Austells in Tennessee


Tennessee is a long, narrow state placed between Kentucky and Virginia on the north; Missouri and Arkansas on the West; North Carolina on the east; and on the south Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Austells have moved around, in and out of all these states over the years. Jefferson County, Tennessee is on the eastern part of the state.

Tennessee was one of the earlier states - the 16th, receiving statehood in 1796. Families early began to come into Tennessee from North Carolina and possibly Austells were among these groups. In 1776 North Carolina accepted, as a gift, what was the district of Washington County. North Carolina, for some reason, turned this land over to the Federal Govt., in Washington. Apparently this gift was ignored for four or five years. Finally, some of the settlers organized the state of Franklin, but this name later disappeared. *

A county history has been written of Coffee and of Jefferson Counties. These old histories may usually be found in the state or county libraries or Historical societies.; they often give invaluable sources of information on early settlers.

Mrs. Mary Shields Shore believes that her ancestor, William Austell, Jr., (b. March 1777, d. 20 Dec 1840 in Jefferson County, Tenn) was the son of William Austell, Sr, who died in 1781. Descendants of these men continued to live in Tennessee. The 9 children of William Austell, Jr., and Jane Wilkins Austell were all born in Jefferson County, Tennessee.



--From Research Notes by Juanita Austill Allen

Amelia (Millie) Austell, widow of William Austell, Sr. and several other Austells lived for many years in the Spartanburg District of South Carolina. It is believed that Amelia (Millie) died there. There exists several land transaction records concerning Millie and others of the Austell family.

The National Cyclopedia of American Biography carries an article on Alfred Austell, born in 1814, in South Carolina and who married Jane Wilkins of Spartanburg, S.C. It states that Alfred was the son of William Austell (born in 1777) & Amelia (Millie).

(The facts of the above account are confused. William Austell, Sr. was married to Amelia, their son, William, Jr., was the husband of Jane Wilkins and the father of Alfred Austell)

* The History of Tennessee begins with the Watauga Association in 1772, then the Washington District in 1777. Next it changed to Washington County, North Carolina; then into the state of Franklin (1784-1788), into the Territory of The United States South of the River Ohio, or Southwest Territory (1790) and finally into the State of Tennessee in 1796.

It is believed that most of the Austell / Austill families in Tennessee are descendants of William Austell, Jr.


Census Data for Tennessee:


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