Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Franklin County





County Courthouse
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness courthouse lookup volunteer is listed under Bedford County, Virginia.

History


The county was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Parent County
1785--Franklin County was created 17 October 1785 from Bedford and Henry Counties. County seat: Rocky Mount

African American

 * Heinegg, Paul. "Franklin County Personal Property Tax List 1804-1821," Free African Americans.com, available online. [Heinegg abstracted free blacks listed in these records.]

Census
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


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Court
Chancery Court


 * Reddy, Anne Waller. Suit -- Brown vs. Brown: Chancery Court Records in Caroline County, Virginia. 1950?. MSS., available at FHL. [Rene (René, Rainey, or Renney) Parsons Brown of Caroline County was sued by John Brown of Franklin County.]

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 FHL; digital version at World Vital Records ($) additional index at FHL; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Family Histories
It is anticipated that 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


 * Heritage Book Committee and Franklin County Historical Society. Franklin County, Va. -- Heritage 2000, Full Name Indexed. Rocky Mount, Va.: Franklin County Historical Society, 2002. US/CAN Large Q Book 975.568 H2f
 * Wingfield, Marshall. Pioneer Families of Franklin County, Virginia. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. 975.568 D2w; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Bibliography


 * [Abshire] Pullen, William E. Virginians and Hoosiers: Abshires, Houstons and Wrights [of] Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia; and Union [and] Hamilton Counties, Indiana. 1977. 929.273 A1 no. 1665
 * [Akers] Akers, Alonzo Edwin. The Akers Family of Franklin County, Virginia: Combined with the Boone, Cannaday, Hickman and Pridgen Families. Roanoke Rapids, NC: [Seeman Printery], 1953. From the Quintin Publications Collection. 929.273 Ak37a; and World Vital Records ($).
 * [Byrd] Nezbeth, Linda B. The Byrd Family of Franklin County, Virginia with Bradlay, Dillon and Perdue Lines. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1986. 929.273 B996n
 * [Flora] Flora, Joel Cephas. A Genealogy and History of Descendants of Jacob Flora Senior of Franklin County, Virginia. Dayton, Ohio: The Author, 1951. Reprint: 929.273 F661fL
 * [Holland] Holland, Claude. The Holland Name: A Prominent One in Franklin County (and Other Places). 6 vols. Rocky Mount, Va.: Franklin County Historical Society, 2002?. 929.273 H719hc v. 1-5; v. 6
 * [Houston] Pullen, William E. Virginians and Hoosiers: Abshires, Houstons and Wrights [of] Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia; and Union [and] Hamilton Counties, Indiana. 1977. 929.273 A1 no. 1665
 * [Johns(t)on] Johnson, Marion C. and Virginia O. Whitmore Johnson. Johnston/Johnson: Deed's [sic] of Franklin County, Virginia Feb. 1st, 1786-Sept. 12, 1831. Canton, Ill.: M. &amp; V. Johnson, 1998. 929.273 J641jv
 * [McElwain] Murphy, Nathan W. Early Families of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Vincent, Wright, McElwain, Wilkins and Jarvis; Historical Information and Sources for More than 2,000 Descendants of Charles Vincent, William Wright, George McElwain, John Wilkins, and John Jarvis, Whose Numerous Progenitors [Descendants] Make Up a Large Portion of the Present Population of Muhlenberg County. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy &amp; Associates, 1999. 929.273 V743m
 * [Miller] Johnson, Patricia Givens. Elder Jacob Miller (1735-1815) a Founder of the Brethren Churches and Dunkard Settlements in Franklin County, Virginia (1775), Ohio (1800), and Indiana (1810) and Some of His Descendants. Silver Hill, Md.: P S Enterprises, 1977. 929.273 M615j
 * [Prillaman] Rogers, Ellen Stanley. The Prillaman Family: An Account of the Descendants of Jacob Prillaman, Sr. (1721-1796) of Franklin County, Virginia. Hyattsville, Md.: E.S. Rogers, 1959. 873449 Item 6
 * [Prillaman] Rogers, Ellen Stanley and Louise E. Easter. Photostats of Deeds, Grants and Wills of the Prillaman Family of Franklin County, Va. Typescript, 1959. 1697393 Item 6
 * [Prillaman] Rogers, Ellen Stanley and Norris Prillaman Miller. The Prillaman Family: An Account of the Descendants of Jacob Prillaman, Sr. (1721-1796) of Franklin County, Virginia. Martinsville, Va.: N.P. Miller, 1980. 929.273 P934r 1980
 * [Prunty] Brown, Jean C. The Pruntys of Franklin County, Virginia. Sapulpa, Okla.: J.C. Brown, 1993. 929.273 P953b
 * [Reed] Randers-Pehrson, Nancy Mae Little and Glenn Randers-Pehrson. The John Marchel and Anne Cora (Nichols) Reed Family of Franklin and Floyd counties, Virginia, and Harford and Cecil counties, Maryland. Edgewood, Md.: N.M. &amp; G. Randers-Pehrson, 1994. 929.273 R251rp
 * [Spangler] Spangler, M.J. Descendants of Daniel and Mary Spangler, Franklin County, Virginia, 1773. Bountiful, Utah: Family History Publishers, 1997. 929.273 Sp23sm; 1998 addendum:  929.273 Sp23sm supp.
 * [Vincent] Murphy, Nathan W. Early Families of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Vincent, Wright, McElwain, Wilkins and Jarvis; Historical Information and Sources for More than 2,000 Descendants of Charles Vincent, William Wright, George McElwain, John Wilkins, and John Jarvis, Whose Numerous Progenitors [Descendants] Make Up a Large Portion of the Present Population of Muhlenberg County. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy &amp; Associates, 1999. 929.273 V743m
 * [Wright] Pullen, William E. Virginians and Hoosiers: Abshires, Houstons and Wrights [of] Bedford and Franklin Counties, Virginia; and Union [and] Hamilton Counties, Indiana. 1977. 929.273 A1 no. 1665
 * [Wright] Murphy, Nathan W. Early Families of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Vincent, Wright, McElwain, Wilkins and Jarvis; Historical Information and Sources for More than 2,000 Descendants of Charles Vincent, William Wright, George McElwain, John Wilkins, and John Jarvis, Whose Numerous Progenitors [Descendants] Make Up a Large Portion of the Present Population of Muhlenberg County. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy &amp; Associates, 1999. 929.273 V743m
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Birth Records (1853-1896) and Marriage Records (1788-1915), Franklin County, Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2001. 929.273 W93gr
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Personal Property Tax Lists, Franklin County, Virginia (1786-1850). Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2001. 929.273 W93grr
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Census Records, Franklin County, Virginia, 1810-1900. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2002. 929.273 W93grf
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Land Grants, 1785-1900 and Deed Records, 1785-1897, Franklin County, Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2003. 929.273 W93gf
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Land Tax Lists Franklin County, Virginia, 1786-1860. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 2003. 929.273 W93gfc
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Wright Family Death Records, 1854-1920; Cemetery Records by Cemetery, and Probate Records, 1785-1928, Franklin County, Virginia. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2004. 929.273 W93gfd
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. The Identification of 1809 William Wright of Franklin County, Virginia as the Son of 1792 John Wright of Fauquier County, Virginia and Elizabeth (Bronaugh) (Darnall) Wright. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2004. 929.273 W937g
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia Part III, William Wright of Franklin County, His Wife Mary (Grant) Wright and His Descendants. 3 vols. Menlo Park, Calif.: R.N. Grant, 2004. 929.273 W93grw v. 1
 * [Wright] Grant, Robert N. Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia Part IV, William Wright (Franklin County), His Wife Nellie or S. (_____) Wrigjht, and His Descendants. Menlo Park, Calif.: R.N. Grant, 2004. 929.273 W93grv
 * [Wyatt] Peters, Genevieve E. John Wyatt of Loudoun, Shenandoah, and Franklin Counties, Virginia. Typescript. 929.273 W97p

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 FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wingfield, Marshall. Franklin County, Virginia: A History. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. Available at FHL; digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Migration

 * Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at FHL; digital version at New England 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 FHL; 1983 reprints (both volumes) available at FHL; 1990-1992 reprints (both volumes) also available at FHL. [Includes individuals who migrated out of Franklin County to other parts of the country.]

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 versions at U.S. Census Bureau and 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." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

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.

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 FHL; digital version at New England Ancestors($).

Research Guides

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

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1786] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at FHL; digital version at New England 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 at FHL. [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 FHL. [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).
 * [1840] Personal Property Tax List, 1840, Virginia Appalachian Notes, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Aug. 1985).

Vital Records
Marriage


 * Wingfield, Marshall. Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia. Memphis, TN, USA: West Tennessee Historical Societ, 1939. 1967 index available at FHL; 1973 reprint available at FHL; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($).

Societies and Libraries

 * 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.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog