Although Sumner County was created in 1787 and its wills survive from 1788, the first surviving book of inventories, settlements, and guardian accounts dates only from March 1808. To cover the period of missing records (April 1787-June 1808), we have extracted all probate references found in the county court minutes of April 1787-March 1805. No court minutes survivefor June 1805-December 1808, except for a volume of daily pleas, which contains no probate data; therefore, the source for thatperiod has been the book of Executors, Administrators, and Guardians' Bonds and Letters, July 1796-August 1816.