Before beginning research in Tennessee land records, it is imperative that you become familiar with the unique laws and protocols governing transfer and recording of land in this state.  Two outstanding resources are the book, Tennessee Land: Its Early History and Laws, by Billie R. McNamara, and the "Lands of Our Ancestors Web site.

Original grant and survey documents from the State of North Carolina or the State of Tennessee are not on file at the local Courthouses in Tennessee, unless they were used as evidence in a later lawsuit.  Surveys and Grant documents were transcribed into record books at the District Land Offices and at whatever local Register's office was legally available.

The TNGenWeb Project has a section devoted to discussions of Tennessee's unique land history. The articles are outstanding, and everyone should study them carefully. Click here to view the catalogue.

Other links of interest:

• Tennessee Surveyors' Districts, 1806-1836
• A Discussion of North Carolina's Land Grants in East Tennessee, by Gail Williams Bamman
• Land Grant Records at the Tennessee State Library & Archives