Sullivan County in upper east Tennessee is one of the earlier counties settled in the pre-Tennessee era. Many in the area consider this county to be the earliest location for the first permanent settlement at a place called Trade. Due to court house fires, the early records of marriages, births and deaths have been destroyed. The early deeds do still exist as most often happens when the court house burns. These are among the earliest records for the marriages within the county. Examples from this volume: State of Tennessee - Sullivan County Joseph Payton and Martha Combs : Marriage License issued 23 Oct., 1862 To any Regular Minister of the Gospel having the care of Souls, or any Judge, or Justice of the Peace for said County - Greetings: I, J. C. Rutledge, Clerk of the County Court for the County of Sullivan aforesaid, by virtue of the power in me vested by law, do license you, or either of you, to celebrate the Rites of Matrimony between Joseph Payton and Martha Combs by uniting them together as husband and wife. Given at office in Blountville, the 23d day of October, 1862 John C. Rutledge, Clerk I solemnized the Rite of Matrimony between the above named parties on the 1st day of October 1863. M. B. Wharton, M.G. [note the date probably should read 1862 and not 1863] WPA Records 1995, paper, 120 pp.ISBN: 9780788488344 101E-TN0968
