Franklin County, Massachusetts Records

Franklin County, Massachusetts (Map It) was created on June 24, 1811 from Hampshire County. The county was named for Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), early American scientist, diplomat, and politician.

Franklin County is bordered by Windham County, Vermont (north), Cheshire County, New Hampshire (northeast), Worcester County (east), Hampshire County (south), Berkshire County (west).

Franklin County Cities and Towns include Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Millers Falls, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne Falls, Shutesbury, South Deerfield, Sunderland, Turners Falls, Warwick, Wendell and Whately.

MapGeeks.org has is a collection of old Massachusetts maps.

Franklin County, Massachusetts Courthouse Records

Franklin County, Massachusetts Courthouse
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Franklin County, MA Courthouse

The Franklin County Courthouse is located in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The county government was abolished on July 1, 1997. Learn More About State of Massachusetts Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.

The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research. For Town Records contact the City/Town Hall Clerk.

The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Franklin county. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.

  • Franklin County Register of Deeds has Land Records from 1787. Earlier deeds for land now in Franklin County are at Springfield (see Hampden County). Abstracts of these deeds recorded at the Springfield registry from 1663—1786 are at Greenfield. Deeds for 1787-present are in Greenfield; between 1787—1812 they were recorded at the Deerfield registry, which was transferred to Greenfield in 1812. Probates before 1812 for towns now in Franklin County are at Northampton in Hampshire County. The County Register of Deeds is the place where all transactions of a Real Property nature are recorded so that the public is made aware of their existence. Deeds, mortgages, tax liens, water liens, declaration of homestead and many other kinds of documents regarding the title and ownership of real estate are noted permanently in official records.
  • Franklin County Clerk of Probate Court has Probate Records from 1812. Probates before 1812 for towns now in Franklin County are at Northampton in Hampshire County. The County Clerk of Probate Court has many responsibilities which include the administration of estates, probate of wills, and the appointment of guardians, have been under the jurisdiction of the courts since the 1630s. County courts and later, county judges of probate, were responsible for these functions until 1783, when the probate courts were established. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the probate and family courts were given jurisdiction over adoptions, divorces, name changes, and domestic relations.
  • Franklin County Clerk of Courts has Court Records from 1812. The County Clerk of Courts has jurisdiction over all civil, criminal, and equity cases.
  • Franklin County Town Clerks has copies of vital records (birth, marriage, divorce and death records). Clerks respond to inquiries regarding vital records, since most have indexes available. They also have tax lists that may still be available at the town office. Earlier taxes for the towns exist as well.

Franklin County, Massachusetts Census Records

Franklin County, Massachusetts Vital Records

Franklin County, Massachusetts Resources

Franklin County, Massachusetts External Links

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