Franklin County, Virginia Genealogy

United States

Virginia

Franklin County

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

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Rocky Mount Organized: 01 Jan 1786 Parent County(s): Bedford, Henry Neighboring Counties Bedford • Floyd • Henry • Patrick • Pittsylvania • Roanoke See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

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.

County Courthouse

Franklin County Courthouse
275 South Main Street, Suite 111
Rocky Mount, VA 24151-1758
Phone: 540-483-3060
Franklin County Website

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

Franklin County, Virginia Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government 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.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. Lost censuses: 1790, 1800, 1890 For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Created from Bedford and Henry Counties, on 01 January 1786. County seat: Rocky Mount Virginia Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Virginia Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes

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

History Timeline

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

The county was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Resources

Bible Records

For databases and indexes, see Virginia Bible Records.

• 1607-2007 Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Franklin County, Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave VAGenWeb USGenWeb Archives VA Tombstone Transcription Project Virginia Gravestones BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

• 1800-1986 Virginia, Jewish Cemetery Records Index, ca. 1800-1986 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records

For databases, indexes, and information 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%
2010	56,159	18.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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. FS Catalog 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. By Ronald Ray Turner. FS Catalog book 975.5 X2t 1890; film 1425065, item 14. Includes residents of this county.
• 1890 Veterans Schedules of the U.S. Federal Census. Online at: Ancestry ($). Includes residents of this county.

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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 Records

Online Court Indexes and Records

Chancery Court

• Reddy, Anne Waller. Suit -- Brown vs. Brown: Chancery Court Records in Caroline County, Virginia. 1950?. MSS., available at FS Library. Rene (René, Rainey, or Renney) Parsons Brown of Caroline County was sued by John Brown of Franklin County.
• Library of Virginia's Chancery Record Index can be used to search for Franklin County chancery records for the years 1787-1929. Digital images are available for records 1787-1912. Original records available through 1929 - see online catalog or contact Archives Research Services for availability. The Circuit Court Clerk's Office maintains additional unindexed post-1913 records.

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 FS Library; additional index at FS Library; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($).

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

For databases and immigrant groups, see Virginia Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African American

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 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.]
• Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized images of African Americans of Franklin County.

Funeral Homes

• 1935-2009 Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs, 1935-2009 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Conner-Bowman Funeral Home in Rocky Mount Flora Funeral Service, Inc in Hardy Flora Funeral Service, Inc in Rocky Mount Hamlar Curtis Funeral Home in Rocky Mount Stanfield Mortuary Service in Rocky Mount Tharp Funeral Home in Hardy

Genealogies

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

• See Franklin County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of published books and articles, or jump to the surname using the alphabet bar.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families

• Heritage Book Committee and Franklin County Historical Society. Franklin County, Va. -- Heritage 2000, Full Name Indexed. Rocky Mount, Va.: Franklin County Historical Society, 2002. FS Library US/CAN Large Q Book 975.568 H2f.
• Wingfield, Marshall. Pioneer Families of Franklin County, Virginia. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. FS Catalog Collection 975.568 D2w; digital version at MyHeritage ($). Sketches of 60 families, including Cooper, Fishburn, Greer, Hancock, Saunders and Wingfield.
  

Land and Property Records

For land indexes, records, and databases, see Virginia Land and Property, including Colonial and State Land Grants.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

An early settlers map for Franklin County at Rootsweb. The cartographers plot the locations of pioneers from 1786-1886. The FamilySearch Library has a full-scale copy: FS Library 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 FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Wingfield, Marshall. Franklin County, Virginia: A History. Berryville, VA: Chesapeake Book Co., 1964. Available at FS Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For map collections, online and in libraries, see Virginia Maps.

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• A Settlement Map of Franklin County Virginia. Available online.
• FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

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

Military Records

Revolutionary War

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Eastern District, Franklin County on page 130.
• Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Library Book 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans. 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. FS Catalog Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 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 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1861-1865 Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 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. Civil War service men in Franklin County 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 here:

- 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).

Newspapers

For online newspaper resources, see the Virginia Newspapers page.

• 1800s-Current Virginia, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

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.

Other Records

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 FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).

Probate Records

For statewide probate records, indexes, and databases, see Virginia Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1639-1850 Virginia Land, Marriage and Probate Records 1639-1850 at Ancestry — index, incomplete ($)
• 1652-1900 Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1786-1812; 1812 – 1825 – Images of Wills, Inventories, Orphans, Post Mortems. Virginia Pioneers ($)
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

For additional online collections and the value and use of Virginia's tax lists in your research, see Virginia Taxation.

Online Franklin County, Virginia Tax Lists
Type	Index			Images
	Free	FHC	Fee	Free	FHC	Fee
Personal Property	1786	-	-	-	1786
Delinquents	-	-	1786	-	-	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1787	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1788	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1789	-
Personal Property		-	-	-	1790	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1791	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1792	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1793	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1794	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1795	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1796	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1797	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1798	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1799	-
Personal Property	-	-	1800 [ 1]|[ 2]|[ 3]	-	1800	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1801	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	1802	-
Personal Property	-	-	-	-	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
• 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 FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). [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. FamilySearch Catalog; [The source of this publication is the 1787 personal property tax list. Franklin County is included in Vol. 1.]
• 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 FS Library. [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

For additional indexes, databases, and details, see Virginia Vital Records.

Birth

• 1584-1917 Virginia Births and Christenings, 1584-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1866 Virginia, Slave Birth Index, 1853-1866 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1896 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Birth Records, 1853-1896 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images, coverage may vary
• 1912-1913 Virginia, Birth Certificates, 1912-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

• 1660-1800 Virginia Marriages 1660-1800 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1660-1959 Virginia, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index ($) — index $
• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1740-1850 Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1771-1989 Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1785-1940 Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index ; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1786-1853 Franklin County Marriage bond register, 1786-1853 at FamilySearch
• 1786-1858 Wingfield, Marshall. Marriage Bonds of Franklin County, Virginia. Memphis, TN, USA: West Tennessee Historical Societ, 1939. 1967 index available at FS Library; 1973 reprint available at FS Library; digital version of original edition at Ancestry ($).
• 1853-1935 Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
• 1936-1988 Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

• 1715-1901 Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1911 Virginia, U.S., Death Registers, 1853-1911 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1853-1912 Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1853-1912 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1912-1987 Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

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

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Franklin County. For state-wide facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Martinsville Virginia FamilySearch Center

• Blue Ridge Regional Library - Bassett Branch - an affiliate library
• Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Jessie Peterman Memorial - an affiliate library
• Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library - Meadowbrook - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Franklin County. For state-wide library facilities, see Virginia Archives and Libraries.

• Franklin County Genealogical Society P O Box 316 Ferrum, Virginia 24088

Franklin County Historical SocietyWebsite

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

Societies

Listed below are societies in Franklin County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Virginia Societies.

Websites

• USGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Cyndi's List

• FamilySearch Catalog – 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

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