Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Franklin County, Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Franklin County lies in the Western Piedmont of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named for Benjamin Franklin, the Governor of Pennsylvania, where many settlers originated.

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse 275 South Main Street, Suite 111 Rocky Mount, VA 24151-1758 Phone: 540-483-3060 Franklin County Website

Clerk Circuit Court has birth, marriage, death land and court records

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline


The county was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Bible Records

 * 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records
1790 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1800 Lost, but a substitute is available, see Taxation.

1840
 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Franklin County.]

1890 Union Veterans
 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890." Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner.    Includes residents of this county.

Church Records
Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted): Franklin County fell within the bounds of the Strawberry Association.
 * 1) Bethel
 * 2) Black Water (1804)
 * 3) Chapel 
 * 4) Gill's Creek
 * 5) Pig River (1773)
 * 6) Snow Creek
 * 7) Snow Creek and Pig River

Church of England See also Patrick Parish See also Russell Parish

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records

Chancery Court
 * Reddy, Anne Waller. Suit -- Brown vs. Brown: Chancery Court Records in Caroline County, Virginia. 1950?. MSS., available at . [Rene (René, Rainey, or Renney) Parsons Brown of Caroline County was sued by John Brown of Franklin County.]
 * Library of Virginia's Chancery Record Index can be used to search for Franklin County chancery records for the years 1787-1929. Digital images are available for records 1787-1912. Original records available through 1929 - see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability. The Circuit Court Clerk's Office maintains additional unindexed post-1913 records.

County Court
 * Wingfield, Marshall. An Old Virginia Court: Being a Transcript of the Records of the First Court of Franklin County, Virginia, 1786-1789, with Biographies of the Justices and Stories of Famous Cases. Memphis: West Tennesee Historical Society, 1948. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($) additional index at ; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. 2005-present. - free online book. Beverly, Bibby
 * Heinegg, Paul. "Franklin County Personal Property Tax List 1804-1821," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Franklin County.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Genealogies
Compiled Genealogies by Surname A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 * See Franklin County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families
 * Heritage Book Committee and Franklin County Historical Society. Franklin County, Va. -- Heritage 2000, Full Name Indexed. Rocky Mount, Va.: Franklin County Historical Society, 2002..
 * Wingfield, Marshall. Pioneer Families of Franklin County, Virginia. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. 975.568 D2w; digital version at World Vital Records ($). Sketches of 60 families, including Cooper, Fishburn, Greer, Hancock, Saunders and Wingfield.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records An early settlers map is available for Franklin County. The cartographers plot the locations of pioneers from 1786-1886. Find the map for free online, as well as an alphabetical list of names. The Family History Library has a full-scale copy:.

Local Histories

 * Claiborne, John G. Franklin County, Virginia: Historical and Industrial -- Past, Present and Future. Rocky Mount, Va.: The County News Print. Co., 1926. Available at ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wingfield, Marshall. Franklin County, Virginia: A History. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. Available at ; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * A Settlement Map of Franklin County Virginia. Available online.

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Franklin County's 1786 Delinquent List appears on p. 171.]
 * Elliott, Katherine B. Emigration to Other States from Southside Virginia. 2 vols. South Hill, Virginia: K.B. Elliott, 1966. Vol. 1 of original edition available at ; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at ; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at . [Includes individuals who migrated out of Franklin County to other parts of the country.]

Military Records
Revolutionary War
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Eastern District, Franklin County on page 130.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. Virginia section begins on page 238.

War of 1812 Franklin County men served in the 42nd and 110th Regiments.
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Franklin County, p. 80. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Franklin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company D (Franklin Rangers).
 * - 10th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (1st Cavalry Regiment, Wise Legion (Confederate). Company K (Rosser's Mounted Rangers, Virginia Rangers, or Texas Rangers).
 * - 21st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G 2nd.
 * - 24th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company B (Franklin Rifles) and Company D (Early Guards).
 * - 37th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Dunn's Battalion, Partisan Rangers) (Confederate). Company A and Company G.
 * - 42nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company K (Franklin Invincibles).
 * - 47th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).
 * - 57th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies B (Franklin Sharpshooters) and C (The Franklin Fireaters).
 * - 58th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Companies D and E (Hale's Ford Franklin Guards).

Newspapers
Professor Tom Costa and The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia have created a database of all runaway advertisements for slaves, indentured servants, transported convicts, and ship deserters listed in the Virginia Gazette and other Virginia newspapers (1736-1803), see: The Geography of Slavery in Virginia.

Other Records
 Petitions 
 * Watts, Dorothy C. "Petitions of Residents of Bedford and Henry Counties, Virginia, in Favor of and Opposed to a New County (Franklin)," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1980):83-89; Vol. 24, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1980):192-199. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($).

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
 * 1786-1812; 1812 – 1825 – Images of Wills, Inventories, Orphans, Post Mortems. Virginia Pioneers ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Tax Records
How can Virginia tax lists help me?

Bibliography


 * [1786-1803] Franklin County Personal Property Tax Lists 1786-1803 (images); digital version in Tax List Club at Binns Genealogy ($).
 * [1786] Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1786 Franklin County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List (New River Notes) - free.
 * [1786] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at ; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Franklin County's 1786 Delinquent List appears on p. 171.]
 * [1787] Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 &amp; 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 &amp; Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle &amp; Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. Available throuogh: FamilySearch Catalog; [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Franklin County is included in Vol. 1.]
 * [1788, 1799] Indexed images of the 1788 and 1799 Personal Property Tax Lists of Franklin County, Virginia are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Bedford Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 8, No. 4 (Nov. 1997); Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb. 1998).
 * [1800] Tax List, 1800, Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr. 1978); Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul. 1978); Vol. 22, No. 4 (Oct. 1978).
 * [1804-1821] Heinegg, Paul. "Franklin County Personal Property Tax List 1804-1821," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]
 * [1812] Tax Relief in 1812, Times of Franklin Before &amp; After 1786. Rocky Mount VA: Jun 2007.
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Franklin County is included in Vol. 2.]
 * [1830] Persons with Taxable Property in Robert Hairston's District, 1830, Times of Franklin Before &amp; After 1786. Rocky Mount VA: Aug 2004.
 * [1830] Personal Property Tax List, 1830, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Feb. 1984); online at Roanoke Public Library - free.
 * [1840] Personal Property Tax List, 1840, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1985); online at Roanoke Public Library - free.

Birth

 * 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at FindMyPast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1771-1943 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1786-1858 Wingfield, Marshall. Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia. Memphis, TN, USA: West Tennessee Historical Societ, 1939. 1967 index available at ; 1973 reprint available at ; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($).
 * 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection;  index & images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index & images

Family History Centers

 * Martinsville Virginia Family History Center


 * Blue Ridge Regional Library - Bassett Branch - an affiliate library
 * Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Jessie Peterman Memorial - an affiliate library
 * Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Meadowbrook - an affiliate library

Libraries
Franklin County Historical SocietyWebsite Bassett Historical Center, Bassett, Virginia. Website includes descriptions of collections. Excellent resource for family history research in Henry, Patrick, Floyd, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties in Virginia, the city of Martinsville, Virginia, and Rockingham, Stokes and Surry counties in North Carolina.
 * Franklin County Genealogical Society P O Box 316 Ferrum, Virginia 24088
 * VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Cyndi's List


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * Sweeney, Alice J. "Bassett Historical Center," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Aug. 2002):1-3. Available at ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.