FamilySearch Wiki

Sumner County, Tennessee Genealogy

(Redirected from Sumner County, Tennessee)


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

County Facts
County seat: Gallatin
Organized: November 18, 1786
Parent County(s): Davidson[1]
Neighboring Counties
Allen (KY) • Davidson • Macon • Robertson • Simpson (KY) • Trousdale • Wilson
See County Maps
Courthouse
Sumner County Tennessee Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Sumner County Tennessee.png

County Information

Description

Sumner County was named for American Revolutionary War hero General Jethro Sumner. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Sumner County Courthouse
355 North Belvedere Dr.
Gallatin, TN 37066
County Courthouse Phone: 615-452-4282
County Clerk Phone: 615-452-4063
County Register of Deeds Phone: 615-452-3892
County Circuit Court Clerk Phone: 615-452-4367

Sumner County Archives
365 North Belvedere Dr.
Gallatin, TN 37066
Phone: 615-452-0037
Website
The archives is the official depository and research facility for county records. Almost all early county records are housed in the Archives.

County Clerk has marriage and probate records.
Register of Deeds has land records.[3]

Sumner County, Tennessee Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1881 1787 1881 1787 1787 1787 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1908 (1913 missing). General compliance by 1927.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

  • Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1810

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[6]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Additional Information
Middle Tennessee county established in 1786. Sumner County belonged to the pioneer Cumberland Settlements.[7]

The county is named after Jethro Sumner (1733-1785), an American colonist who defended North Carolina against the British in 1780.[8]

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

  • Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. 2004. By Alan N. Miller. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield Company. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 U2ma. Includes Sumner County.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Sumner County, Tennessee online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Tennessee Cemeteries for more information.

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 2,196 —
1800 4,616 110.2%
1810 13,792 198.8%
1820 19,211 39.3%
1830 20,569 7.1%
1840 22,445 9.1%
1850 22,717 1.2%
1860 22,030 −3.0%
1870 23,711 7.6%
1880 23,625 −0.4%
1890 23,668 0.2%
1900 26,072 10.2%
1910 25,621 −1.7%
1920 27,708 8.1%
1930 28,622 3.3%
1940 32,719 14.3%
1950 33,533 2.5%
1960 36,217 8.0%
1970 56,106 54.9%
1980 85,790 52.9%
1990 103,281 20.4%
2000 130,449 26.3%
Source: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau.

1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940 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.

See Sumner County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. The USGenWeb Census Project®.

1790 Lost - Only statistics survive[9], but substitutes are available:

  • Eakle, Arlene. Tennessee Research. 2010. 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 FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2f; digital version at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($).
  • McGhee, Lucy Kate. Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as Taken from the North Carolina Land Grants. 3 Parts. Microfilmed in 1990. FS Library US/CAN Films 1728882 Item 4 and 1683130 Item 3.

1800 Lost A substitute is available, see Taxation.

1810 Lost - 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. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 X2s 1810.

1810-1891

1820

  • Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981. FS Catalog 976.8 X22b 1820. Online at Ancestry ($).
  • Presley, Leister E. Sumner County, Tennessee, Population Schedules of the United States Census of 1820. n.p.: n.p., n.d. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.847 X2p 1820.
  • Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," online at Free African Americans. Includes African Americans in this county.

1820 Manufactures

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners

1850

1860

1870

1880

1891 Male Voters

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Green check.png
The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Records early Latter-day Saint families kept in Utah may contain information about their cousins who were not members of the Church that stayed put in Tennessee. Early Latter-day Saints with Sumner County roots include:

  • Henry and Rachel (Stillwell) Thomas. Henry died in Far West, Missouri in 1837.[10]
  • Daniel Stillwell Thomas and his wife Martha Paine (Jones) Thomas who migrated to Utah in 1849.[11]
  • John and Elizabeth (Bell) Bennett. John died in Iowa; his widow settled in Orem, Utah.[12]

Methodist Episcopal

Presbyterian

Court Records

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

Law and Legislation

  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. [14] 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. Online searchable index at TSLA.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

During the War of 1812, American officials reported finding 6 British aliens, many of whom had families, living in Gallatin and Sumner County. Ancestry $ [15]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

  • Free African Americans Enumerated in the 1860 Sumner County, Tennessee Census
    website, available online, courtesy: Christine's Genealogy Website: Who are Your People?
  • Patton, Juanita. Land, Slaves and Other Courthouse Transactions, 1808-1863; Abstracts of Sumner County, Tennessee Records.
  • Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," online at Free African Americans. Includes African Americans in this county.

Funeral Homes

Genealogies


  • Abbott - See Lem(m)on.
  • Allen - Allen, Granville O. Our Allens from Maryland to Muscle Shoals via the Mid-west. Cullman, Alabama: Gregath, 1995. FS Catalog 929.273 AL54ago.
  • Alley - Stever, Frank. Our Common Heritage: The Descendants of: Wiley Alley (1823-1906) and Charlottie Shelton Alley (1820-1906) & Horotio Gower (1809-1869) and Leah McCarty Gower (1819-1897). Odessa, Missouri: F. Stever, 1986-1987. FS Catalog 929.273 AL54s.
  • Alley - Lake County, California Genealogical Society. Alley Family Research File. MSS., microfilmed 1991. FS Catalog 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. FS Catalog 929.273 B246; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Bennett - White, Dayle Duncan. "Bennett," 1653-4 American Colonists, 1851 Utah Pioneers, 1510-1978. Salt Lake City, Utah: D.D. White, 198-. FS Catalog 1320843 Item 2.
  • Bledsoe - See also General section.
  • Bledsoe - Armstrong, Zella. Notable Southern Families. Chattanooga, Tenn.: Lookout Publishing Company, 1922. Vol. 2. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Bradley - Clegg, Reed L. Richard Bradley and Descendants: Lives and Times of Richard, Thomas, Henry, Samuel Carroll, James Harvey Bradley Families. Salt Lake City, Utah: R.L. Clegg Publishers, [1999?]. FS Catalog 929.273 B728c.
  • Brigance - Brigance, Albert H. Brigance Genealogy. Maryville, Tenn.: Brigance Enterprises, 1982. FS Catalog 929.273 B768ba.
  • Brown - Brown Family Bible Records, 1754-1856. Microfilmed 1943. FS Catalog 24840 Item 1.
  • Brown - Brown, Freddy Joe. Dance Steps: Six Generation History & Genealogy of Dance Brown (1776-1860). Scottsville, Ky.: F.J. Brown, 1996. FS Catalog 929.273 B812bfj.
  • Bruce - Fossum, Crystal Burnett et al. Crystal B. Fossum Genealogical Collection. Microfilmed 2003. FS Catalog 1573541 Item 7.
  • Butler - Butler, Julia Mae. Genealogical Record of the Butler Family: Ancestors, Descendants, Relatives. St. Louis, Mo.: J.M. Butler, 1971. FS Catalog 1454582 Item 13.
  • Carmack - Bumpus, Paul Franklin et al. Carmack: The Edward Ward Carmack Story. Franklin, Tenn.: Distributed by P.F. Bumpus, 1977. FS Catalog 921.73 C21b.
  • 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. FS Catalog 928082 Item 13.
  • Cuffman - Shinn, Josiah Hazen. Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas. Little Rock, Ark.: Democrat Printing and Lithographing Co., 1908. Digital version at Internet Archive.
  • 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. FS Catalog 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. FS Catalog 929.273 D362dg.
  • Dement - Holmes, Marilyn and Dement Family Association. Dements through the Ages. Florissant, Missouri: Dement Family Association, 1987. FS Catalog 929.273 D394h.
  • Dement - Holmes, Marilyn. Dements through the Ages. Florissant, Missouri: M. Holmes, 1993. FS Catalog 929.273 D394ho.
  • Douglas - See also General section.
  • Douglas - Harris, Ruth Eleanor Poole. Ruth Eleanor Douglas Journal: with Genealogies of Douglas, Noell, Callaway, Clemens, Moorman and Other Related Bedford County, Virginia Families, also Genealogies of Douglas Families of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri. Nashville, Tenn.: Douglas Family Publishers, 1979. FS Catalog 929.273 D745h.
  • Durham - Cragon, Henry D. et al. Tennessee Cragons and Their Kinfolk. 1974. FS Catalog 929.273 C843c.
  • Ferrell - Ferrell, Ed. Ferrell Family Records, ca. 1789-1930. [Juneau, Alaska]: E. Ferrell, 1991. FS Catalog 929.273 F413fee.
  • Fleming - Tuttle, Gertrude Fleming and Fred Miller Robinson. The Flemings of Bransford. Mount Pleasant, S.C.: F.M. Robinson, 1994. FS Catalog 929.273 F629t; digital version of FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • 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. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Gilliam - Gilliam, Bobby E. Notes on the Gilliam Family of Virginia and the Carolinas. MSS., microfilmed 1978. FS Catalog 1036773 Item 27.
  • Gleaves - Barnes, Hilda H. Gleaves Families in Middle Tennessee. n.p.: Gleaves Family Association, 2009. FS Catalog CD-ROM no. 5792.
  • Green - Williams, Mary Lou. Our Southern Family: The Greens, Malcolms, Thomas, Cooper, Williams and Magness Families of Kentucky and Tennessee. Warren, Mich.: M.L. Williams, 1970. FS Catalog 874443 Item 5.
  • Green - Green, Elmore Allen. Edward Green of Sumner County, Tennessee: and Descendants. (Portland, Tenn.: n.p., 1972). FS Catalog 929.273 G821g.
  • Gregory - Gregory and Related Lines. MSS., microfilmed 1987. FS Catalog 1509499 Item 8.
  • Groves - Groves, James and Elma Keller Groves. Groves and Allied Families. Commerce, Calif.: Grove, 1977. FS Catalog 1036732 Item 9.
  • Groves - Groves, James and Elma Keller Groves. Groves and Allied Families: 1982 Supplement Plus Complete New Genealogical Encyclopedia Plus Corrected and Expanded Basic Book of 1977. City of Commerce, Calif.: J. and E. Groves, 1982. FS Catalog 929.273 G919a 1982.
  • Hamilton - Hamilton, Thomas. Autobiography of Thomas Hamilton. Typescript, microfilmed 1972. FS Catalog 896607 Item 2.
  • Harper - Harper Family Bible Records, 1827-1860. Microfilmed 1943. FS Catalog 24840 Item 1.
  • Harris - Elder, Pat Spurlock and Shelly Fingerett. Harris Portraits. Memphis, Tenn.: P.H. Elder, 1991. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 7741.
  • Harrison - Bianchi, Ann Herod. A Working Report on Robert Henry Harrison: and His Descendants. (Conroe, Texas: A.H. Bianchi, 2000). FS Catalog 929.273 H247ba.
  • Haw - Haw, Joseph Lindsey. The Haw Family Ancestry: Haw, Vernon, Moore, Swank, Van Meter, Thomas, Hardin, Rolph, Rider, Quinn, Dubois. Houston, Texas: J.L. Haw III, 1978. FS Catalog 929.273 H31h.
  • Heermans - Heermans Family Bible Records, 1785-1893. Bible published 1850. FS Catalog 24840 Item 1.
  • Henson - Chapman, Jeanette Henson. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny. 1976. FS Catalog 929.273 H398c.
  • Hobdy - Law, Bob. History of the Hobdy (Hobday), Law, Helm, Cornwell, Lucas, Hanes and Related Families. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Law, (1981?). FS Catalog 929.273 H652L.
  • Hodges - Patton, Juanita M. The Family of Isham and Betsy Hodges from Virginia to Tennessee. Nashville, Tenn.: J.M. Patton, 1990. FS Catalog 929.273 H665p.
  • Hollis - Buryear, Grace Hollis. Hollis Pioneers: Kin, and Kin to Kin; Including Pigg, Clack, Marlin, Rogers, Randles, Howerton, Hauffaker and Half the Southwest. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Tuttle, 1973. FS Catalog 929.273 H726p.
  • House - Chilton, Shirlene Martin. Matthew House and His Family. Benton, Arizona: S. Chilton, (198-). FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 7529.
  • 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. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 5975.
  • Hunley - Duncan, Ruth Henley. The Captain and Submarine CSS H.L. Hunley. (Memphis, Tenn.: R.H. Duncan, 1965). FS Catalog 929.273 H899d.
  • Jones - Thomas, Martha Pane Jones and Kate Woodhouse Kirkham. Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History. 1927. FS Catalog 929.273 T362tm. Includes the Journal of Martha Pane Jones Thomas.
  • Jones - Kirkham, E. Kay. Daniel Stillwell Thomas and Martha Paine Jones Thomas, Early Members of the LDS Church and Utah Pioneers of 1849. (Salt Lake City, Utah): E.K. Kirkham, 1985. FS Catalog 921.73 T362k.
  • Keen - Keen, H.T. Genealogy of the Keen Family of Wayne County, Illinois. Lawrenceville, Ill.: H.T. Keen, 1965. FS Catalog 929.273 K25kf.
  • Kirkpatrick - French, Marline R. The Bradford and Kirkpatrick Ancestry of Virginia, Tennessee and Texas and Some of Their Descendants, 1729. Typescript, National Library, DAR, 1959. FS Catalog 858790 Item 3.
  • Latimer - Love, Louise. "Jonathan Latimer of New London, Conn. and Sumner County, Tennessee," The American Genealogist, Vol. 51, No. 1 (Jan. 1975):56-57. FS Catalog 973 D25aga v. 51. Online at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • Latimer - Patch, Olivia C. Descendants of Nathaniel Latimer (1768-1793) and Mary Lattimore (ca.1766/67-?) of New London County, Connecticut. Tolland, Connecticut: O.C. Patch, 1984. FS Catalog 929.273 L349p.
  • Latimer - White, Myrtle Alice. The Latimer Family of New London, Conn. Cairo, Ill.: M.A. White, 1989. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 5733.
  • Lauderdale - Lauderdale, Charles J. The Lauderdales of Scotland and America, 1056-1936. Joplin, MO: Gahagan Print. Co., 1937. FS Catalog 1307515 Item 5; online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Layne - James, Larry Alan. The Layne Family of Washington County, Arkansas. Neosho, Missouri: L.A. James, 1985. FS Catalog 929.273 L454j.
  • Leddy - Giles, Sharon Estis. John Leddy: Descendants of John Leddy, Born 1797 Ireland. n.p.: S.E. Giles, 2003. FS Catalog 929.273 L498g.
  • Lem(m)on - Lemmon, Gene Charles and the Lem(m)on Genealogical Society. A Genealogical Biography of John Lem(m)on, Sr. Lancaster, Calif.: G.C. Lemmon, 2003. FS Catalog 929.273 L543; online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Loving - Hubbs, Ferol Frost. Hubbs - Frost and Allied Families. 1958. FS Catalog 929.273 H862hf.
  • McAdams - Towell, Roy H. Isaac Towell and His Family: Including Towell-McAdams-Whitworth-Shaw-Fitzgerald & Others, 1764-1990. Beaumont, Texas: R.H. Towell, 1990. FS Catalog 929.273 T65tr.
  • McMurtry - McMurtry, Otis D. Chronology of the Life of John McMurtry, Esq., Soldier, Privateer of the American Revolution: Progenitor of the McMurtry Clan of Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. FS Catalog 570838 Item 2.
  • Mastin - Aronhime, Gordon. Thomas Mastin: Important Unknown of the Early Clinch River Settlement. 1982. FS Catalog 975.5725 H25p no. 19.
  • Matherly - Anderson, Bobby. Matherly/Matherlee: The Family of John Woodford Matherly (1829-1894). Goodlettsville, Tenn.: B. Anderson, 199-?. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 7812.
  • Mills - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Thurman Lineage: Descent of Mrs. Helen Goodpasture of Nashville, Tennessee. Typescript, 1950. FS Catalog 1035575 Item 8; online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Mitchell - Monroe, Ruby Moore. The Mitchell/Williams Families. Typescript, microfilmed 1996. FS Catalog 2055160 Item 34.
  • Morrison - Morrison, William Mann. Morrison--Williams. Marietta, Ga.: W.M. Morrison, 1989. FS Catalog 929.273 M834mm.
  • Neel - Neel, Charles Wayne. Neel and Allied Families. Grass Valley, Calif.: Memory Maker Productions,2007. FS Catalog 929.273 N292; online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Owsley - Owsley, Harriet. Owsley Charts: Master Charts Compiled from the Unpublished Census, 1850-1860. Microfilmed 1959. FS Catalog 928765.
  • Pritchett - Horlacher, Doris Melissa Pritchett. Pritchett in America, Waller, Pritchard, Prickett, Phelan, 1987. Orem, Utah: Horlacher and Sons, 1987. FS Catalog 1421821 Item 9.
  • Pyles - Pyle, Irma Jean and Sandra Kaye Laughery Gorin. The Pyle/Pyles Family of Franklin County, Illinois: A Tribute to John Franklin Pyle. Glasgow, Ky.: Gorin Genealogical Publishing, 1994. FS Catalog 929.273 P993pi.
  • Pyles - Melvin, Doreen Broy. Family of James N. Pyles. 199-?. FS Catalog 929.273 P993m.
  • 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. FS Catalog 928082 Item 13.
  • Robertson - Baily Family Bible Records, ca. 1838-1958. FS Catalog 1697633 Item 8.
  • Savely - Lawler, James H.L. Book of Remembrance and Research Notes. MSS., microfilmed 1965. FS Catalog 467964-FS Catalog 467966.
  • Shelby - Armstrong, Zella. Notable Southern Families. Chattanooga, Tenn.: Lookout Publishing Company, 1922. Vol. 2. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Stinson - Stinson, Jerry and Delois Stinson. Stinson Family History. Fairborn, Ohio: J. & D. Stinson, 1978. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 3051.
  • Stubblefield - McMorrough, Eileen Stubblefield. The Stubblefields of Calhoun County, Mississippi and Related Families. Aberdeen, Mississippi: E.S. McMorrough, 1980. FS Catalog 929.273 A1 no. 3276.
  • 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. FS Catalog 929.273 T187c.
  • Thomas - Thomas, Martha Pane Jones and Kate Woodhouse Kirkham. Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History. 1927. FS Catalog 929.273 T362tm. Includes the Journal of Martha Pane Jones Thomas.
  • Thomas - Kirkham, E. Kay. Daniel Stillwell Thomas and Martha Paine Jones Thomas, Early Members of the LDS Church and Utah Pioneers of 1849. (Salt Lake City, Utah): E.K. Kirkham, 1985. FS Catalog 921.73 T362k.
  • Thomas - Wise, Holly L. History of a Family Named Thomas: This Family is Related to a Family Named Wise, through the Marriage of Louisa Hundley Thomas to William Joseph P. Wise, on October 7, 1849, in Johnson County, Illinois. St. Louis, Missouri: H.L. Wise, 19--?. FS Catalog 929.273 T361wh.
  • Towell - Towell, Roy H. Isaac Towell and His Family: Including Towell-McAdams-Whitworth-Shaw-Fitzgerald & Others, 1764-1990. Beaumont, Texas: R.H. Towell, 1990. FS Catalog 929.273 T65tr.
  • Trigg - Trigg--Brown Family Bible Records, 1765-1818. FS Catalog 850401 Item 2.
  • Watson - DeMay, Maybelle Watson. Some Descendants of John Ketchem Watson: and Related Families of Bergland, Campbell, Harmon, Curtis, DeMay, Clark, Stark, Burns, Ellis, Jones, Young, Dumay, Miller, Johnson, Lovelady. Newberg, Oregon: DeMay Press, 1982. FS Catalog 929.273 W334dm.
  • Watts - Brooks, Dorothy Claybroke Watts. Thomas Watts and Alexander McElwain, Their Ancestors, Descendants, and Related Families. Memphis, Tenn.: D.C.W. Brooks, 1980. FS Catalog 6019187.
  • Weir - Fieber, Dora Reid. Some of the Descendants of Wm. Weir. Typescript, 1972. FS Catalog 983676 Item 16.
  • West - Giulvezan, Isabel Stebbins. Notes on Amos West (1766-1819) of Sumner County, Tennessee, and Logan County, Kentucky. 1960. FS Catalog 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. FS Catalog 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. FS Catalog 928082 Item 13.
  • Youree - Seminole Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, West Palm Beach, Florida. A Collection of Records: Cemetery, Family, Bible, and an Index of Revolutionary Soldiers in Maine. Typescript, National Library, DAR. Microfilmed 1971. FS Catalog 869287 Item 4.

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Deeds

Online limited name index to early Sumner County Archive loose original deeds.

Local Land Entries Issued by North Carolina

The original Sumner County land entries issued by North Carolina are kept at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. On their website, users can bring up a list of land entries issued in Sumner County, both before and after its land became a part of the state of Tennessee. Years covered: 1780-1803.

Instructions:

  1. Follow this link to conduct a "Call Number Search" using the MARS Catalog on their site.
  2. Using the pull down window, change "Call Numbers starting" to "A MarsID matching."
  3. Type 12.14.18 (Windows Vista users may need to include a period after the last digit, for example 12.14.18.) and click Search. This is the specific MarsID for Sumner County.
  4. Click on the entry that is returned: "Tennessee, Sumner County."
  5. In the window that pops up, click Show List of Child Records and a list of Sumner County land entries will be produced. Browse to find abstracts of the original records.[16]

N.B. You can also search by name through the Basic Search, but it lacks soundex capabilities.

Land Grants

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

Trousdale CountyWilson CountyDavidson CountyRobertson CountyMacon CountySimpson CountyAllen CountyTN SUMNER.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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. FS Library US/CAN Film 928082 Item 13.

Military Records

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:

Additional resources include:

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. FS Library US/CAN Book 973 X2pc 1840; FS Library US/CAN Film 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 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 at 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. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 B2a v. 8 (1961); digital version at Ansearchin' News. 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.

Civil War

Online Records

Regiments. Men in Sumner County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Sumner County:

Confederate Soldiers

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Sumner County:

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Sumner County click on the following cities or towns:

Obituaries

Other Records

Prisons

Periodicals

Genealogical periodicals can contain unique sources and can be local, regional, or statewide. The following periodicals cover this county:

Probate Records

The Sumner County Court has responsibility for the probate records. Many probate records are held by the Sumner County Archives, which maintains an online name index.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • Sumner County, Tennessee Abstracts of Will Books 1 and 2 (1788-1842) at Ancestry $
  • 1808-1821 - Sumner County, Tennessee, Inventories, Settlements, and Guardian Accounts, Volume A, March 1808-February 1821. Nashville, Tennessee: G.W. Bamman, 1984. Indexed. (FS Library book 976.847 P28b.)
  • 1787-1808 - Bamman, Gale Williams and Debbie Williams Spero. Sumner County, Tennessee Probate Data, 1787-1808. Nashville, Tennessee: Gale W. Bamman, 1984. Indexed. (FS Library book 976.847 P28s.)
  • 1788-1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills & Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler & Associates, Inc., 1990. FS Library US/CAN 976.8 P22s. Includes an index to this county's wills.
  • 1787-1835 - Wilson, Shirley. Sumner County, Tennessee, Bond Book, 1787-1835. Hendersonville, Tennessee: S. Wilson, 1994. Indexed. (FS Library book 976.847 V2wi.)
  • 1788-1882 - Wilson, Shirley. Sumner County, Tennessee, Will Abstracts, 1788-1882. Hendersonville, Tennessee: Wilson, 1987. FS Library US/CAN book 976.847 P2w Free lookups available!

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

  • 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 FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
  • 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. FS Catalog 24839 Item 3
  • 1787-1795 - Online limited every name index to Sumner County Archive tax records.
  • 1787, 1792, 1811, 1816, 1823 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. & B. Sistler, 1977. FS Library US/CAN Book 976.8 R4s. Includes 1787, 1792, 1811, 1816, and 1823 tax lists.
  • 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 FS Library 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. FS Library 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 & Polls in Capt. Strators (Stratons) Company for the year 1811," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
  • 1812) (Partial) - "A List of Taxable Property & 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 FS Library 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 FS Library 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.

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

Online indexes and Records

Book Abstracts and Indexes

Death

Divorce

Online Records

Online Titles

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

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Sumner County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Sumner County. For state-wide library facilities, see Tennessee Archives and Libraries.

Gallatin Public Library
123 East Main Street
Gallatin, TN 37066
Phone: 615-452-1722
Website

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

Portland Public Library
301 Portland Blvd.
Portland, TN 37148
Phone: 615-325-2279
Email: portlandlibrary@bellsouth.net
Website

Hendersonville Public Library
140 Saundersville Road
Hendersonville, TN 37075
Phone: 615-824-0656
Website

Westmoreland Public Library
2305 Epperson Springs Rd.
Westmoreland, TN 37186
Phone: 615-644-2026
Website

White House Inn Library
105 College Street
White House, TN 37188
Phone: 615-672-0239
Fax: 615-672-9733
Website

Museums

White House Inn Library and Museum
412 Hwy 76
White House, TN 37188
Phone: 615-672-5223
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Sumner County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Tennessee Societies.

Bledsoe's Lick Historical Association, Inc.
2923 Hartsville Pike
Castalian Springs, TN 37031
Phone: 615-452-5463
Website
Facebook

Sumner County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1871
Gallatin, TN 37066
Website
Facebook

Websites

Research Guides

An excellent place to start Sumner County genealogy searches is the Sumner County Archives, which maintains various online name indexes for many early records, including court, land, military, probate, school, and vital records. The site also hosts an obituary index.

  • "Genealogical Research in Sumner County," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Fall 1988). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Sumner.
  • "Sumner County Research," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Winter 1992). For possible FS Library and online access, as well as indexes, see Sumner.

References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sumner, Tennessee" in Wikipedia accessed 08 Jan 2019
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sumner County, Tennessee," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumner_County%2C_Tennessee, accessed 13 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Founding of the Cumberland Settlements: The First Atlas 1779-1804.
  8. ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee," Wikipedia.
  9. ↑ Arlene Eakle, "Reconstructing the 1790 Census of Tennessee," Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Genealogy Blog, 20 May 2010.
  10. ↑ Martha Pane Jones Thomas and Kate Woodhouse Kirkham. Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History. 1927. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 T362tm; E. Kay Kirkham, Daniel Stillwell Thomas and Martha Paine Jones Thomas, Early Members of the LDS Church and Utah Pioneers of 1849. [Salt Lake City, Utah]: E.K. Kirkham, 1985. FS Library FAM HIST Book 921.73 T362k.
  11. ↑ Martha Pane Jones Thomas and Kate Woodhouse Kirkham. Daniel Stillwell Thomas Family History. 1927. FS Library FAM HIST Book 929.273 T362tm; E. Kay Kirkham, Daniel Stillwell Thomas and Martha Paine Jones Thomas, Early Members of the LDS Church and Utah Pioneers of 1849. [Salt Lake City, Utah]: E.K. Kirkham, 1985. FS Library FAM HIST Book 921.73 T362k.
  12. ↑ Dayle Duncan White, "Bennett," 1653-4 American Colonists, 1851 Utah Pioneers, 1510-1978. Salt Lake City, Utah: D.D. White, 198-. FS Library Film 1320843 Item 2.
  13. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at Media:Igitennessees.pdf.
  14. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Tennessee.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  15. ↑ Kenneth Scott. British Aliens in the United States During the War of 1812. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1979, 372-378 (see West Tennessee). FS Library US/CAN 973 W4s; digital version at Ancestry ($).
  16. ↑ J. Mark Lowe, "The Land Grant Processes of North Carolina and Tennessee," Lecture, Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, Knoxville, Tenn., August 21, 2010.
  17. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at PDF.
  18. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at PDF.
  19. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at PDF.



v • d• e
Links to Tennessee-related articles
Topics
Counties
Anderson · Bedford · Benton · Bledsoe · Blount · Bradley · Campbell · Cannon · Carroll · Carter · Cheatham · Chester · Claiborne · Clay · Cocke · Coffee · Crockett · Cumberland · Davidson · Decatur · DeKalb · Dickson · Dyer · Fayette · Fentress · Franklin · Gibson · Giles · Grainger · Greene · Grundy · Hamblen · Hamilton · Hancock · Hardeman · Hardin · Hawkins · Haywood · Henderson · Henry · Hickman · Houston · Humphreys · Jackson · Jefferson · Johnson · Knox · Lake · Lauderdale · Lawrence · Lewis · Lincoln · Loudon · McMinn · McNairy · Macon · Madison · Marion · Marshall · Maury · Meigs · Monroe · Montgomery · Moore · Morgan · Obion · Overton · Perry · Pickett · Polk · Putnam · Rhea · Roane · Robertson · Rutherford · Scott · Sequatchie · Sevier · Shelby · Smith · Stewart · Sullivan · Sumner · Tipton · Trousdale · Unicoi · Union · Van Buren · Warren · Washington · Wayne · Weakley · White · Williamson · Wilson
Extinct
Counties
Major
Repositories
Migration
Routes
Cumberland River · Mississippi River · Tennessee River · Cumberland Trace · Black Fox Trail · Bolivar and Memphis Trail · Butterfield Overland Mail · Catawba Trail · Chattanooga-Willstown Road · Nickajack Trail · Cisco and Middle Tennessee Trail · Cumberland and Great Lake Trail · Cumberland and Ohio Falls Trail · Federal Road · Great Indian Warpath · Great South Trail · Great Trading Path · Great Valley Road · Jackson's Military Road · Jonesboro Road · Kentucky Road · West Tennessee Trail · Maysville Turnpike · Memphis, Pontotoc and Mobile Trail · Mississippi and Tennessee River Trail · Nashville Road · Nashville-Saline River Trail · Chickasaw Trail · Old Cherokee Path · Tennessee, Ohio and Great Lakes Trail · Unicoi Trail · West Tennessee Chickasaw Trail · Wilderness Road · Illinois Central Railroad
Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Sumner_County,_Tennessee_Genealogy&oldid=6335766"