Some Changes In North Carolina Land Boundaries

 Map Of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina , Georgia and Florida
Louisiana Was Owned And Controlled By France During The Time This Map Was Chartered

During the middle of the American Revolution, Franklin County, North Carolina was carved out of the southern part of Bute County which had been formed in 1764 and was abolished in 1779.  This new county was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin who had recently negotiated an alliance and secured loan agreements with France which would eventually help to win America’s independence.

The abolishment of Bute County came at the urging of area resident and strong political activist, Benjamin Seawell, who introduced a bill to separate from the county which had been named for the Earl of Bute.  Those selected to represent Bute County at the Halifax Congress of April 1776 included the following men:

Benjamin Seawell

Green Hill

William Alston

Thomas Sherrod

Thomas Eaton

Benjamin Person

Benjamin Word

Philemon Hawkins

The act establishing Franklin County authorized that the first court be held at the home of Benjamin Seawell.  It was left to the justices of the new county to determine the location of subsequent courts which were to be held until an official courthouse could be erected.  This goal was finally achieved in 1781 with the completion of a log courthouse. In 1779, Louisburg was chartered as the county seat which officially was named in honor of King Louis XVI of France who was a strong American ally. 

King Louis XVI of France

Once the charter had been established, one hundred acres of land were purchased from Patewells & Jacobina Milner for the platting of the new county seat. The initial survey for the town was performed by William Christmas who was also responsible for the layout of Raleigh, North Carolina. Louisburg remained the only town in the county until after the American Revolution. 

In 1779, Bute County was divided into Warren and Franklin Counties. Most records for Bute County are located in Warren County; however, a few very early ones were recorded in Franklin which pertains to those citizens who lived in the area that became Franklin County. It is also suggested that any seeking pertinent information to establish a lineage check for records in those locations.

Those interested in researching their family origins may want to investigate the following counties:

1664 - Albemarle County formed [original county, extinct]

1668 - Albemarle County subdivided into Carteret, Berkeley, and Shaftesbury Precincts

1681 - Shaftesbury Precinct renamed Chowan Precinct

1722 - Bertie Precinct formed from Chowan Precinct

1739 - Bertie Precinct becomes Bertie County

1741 - Edgecombe County formed from Bertie County

1746 - Granville County formed from Edgecombe County

1754 - Creation of Bertie Precinct, Edgecombe County, and Granville County repealed by King George II, in Privy Council

1756 - Bertie, Edgecombe, and Granville re-created

1764 - Bute County [extinct] formed from Granville County

1779 - Franklin County formed from Bute County [extinct]

1787 - Franklin County gains land from Wake County 

1875 - Franklin County gains land from Granville County

1881 - Franklin County loses land to aid in formation of Vance County

Situated in the northeastern section of the State of North Carolina, Franklin County is bounded by Nash, Wake, Granville, Vance, and Warren Counties.  In the year 2000, the land area of Franklin County was 492.02 square miles. At the beginning of the 19^th century the population was roughly 7,500 people and had expanded to 47,260 in the year 2000. The soil is fertile and chocked-full of granite in some areas.

Franklin County, North Carolina 

In 1900, Franklin County was a community primarily focused on agriculture and livestock.  It boasted 3,367 farms which covered 267,530 acres.   In the year 2000, Franklin County was home to 574 farms encompassing 128,412 acres. Franklin County was focused upon broadening her economic base through the encouragement of real estate development with attention devoted to enticing large corporations to the county.