Tennessee Land Records Explained

Entry books recorded the original application for land, indicating where it was generally and the amount and how it was purchased, either by military warrant, a certificate of purchase issued by the Register of the State or his subordinates, or by occupancy or preemption. Next the settler had to get the land surveyed. the entry taker issued a certificate to the settler who took it to the surveyor to have the land surveyed . The plat of the survey was recorded in a separate survey book. Both of these record books are very important because transfers of title were recorded in each which were not recorded elsewhere. They also will provide references to land which had been granted earlier but which does not appear anywhere in either the entry book or the surveyors books.