Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy
Guide to Franklin County, Kentucky ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Franklin County was named for Benjamin Franklin. The county is located in the northern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Franklin County Courthouse
PO Box 338 219 St Clair Street
Frankfort, KY 40602-0338
Phone: 502-875-8702
Franklin County Website[3]
Franklin County, Kentucky Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1852 | 1795 | 1852 | 1795 | 1795 | 1795 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
1995 A disaster destroyed some records. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
1790--Franklin County was part of Jefferson, Woodford, and Mercer Counties. For animated maps illustrating Kentucky county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Kentucky County Boundary Maps" (1776-1939) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites have additional information on Franklin county cemeteries.
- Interment.net, Kentucky cemetery records by county.
- Cemetery Junction, Links to cemetery transcriptions
- Naming the Forgotten, The Eastern State Hospital Project
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1800 | 5,078 | — |
| 1810 | 8,013 | 57.8% |
| 1820 | 11,024 | 37.6% |
| 1830 | 9,254 | −16.1% |
| 1840 | 9,420 | 1.8% |
| 1850 | 12,462 | 32.3% |
| 1860 | 12,694 | 1.9% |
| 1870 | 15,300 | 20.5% |
| 1880 | 18,699 | 22.2% |
| 1890 | 21,267 | 13.7% |
| 1900 | 20,852 | −2.0% |
| 1910 | 21,135 | 1.4% |
| 1920 | 19,357 | −8.4% |
| 1930 | 21,064 | 8.8% |
| 1940 | 23,308 | 10.7% |
| 1950 | 25,933 | 11.3% |
| 1960 | 29,421 | 13.5% |
| 1970 | 34,481 | 17.2% |
| 1980 | 41,830 | 21.3% |
| 1990 | 43,781 | 4.7% |
| 2000 | 47,687 | 8.9% |
| 2010 | 49,285 | 3.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy census records online, see: Kentucky Census.
- Kentucky Census Transcriptions 1850-1930, USGenWeb
- Census Images, USGenWeb
- KY Census Online, Links to online census records
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Kentucky denominations, view the Kentucky Church Records wiki page.
- Kentucky Christian Church Directory, ChurchAngel
- Catholic Parishes in the Diocese of Lexington
- Catholic Parishes in the Archdiocese of Louisville
- A history of the First Presbyterian Church, Frankfort, Kentucky : together with the churches in Franklin County, in connection at Ancestry ($)
- Darnell, Ermina Jett. Forks of Elkhorn Church. Louisville, Kentucky : Standard Printing Co., 1946. A good resource for information concerning people living in the Forks of the Elkhorn area.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Abstracts of Early Kentucky Supreme Court Cases, KYGenWeb
- Kentucky Court of Justice Research & Reference
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans[edit | edit source]
More information about African American resources in Kentucky can be found on the African American Resources for Kentucky and the United States African Americans Wiki pages.
- Bellardo, Lewis J. "Frankfort, Kentucky, Census of Free Blacks, 1842," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 63, No. 4 (Dec. 1975):272-275. Digital version at NGS website ($); FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 63
- African American Genealogy (US) has more information about the kinds of records available
- The African American Griots Project
- Kentucky Cultural Groups has information specific to Kentucky African Americans.
- Sandi Gorin's Tips, Hangings in Kentucky 1792-1900
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- [Brown] Buchanan, Paul C. and Susie M. Owens. "Henry Long and Some Descendants of Colonial Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):115-126; Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1994):190-200; Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994):263-273; Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1995):27-31. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 38 (1994)-v. 39 (1995).
- [Catlett] Peters, Norman R. "Benjamin Robinson of Caroline County, VA. But Not the Clerk!" The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 2004):57-75; Vol. 48, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2004):120-139. Digital version at American Ancestors ($).
- [Clarke] Buford, Marcus Bainbridge. A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America, With Records of a Number of Allied Families. San Francisco, Calif., 1903. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
- [de Graffenried] de Graffenried, Thomas Pritchett. History of the de Graffenried Family from 1191 A.D. to 1925. Binghampton, N.Y.: Vail-Ballou Press, 1925. Digital version at Internet Archive - free; FHL Book 929.273 G758g.
- [Head] Buchanan, Paul C. and Susie M. Owens. "Henry Long and Some Descendants of Colonial Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):115-126; Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1994):190-200; Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994):263-273; Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1995):27-31. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 38 (1994)-v. 39 (1995).
- [Julian] Buford, Marcus Bainbridge. A Genealogy of the Buford Family in America, With Records of a Number of Allied Families. San Francisco, Calif., 1903. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
- [Long] Buchanan, Paul C. and Susie M. Owens. "Henry Long and Some Descendants of Colonial Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):115-126; Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1994):190-200; Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994):263-273; Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1995):27-31. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 38 (1994)-v. 39 (1995).
- [McAndre] Buchanan, Paul C. and Susie M. Owens. "Henry Long and Some Descendants of Colonial Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 38, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1994):115-126; Vol. 38, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1994):190-200; Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1994):263-273; Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1995):27-31. Digital version at American Ancestors ($). FHL Book 975.5 B2vg v. 38 (1994)-v. 39 (1995).
- [Major] Harper, Lillie DuPuy VanCulin. Colonial Men and Times: Containing the Journal of Col. Daniel Trabue, Some Account of His Ancestry, Life and Travels in Virginia and the Present State of Kentucky During the Revolutionary Period; the Huguenots, Genealogy, with Brief Sketches of the Allied Families. Philadelphia, Pa.: Innes & Sons, 1916. Digital version at Internet Archive; FHL Film 1421709 Item 2.
- [Patteson] Smith, Ethel Marion. An Informal History of Virginia-Kentucky Pattesons in Illinois, Their Forbears and Their Kin Including the Lewises of Llangollen. Washington, 1948. Available at FHL.
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Kentucky Land and Property for additional information about early Kentucky land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section Kentucky Local Histories.
- The History of Franklin County, Kentucky. 1912. By L.F. Johnson. Frankfort, Ky. : Roberts Print. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- KYGenWeb compiled list of maps
- Click on the county to go to the KYGenWeb site
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Military Resources, Revolutionary War through Civil War
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1861-1865 Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1861-1865 Kentucky Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 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)
- 1912-1950 Kentucky Confederate Pension Applications 1912-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Regiments. Men in Franklin County served in various regiments and companies. Those listed below were specifically formed in this county:
- - 7th Regiment, Kentucky Cavalry (Union), Companies B, C, G and K.
- - 22nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A and F.
- - 24th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company H.
- - 30th Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Companies A, B, E, F and G.
- - 32nd Regiment, Kentucky Infantry (Union), Company B.
World War I[edit | edit source]
- Fallen Soldiers in WWI from KY
- Hattie Marshall Scott. Names and home addresses of Franklin County's men and women serving their country.
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- Korean War Memorial, Korean War Memorial for Soldiers from KY, KYGenWeb
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- USNPL, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
- World-Newspapers, Kentucky, Kentucky newspaper index with links
- Kentucky Newspapers on Microfilm
- The Kentucky Historical Society, in Frankfort, Kentucky, has a great newspaper collection.
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Kentucky Footsteps Archives, KYGenWeb
- Kentucky Obituary Sources, KYGenWeb
- Browning Genealogy Database, Compiled by Charles Browning.
- Kentucky Obituaries, USGenWeb
- Afrigeneas, African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
- Obituary Depot, Kentucky Newspaper Citations
- Obituary Daily Times, Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries
- Nashville Christian Advocate Death Abstracts
Other Records[edit | edit source]
- Kentucky Postcards, USGenWeb
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy Clerk of Court and are housed at the Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy Courthouse. Microfilmed records can be found online at Kentucky, Probate Records, 1792-1977 for Caldwell, Henry, Hickman, Russell and Trimble counties. See the wiki page Kentucky Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, and adoptions.
Online Probate Records
- 1774-1999 Kentucky Wills and Probate Records 1774-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1785-1880 Will Books 1 to 3 (1785-1880) - How to Use this Collection; digitized by FamilySearch
- 1795-1823; 1824-1854 - Images of Wills, Appraisals, Inventories. Kentucky Pioneers ($)
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Taxes were levied on free white males over 21 and slaves aged 21 to 60. These persons are referred to as "polls." Tax listings, or digests, of a county generally list the taxable landowners and other polls and the amount of tax. The records for each county are divided by militia district. For more background information and state-wide resources see the wiki page Kentucky Taxation.
- 1801 - 1801 Tax List of Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy is included in Clift's Second Census of Kentucky 1800,[8] digitized by Ancestry ($).
- Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records, Ancestry ($)
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Although Kentucky enacted a statute in 1852-1862 requiring registration of births and deaths,many counties did not comply. A second law was written in 1874-1879, and 1892-1910 but, again, was not always followed. By 1911, the law was more clearly defined and kept by 1920. Any existing births 1852-1960 and death records 1852-1953 can be accessed online. See How to Find Kentucky Birth Records and How to Find Kentucky Death Records for links to indexes and images.
Original marriage records are held at the office of the Franklin County Clerk, with divorce records 1849-1958 located with the Franklin County Circuit Court. For more information see How to Find Kentucky Marriage Records. For Kentucky divorce records see the wiki page Kentucky Vital Records. To order vital records from Franklin County, you may order online at: Franklin County Vital Records
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1839-1960 Kentucky Births and Christenings, 1839-1960 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;
- 1852-1861 - Franklin County Birth Index 1852-1861. Batch C517341 at FamilySearch [9]
- 1874 - Franklin County Birth Index 1874. Batch C517342 at FamilySearch
- 1875 - Franklin County Birth Index 1875. Batch C517343 at FamilySearch
- 1911-1912 - Searchable KY Birth Index
- 1911-1999 Kentucky Births, 1911-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1609-2016 - Kentucky, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1785-1979 Kentucky Marriages 1785-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1790-1815 - Franklin County, Kentucky Marriage Records, 1790-1815, Volume I at Ancestry ($)
- 1797-1954 Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1852-1861 - Franklin County Marriage Index 1852-1861. Batch M517341 at FamilySearch
- 1875 - Franklin County Marriage Index 1875. Batch M517344 at FamilySearch
- 1876-1878 - Franklin County Marriage Index 1876-1878. Batch M517345 at FamilySearch
- 1973-2000 - Searchable KY Marriage Records
- 1973-2000 - Kentucky Marriage Records 1973-2000
- 1960-1993 Kentucky Marriages, 1960-1993 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1843-1970 Kentucky Deaths and Burials 1843-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1911-1965 Kentucky Death Records, 1911-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
- 1911-2000 - Searchable KY Death Index
- 1900-1999 Kentucky Deaths, 1900-1999 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- United States Social Security Death Index - How to Use this Collection
- The Kentucky Vital Records Project, Transcriptions and Images of Kentucky Death Certificates
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1973-1993 - Kentucky Divorces 1973-1993, University of Kentucky Vital Records Databases
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Franklin County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.
Archives of Appalachia
East Tennessee State University
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Lexington Kentucky Family History Center
- Louisville Kentucky Family History Center
- The Kentucky Historical Society Library - an affiliate library.
- Lexington Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Franklin County. For state-wide library facilities, see Kentucky Archives and Libraries.
Paul Sawyier Library
319 Wapping Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-352-2665
Website
Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives
300 Coffee Tree Rd
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: 502-564-8300
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Franklin County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Kentucky Societies.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- KYGenWeb project. Has maps, name indexes, history or other information for each county. Select the county.
- State of Kentucky Website
- USGenWeb Kentucky Archives
- The USGenWeb project May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Franklin County, Kentucky Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Franklin County KY Genealogy (Kentucky Genealogy)
- FamilySearch Catalog . Free - 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[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin County, Kentucky" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_County,_Kentucky."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Franklin County, Kentucky. Page 268-276 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 251-254.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kentucky. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920. (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin County, Kentucky," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_County,_Kentucky, accessed 12 August 2018.
- ↑ G. Glenn Clift, Second Census of Kentucky 1800: A Privately Compiled and Published Enumeration of Tax Payers Appearing in the 79 Manuscript Volumes Extant of Tax Lists of the 42 Counties of Kentucky in Existence in 1800 (1954; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2005).
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/f/f1/Igikentuckyaf.pdf.
