In 1797 the Tennessee General Assembly created Cocke County from Jefferson County, naming the new county in honor of William Cocke, a Revolutionary War soldier who supported the establishment of the State of Franklin, helped write Tennessee's first state constitution, and served as one of the state's initial U.S. senators. Cocke County, in upper East Tennessee, rests against the Great Smoky Mountains and is traversed by the French Broad and Big Pigeon Rivers. The first white settler was John Gilliland, who planted a corn crop at the mouth of the Pigeon River in 1783 to establish his claim to the land. Although Cocke County settlers had few violent encounters with Native Americans, most early settlers located near one of several forts in the area: William Whitson's fort, Abraham McKay's fort, Wood's fort, or John Huff's fort.
The creation of Cocke County gave local citizens better access to courts, and made it easier to attend general musters and elections. The first county court was held in the home of Daniel Adams. After some controversy, the county seat was located on fifty acres of land on the French Broad River donated by John Gilliland, the son of the original settler. The town was named New Port, and construction began immediately on a log courthouse. In 1828 a new brick courthouse was built.
Controversy over the location of the county seat continued into the Reconstruction period, and Cocke County, along with Obion County, was singled out in the Constitution of 1870 for permission to allow a simple majority of the voters to determine the location of county government. In 1867 the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap, and Charleston Railroad came to Cocke County, and under pressure from railroad officials and interested capitalists, the county seat was moved to a new site at the bluffs overlooking the French Broad River. This new site retained the name Newport; thereafter, the original county seat was designated Oldtown. Its only remnant is the O'Dell House, a brick structure in the Federal style built by Abel Gilliland in 1814 and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Fire destroyed the new courthouse and most of the county records in 1876, and government returned to Oldtown, where it remained until 1884, when a new brick courthouse was constructed. The current Colonial Revival-style courthouse, built in 1930, is also listed on the National Register.
Newspapers were published in Newport. Scattered early issues are available from 1886, and a complete run begins in 1944. See Extended History for More information.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Cocke County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1877 and Probate Records from 1876 and is located at Courthouse, 111
Court Avenue, Newport,
TN 37821;
423-623-3321. The County Clerk maintains Marriage & Divorce records. It also has jurisdiction over probate cases. Wills, administrations, and all other records pertaining to probate are recorded in the respective county clerk's office. If the will or administration was contested, the records of these actions may be filed in the circuit court or chancery court.
Cocke County Register of Deeds hasLand Records from 1865 and is located at Courthouse, 111
Court Avenue, Newport,
TN 37821; 423-623-7540. The Register of Deeds office has land records beginning with county organization, land records are available from the register of deeds at the Cocke county courthouse. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries
Cocke County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1877 and is located at Courthouse, 111
Court Avenue, Newport,
TN 37821;
423-623-6124. Circuit Court Clerks serve an important role in the operation of the court system in Tennessee. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over property disputes, and circuit courts oversee criminal cases, divorces, and adoptions. Early courts included courts of common pleas and quarter sessions.
[View
Criminal Records Instantly!] [View
Criminal Records] [Court
Record Searches]
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Tennessee Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Tennessee State Vital Records, is located at Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, Tennessee 37243;
Phone (615) 741-1763,
FAX (615) 741-9860. The Tennessee Office of Vital Records registers and maintains the original certificates of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that occur in Tennessee. They have the following records:
Birth Certificates: Records are available beginning with January 1914, for Nashville since June 1881, for Knoxville since July
1881, and for Chattanooga since January 1882. Records of some births that occurred in the major cities from 1881-1913 are also available. A certified photocopy of the original record may be obtained at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. For persons born from 1949 to the present, a certified copy produced by computer is also available at a fee of $7.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Birth Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Death Certificates: Death records are available for the past 50 years (1957). The fee is $7.00 per certified copy. The cause of death is not normally included on a certified copy unless specifically requested and then is available only to certain family members or legal representatives. You can download an application online for Death Certificates. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee State Library and Archives Below.Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage and divorce records are available for the past 50 years at a fee of $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy of the same record requested at the same time. You can download an application online for Marriage Certificates or Divorce Certificate. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE. For Earlier Records See Tennessee
State Library and Archives Below.
Make certified checks and money orders should be made payable to "Tennessee Vital Records". Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services Please do not send cash or checks. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to: Tennessee State Vital Records, Central Services Building,
1st Floor,
421 5th Avenue North,
Nashville, TN, 37243.
Tennessee
State Library and Archives have the following records:
Birth Records & "Delayed" Birth Certificates:
Tennessee began keeping birth records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide birth records for the years 1908-1912. To find a birth record, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known).
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier birth records: Nashville (beginning in 1881); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1879); and Memphis (beginning in 1874). Only the early Nashville birth records are indexed. For birth records after 1912 or for "delayed" birth certificates filed for persons born after 1903, contact the Office of Vital Records above.
TSLA also has "delayed" birth certificates for persons born 1869 - 1903. These delayed certificates were filed at the request of the individual or that person's representative for legal reasons. To locate a delayed birth certificate, we need the following information: name of child, date of birth or approximate date of birth, county of birth (if known) and names of parents (if known). E-mail TSLA and they can check thier index to the "delayed" birth records for a specified name. Please specify that you are requesting a "delayed" birth certificate.
There is a $20 fee to search for a birth record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Death Records:
Tennessee began keeping death records statewide in 1908. TSLA has statewide death records for the years 1908-1912 and 1914-1955. To find a death record, we need the following information: name of individual, date of death (or three year range to search), county of death (if known) and name of spouse (if known). Please keep in mind that some deaths were not recorded, due to poor record-keeping by local officials.
For death records from 1956 to the present, contact theOffice of Vital Records above.
The larger cities in Tennessee did keep earlier death records: Nashville (beginning in 1874); Knoxville (beginning in 1881); Chattanooga (beginning in 1872); and Memphis (beginning in 1848). Only the early Nashville and Memphis death records are indexed. TSLA can search the unindexed records for one year only; you must provide us with the name of individual, date of death, the city, and the name of the spouse (if known).
There is a $20 fee to search for a death record. If the record is found, they will mail a copy to you. If the record is not found, you will be notified by mail. The $20 fee is not refundable. Payment in advance by check, money order or credit card is required. Send your request to Tennessee State Library and Archives, Research Department, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville TN 37243-0312. [GO TO FORMS PAGE]
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Cocke County, Tennessee are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Cocke County, Tennessee are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Tennessee and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Tennessee showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Maps. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Tennessee (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Tennessee tax lists can be used to locate families, document historic properties and study community history. Early tax lists generally include all white males over 21 and indicate whether they owned land or slaves. They usually do not provide other personal information.
The tax lists enumerated for Cocke County for the years: 1839, 1876-1879, 1881-1884, 1887-1900 ; are available on microfilm at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. They are generally filed with each county's records, but some early lists are in a separate collection. To order a search of the records by mail, follow this link [EMAIL]
The 1796 Constitution levied taxes on “every freeman of
the age of twenty-one years and upward possessing a freehold
in the county wherein he may vote, and being an inhabitant of
this State, and every freeman being an inhabitant of any one
county in the State six months immediately preceding the day
of the election, shall be entitled to vote....”
Many early surviving tax records were published in an effort
to replace the missing federal censuses.
Original extant tax records are preserved in the respective
county courthouse as well as in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, where a card index exists for tax records in its
collection pre-dating 1835, arranged by county, date, and district.
The 1891 tax lists of male inhabitant voters in each county
were recently found. Available on microfilm at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives, these nine reels are arranged alphabetically
within each district in each county. Tax records from trustees
office in counties are available on microfilm as well.
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Cocke County Archives,
360 East Main Street,
Newport , TN 37821;
Phone: (423) 623-8791
Email: choaglan@cockecounty.net
Stokely Memorial Library,
383 E. Broadway, Newport, TN 37821 423-623-3832
Tennessee Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Tennessee Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Although
few histories for Tennessee churches have been published, there
are church records for almost every county in the state.
Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist were the principal religions
of early settlers in the state, and documents from these
groups make up the largest number of records available. Other
representative religions include Lutheran, Church of Christ,
Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and Jewish. Most early Tennessee
churches only kept minutes and membership records.
Church records could, however, include records of baptism, marriage,
burial, membership, or removal, but it is rare to find all or
several of these categories maintained by one church. .
As with cemetery records, the DAR has collected church records
for Tennessee, available at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,
and through the FHL.
Many compilations of church records have been compiled and/or
published for the state. The Tennessee
State Library and Archives has records of over one hundred churches that pre-date 1900.
There is a online Tennessee Marriage and Bible Records which contains over 25,000 records for the state of Tennessee for the years approximately 1720-1890. This includes marriages, births, deaths, and wills, etc., has been obtained from family bibles, church, court, and county records.
A large collection of transcripts of Tennessee cemetery records has been compiled by members of chapters of the DAR. Records collection available at the Tennessee
State Library and Archives and through the FHL. The state library and archives has notebooks containing listings of cemetery records.
County genealogical and historical societies and local citizens have collected, compiled, and published numerous volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cocke County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Tennessee Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Cocke County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Cocke County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Tennessee Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Source: Goodspeed's
History of East Tennessee. From
the reprinted 1887 edition.
Cocke
County was named for William Cocke. He
was one of the state's first U.S. Senators.
He was an officer of the Revolutionary
Army, one of the leaders of
the State of Franklin, and member of
the Legislature of the Territory South
of the Ohio River.
Once
part of North Carolina, and (unofficially)
the State of Franklin, Tennessee
became a State June 1, 1796. Cocke
County was established on October
9, 1797 from a part of Jefferson
County, Tennessee. Jefferson County
was established in 1792 from a part
of Greene County, Tennessee. Greene
County was established in 1783 from
a part of Washington County, first
of North Carolina, until it became
a State, then Tennessee.
Cocke
County took it's name from William
Cocke, one of the two first US senators
from the State of Tennessee, and
a friend of John Sevier.
From
Ramsey's Annals of Tennessee, the
first settlement of Cocke County
was in the spring of 1783 when James
Gilleland cleared cane from a tract
of ground in the Fork of the French
Broad and Big Pigeon Rivers at the
mouth of the latter, and cultivated
it in corn, but no cabin was built
at that time.
This
was followed by the location and
clearing of land adjoining William
Coleman, where the first cabin was
built on the bank of (the Agiqua)
French Broad River. This became the
nucleus of the settlement of the
Big Pigeon and French Broad Rivers.
These first men were of the Primitive
Baptist Faith.
In
the Jefferson County census taken
in 1795, which included current Cocke
and Sevier Counties at that time,
were a total of 7,840 persons, including
1,706 free white males 16 years and
up, 2,225 free white males age less
than 16 years, 3,021 white females,
776 slaves and 112 other free persons.
After
much debate, John Gilliland, noted
as the first permanent family settled
in the area, donated fifty acres
of land, upon Old Newport, to the
county for the purpose of erecting
a court house, a prison with stocks,
and laying out a town to consist
of one half acre lots with proper
streets and alleys. This generous
donation ended a long debate of where
the county seat would be located.
Soon
after the Railroad came to Cocke
County another debate arose about
where the county seat should be located.
After much discussion, another move,
and a vote, Clifton (now Newport)
was decided upon. Major Thomas Gorman
had offered this site. The first
courthouse in Clifton burned on December
31, 1876. It is said that some courthouse
workers stayed late at their tasks.
Before they left, they cleaned the
stove and laid a fire for the next
morning. They put the wood ashes
in a wooden box and went home. These
ashes may have started the fire.
Since
before the county was established,
agriculture was and still is it's
largest business. The lush fertile
ground provides a prime place for
growing tobacco, corn and other vegetables.
The views of the Great Smoky Mountains,
the rivers and streams, and these
fertile fields of crops make Cocke
County one of the most picturesque
areas of East Tennessee.
Dairy
Farms and Beef Cattle are another
prime source of income for farmers
in Cocke County. The county also
produces more apples than any other
County in Tennessee. In the 1800's,
John Stokely founded a family owned
produce company. This later became
Stokely-Van Camp Company and is now
Quaker Oats.
During
the Civil War, Cocke County, like
other counties in East Tennessee,
saw brothers against brothers and
neighbors against neighbors. Each
stood in the beliefs of which they
were raised.
Religion
has always been a big part of the
lives of the people of Cocke County.
The first church in the county was
organized December 6, 1787, at the
home of James English. This church
was the Big Pigeon Baptist Church.
Other churches of other denominations
also established themselves early
in Cocke County. The Methodists and
the Lutherans came soon after the
Baptists.
Cocke
County has had it's troubled times,
but it is coming into its own with
the expansion of the Gatlinburg and
Pigeon Forge areas in Sevier County
next door. It's beautiful scenic
views and abundance of water and
hiking areas is making it a must
for nature lovers. A visitor to the
county can feel the presence of it's
first settlers, who worked hard to
clear the forest and build homes
for their families.
The following companies are currently offering free trials on their subscriptions from 7 to 14 days. You can receive more information by clicking the links below:
.
Tennessee 
