Jefferson County, Tennessee Genealogy

United States   Tennessee    Jefferson County







East Tennessee county established in 1792. From 1784 to 1788, this land was claimed by the abortive, and short-lived State of Franklin.

County Courthouse


Jefferson County Courthouse 204 West Main Street Dandridge, Tennessee 37725 Phone: 865-397-2935

Jefferson County Clerk Marriage and Probate records 214 W. Main Street P.O. Box 710 Dandridge, TN 37725 Phone: 865-397-2935

Jefferson County Register of Deeds Land records P.O. Box 58 Dandridge, TN 37725 Phone: 865-397-2918

Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk Court records 765 Justice Center Drive P.O. Box 671 Dandridge, TN 37725 Phone: 865-397-2786

Hours: Monday - Friday 8 am - 4:00

History


Jefferson County was named after Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) who became President in 1797.

The land of Jefferson County was first organized by the State of Franklin in March 1786 from part of Greene County under the name Caswell County. However, the Franklin statehood effort faded by 1789. Caswell county existed only briefly, its legality is questionable, and little trace remains.

The records of lost Caswell County are now found at ???

In 1789 North Carolina ceded its westernmost counties to the United States which used them to form the Southwest Territory. North Carolina and the Southwest Territory did not recognize Franklin's Caswell County or Sevier County. In 1792 the Southwest Territory using land from its Greene and Hawkins counties erected a new county on much of the old Caswell County land, and named it Jefferson County. Sevier County was reconsistuted in 1794 by the Southwest Territory from part of Jefferson County.

In 1796 all these lands became part of the new State of Tennessee. In 1797 Tennessee divided off Cocke County from the southeast part of Jefferson County. In 1870 Tennessee used part of Jefferson County to form part of Hamblen County.

Parent County
1792--Jefferson County was created 11 June 1792 from Greene and Hawkins Counties. County seat: Dandridge

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1800, 1810, 1820, 1890
 * County records are complete.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Jefferson 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.)
 * McNamara, Billie R. Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.R. McNamara, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 D27m.

Cemeteries

 * The definitive collection of cemetery transcriptions for Jefferson County is the three-volume set, Stories in Stone. Volumes I and II, compiled by Cherel Henderson and David Templin, are out-of-print. Volume III, compiled by the Jefferson County Genealogical Society, is available from JCGS (contact details below).
 * 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 Jefferson County linking to the information about the people buried there,


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


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


 * Jefferson County cemetery information with transcriptions on TNGenweb Project


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries for Jefferson County. Some of the books or other books may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * Some cemetery transcriptions for Jefferson County are on Interment.net


 * ePodunk list of Jefferson County cemeteries

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

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 - Lost

1830


 * Sistler, Byron H. 1830 Census, East Tennessee. Evanston, Ill.: n.p., 1969. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 X2p 1830.

1850


 * Underwood, Burl H. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Jefferson County, Tennessee. Knoxville, Tenn.: B.H. Underwood, 1977. FHL US/CAN Film 1036807 Item 5.
 * Underwood, Burl H. Population Schedule of the United States Census of 1850 for Jefferson County, Tennessee. 1977; reprint, Jefferson City, Tenn.: Jefferson County Genealogical Society, 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 X2p 1850.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Jefferson County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1994. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 X2s 1880.

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

Donald Raymond Heiss compiled Family Names Index from the Family Files and Special Books, Dandridge Library, Jefferson County, TN (Dandridge, Tenn.: D.R. Heiss, 2005) FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 A3ha. This publication explains what family history resources are available in that facility.


 * The Genealogical Society of Jefferson County, Tennessee. Families of Jefferson County, Tennessee, 200 Years. n.p.: Genealogical Society of Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1992. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 D2f.
 * Jefferson County Genealogical Society. Heritage Book Committee. Jefferson County, Tennessee Families and History, 1792-1996. Jefferson City, Tenn.: Jefferson County Genealogical Society (Tennessee), 1996. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 D2j.

Bibliography


 * [Adamson] Dixon Ben F. and Alice L. Dwelle Dixon. The Adamson Source Book, a Genealogy of the Descendants of Rachel Williams Adamson, 1776-1850 of Surry County, N.C., Jefferson County, Tenn., and Lawrence County, Ind.: with an Addendum of Miscellaneous Historical Material on the Name Adamson. 2 vols. Washington, D.C.: B.F. Dixon, 1942-1961. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6018313-6018314.
 * [Breeden] McMeen, Lola Frances Murphy. Breeden Book, 1700 to 1900s: Descendants of Richard Breeden and Sarah Lockhart of Jefferson County, Tennessee and Ripley Co., Indiana (Not Including Those of My Great-Grandmother Priscilla Breeden Burroughs, Seventh Child of Richard and Sarah) ... MSS., microfilmed in 1983. FHL US/CAN Fiche 6331368-6331369.
 * [Gann] Gann, Rickey Leon. Some of the Descendants of William Anderson Gann and Rebecca S. Thomas of Jefferson County, Tennessee. New Castle, Indiana: R.L. Gann, 1984. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 G155g.
 * [Gaut] McWilliam, Judly L. and Roberta B. Pierson. Jones/Gaut: James &amp; Jerusha: Arno, Wayland, Weber, Mabel. Sacramento, Calif.: J.L. McWilliams, 1987. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 J71mp.
 * [McCarter] Reagan, Donald B. Smoky Mountain Clans. 3 vols. Knoxville, Tenn.: D.B. Reagan, 1978-1983. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273R22b 1978. [The McCarter family is discussed in Vol. 2.]
 * [McGown] Minor, Nancy McGown John McGown (1716-1796) and his descendants Bergheim, Texas : N.M. MInor, c2004 FHL book 929.273 M177mn. Digital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Priddy] Barclay, Robert W. One Priddy family of Texas [Tola, Kansas] : R.W. Barclay, 1994 FHL 929.273 P932baDigital version available at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Rinehart] Golden, Jan Rhinehart. Philip Rinehart of Jefferson County, Tennessee (1787-1843): His Descendants and Some Collateral Lines. Ogden, Utah: J.R. Golden, 2007. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 R472g.
 * [Shelly] Bowman, Anna Mae Harman. The Harman - Harmon, Shelly - Shelley Dynasty: Families of Tennessee and Kentucky; a Record of Jacob Harman Who Settled in Knox County, Kentucky Prior to 1808 and Died in Whitley County (Part of Knox County), Kentucky in 1824; and Jeremiah Shelly Who Settled in Jefferson County, Tennessee about 1790 and Died Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1803. Chesterfield, Missouri: A.M.H. Bowman, 1990. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 H227b.
 * [Smith] Little Register or Genealogy of John Reynolds, Esq. &amp; His Wife &amp; His Family: 3 miles from Bag____? on Holston River, Tennessee State, 1825. In old family records collection, ca. 1754-1966: Hawkins County, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1970s. FHL US/CAN Film 1550780.
 * [Taylor] Armstrong, Zella. Taylor of Tennessee. Chattanooga, TN: Lookout Pub. Co., 1933. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 1036349 Item 9. Digital version available at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * [White] Little Register or Genealogy of John Reynolds, Esq. &amp; His Wife &amp; His Family: 3 miles from Bag____? on Holston River, Tennessee State, 1825. In old family records collection, ca. 1754-1966: Hawkins County, Tennessee. Microfilmed in 1970s. FHL US/CAN Film 1550780.

Land
The original Jefferson County Deed Books are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Deed Books A to 18 (1792-1889), Deed Indexes (1792-1929), and Trust Deed Books 1 to 4 (1868-1892). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968316-968334.

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.

Maps

 * [1792] Reeves, Charles A. Knox &amp; Jefferson Counties [Tennessee] - Created June 11, 1792 from Greene &amp; Hawkins Counties. Published 2000. Purchase at ReevesMaps.com; website includes a scaled-down version of the map.

Military
Civil War


 * Carter, William Randolph. History of the First regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Great war of the Rebellion, with the Armies of the Ohio and Cumberland, under Generals Morgan, Rosecrans, Thomas, Stanley and Wilson. Knoxville, Tennessee: Gaut-Ogden Co. Printers, 1902. Free digital copy. Union.

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 Jefferson 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


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Jefferson 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


 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of Jefferson County, Tennessee records have been published in East Tennessee Roots (10 vols.). A subject index to these 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.


 * Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal


 * The Family History Library has Volume 10, no. 2- 4 (1994) FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 B2n Index available at PERiodical Source Index (1986 - 2007) (PERSI)

Prisons
Learn if your Jefferson County ancestors went to prison!


 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1831-1850, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.
 * Inmates of the Tennessee State Penitentiary 1851-1870, free index available online, courtesy: Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Probate
The original Jefferson County Will Books are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed Will Books 1 to 10 (1792-1921) and Index to Wills and Probate (1792-1921). FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968311-968315.

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Jefferson 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: 1792-1810
 * 2) Will Book 2: 1811-1826

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


 * [1792-1826] Douthat, James L. Jefferson County, Tennessee Will Book ... [Will Books 1 and 2 (1792-1826)]. 2 vols. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: J.L. Douthat, [198-?]. FHL US/CAN Books 976.8924 P2d ff.
 * [1792-1861] 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.]
 * [1792-1971] Hinchey, Lura B., Pat McMurtery and Jefferson County Archives. Jefferson County, Tennessee Will Index 1792-1971. Dandridge, Tenn.: Jefferson County Archives, 1999. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 P22j.
 * [1804-1851] Bell, Annie W.B. Jefferson County, Tennessee Wills: pt. 1, 1804-1851; pt. 2, 1808-1848. 1935. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 P2b.
 * [1826-1840] Prevost, Toni Jollay. Jefferson County, Tennessee, Will Books and Sale Books [Will Books 3 and 4 (1826-1840)]. 2 vols. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1989. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 P2p.

Taxation
The original Jefferson County Tax Books 1822-1888 are held at the County Archives. In the 1970s, TSLA microfilmed these records. FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968340-968342.

The following Jefferson County tax records have been abstracted:


 * [1800] Creekmore, Pollyanna. Early East Tennessee Taxpayers. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1980. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp and Silas Emmett Lucas's Revised Index FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4cp index. [Includes 1800 tax list.]
 * [1800, 1822] 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 1800, 1822 tax lists.]
 * [1800, 1822] Curtis, Mary Barnett. Early East Tennessee Tax Lists. Fort Worth, Texas: Arrow Printing Company, 1964. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8 R4c. [Includes 1800 and 1822 tax lists.]
 * [1801] "Tax Payers, 1801," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Issue 28 (1956).
 * [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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County.]
 * [1822-1830] Historical Records Project. Tax List, 1822-1830, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Typescript, Tennessee State Library, Nashville, Tenn. FHL US/CAN Film 24710 Item 3.
 * [1836] Douthat, James L. Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1836 Tennessee Civil Districts and Tax List. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 1993. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 R4d.
 * [1836] Tax List, 1836, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer 1993); Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 1993).
 * [1836] Paessler, Frank and Jane Paessler. "Jefferson County Map" and "Jefferson County Tax List, 1836," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Winter 1995):156-164. For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * [1859-1860] Tax List, 1859, 1860, Hamblen Heritage, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Spring 1995).
 * [1861] "Tax Delinquents, 1861," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Fall 2000).
 * [c1861-1867] "Poll Tax Document, c. 1861-1867," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Aug. 2005).
 * [1865] "List of Persons Not Home for Tax, 1865," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Spring 2002).
 * [1867-1869] "Constable Report of Poll Taxpayers in Arrears, District 8, 1867, 1868, 1869," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Apr. 2004).
 * [1878-1879] "Poll Tax Exempts, 1878-79, Minute Book 19," Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 4, No. 4 (1989).
 * [1879] Released from Poll Tax, 1879, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Jun. 1989).
 * [1885] Tax Collection Places, 1885, Jefferson County Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Summer 1998).

Vital Records
Marriage

The original Jefferson County marriage records are kept at the County Archives. In 1982, Whitley remarked: "The WPA register was compiled from records which have since disappeared from the courthouse, so for the early period of the county's history the register offers the only evidence of marriage." Surviving records have been microfilmed:


 * Marriages 1792-1953. Microfilmed in 1970s and 1980s by Tennessee State Library and Archives; FHL copies: FHL US/CAN Films 968301-968302, 1928731-1928737.

Jefferson County's marriage records have been abstracted and/or indexed several times. The most recent work, published by the Jefferson County Archives, is a great place to start; however, it may omit records that have disappeared from the Archives since the time of the W.P.A. register's publication (1930s). To be thorough researchers should not overlook their publication (or Whitley's reprint). The following is a list of these publications:


 * [1792-1848] Bell, Annie W.B. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriages, 1792-1848. n.p.: A.W.B. Bell, 1935. FHL US/CAN Film 908351 Item 3.
 * [1792-1870] Historical Records Project (W.P.A.). Marriage Records, 1792-1870, Jefferson County, Tennessee. Typescript, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tenn. Microfilmed in 1940-1941. FHL US/CAN Films 24709 Item 2, 24711 Items 3-4. [W.P.A. workers assigned each document a unique number.]
 * [1792-1836] Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Marriages of Jefferson County, Tennessee, 1792-1836. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1982. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 V2w. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, a date associated with the marriage, as well as W.P.A. reference numbers. Source: W.P.A. register.]
 * [1792-1870] d'Armand, Virginia Carlisle. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1792-1870. Knoxville, Tenn.: V.C. d'Armand, 1983. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 V2d.
 * [1792-1870] 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.]
 * [1792-1900] Jefferson County Archives. Jefferson County, Tennessee Marriage Records. [1792-1900] 2 vols. Dandridge, Tenn.: Jefferson County Archives, 2003. FHL US/CAN Book 976.8924 V22j 1792-1860 ff. [Abstracts names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, officiators, as well as dates of bond, license, and marriage.]

Death

For deaths of Methodists in Jefferson 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

 * Jefferson County Museum and Archives 202 West Main St. Dandridge, Tennessee 37725 Phone: 865-397-4904 Located in the courthouse


 * Jefferson County Genealogical Society P. O. Box 874 Jefferson City, TN 38562


 * 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


 * Jefferson City Public Library 1427 Russell Avenue Jefferson City, TN 37760-2527 Phone: 865-475-1253 Fax: 865-475-1253 Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 am - 5 pm Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 am - 6:30 pm Saturday 9 am - 2 pm

Web Sites

 * Family History Library Catalog (FamilySearch)
 * Jefferson County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * Jefferson County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Jefferson County, TN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Mailing List: DumplinTN [very active; covers primarily Jefferson and Sevier County]
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TNJEFFER-L (Jefferson County, Tennessee List) [not very active]
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-L (East Tennessee List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: ETN-OZ-L (East Tennessee Migrants to Ozarks Region List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: FRANKLIN-STATE-L (State of Franklin 1784-1788 List)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: UPPEREASTTN-L (Upper East Tennessee List)