Franklin County, Tennessee Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Benjamin Franklin. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

Franklin County Tennessee Courthouse


Franklin County Courthouse 1 South Jefferson Street Winchester, TN 37398 Phone: 931.967.2541 County Clerk has marriage records from 1838 and probate records from 1808; Register of Deeds has land records

Franklin County Courthouse  1 South Jefferson Street Winchester, TN 37398 Phone:1- 931-967-2541


 * County Clerk Marriage and Probate records Phone: 1-931-967-2541


 * Register of Deeds Land records Phone: 1-931-967-2541


 * Circuit Court Clerk Court records Phone: 1-931-967-2923

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

 Project Preservation  839 Dinah Shore Blvd., Suite 6 Winchester, Tenn. 37398 We have the court loose records. Indexed through 1890s. Open Wednesdays 9-3

Judy Phillips, Archivist E-mail contact: [mailto:judyp@cafes.net judyp@cafes.net]

Franklin County Tennessee History


Middle Tennessee county.

The county was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Parent County
1807--Franklin County was created 3 December 1807 from Warren County. Just one week earlier, Warren County had been created from White County. County seat: Winchester

County Pronunciation

 * 1) Hear it spoken (female)
 * 2) Hear it spoken (male)

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Tennessee county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Tennessee County Boundary Maps" (1777-1985) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

 * Lost censuses: 1810
 * Lack of marriage records: 1807 to 1837

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Coffee
 * Grundy
 * Jackson County, Alabama
 * Lincoln
 * Madison County, Alabama
 * Marion
 * Moore

Getting Started
Use the free Search for Surnames at Mountain Press's website to quickly search a variety of published Franklin County biography, census, court, military, and probate records. To determine which books are being searched, or to search each publication's index individually, click here. You are now equipped with a checklist of books to pull off the shelves at a genealogy library, or a wish list for your personal book collection.

Research Guides

 * Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Tennessee Counties: Franklin County, courtesy: TSLA. (Identifies published county histories, published local records, census records, newspapers and local records on microfilm, and select manuscripts.)
 * "Franklin County Research," The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, Vol. 5, No. 4 (Spring 1992). For possible FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.

African American
United States African Americans Tennessee African Americans


 * Waldrep, G.C. "'Free Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census," available online, courtesy: Free African Americans website. [Includes free African Americans in this county.]


 * Free African Americans Enumerated in the 1850 Franklin County, Tennessee Census, available online, courtesy: Christine's Genealogy Website: Who are Your People?

Biographies

 * Family Biographies from The History of Franklin County, Tennessee (1886) published by Goodspeed are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.

Census
1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Franklin County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Tennessee Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than nationwide online indexes.

Franklin County was divided into 20 Districts in the census records up until at least 1920. It would often not list a town or city name and refer to the area as a District. Click on this link for a geographical representation of these districts. 

See Tennessee Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes.

See Franklin County, TN census assignments, including links to transcribed files. http://www.us-census.org/ The USGenWeb Census Project®

1810 Lost - A substitute is available:


 * Sherrill, Charles A. The Reconstructed 1810 Census of Tennessee: 33,000 Long-lost Records from Tax Lists, Court Minutes, Church Records, Wills, Deeds and Other Sources. Mt. Juliet, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 2001..

1810 - 1891


 * Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

1820

Enumeration listed alphabetically by first letter surname.


 * Bentley, Elizabeth P. Index to the 1820 Census of Tennessee. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981.
 * Waldrep, G.C. Free 'Colored' Heads of Household in the 1820 Tennessee Census, available online courtesy: Free African Americans website. Includes free African Americans in this county.

1830


 * Scanned census images in the USGenWeb Archives

1840


 * Scanned census images in the USGenWeb Archives
 * Phillips, Judy H. Franklin County, Tennessee in the Year 1840 : Featuring the 1840 Census with Abstracts of the 1840 Court Minutes and Deeds. Tullahoma, Tennessee. 1985.

1840 Revolutionary War Pensioners


 * 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; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Franklin County on page 155.

1850


 * Carpenter, Mrs. V.K. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850, Franklin County, Tennessee. S.p., 1970.

1860


 * Swenson, Helen S. Franklin County, Tennessee, 1860 Census with Kead of Household Marriages. St. Louis, Missouri: F.T. Ingmire, 1981.

1870


 * Phillips, Judy H. 1870 Census, Franklin County, Tennessee. Tullahoma, Tennessee: J.H. Phillips, 1986.

1880


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1880 Census Franklin County, Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1994.

1890 - Lost. A substitute is available:


 * Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Sistler. 1890 Civil War Veterans Census, Tennessee. Evanston, Illinois: Byron Sistler and Associates, 1978.

Male Voters


 * 1891 Tennessee Enumeration of Male Voters 1891 at Ancestry.com — index $

Church
Baptist


 * Primitive Baptist Church of Beans Creek 1822-1876. TSLA MF No. 1611 Franklin County Roll 1/1. Book lent to TSLA by George W. Scott. Church located on bank Beans Creek between Old Salem and Huntland. Some African American's are mentioned.

 Church of Christ 

 Episcopal 


 * Otey Memorial Parish Records. Sewanee, 1942-1972. TSLA interlibrary loan.

 Methodist 


 * Marble Plains Methodist Church Records. Franklin County, 1880-1960. TSLA interlibrary loan.

Court
A variety of courts serve Franklin county, Tennessee. Court types include: Chancery Court, Circuit Court, County Court and the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions. Each of these courts have some common record types such as the Minute Books; but some have records unique to their court such as the deeds and wills found in the County Court. Information regarding deeds is found in the Land section of this page. Information regarding wills is found in the Probate section of this page.

County Court


 * 1832 - 1837 - W.P.A. Franklin County, Tennessee, County Court Minutes, Vol. 2, 1832-1837. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1930s-1940s. FHL US/CAN Film 24648. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products - (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Franklin County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
 * 1832 - 1837 - Franklin County, County Court Minutes, Vol 2, Part 1, May Term 1832 and 1834-1837 Franklin County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1832-1837, Part 2. TSLA, Roll 20 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.
 * 1837 - 1843 - Franklin County Settlement Book, Vol 1. TSLA, Roll 20 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Circuit Court

MINUTE BOOKS


 * 1832 - 1907 - Circuit Court Minute Books. See FHL Film. For an index to the 1832-1837 books see Circuit Court Minute Book for Franklin County, Tennessee, 1832-1837 (Tenn. : Tullahoma Chapter, DAR, 1990) Available at Allen Co Public Library or TSLA.

Chancery Court

MINUTE BOOKS


 * 1834 - 1845 - Chancery Court Minute Books. See FHL films.
 * 1846 - 1849 - Missing.
 * 1850+ - Chancery Court Minute Books. See FHL films.

Pleas and Quarter Sessions


 * 1832 - 1837 - Franklin County, County Court Minutes, Vol 2, Part 1, May Term 1832 and 1834-1837 Franklin County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1832-1837, Part 2. TSLA, Roll 20 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products(the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.


 * 1800 - 1899 - Loose Court Records 1800- 1899. Index search and copies available from Project Preservation. See also the FHL collection "Loose court records (Franklin County, Tennessee), 1800-1930".

Family Histories
This bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" (Friends, Associates, and Neighbors)

General

As of August 2010, a query for persons born in Franklin, Tennessee at World Connect, results in more than 10,000 entries.


 * Family Histories, Franklin County, Tennessee, 1807-1996. Paducah, Ky.: Turner Pub. Co., 1996..
 * Thomas, Don M. Documentation History: of Some "Martins", "Jones", "Dials", "Stewarts", "Smiths", "Ragsdales", "Sanders", "Carlisles", "Morrows", and "Beans" of Johnson, Pope and Sebastian County, Arkansas, ... Franklin County, Tennessee, Marion County, Illinois and Parker County, Texas. 4 vols. Salt Lake City, Utah: D.M. Thomas, (1993), 1995; Waldron, Arkansas : Scott County Historical &amp; Genealogical Society (Arkansas). ff.

Bibliography


 * Bennett - Morris, Lovell Jason. Bennett of Franklin County, Tennessee and Related Families. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: L.J. Morris, 199-?..
 * Burnett - Weston, Edgar Earl; Burnett, L.H. and Gladys The Burnett Family Pelham, Tennessee : L.H. and G Burnett, c1983.
 * Gipson - Phillips, Judy Henley. The Gipson Family of Franklin County, Tennessee: Their Ancestors and Descendants. Tullahoma, Tenn.: J.H. Phillips, 1995..
 * Hammontre - Strang, Vivia Hammontree. Fall Lick Creek and Hammontree Roots: Franklin County, Tennessee. Phoenix, Ariz.: V.H. Strang, 2004..
 * Lewis - McBride, Robert Martin. A Footnote to a History of the Lewis Family. Nashville, TN: Unknown, 1954. Digital version at Heritage Quest Online ($).
 * McGavock - Aiken, Leona Taylor. The Descendants of James McGavock Sr. and the McGavock Mansions, Fort Chiswell, Va. &amp; Carnton, Franklin, Tenn. [Kingsport, Tenn.]: L.T. Aiken, 1986. ; another copy:.
 * Shelly - Whitley, Edythe Johns Rucker. Shelly Family of Scott County, Virginia and Franklin County, Tennessee Data. Typescript, 1964..
 * Simpson - Miner, Ethel Nerim. Descendants of Rice and Rachael Simpson: of Franklin and Moore Counties, Tennessee. Fountain Hills, Arizona: Four Peaks Enterprise, 1986..
 * Wakefield - Wakefield, Gerald L. Nelson Wakefield and Bird Langford: A Genealogical Study. (S.I.): G.L. Wakefield, 2008..
 * Willis - Sherrill, Charles A. Peter Willis of Tennessee and His Descendants. Cleveland, Tenn.: C.A. Sherrill, 1986. FHL FAM HIST Book 929.273 W679s.

Funeral Homes

 * J.C. Moore &amp; Sons Funeral Home Records, 1931-1966, Winchester. (TSLA interlibrary loan)

Land

 * Franklin County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1807 and is located at Courthouse, 1 S Jefferson St, Winchester, TN 37398; (931) 967-2541. Land and property records include transfer of real estate or personal property, mortgages, leases, surveys, and entries.
 * The Family History Library has microfilm copies of deeds 1807-1882; land entry books 1824-1891; land records 1790-1924; records of stray livestock; survey books 1868-1879; various records listing names of slaves 1830-1871.

The following Franklin County land records have been abstracted or indexed:


 * 1808 - 1810 - W.P.A. Franklin County Record Book, Volume A, 1808-1810. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24649 Item 3. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Franklin County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
 * 1808 - 1810 - W.P.A. Franklin County Record Book, Vol A, TSLA, Roll 20 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.

Law and Legislation

 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850: Index to Names. January 25, 2005. In addition to creating new laws, legislative acts were often required to obtain a divorce, grant legitimacy to a child, or for appointments to or grant payments for public service. The TSLA has created an index to names that appear in these acts covering the years 1796 to 1850. To read more about this valuable resource Click here. The searchable index is available at the TSLA; another version is available at World Vital Records.

Local Histories

 * Fairbanks, George Rainsford.History of the University of the South, at Sewanee, Tennessee. H. and W.B. Drew Co., 1905. Free digital copy.


 * Goodspeed firm, publishers, Chicago. History of Tennessee, from the earliest time to the present; together with an historical and a biographical sketch of Giles, Lincoln, Franklin and Moore counties.Nashville, Tenn., The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886. Free digital copy.
 * Franklin County Historical Society. “Family Histories, Franklin TN, 1807-1996.” Paducah, KY: Turner Publication Company, 1996. FHL 976.863 D3f
 * Phillips, Judy Henley.” Franklin County, Tennessee in the year 1840 ; featuring the 1840 census with abstracts of the 1840 court minutes and deeds.” Tullahoma, TN: The Author, 1985. FHL 976.863 P2p

Maps

 * Maps of Tennessee (1777-1985)
 * Map of 1888 Franklin County, Tennessee with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
 * Map of Franklin County TN in 1840: Phillips, Judy Henley.” Franklin County, Tennessee in the year 1840 ; featuring the 1840 census with abstracts of the 1840 court minutes and deeds.” Tullahoma, TN: The Author, 1985.(Available at the FHL).

Revolutionary War
The following Franklin County Revolutionary War records are available online through TNGenWeb:


 * 1835 Pension Roll
 * 1852 Rejected or Suspended Pensions
 * Select Franklin County, Tennessee Revolutionary War Pensions

Additional resources include:


 * 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; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1967. . 1841 edition digitized by the U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. See Tennessee, Middle District, Franklin County on page 155.
 * 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 ($). Tennessee entries abstracted online at Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War, courtesy: TNGenWeb. Includes veterans from this county; Tennessee section begins on page 381.
 * Sherrill, Charles A. Revolutionary War Pension Applications from Franklin County, Tennessee. Ohio: n.p., 1982..
 * Tennessee County Court (Franklin County) and Tennessee Circuit Court (Franklin County) Military records and pension applications (Franklin County, Tennessee), 1812-1994 Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of utah, 2005.

War of 1812

 * Embry, Hermione D. "War of 1812 - Tennessee Pensioners on List - January 2, 1883," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr. 1960):40-45. ; digital version at journal website. Includes Franklin County pensioners (p. 44).
 * Select Franklin County, Tennessee War of 1812 applicants Courtesy: TNGenWeb
 * Military records and pension applications (Franklin County, Tennessee), 1812-1994, (Salt Lake City, Utah, Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2005) 1 Microfilm FHL Film 1148880 Item 2

Indian Wars

 * Franklin County Men in the Indian Wars Courtesy: TNGenWeb

Civil War
Originally, Tennessee was very divided on the idea of seceding from the Nation, with those in East Tennessee against the notion because they had “minimal interest in cotton or tariffs, and their very choice of living in such self-sufficient isolation often indicated rejection and a resentment of planter society.”  Franklin County was the most extreme confederate county in Tennessee. They even threatened to leave the state of Tennessee and join Alabama. Franklin’s County History echos this sentiment stating that, “Early in the spring of 1861 the most intense excitement prevailed and Franklin County companies began to form and drill for service in the Confederate interest."

Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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)
 * 1891 - 1965 - at FamilySearch — images
 * Civil War Research Database ($)
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

Regiments. Civil War service men from Franklin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Franklin County.

Confederate Soldiers


 * 1st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Turney's) - CSA - Company B, C, D, E, and F.
 * 4th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (McLemore's) - CSA
 * 17th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies D, E, and I.
 * 20th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company H.
 * 23rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Newman's) - CSA - Companies D and E.
 * 32nd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Company K.
 * 34th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (4th Confederate Infantry) - CSA- Company C.
 * 41st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA - Companies G and I.
 * 44th Consolidated Regiment, Tennessee Infantry - CSA

Additional sources for Civil War soldiers from Franklin County:


 * Franklin County, Tennessee Men in the 41st Tennessee Infantry.
 * Franklin County, Tennessee men in the 44th Tennessee Infantry.
 * USGenWeb Archives, Franklin County Tennessee Archives. Civil War Records.
 * Tennessee State Library and Archives, Tennessee Confederate Pension Applications: Franklin County. Includes soldier's name, county, pension #, unit or widow.
 * United States Pension Bureau, List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883: Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for ...(Washington Printing Office; 1883). Online at Internet Archive. Franklin County, page 334.
 * The Civil War in Franklin County, Tennessee, by Judy Henley Phillips, (accessed 30 Jan 2012). A variety of links for the Civil War.

Newspapers
Many Tennessee newspapers are filmed and available at the TSLA. Most of these newspapers may be accessed by interlibrary loan to libraries within Tennessee, although there are some newspapers which are not available in or outside of Tennessee. For further information regarding interlibrary loan policies and newspapers not available for interlibrary loan click here. For a list of newspapers available at the archives for Franklin County click on the following cities:


 * Cowan
 * Winchester

Franklin County strays are also mentioned in the Nashville Whig. ca 1816. See Newspapers.com holdings.

Occupations

 * Miller, Alan N. Middle Tennessee's Forgotten Children: Apprentices from 1784 to 1902. Baltimore, Md.: Printed for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2004. . Purchase at Genealogical.com. Includes Franklin County.

Periodicals

 * Franklin County Historical Review
 * The "Review" has been discontinued as of 2005, but back issues are available at their website: www.tngenweb.org/franklin/society.htm The Family History Library has Volume 1 (1970) - volume 30 (2000). FHL US/CAN Book . The Review" is indexed in PERiodical Source Index (PERSI).
 * The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History
 * Genealogical articles with abstracts of records of Franklin County, Tennessee have been published in The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, the quarterly of the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society (23+ Vols.). To view a list of these articles, visit their online Index to Articles (1988-2016). Surname indexes are also available online for Vols. 2-22. The website also offers back issues for sale in paper and on CD. The Family History Library has a complete collection of this quarterly.

Probate Records
The Franklin County Court and County Clerk have responsibility for the probate records.

Online Records


 * 1779 - 2008 Tennessee Wills and Probate Records 1779-2008 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)


 * Wills, 1808-1940 (2 vols.)
 * Bonds, 1872-1898
 * Bonds, Letters, 1898-1968 (8 vols.)
 * Letters, 1882-1898
 * Settlements, 1835-1917, 1958-1968 (9 vols.)

The organization Strictly By Name provides free online indexes to early Franklin County probate records. They offer a research service to photocopy and transcribe microfilm copies of the original documents for a small fee. Available indexes:


 * 1808 - 1826 - Will Book 1: 1808-1826
 * 1827 - 1847 - Will Book 2: 1827-1847

The following Franklin County probate records have been abstracted or indexed:


 * 1808 - 1861 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Tennessee Wills &amp; Administrations 1779-1861. Nashville, Tenn. Byron Sistler &amp; Associates, Inc., 1990.
 * 1808 - 1875 - Ingmire, Frances T. Abstracts of Franklin County, Tennessee, Wills, 1808-1875. St. Louis, Missouri: F.T. Ingmire, 1984. Indexed. (FHL book 976.863 P28i or interlibrary loan from TSLA.)
 * 1808 - 1876 - W.P.A. Will Books, 1808-1876, Franklin County, Tennessee. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24649 Item 4. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Franklin County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.
 * 1808 - 1876 - W.P.A. Franklin County Will Book Vol. 1-2, TSLA, Roll 8 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.
 * 1808 - 1876 - W.P.A. Franklin County Will Book Vol. 1-2. TSLA, Roll 20 of Record Group 107. Microfilmed in the 1930s. Free online index, created by Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a small fee, the company sells four Franklin County CDs, which include a digitized version of this book, and a variety of other local records.
 * 1808 - 1876 - Partlow, Thomas E. Franklin County, Tennessee, Wills 1808-1876 and Deeds 1801-1840. Greenville, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1991. Indexed. (FHL book 976.863 P2pt. or via interlibrary loan from TSLA.)
 * 1808 - 1847 - Strictly by Name (see above).
 * 1837 - 1843 - Franklin County, Tennessee, Settlement Book, Volume 1, 1837-1843. Free index by Steve Carson available online at GSC Associates Historical Record Products.
 * USGenWeb's Franklin County page includes select will abstracts.
 * 1876 - 1891 - Ingmire, Frances T. Franklin County, Tennessee, Wills, 1876-1891. St. Louis, Missouri: Ingmire, 1985. Indexed. (FHL book 976.8 A1 no. 107.)

Taxation
The following Franklin County tax records have been abstracted:


 * 1812 - Moore, Betty Givens. "Index to the Franklin County, Tennessee Tax and Voter List, 1812," Ansearchin' News, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1971):157-162. For FHL and online access, as well as indexes, see Periodicals.
 * 1812 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Index to Early Tennessee Tax Lists. Evanston, Ill.: B. &amp; B. Sistler, 1977. Includes 1812 tax list.
 * 1812 - Free Taxable Inhabitants, Voters, 1812, Franklin County Historical Review. Winchester TN: 1988. Vol. 19 Iss. 1.
 * 1812 - Phillips, Judy Henley. "1812 Franklin County, Tennessee Tax List," available online, courtesy: TNGenWeb.
 * 1812 - Gant, Wanda. "Franklin County, TN - Census - 1812 Tax List," available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1816 - List of Taxes Due in 1816, Franklin County Historical Review. Winchester TN: Jul 1977. Vol. 8 Iss. 2.This list was for taxes due in Warren, Franklin, White and Overston counties.
 * 1861 - Tax Roll, 1861, Historical Tidings. Winchester TN: Jul 2001. Vol. 33 Iss. 3; Oct 2001. Vol. 33 Iss. 4; Feb 2002. Vol. 34 Iss. 1; Apr 2002. Vol. 34 Iss. 2; Jul 2002. Vol. 34 Iss. 3; Oct 2002. Vol. 34 Iss. 4; Feb 2003. Vol. 35 Iss. 1.
 * 1865 - Tax List, 1865, Historical Tidings. Winchester TN: Feb 2003. Vol. 35 Iss. 1; Jul 2003. Vol. 35 Iss. 3; Oct 2003. Vol. 35 Iss. 4; Feb 2004. Vol. 36 Iss. 1; Apr 2004. Vol. 36 Iss. 2; Jul 2004. Vol. 36 Iss. 3; Oct 2004. Vol. 36 Iss. 4; Feb 2005. Vol. 37 Iss. 1; Apr 2005. Vol. 37 Iss. 2.
 * 1890 - Stovall, Cora, Jeanne Bigger and Lona Koltick. Franklin County, Tennessee 1890 Tax List. Tullahoma, Tennessee: J.R. Bigger, 1984.

The following Franklin County tax records are on microfilm:


 * 1812, 1816, 1852-1857, 1860-1863, 1865-1900 - Available at Tennessee State Archives.
 * 1852 - 1859 - Trustee's Office Tax Book, 1852-1859. FHL US/CAN Film 1,011,409 item 1. This is not a traditional tax list. No districts. It may be that only one district was represented many times as different revenue reports were generated. List includes names and dollar amounts. Lists of Grand Jurors and Constables containing names and dollar amonts are among this records.
 * 1861 - 1871 - Trustee's Office Tax Book, 1861-1871. FHL US/CAN Film 1,011,409. "Traditional" tax lists. For 1861 Districts 1-6, 11-16 represented. Sorted alphabetically by first letter of surname.

Additional sources for tax lists:


 * 1814 - John Tedder papers, 1814-1857. Tedder appointed as Deputy Collector of Revenue for the Third Collection District of Tennessee in 1814 by Thomas Brown, Collector of Revenue for his district. Includes Franklin county. See TSLA on-line catalog.

For missing years, alternative resource to consider is Tennessee Legislative Petitions.

Vital Records
See also How to order Tennessee Vital Records or order electronically online.

Birth

 * 1881 - 1885 - Franklin County Birth Index 1881-1885. Batch in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1881 - 1885 - Vital Statistics, 1881-1885. Nashville: TSLA, 1969. Manuscript from the Franklin County Clerk.


 * 1869 - 1909 - Tennessee Delayed Birth Records 1869-1909 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)


 * 1828 - 1939 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1908 - 1912 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage
Marriages were not officially recorded in Franklin County until 1838, when a law was passed mandating the practice. The following publication, based on early newspapers, helps to alleviate this genealogical obstacle:


 * 1625-1966 - Tennessee, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1794 - 1851 - Lucas, Silas Emmett. Marriages from Early Tennessee Newspapers 1794-1851. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1978..


 * 1780 - 2002 - Tennessee State Marriages 1780-2002 at Ancestry.com — index ($)


 * 1780 - 2002 - at FamilySearch.org— index


 * 1790 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1796 - 1950 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1838 - 1888 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1851 - 1900 - Tennessee Marriages 1851-1900 at Ancestry.com— index and images '

The following Franklin County marriage records are microfilmed:


 * 1838 - 1987 - Available at the TSLA. Marriages 1838-1886 are available for interlibrary loan.


 * 1838 - 1964 - Available at the Family History Library. Some volumes are indexed.


 * 1879 - 1939 - Includes colored and bride's index. Listed alphabetically by groom's surname.


 * 1881 - 1885 - Vital Statistics, 1881-1885. Nashville: TSLA, 1969. Manuscript from the Franklin County Clerk.

The following Franklin County Courthouse marriage records are indexed:


 * 1838 - 1917 - Franklin County Marriage Index 1838-1917 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1838 - 1875 - W.P.A. Franklin County, Tennessee, County Court Minutes, Vol. 2, 1832-1837. Typescript, TSLA. Microfilmed 1939. FHL US/CAN Film 24649 Items 1-2. Free index, available online, thanks to Steve Carson, courtesy: GSC Associates Historical Records Products (the pages may load slowly). For a reasonable fee, the company sells Franklin County CDs, one of which includes a digitized version of this book.


 * 1838 - 1870 - Lucas, Silas Emmett and Ella Lee Sheffield. 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds 1783-1870. 3 vols. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1981. ff. [Abstracts include names of brides, grooms, bondsmen, marriage bond dates, and officiators for weddings in this county for the roughly specified years. Marriage data taken from an index card file at the TSLA. Authors do not specify whether or not the card index completely indexes this county's marriages.


 * 1838 - 1874 - Sistler, Byron and Barbara Sistler. Early Middle Tennessee Marriages. 2 vols. Nashville, Tenn.: B. Sistler &amp; Associates, 1988. ff. Indexes names of brides and grooms, and marriage dates for weddings in this county for the specified years.


 * 1838 - 1874 - Sistler, Byron H. and Barbara Franklin County, Tennessee marriages, 1838-1874 Nashville, Tennessee: B. Sistler, 1985.


 * 1838 - 1875 - Burks, Billie and Hall Marriage Records of Franklin County, Tennessee 1838-1875 [Winchester, Tennessee]: Franklin County Historical Society (Tennessee), c1979. Free lookups available!


 * 1850 - 1866 - Marriage Records, 1850-1866, Franklin County, Tennessee.Nashville: TSLA, Historical Records Project, 1939. Typescript. Items 1-2


 * 1884 - 1903 - Conn, Ronald W. annd Shiley Conn. Franklin County, marriages, 1884-1903. LaVergne, Tennessee: R.W. Conn and S.R. Conn, 1991.


 * 1751 - 1874 - Marriage Records.


 * 1838 - 1850 - Marriage Records: Early–1850.

Divorce

 * Some Franklin County Divorces. S.l.: s.n., 198-?
 * 1800 - 1965 - Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965 database on-line. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Available at Ancestry ($).

Death

 * 1874 - 1955 - at FamilySearch.org — index


 * 1881 - 1885 - Vital Statistics, 1881-1885. Nashville: TSLA, 1969. Manuscript from the Franklin County Clerk.


 * 1908 - 1958 - Tennessee Death Records 1908 - 1958 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)


 * 1914 - 1966 - at FamilySearch — index and images

For deaths of Methodists in Franklin County between the 1830s and the 1920s, try:

Burial information:
 * Smith, Jonathan K.T. Genealogical Abstracts from Reported Deaths, the Nashville Christian Advocate. (1847-1914) 10 vols. [Jackson, Tenn.]: J.K.T. Smith, 1997-2003. ff; digital versions at David Donahue Memorial: Tennessee Records Repository. Website expands upon the publications and includes deaths from the 1830s, 1840s, 1910s and 1920s.
 * Tim’s Ford reservoir is on the Elk River, primarily in Moore, Franklin and Coffee Counties. Gravestones were moved from the area in 1970 when the state completed the Tim’s Ford Dam, submerging most of the old settlement of Awalt. Awalt was part of District 14, so if one has family from that area, it would be helpful to check out the following book which records all gravestones moved from the town of Awalt, to the New Awalt Cemetery. Douthat, James L. “Tims Ford reservoir : T.V.A. grave removals.” Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, 2007 FHL 976.8 V3djL

Franklin County Tennessee Genealogy Societies and Libraries
See also a List of Tennessee Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Franklin County Historical Society P.O. Box 130 Winchester, TN 37398 Phone: 1-931-962-1476

Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society PO Box 330948 Nashville, TN, USA 37203-7507 The society serves the 40 counties of middle Tennessee of which Franklin County is one. It publishes The Middle Tennessee Journal of Genealogy and History, a quarterly containing articles of genealogical and historical interest. Little-known Tennessee records are published and indexed, along with family genealogies, Bible records and material submitted by members. There is an alphabetical Index to articles in the Journal 1988-summer 2005

Franklin County Library 105 South Porter Street Winchester, TN 37398 Phone: 1-931-967-3706 Hours for the Local History and Genealogy area: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Contact: Virginia Ellington Phone: 1-931-962-1476 E-mail: fshistorical@bellsouth.net

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Franklin County Tennessee Genealogy Websites

 * (FamilySearch) — The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Franklin County, TN Family History and Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry)
 * Franklin County TN Genealogy
 * Franklin County, TNGenWeb (USGenWeb)
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: TN-SOUTHCENTRAL-L (South Central Tennessee List)