Old Hancock County records
Anyone who has researched in Hancock County, TN knows that Hancock was burned twice, once in the 1880's and again in the 1930's.
There are not a lot of early records to help in your research except for the census records, deeds that start from 1879 and Chancery Court minutes that start from 1870, until now!!!
A few court cases did survive and were microfilmed by the LDS in last part of 2002.
Keep in mind that every court case is not there and that the ones that are may not be complete.
These chancery cases represent only a hand full of cases that went through the Hancock County Courts.
You can order the microfilm of these records through your local LDS Family Search research centers and view them there or you maybe able to do a loan through your library from the Tennessee State Archives. I am not sure if the Tennessee State Archives will do a look up and copy for you since they do not appear to have an index, and the Archives do charge a fee for searching and copying. You can email them and ask if this is something they will do.
I have started an index for these records and I sincerely hope that it will help in your research.
I do not know anymore about them than what I have on the index; I have tried to indicate how long the cases are so that you have an idea. I have usually indicated if the case is over 10 pgs, with the letters OTP (over ten pages).
*Please note: I tried to keep the names just as they were on the court case folder but errors are possible.
The index is done according to the order that the cases are in on the microfilm from the Tennessee State Archives, I have indicated the microfilm reel # to help you.
Microfilm reel # B1801, Tennessee State Archives.
If this index is helpful and you copy your ancestors case please consider donating a small extraction or the whole case to this site so that maybe others will benefit.
This index only covers years 1797-1860, there are more records (up to the 1930's) and I will add to the index as my time allows.
If this index is helpful to you please drop me a line (email) and let me know, as I am very curious!!!
| CLICK, JAMES & WIFE | VS. | McCullough, D.S.M | 1858 | Estate | |||||||
| STIGALL, NATHANIEL'S NORTH CAROLINA LAND GRANT | 1797 | LAND | OTP | ||||||||
| View Transcribed deed | ELY, JOHN T. | TO | NEFF, ABRAHAM | 1853 | DEED | ||||||
| ROGERS, GEORGE, GRANT #18207 FOR 80 ACRES | 1833 | COPY 1916 | |||||||||
| GIBSON, CHARLES TO NICHOLS, WILLIAM | 1843 | DEED | |||||||||
| CAMPBELL, ANDERSON DEED TO 1/2 ACRES | 1851 | DEED | |||||||||
| MISCELLANEOUS DEEDS 1853-1900 | (these are damaged documents0 | 1853 | DEED | ||||||||
| RHEA, SAML. | VS. | COLLINS, EZEKIAL & OTHERS | 1853 | LAND | OTP | ||||||
| HERD, ISAAC & JACOB | (this is a very long land dispute) | VS | CATRON, ELIJAH 7 OTHERS | 1857 | LAND | OTP | |||||
| BARKER, JOSEPH | VS. | ROGERS, THURMAN | 1858 | LAND | |||||||
| BLOOMER, JOSEPH | VS. | ROBERTS, CLAIBORNE & OTHERS | 1858 | HOG DEBT | OTP | ||||||
| BYRD, MARINDA | VS. | BYRD, JAMES | 1858 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||
| CLICK, JAMES & WIFE | (long, possibly over 100 pgs | VS | MCCULLOUGH, D.S.M. | 1858 | ESTATE | OTP | |||||
| (this case is separated into 7 different files | |||||||||||
| COLEMAN, THOMAS R. & OTHERS | VS. | BISHOP, JOSEPH | 1858 | LAND | OTP | ||||||
| EDENS, JOHN | VS. | EDENS, SARAH ANN | 1858 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||
| GIBSON, HILLARY | VS. | GIBSON, MARY J. | 1858 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||
| BRAY, PETER & ELIZABETH TO MAYES, FLEMMING | 1858 | DEED | |||||||||
| GIBSON, RICHARD | VS. | GIBSON, NAOMI DELP | 1858 | DIVORCE | |||||||
| STAFFINE, EMANUEL | VS. | MCDOWELL, WM. F.M. | 1858 | LAND | OTP | ||||||
| VANOY, ELIJAH | VS | CAMPBELL, ALEXANDER | 1858 | NOTE | |||||||
| ADAMS, J.C. | VS. | EVANS, WM. H. & OTHERS | 1859 | LAND | OTP | ||||||
| CLICK, JAMES & WIFE | (long separated into 2 files | VS. | MCCULLOGH, S.F. & OTHERS | 1859 | LAND | OTP | |||||
| DORHORTY, J.C. | VS. | DORHORTY, CHRISTINA A. BLESSING | 1859 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||
| HERD, HIRAM | (Long) | VS. | HERD HEIRS | 1859 | ESTATE | OTP | |||||
| (very long, separated into 5 files) | |||||||||||
| ODLE, JEREMIAH | VS | TURNER, F.M. ETAL. | 1859 | LAND | |||||||
| MCKINNY, J.A. | VS. | RICE, DANIEL P. ETAL. | 1859 | INJUNCTION | |||||||
| MCKINNEY, JOHN A. | VS. | RICE, D.P. ETAL. | 1859 | JUDGEMENT | |||||||
| RITCHIE, ROBERT & OVERTON, ELBERT | VS. | PURKEY, M.G. & HEIRS | 1859 | ESTATE | OTP | ||||||
| TURNER, F.M. | VS. | TURNER, MARGARET | 1859 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||
| BANK OF TENNESSEE | VS. | HERD, GEORGE | 1860 | DEBT | OTP | ||||||
| BOLING, BRITTAIN | VS. | BOLING, DEBBY | 1860 | DIVORCE | OTP | ||||||