Pioneered by Researcher Jack Cross First Sullivan CO, TNGenWeb County Coordinator
Genealogies of Sullivan County
The following are family genealogies with ties to Sullivan County, Tennessee. If you would like to submit your families genealogy please contact SHGilley. I will be more than happy to either add a link to your site or post your information on these pages. Please help others and yourself at the same time by sharing your family information.....
- Descendants of Alexander “Elec” Eaton & Lucinda Leonard
- Lyon(s)- Scalf Families of Sullivan & Carter Co., TN :
- A website containing a large history collection in .pdf file format for the Lyon(s)-Scalf Family. The collection traces the ancestors & descendents of James Andrew “Jim” Lyons (son of William H. “Bill” Lyons & Florance Woods; grandson of Landon C. Lyon & Louisa Glover) and his wife, Mary Liddie Scalf, of Sullivan Co., TN (daughter of Isaac Scalf & Nannie Mae Glover; granddaughter of Benjamin Scalf & Lydia Mayfield).
- The site includes hundreds of old and current family pictures, current family history information, multiple cemetery surveys, list of family surnames and much more. The family history begins in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings for the Lyon family; the mid-1500’s for the Scalf family, the 1700’s for the Woods family, Glover ancestors to the mid-1700’s and the Hicks’ family to 1214.
- Contact: Sherry Winebarger Reeter, m-sreeter@embarqmail.com
- Ruth Byrns Family Tree
- This is a pictorial family tree with over 1000 names. The most common surnames are:
- Mowl/Mowel/Mowell Unfortunately there are several variations of the name
- Golden, Liford/Lifford, Hubbard, Manis, Early, Ball and numerous other surnames
- GRAHAM - HICKS - CLOUD - KELLEY - MOODY
- The Cloud line in this Genealogy Report has ties to Sullivan County - Joseph F. Cloud b. 1803 Sullivan County, TN. (Janet Graham Theberge)
- Report on Martin and John Booher of Sullivan County Tennessee
- These records and reports were submitted by a Descendant of Martin and John Booher in hopes of dispelling a false assumption that Dr. John Bucher of PA. was the father of these men. We hope this information will be helpful in your research of this Family.
- Grubb Family
- This gedcom provides data concerning the two brothers, Jacob Grubb and Abraham Grubb and their descendants. Jacob and Abraham are sons of Christian Grubb of Frederick County, VA and Germany. It also has data on families, Shelley, Stophel and others of the area with whom the Grubb family married. Ernie Grubb ernieg@mchsi.com
- Brenda Reed's Ancestors, Kith & Kin of Virginia, Tennessee, North & South Carolina, Maryland, & Europe
- Contains a substantial website relative to many Sullivan County families.
- Stoffel/Stophel Familes
- Research on the Stoffel/Stophel families that moved from MD > VA > TN. Mainly Henry > Henry> Abraham and Elizabeth Miller line(Holston Dam area). Some areas of the site are password accessable to protect living members, but this only involves the most current history. Other material is public. Research by Tricia. Thank you.
- Carolyn Grover - Researching George Waddle
- George Waddle lived in Sullivan County and went to war in 1812 from Sullivan County. He was a prisoner of war and was exchanged for prisoners of the British. I am looking to see if he is related to Jacob Waddle, also from the same unit. Jacob also was captured but died as a prisoner. I think there is a connection to the Woods as George was a prisoner with a George Woods whose brother was named Richard.
- Wolfe Traces
- Sherry Wolfe Parker traces the migration of John Wolfe, Sr. John's two sisters Mary and Barbara settled in Sullivan County, Tennessee. It has 69 pages with an index of over 5000 names, loaded with information on the Wolfe family and their descendants.
- Shari Bennett's Family Tree
- Descendants of Jacob Gross [b. abt. 1740]. Jacob Gross and family were one of the early settlers of Sullivan County, TN in the 1780s. Some related surnames: Cartwright, Cross, Dawalt, Devault, Farrington, Giesler, Hall, Hughes, Jones, King, Odom, Shipley, Shultz, Thomas, Webb, Woods and several others
- Isaac Depew
- Research submitted by Mabry Benson. Family history of Isaac Depew an early resident of Sullivan County.
- The Orbachs of Hardscrabble Manor - Abraham McClellan and Descendants
- Abram(or Abraham) McClellan was an early settler of East Tennessee. He fought in the Battle of King's Mtn. under the leadership of General George Rutledge. He graduated from Washington College in Jonesborugh, TN and served in the Tennessee legislature helping to rewrite the state constitution
- Whitlock Genealogical Database
- Descendants of Joseph McLane
- Appalachian Pioneers - Updated version of Deloach Family genealogy
- BULLOCK
- COMBS &c. Families of Sullivan Co, TN
- CROSS' Genealogy
- East Tennessee Historical Society
- HTGS Home Page - Holston Territory Genealogical Society Home page
- VATNGENSOC's Home Page - VA - TN Genealogical Society Home page
- LOONEY, DeVAULT, RENTFRO, RHEA Families , descendants of Sullivan County, Tenn.
- RHEA - by Fred Preston. A very thorough genealogy of the Rhea Family, early settlers of Sullivan Co
- RHEA - Descendants of Rev. Joseph RHEA who purchased land in the late 1700's in Sullivan Co. Ed Foley Website: The Rebel
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Professional & Other Research Help
- Sullivan County Archive - Newly opened in May 2004, the Sullivan County Archives officially opened its facility located next to the old Sullivan County Courthouse on Highway 126 in Blountville, Tennessee. Although the Archives is presently open only to elected officials while records are still in processing, plans are under way to open the facility to the general public by Summer 2005.
- Shelia S. Hunt - Sullivan Co. and area. Professional services.
- Hunt Multimedia Genealogy - We provide some unusual offerings of family history items not found in the everyday bookstore! In addition to new and used genealogy books pertaining to East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, we also offer genealogy charts and forms, digital photographs, as well as copies of documents such as pension records, Bible records, marriage certificates and more! Our unique research service specializes in education in genealogy and related computer technology. Visit the Bookstore.
- Kristi Moffitt Read her cover letter.
Folks with Connections to Sullivan County
The following individuals have written manuscripts, contributed information, or are willing to correspond with others regarding the history of Sullivan County or family history connected to Sullivan County. As always we would like to add your name to our list.
- Jacob Hicks (1760-about 1833) of Sullivan County, Tennessee and His Descendants by William C. “Bill” Hicks
- Jacob Hicks was an early settler of Sullivan County, arriving in the late 1780's, from Baltimore County, MD. He was preceeded to Sullivan by two uncles, Isaac and Nehemiah Hicks II. The book contains over 300 pages of deeds, photos, local history, Jacob's will, bios of his descendants, the Hicks School of Sullivan County, Davis School of Carter County, Chinquapin Grove Baptist Church and other interesting stories. The book is a work of three years of research and compilations by Bill Hicks, Harold Hicks, and Peggy Carroll Shoun. The book is in most Tri-City libraries and a limited amount of stock is available for purchase.
- Email: Bill Hicks
- Bill Hicks
- 150 Sapphire Drive
- Elizabethton, TN 37643
- 423-542-6782
- "The Descendants of Hezekiah Sumner of Montgomery and Floyd Counties, VA." by Irene Underwood
- "One of my "missing" ancestors abandoned his family in VA and began a new life with a new family in Sullivan Co. After over 50 years of searching for this line, I accidently stumbled across their descendants on a web posting in January 2000. We are still searching for the grave of this man who was killed in a fall from the roof of a building he was working on in 1882. We discovered that he changed the family name from Sumner to Summers. Whether that was intentional or evolutional is unclear. Other members in the same family went there and settled permanently." Irene will answer questions about this family.
- Email: Irene Underwood
- Irene Underwood
- 1624 Tradd Court
- Chesterfield, MO 63017
- Phone: 636-537-1562
- Pat Elder - Continuity Press.
- This bookstore is located in Blountville, TN and specializes in Melungeon, Appalachian/Cumberland, Jackson County Tennessee, and Civil War Genealogy-and-History Books. They are happy to answer any questions in these fields.
- "Cross Family Migration" by Walt Cross
- "Cross Family Migration" traces the history of four Cross Bothers and their descendants from the days of their grandfather, who came to America from England, to the families' migration from Maryland to Sullivan County Tennessee and beyond. An excellent source for information of early Sullivan.
- William Reed Hood - John Hood descendants.
- East Tennessee Historical Society
- Ed Foley - I have done a fair amount of work on the families of the descendants of Rev. Joseph Rhea who purchased land in the late 1700's in Sullivan Co.
- Volunteer - Sullivan Co 1850 Census
- Ted has volunteered his services for 1850 Census lookups. Please submit queries for specific names ("John Smith NOT all Smiths) E-Mail : Ted
- "The Weaver Families of Georgia"
- I would like to volunteer to do "Look Ups" from a book I have entitled, "The Weaver Families of Georgia - Volume I." The book contains genealogical details (ancestry, descendancy and family stories) of about 17 Weaver families who were in Georgia prior to (or by) the 1850 Census. The book is 555 pages and indexes over 6,000 names. The information documents the various migrations of the Weaver families from Virginia and the Carolinas and Tennessee into Georgia and Florida, and then the westward trek to Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and further. Contact: Jim Bass and Ken Adcox
- "William King and Virginia Watkins, Dyer Descendants and Related families"
- Annette M. Krieg of Vancouver, WA has generously volunteered to do look ups on these Families. She writes; Hi, I have several(5 or so) books with the King,Sharp,Dyer and other families from Sullivan Co. Books I have are:
- William King and Virginia Watkins
- Dyer descendants and related families
- A particial history of Edward King
- Our Family History Thomas King and Susan Sharp
- Misc. pages of Nicholas,Sharp King and Dyer information sent to me by another researcher.
- Contact: Annette M. Krieg
- Yancey Family Research
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GEDCOMs
- Tom BUCHANAN's Genealogy
- Surnames: ADAM, BUCHANAN, BEAN, BROOKS, CAMPBELL, CARTER, CHALKEY, CHRISTMAN. COX, DAVIS, DICKERSON, DRINON, ELKINS, ERWIN, FINDLEY, FLACK, FOWLER, GALBRAITH, GAMMON, GILBERT, GLADSON, GOODMAN, GREEN, HAMBLEN, HAMMONS, HAYS, HOLMES, HORTON, LAMIE, MOONEY, MUSTIN, PARROTT, PEARSON, PRICE, SPIVEY, WATSON, WEBB, WIDDEN, WILDER, WILLIAMS, YOUNT, and more
- HUGHES-SNAPP - View it (Java enabled Browsers only)
- Surnames: HUGHES, SNAPP, and many other surnames. For text version select
- PALMER Gedcom
- Email John O. Graybeal re the .ged of Patterson Palmer Graybeal--one of the first Graybeal's to come to Washington Co from Ashe Co, NC. We do not know at this point where Patterson's parents are buried, but believe Ashe Co. The Graybeal in the Washington Co, VA and Sullivan Co, TN area are for the most part descendents of Patterson.
- WALKER/TUSSEY - View it (Java enabled
Browsers only)
- Surnames: WALKER, TUSSEY. Edward Walker Jr and his brother Joseph married sisters Mahala and Mary Tussey in Sullivan County in 1816/17, probably on the same day. These brothers were 1812 War veterans. Their parents, Edward Walker Sr and Jane Horne, were also married in Sullivan. Edward Sr was a Revolutionary War vet. More complete sources for individual entries are available on request. Nancy Cassada Nelson
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References, Books, Writings
The following listing is some books and other media available, which contain information and genealogies of Sullivan County. By no means is this listing complete. If you run across a source you think should be included drop us a line.
- 7 Volume Set of Cemetery Records in Scott Co, VA. - Compiled by Phyllis Louise Peterson
- Phyllis Peterson is the compiler and publisher of the Scott Co, VA Cemetery Records and Court Vital Records. She has submitted a 7 Volume Set of Scott Co, VA Cemetery Records to the Sullivan Co, Archives.
- More information can be found at her website www.scottvabks.com
- Obituaries from Carter & Johnson Counties, Tennessee Newspapers Elizabethton Star, 1929-1950, The Tomahawk and Johnson County News, 1882-1970
- Price is $45 (postage/handling included).
- TO ORDER:
- Please send money order, cashier's check or personal check to: MRS. JERRY ANN KINNEAR STOUT, 1351 N. Denene Street, Wichita, KS 67212-4352
- Tennessee Convicts: Early Records of the State Penitentiary
New book may reveal Your Ancestors in the State Penitentiary!
- Announcing the publication of the second volume of Tennessee Convicts: Early Records of the State Penitentiary. This volume covers records from 1850 through 1870, including more than 2,200 prisoners and their family members who are named in the original ledger volumes.
- During this period abolitionists, Confederate bushwhackers and Union army soldiers convicted by courts martial were among those who crowded the State Penitentiary. In addition, the regular complement of counterfeiters, horse thieves and murderers from across the state are also represented.
- You may also contact the author, Chuck Sherrill, by e-mail at:
- books4histry@cs.com
- (The originial volume, listing prisoners 1830-1850, is presently out of print.)
- Pathfinders,
Pioneers, & Patriots
- This C.D. shadows the early explorers to "the New World" then follows the progression of the frontier across Virginia to 1800. From 1760 to 1800, it focuses on the largely untold history of S.W. Virginia, E. Kentucky, and N. E. Tennessee.
- Completed in a MS- Word '97 Format which allows the user to literally "point and click" their way through history. It also contains a MS-Word Viewer for those without a compatible word processor. (It will run on virtually any computer.) It contains a historical timeline of over 30 pages with hyper-links to over 100 pages of the stories about the people and events listed (along with many original color pictures and primary documents).
- More information can be found at http://www.mounet.com/~echo/ppp.htm This link also includes an Historical Timeline that focuses on The SW Virginai E Tennessee and E Kentucky History (To 1800)
- Danny Dixon
- Echoes From the Past
- Rt. 2 Box 872
- Nickelsville, Va. 24271
- (540)479-2325
- Sullivan County, Tennessee Will Book 1 1830-1870 Index: A listing of full names from the WPA abstracts.
- This is a master index to the WPA Wills, and is an every-name index with over 2,500 index references to the wills from 1830-1870. I hope this will be an asset to Sullivan County researchers.
- The Descendants Of Hezekiah Sumner of Montgomery And Floyd Counties, VA. By Irene Underwood
- A number of Hezekiah's descendants went to Sullivan County in TN.
- The book is hardbound, marbled, navy blue cover with stamped on gold lettering on the cover and spine, 434 pages, over 75 pictures, most of them family pictures, also maps and articles on Floyd County. The database has over 5400 individuals. The book is fully indexed, documented, 8 1/2 x 11 in size. Price is $47 including shipping. To order, contact Irene (info below).
- Email: Irene Underwood
- Irene Underwood
- 1624 Tradd Court
- Chesterfield, MO 63017
- Phone: 636-537-1562
- Dixon And Amburn Family History, with allied family sketches of East Tennessee By Shelia Steele Hunt (Kingsport, Tennessee)
- This book chronicles the genealogies of several early East Tennessee families, and more specifically includes the genealogy of the following surnames: AMBURN, CLARK, DIXON, FRIZZELL, GRIBBLE, HENRY, HUTTON, HYDER, KERR, KITE, MILLSAPS, TAYLOR, TEDFORD, THOMPSON, and others. (Hundreds of other surnames are also included in the every-name index.) Some of the main places included (but limited to) in the book are TN counties of Blount, Loudon, Monroe, Polk, Knox, Bradley, Greene, Washington, Carter, Johnson; NC counties of Swain, Haywood, Jackson, Burke; VA counties of Augusta, Washington. Several other geographical counties/locations are cited, including VA, PA, MO, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and many more. (Please note that not all geographical locations could be listed here.) Many family pictures are also included in the book, as well as pictures of wills, Bible records, death records, newspaper clippings, marriage certificates, pictures of tombstones, and more.
- PRICE AND ORDERING INFORMATION: The price is $59 + $5 shipping and handling, and may be ordered, while supplies last, directly from the author, Shelia Steele Hunt, Genealogist & Consultant, P.O. Box 3826, Kingsport, TN 37664; phone (423-279-0422); E-mail: <shelia@huntgenealogy.com>. This is a limited edition publication, and quantities are extremely limited. Orders filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Tennessee Convicts, Early Records of the State Penitentiary (Mt. Juliet, Tennessee: privately published, 1997) by Chuck Sherrill
- The Tennessee State Penitentiary opened in 1831. Prior to that offenders were held in county jails. Surviving records of the Penitentiary are housed at the State Library and Archives as Record Group 25. The following list of inmates is found in ledger volume 86 of those records. The ledger also includes the date received in the Penitentiary, the prisoner's state of birth, and the date discharged.
- The index is online.
- The ledger also includes the date received in the Penitentiary, the prisoner's state of birth, and the date discharged. Copies of entries are available upon request by mail (listed under "State Penitentiary and Record Groups").
- A brief list of the Sullivan County Offenders can be viewed here.
- Sullivan County Pictorial History
- Published in 1999 by the Sullivan County Genealogical Society. Now in its 2nd printing, the book contains 160 pages of never-before published photographs, many of which include birth dates, death dates, marriage dates, spouses' names, parents' names, and more. The beautiful, hard-bound volume is a burgandy color with gold embossing. The price is $48.50 (postpaid), and may be ordered, while supplies last, from SCGS, P.O. Box 568, Blountville, TN 37617.
- 1860 Sullivan Co, TN Census
- Full transcription, including census enumerators' notes, birthplaces, real estate, 301 pp., $25
- 1870 Sullivan Co, TN Census, 292 pp., $25
- Sullivan Co, TN Marriage Records, 1863-1893, Volumes 1-3
- 3 volumes in one master listing by both bride and groom, 259 pp., $27
- Sullivan Co, TN Marriage Bonds, 1880-1899, Volumes 1-3
- 3 volumes in one master listing by both bride and groom, 135 pp.., $23
- Sullivan Co, TN 1899-1906 Marriages, 149 pp., $20
- Sullivan Co, TN 1875-1904 Administrative Bonds, $12
- Sullivan Co, TN Pictorial History, $43
- Sullivan Co, TN Historic Sullivan (Taylor), $25
- Sullivan Co, TN Pictorial History, $43.50
- Sullivan Co, TN Families & History 1779-1992, $73
- Russell Co, VA 1880 Census, $28
- Smyth Co, VA Marriages 1851-1891 (annotated) & 1860 Census, $35
- Smyth Co, VA 1880 Census, $28
- Washington Co, VA Marriages 1891-1902, $27
- Washington Co, VA 1880 Census (annotated), $35
- Washington Co, VA Cemeteries, $35
- Washington Co, VA High on a Windy Hill, $34.95
- (Add $3 shipping/handling for ea. book, & $2 for ea. addl. book ordered at same time.)
- Source
- Shelia S. Hunt
- Professional Genealogist, Lecturer, Consultant
- P.O. Box 3826
- Kingsport, TN 37664
- Families and History of Sullivan County, TN Vol. I, 1779-1992
- pub. by Holston Territory Genealogical Society, 1992;
- LC#93-61038
- PO Box 433
- Bristol, VA 24203
- The Overmountain Men by Pat Alderman
- Overmountain Press
- ISBN 0-932807
- Johnson City, TN
- The John Nicholas Mottern Family of Sullivan Co., TN by Hugh H. Mottern, Jr.
- GEORGE CRUMLEY FAMILY of SULLIVAN COUNTY TENNESSEE compiled by Hugh H. Mottern in collaboration with several Crumley family members.
- Printed in 1964 by HH MOTTERN
- 5411 Chatham Dr.
- New Orleans, LA, 70122
- I do not know if it is still in print, but it was a 230 page comb bound book of family pedigrees & charts. If you have any information to it's status please let us know.
- Contributed by Dianelub@aol.com
- Historic Sullivan by Oliver Taylor
- A reprint of a book written in 1909. Very interesting because the author was not far from the sources.
- ISBN 0-932807-33-X
- The Overmountain Press
- Johnson City, TN
- Also Available from
- Shelia S. Hunt
- Professional Genealogist, Lecturer, Consultant
- P.O. Box 3826
- Kingsport, TN 37664
- Tennessee's Confusing Historic Land Laws
- Authored by Billie McNamara. Early 20th Century Tennessee historian James Phelan wrote, "Our whole system of land laws was a labyrinth to our forefathers as it is to us." Combining her experience as a historian and a paralegal, Billie McNamara has compiled an excellent resource for genealogists and historians who are using Tennessee's often confusing land records in their research. Forward and Contents or details (These two pages are archived at web.archive.org's Way Back Machine and may have broken links)
- Tennesseans in the Civil War
- Nashville: Civil War Centennial Commission, 1965.
- Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., Genealogy Books Has Moved…To Janaway Genealogy Books!
- Byron Sistler and Associates, Inc., has been a genealogy book publisher of Tennessee and Kentucky records for the past 38 years. Since her husband Byron Sistler's death in 2004, Barbara Sistler has decided to retire and turn the reins of the business over to their son, Sam, who will operate this prominent and established business under the new name Sistler Genealogy Store.
- To maintain their quality service, the Sistlers have moved their entire inventory to Janaway Publishing, Inc., and Janaway Genealogy Books, who will handle all Sistler orders, and provide all printing, shipping and fulfillment services for Sistler books, while Sam continues to work on product development and sales.
- To review their catalog and books, please visit the Sistler Genealogy Store.
Census Records
- S-K Publications
PO Box 8173
Wichita KS 67208-0173
PH 316-685-3201
FAX 316-685-6650
Last updated on 19 March 2008
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