No census exists for the years covered in this book-a time when settlers were flooding into Tennessee in record numbers as a result of the subjugation of the hitherto troublesome Indians. Some settlers stayed on permanently, while others just stopped over for a brief spell on their way further west. In the absence of a census, county court records are a genealogist's richest source of names and other family data. These court minutes give a picture of life on the expanding frontier and also demonstrate how events were handled: not just disputes and lawsuits, but also the building of roads and bridges, the handling of troubles like insanity, illegitimacy, death, guardianships, apprenticeships, and the remarriage of widows. Growing urbanization is shown in the purchases of town lots, repairs to courthouse and jail, and the licensing of ordinaries, ferries, and mill sites. Sheriffs' reports deal with lawbreakers, delinquent taxes, and public sales. Deeds, depositions, and powers of attorney may refer to places of previous residence. The information was transcribed from microfilm. It is chronologically arranged and includes an every name index.
Carol Wells
(1994), 2008, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, index, 234 pp.
ISBN: 9780788400728
101-W0072
