832.
 * [Qualls] Curtis, John T. and Grace Curtis. Qualls Cousins: Families and Descendants of Nathan Qualls Sr. of Meigs County, Tn. Tularosa, N.M.: J. Curtis, 1992. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 Q25c.
 * [Rhinehart] Ferris, Dixie Rhinehart Calder. Caswell Rhinehart Family Journal, 1844 to 1997. Cary, N.C.: D.R.C. Ferris, 1997. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R345f.
 * [Rothwell] Fischer, Myra Smith. A Rothwell Book: Comprising the Descendants of Claiborne Rothwell of Albemarle County, Virginia, through Nine Generations and Interesting Sketches About Some of His Descendants. Memphis, Tennessee: M.S. Fischer, 1964. Available at FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R746f; digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [Tillery] Taylor, Patty Hughes. Discovering Our Tillery Family -- Yesterday and Today: Descendants of Samuel Thomas Tillery. Atkins, Ark.: P.H. Taylor, 2001. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 T463tp.

Land
The original Meigs County Deed Books do not survive before 1879. TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to 3 (1879-1964). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Film 455527-455541. The following records serve as substitutes and may help to alleviate some of the record loss:


 * Land Abstract Books, 1835-1872. Original records, TSLA. TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 455515-455516.
 * Probate of Deeds 1836-1847. Original records, County Courthouse. TSLA microfilmed these records in the 1960s. FHL copy: FHL US/CAN Film 464126 Item 1.

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 Tennessee State Library and Archives 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 Tennessee State Library and Archives; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Migration

 * Vincent, Don. 800 Missouri Families. 5 vols. Seattle, Wash.: n.p., 1988-1990. FHL US/CAN Book 977.8 D2v ff. [Discusses Missouri families with Meigs County origins.]

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. 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 Meigs County click on the following town:


 * Decatur

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. FHL US/CAN 976.8 U2m. Digital version at World Vital Records ($). Purchase at Genealogical.com. [Includes Meigs 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 records of Meigs County, Tennessee 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.

East Tennessee Roots

A genealogical article with abstracts of Meigs County, Tennessee records has been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to this publication's articles is available online. Surname indexes to Volumes 9 and 10 are also available online. The Family History Library has collected most issues of East Tennessee Roots FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 D25e.

Prisons
Learn if your Meigs County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Private Papers

 * [Wallis] Billings, W.P. Joseph William "Barlow" Wallis Family Bible [Records, ca. 1854-1925]. MSS. FHL US/CAN Film 1697583 Item 50.

Probate
The original Meigs County Will Books are kept at the County Courthouse. In 1964, TSLA microfilmed Wills, Inventories, and Settlements for the years 1836-1964. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 455524-455526.

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


 * [1836-1861] 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 probate records.]

Taxation
The original Meigs County Tax Books (1839-1863, 1872-1883, 1940-1964) are held at the Meigs County Courthouse. The Tennessee State Library and Archives microfilmed these records in 1964. Copies of their films are available at the Family History Library: FHL US/CAN Film 455551-455556.

Vital Records
Marriage

Marriages were not officially recorded in Meigs County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 V2L.

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


 * [1838-1870] 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 the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.]
 * [1838-1865] Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early East Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1987. FHL US/CAN 976.8 V2s v. 1. [Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.]

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Meigs 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.]

Societies and Libraries
Meigs County Historical Museum and Society 200 Smith Avenue Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-4424

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

Meigs-Decatur Public Library 120 Memorial Drive Decatur, TN 37322 Phone: 423-334-3332 blogspot Hours: Monday and Friday 9 am - 5 pm Tuesday and Thursday 9 am - 7 pm Saturday 10 am - 2 pm

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Meigs County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Meigs County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Meigs County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNMEIGS-L (Meigs 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)