Franklin County, Mississippi Genealogy

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

Description
This county was named for Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Franklin County Courthouse PO Box 297 Meadville, MS 39653 Phone: 601-384-2330 Franklin County Website Clerk Chancery Court has court, land and probate records. Clerk Circuit Court has military records. Clerk Circuit Court also has marriage 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:

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1660-1820 U.S. Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 at Ancestry $
 * 1850  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1850 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1860 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

State Census
 * 1792-1866 Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 at Ancestry $
 * 1805-1890 Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 at Ancestry $
 * 1810 Territory Census Returns 1810 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1816 Territory Census Returns 1816 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1820 State Census Returns 1820 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1841 State Census Returns 1841 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1845 State Census Returns 1845 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1870 State Census Returns 1870 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1880 State Census Returns 1880 - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only - NOTE listing males then Females 21 and over and race

Church Records

 * 1910-1919  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Franklin

Court Records

 * 1836-1838 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1857-1900 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1860-1892 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1872-1906 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1923 (*); Chancery Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1872-1939 (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans 
 * 1863-1866  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1865-1872  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * The Freedmen's Bureau Marriage Records at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - index and transcription

Local Histories

 * Brief History (Pre-1817) of Franklin County, Mississippi, USGenWeb for Franklin County, Mississippi

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of Mississippi (1785-1918)
 * Family Maps of Franklin County, Mississippi Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com.($). Free surname search.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1775-1951 Military grave registrations -  Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1836-1843 Register of Military Commissions - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1848-1860 Register of Military Commissions - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Mexican-American War 
 * 1846-1848  How to Use this Collection;  at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War 
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images at partner site
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry free index
 * 1889-1942  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1900-1974  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1936-1939 Civil war records a Memorial list of those that served in the Civil War -  Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only


 * - 4th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry
 * Company I - Stockdale Rangers
 * - 7th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry
 * Company A - Franklin Rifles
 * Company K - Quitman Rifles
 * Company E - Franklin Beauregards

World War I
 * 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 *  1836-1941 Naturalization index take-off cards (1936-1941) - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - images only

Other Records
OTHER RECORDS  State Archives
 * 1820-1951   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images - incomplete - Topics covered: Ex Slave Narratives, list of military veterans,  Military grave registrations, Naturalizations and some Land records.

VOTER List
 * 1871-1967 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1780-1982 Mississippi Wills and Probate Records 1780-1982 at Ancestry $
 * 1781-1930 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only

School Records

 * 1850-1892; 1908-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

 * 1810-1817 Territory Tax rolls (1810-1817) - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - index only
 * 1818-1887 County Tax rolls (1818-1887) - Franklin County Collection at FamilySearch - index only

Marriage

 * 1776-1935 Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1825 Mississippi Marriages to 1825 at Ancestry $
 * 1800-1911 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1816-1899 Marriages On-Line Index: Franklin County, Mississippi. Courtesy: MSGenWeb
 * 1818-1928 Franklin County Marriage Books 1-6 Index 1818-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1826-1850 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-50 at Ancestry $
 * 1826-1900 Mississippi Marriages, 1826-1900 at Ancestry $
 * 1858-1979 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images for various counties

Death

 * 1822-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1912-1943 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912-1943 Reclaim the Records: Mississippi Death Index at Archive - images of index

Websites

 * Franklin County Mississippi Genealogy & History Network
 * Mississippi Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb Franklin County, Mississippi project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this 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.