The Tennessee State Penitentiary opened in 1831. Prior to that offenders were held in county jails. Surviving records of the Penitentiary are housed at the State Library and Archives as Record Group 25.
The following list of inmates is found in ledger volume 43 of those records. The ledger also includes the date received in the Penitentiary, the prisoner's state of birth, and the date discharged. Copies of entries are available upon This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a small fee.
Additional information is available in the two published volumes by Sherrill and Sherrill, entitled Tennessee Convicts: Early Records of the State Penitentiary, 1831-1870. These volumes contain verbatim transcripts of the original records.
Updated by TSLA August 12, 2003
| Surname | Given Name | Crime | Age |
| Cagle | Isham | larceny | 27 |
| Hurst | Pleasant | attempt to commit rape | 20 |
| Nunn | Pascal | assault with intent to commit rape | 26 |
| Reagan | Nathl. P. | horse stealing | 21 |
| Staffle | William | horse stealing | 24 |
| Williams | Dillard | malicious stabbing | 20 |
