Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Franklin County

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

Franklin County, Virginia
Map
Location in the state of Virginia
Location of Virginia in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	1785
County Seat	Rocky Mount
Courthouse

County Information

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.

Franklin County Virginia Courthouse

Franklin County Courthouse
Main Street
Rocky Mount, Va 24151-1392
Phone: 540-483-3065

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

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1853	1785	1853	1786	1786	1785	1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912. General compliance year is unknown.

Franklin County Virginia History

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

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

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

• Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890

Franklin County Virginia Places/Localities

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:

Towns
Boones Mill	Rocky Mount
Unincorporated communities
Burnt Chimney Callaway Glade Hill	Hale Ford Henry	Redwood Wirtz
Census-designated places
Ferrum Henry Fork	North_Shore Penhook	Union Hall Westlake Corner

Franklin County Virginia Genealogy Resources

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.

African American

• 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.]

Bible Records

Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:

• Virginia Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007.

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
VAGenWeb	WorldCat	Billion Graves
VAGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Project
Virginia Gravestones
Billion Graves
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

• 1800-1986 - Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — index

Census

For tips on accessing Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy census records online, see: Virginia Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	6,842	—
1800	9,302	36.0%
1810	10,724	15.3%
1820	12,017	12.1%
1830	14,911	24.1%
1840	15,832	6.2%
1850	17,430	10.1%
1860	20,098	15.3%
1870	18,264	−9.1%
1880	25,084	37.3%
1890	24,985	−0.4%
1900	25,953	3.9%
1910	96,480	271.7%
1920	26,283	−72.8%
1930	24,337	−7.4%
1940	25,864	6.3%
1950	24,560	−5.0%
1960	25,925	5.6%
1970	26,858	3.6%
1980	35,740	33.1%
1990	39,549	10.7%
2000	47,286	19.6%
Source: “American Factfinder”. United States Census Bureau.

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. FHL Collection 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. FHL Collection. Includes residents of this county.

Church Records

Baptist

Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

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

Franklin County fell within the bounds of the Strawberry Association.

Church of England

See also Patrick Parish
See also Russell Parish

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 ($).

Genealogy 

More than 175 genealogies have been published about Franklin County families. To view a list, visit Franklin County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies.

Land and Property

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: FHL Map 975.568 E7h.

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

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 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 FHL; 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 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.]

Military

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: FHL Collection 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." FHL Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; 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. FHL Collection 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 - Virginia, Civil War, Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865
• 1861-1865 - Virginia, Civil War, Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
• 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. Service men in Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy 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 in Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy:

- 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).

Miscellaneous Records

• 1607-2007 - Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy 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 American Ancestors ($).

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

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

Taxation

Online Franklin County, Virginia Tax Lists
Type	Index			Images
	Free	FHC	Fee	Free	FHC	Fee
Personal Property	1786	-	-	-	1786	1786
Delinquents	-	-	1786	-	-	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1787	1787
Personal Property	1788	-	-	1788	1788	1788
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1789	1789
Personal Property		-	-		1790	1790
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1791	1791
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1792	1792
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1793	1793
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1794	1794
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1795	1795
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1796	1796
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1797	1797
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1798	1798
Personal Property	1799	-	-	1799	1799	1799
Personal Property	-	-	1800 [ 1]|[ 2]|[ 3]	-	1800	1800
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1801	1801
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1802	1802
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1803	1803
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1804-1829	-
Personal Property	1830	-	-	-	1830	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1831-1839	-
Personal Property	1840	-	-	-	1840	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1841-1850	-

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 ($).
• [1786] Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1786 Franklin County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List (New River Notes) - free.
• [1786] Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1977):167-171. Available at FHL; digital version at American Ancestors ($). [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 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & 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. Online at FamilySearch - free; 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 & 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 & 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.

Vital Records

Indexes to Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy births, marriages, and deaths are available online. These collections are incomplete, but are easy to search. Most records can also be ordered electronically online as well. Courtesy: FamilySearch. See also How to order Virginia Vital Records

Birth

• 1853-1866 - Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1912-1913 - Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

• 1660-1800 - Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 (Ancestry) ($).
• 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
• 1771-1943 - Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1943 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1786-1915 - Franklin County Marriage Index 1786-1915. Batch M868775 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1786-1858 - Wingfield, Marshall. Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia. Memphis, TN, USA: West Tennessee Historical Societ, 1939. 1967 index available at FHL; 1973 reprint available at FHL; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($).
• 1936-1988 - Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

• 1918-1988 - Virginia, Divorce Records, 1918-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

• 1853-1871 - Franklin County Death Index 1853-1871. Batch B868776 at FamilySearch - free.
• 1912-1987 - Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — index and images

Vital Record Substitutes

The Virginia Historical Society's Marriage and Obituary Index, 1736-1820 (newspaper abstracts) is available at FamilySearch. Images of the original index cards are browseable, arranged alphabetically by surname.

Franklin County Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries

• Franklin County Genealogical Society P O Box 316 Ferrum, Virginia 24088
• Franklin County Historical Society
• 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.
• VA-NC Piedmont Genealogical Society

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

Franklin County Virginia Genealogy Websites

• USGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Franklin County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
• Cyndi's List

Franklin County Virginia Genealogy References