Franklin County Genealogy Records

Franklin County genealogy records date back to 1784, making it one of Georgia's oldest counties. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Carnesville hold marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records that help trace family lines in northeast Georgia. Franklin County was formed from parts of Cherokee territory, and early settlers left behind a rich paper trail of land grants, tax digests, and probate files. Researchers will find both the courthouse in Carnesville and the Georgia Archives in Morrow useful for tracking down old family records from this part of the state.

Franklin County Probate Court Records

The Franklin County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records used in genealogy. This court has marriage licenses going back to the early 1800s. It also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are vital for tracing family connections in Franklin County. The Probate Court took over functions from the old Court of Ordinary in 1974, but the records carry forward from much earlier.

You can visit the Probate Court in person at the courthouse in Carnesville. Staff can help you find the files you need. The court also takes mail requests. Send a written request with the name and approximate date of the record you seek. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for the search and copy fees. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Franklin County. Certified copies of estate records are available for a fee set by the court.

Note: Call ahead to confirm hours and current fee amounts before making a trip to the Franklin County courthouse.

Franklin County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Franklin County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and other records shared by researchers working on Franklin County family lines. This site is a good starting point if you are new to Franklin County genealogy.

The GAGenWeb project connects you with other people researching Franklin County families. Volunteers post records they have found at courthouses, libraries, and archives. You can also find links to census transcriptions and local history pages that help put your ancestors in context.

Other free online resources for Franklin County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960, probate records from 1742 to 1990, and death records from 1914 to 1943. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over one million pages of old Georgia newspapers. Obituaries, legal notices, and family announcements can fill gaps in your Franklin County research.

Franklin County Superior Court Genealogy

The Franklin County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records. These go back to the county's formation in 1784. Land deeds are a key genealogy source because they show where families lived, who their neighbors were, and when they bought or sold land. Deed books and plat maps can help you piece together the story of your ancestors in Franklin County.

Divorce records are kept by the Superior Court. These files often list children, property, ages, and birth dates. That kind of detail can confirm family connections. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Franklin County are open to the public. You can request copies in person or by mail. The clerk charges a per-page fee for copies.

Note: Some early Franklin County court records may have been lost or damaged over the years, so check the Georgia Archives for microfilm copies of older files.

Vital Records for Franklin County Genealogy

Georgia began statewide vital records registration in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from 1919 forward are available from the Franklin County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health. For records before 1919, you will need to check the Probate Court, church records, or cemetery inscriptions.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. Death certificates are the same price. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are only available to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates are more widely available for genealogy research. You can order records online through the Georgia Department of Public Health, by mail, or in person at the county health department.

For older records, the Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online for free. FamilySearch.org also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943 indexed at no cost. These are solid starting points for Franklin County genealogy research.

Genealogy Research Tips for Franklin County

Start with what you know. Write down all the names, dates, and places you have for your Franklin County family. Then work backward one generation at a time. Census records are often the best next step. Federal census data is available from 1820 to 1940 through Ancestry.com at the Georgia Archives in Morrow.

Keep in mind that the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 federal census records for Georgia were destroyed. For those gaps, use Franklin County tax digests to find where your ancestors lived. The 1850 census was the first to list every person in the household by name and age. Pre-1900 Franklin County records are available on microfilm at the Georgia Archives. For records after 1900, contact the courthouse in Carnesville.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at Family Bible records on microfilm at the Georgia Archives
• Use the Vanishing Georgia collection for historical photos from Franklin County
• Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown

Franklin County boundary changes matter for genealogy. Georgia has 159 counties, and borders shifted often in the 1800s. An ancestor counted in Franklin County one decade might appear in a neighboring county the next. The Virtual Vault has a free resource called "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" that shows which county your family was in for any given year. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the Georgia Open Records Act caps copy fees at 10 cents per page for standard documents from public agencies, though court records may have different fee structures.

Note: The Georgia Archives is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with free access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch in the search room.

Cities in Franklin County

Franklin County includes the cities of Carnesville, Canon, Royston, and Lavonia. All genealogy records for these cities are maintained at the Franklin County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Carnesville. No cities in Franklin County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Franklin County. If your ancestors moved within northeast Georgia, check neighboring county records too. County lines changed often, so an ancestor in Franklin County one decade might appear in a different county the next.