Franklin County, Massachusetts Genealogy

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

Description
Franklin County was long settled by the time it was set off as its own county in 1811. Early settlers made their way into the region first along the Connecticut River. It was a crossroads for migrations from eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and the gateway to Vermont and New Hampshire's river valley settlements. The county has always been sparsely settled. Franklin's county government was abolished on 1 July 1997, but its former jurisdiction is used for state offices as a district.

The county was named for Benjamin Franklin. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse 43 Hope Street Greenfield, MA 01301 Phone: 413-775-7400 Franklin County Website

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 basic data are from the historical county boundary series with additions from various sources.

Census Records

 * 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
The court system can appear to be complex. The system was reorganized in 1686/1692, 1859, and 1978. Described below are the most commonly used records for history and genealogy, but realize that this list is incomplete. For more detailed information regarding court structure, see Understanding the Massachusetts Court System. Older records are held by: Supreme Judicial Court Archives (administration - records stored in several off-site facilities and the Mass. Archives) 16th Floor, Highrise Court House 3 Pemberton Square Boston MA 02109 Phone 617-557-1082 Email [mailto:Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us Elizabeth.Bouvier@sjc.state.ma.us]

Quarterly Court of General Sessions of the Peace This court was active from 1812 to 1827. The court heard criminal cases and had authority over county affairs that included levying taxes, reviewing town bylaws, highways, licensed liquor, regulated jails, supervised the administration of the poor laws, and appointed some county officials. There are no records microfilmed. The original records are either in the county courthouse or at the Judicial Archives. Their location has not been researched.

Inferior Court of Common Pleas This court was active from 1812 to 1859. The court heard all civil cases over 40s unless a case involved freehold or was appealed from a justice of the peace.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1812-1865 (*) Franklin County Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1844-1847 Court of Common Pleas, Records, v. 16-17, 1844-1847 at New England Historic Genealogical Society

Superior Court The Quarterly Court of General Sessions was merged into the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1827, and that court was reorganized in 1859 to created the Superior Court as the new lower (i.e. trial) court. It covers both criminal and civil matters. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1867 (*) Franklin County Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1888-1923 (*) Franklin County Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Records at Massachusetts Archives
 * Superior Court, Divorce Record Books, 1888-1933

Supreme Judicial Court The Supreme Judicial Court was established by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780 that combined the former Governor and Council with the Superior Court of Judicature creating the highest state court. This court hears appeals, writ of error, capital offenses, and crimes against the public good. That included divorces until that action was moved to the lower court in 1887. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1816-1888 (*) Franklin County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1872-1933 (*) Franklin County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Records at Massachusetts Archives
 * Supreme Judicial Court: Index, 1816-1888; Docket books, 1816-1888; Record books, 1816-1889 (inc. divorce)

Justice of the Peace Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1792 (*) Franklin County Justice's Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1816-1838 (*) Franklin County Justice's Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only

Land and Property Records
Land transfers, commonly called deeds, are recorded on the county level in Massachusetts. Not all deeds were recorded as is common practice today. The earliest transactions were charters or grants from the English Crown. Once local government was established, the colony would grant land to settlers directly or to towns to dole out. Some towns first start out as proprietorship and records were recorded there. Once towns were established, deeds were recorded on the county level. Franklin District Registry of Deeds 30 Olive Street - Suite 2 Greenfield MA 01301 Phone 413-772-0239 Email: [mailto:franklinrod@sec.state.ma.us franklinrod@sec.state.ma.us] Website Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1620-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1628-1869 (*) Franklin County Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1650-Current Franklin District Registry of Deeds at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * 1663-1786 Hampshire County Land Records Abstracted, v. 1-4 plus index, 1663-1786 at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * 1663-1786 (*) Franklin County Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images; Note: These are the Indian deeds that for the area that became Franklin County
 * 1787-1947 (*) Franklin County Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1800-Current Recorded Plans, 1800-Current at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * 1899-Current Registered Land Plans, 1899-Current at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * 1900-Current Registered Land (land court), 1900-Current at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * 1951-Current Recorded Land (Deeds), 1951-Current at Franklin District Registry of Deeds
 * Pre-1900 Old Indexes Prior to 1900 at Franklin District Registry of Deeds

Orignal Records at New England Historic Genealogical Society:
 * Deeds, v. 1-485, 1787-1902, index, 1787-1889, 1890-1899 (Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986) to v. 431; Note: v. 223 (1859) missing

Local Histories
Works written on the county include:
 * Biographical Review: this volume contains biographical sketches of the leading citizens of Franklin County, Massachusetts (Boston, 1895), 668 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries); . Digital version at Internet Archive.
 * Theophilus Packard, A History of the Churches and Ministers, and of Franklin Association, in Franklin County, Mass., and an appendix respecting the County (Boston, 1854), vii, 456 pp. WorldCat (Other Libraries) and [Index; . Digital versions at Internet Archive and Google Books.
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * Massachusetts Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.franklin/ Franklin

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Henry Francis Walling, Map of Franklin County, Massachusetts (1858) at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library.
 * 1895 map of Franklin County.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War
 * 1775-1783 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1805-1845 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records were created on a variety of governmental levels from the Federal down to the city at the same time. The county records for all levels are outlines below. For more information, see the Massachusetts state page for more on naturalization.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records - Covering Multiple Courts
 * 1971-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1906-1817 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Federal Naturalization Records for Franklin County

Franklin County Naturalization Records

Probate Records
Probate and Family Court is organized on a county level in Massachusetts since the creation of the counties. The main records genealogists seek are testate (wills), intestate (administrations), guardianships, and divorces (since 1922), though there are many more that are valuable to any researcher, too. See a further discussion of the topic in general on the Massachusetts Genealogy Guide. Franklin Probate and Family Court PO Box 590 425 Main Street Greenfield MA 01302 Phone 413-774-7011

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1635-1991 Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991 at Ancestry.com — index and images, ($)
 * 1812-1915 Franklin County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1812-1915 at American Ancestors - index and images ($)
 * 1812-1915 (*) Franklin County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1812-1925 Franklin Co., Mass., Probate Guide and Index, 1812 to 1925 at The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants
 * 1810-1971 (*) Franklin County Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index and images; Index 1812-1965; Docket Books, 1810-1921; Record Books, 1812-1894

Original Records on Microfilm:
 * Franklin County Probate: records, v. 1-49 (1812-1866), v. 1-71 (1828-1894) [no description for second series]; dockets, #1-18800 (1812-1921); index, 1812-1925, 1926-1965, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Massachusetts Archives (to v. 49).

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

Town Records

 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Birth

 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1753-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1840-1910 Massachusetts, Birth Index, 1840-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Marriage

 * 1600-1961 Massachusetts, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index, ($) — index $
 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1841-1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1841-1915 Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Death

 * 1626-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1638-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1840-1910 Massachusetts Death Index at MyHeritge - index only ($)
 * 1841-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Divorce

 * 1872-1933 (*) Franklin County Supreme Judicial Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1888-1923 (*) Franklin County Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Family History Centers

 * Worcester Massachusetts Family History Center
 * Berkshire Athenaeum - an affiliate library
 * Jones Library Inc. - an affiliate library

Libraries
Franklin County MO Historical Societies CountyOffice.orgWebsite For information on additional archives and repositories, see
 * Memorial Libraries PO Box 53 6 Memorial Street Deerfield MA 01342 Phone 413-775-7125 Email [mailto:library@historic-deerfield.org library@historic-deerfield.org] Website
 * Massachusetts Archives for information on additional archives and repositories

Websites

 * The Franklin County MA GenWeb Project, an member of The MAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Franklin County.
 * Massachusetts Genealogy Franklin County
 * Cyndi's List for Franklin County.
 * GenealogyTrails for Franklin County.
 * Linkpendium for Franklin County.


 * – 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

 * Massachusetts Genealogy Guide