Bourbon County (Ky.). County Clerk.

Dates:

Active 1814

Active 1821

Active 1972

Active 1980

Active 1995

Active 2001

Active 1780

Active 1890

Active 1837

Active 1839

Active 1857

Active 1871

Active 1839

Active 1843

Active 1850

Active 1853

Active 1959

Active 1965

Active 1786

Active 1866

Active 1833

Active 1835

Active 1852

Active 1879

Active 1864

Active 1865

Active 1786

Active 1874

Active 1835

Active 1837

Active 1789

Active 1930

Active 1932

Active 1959

Active 1856

Active 1857

Active 1786

Active 1871

Active 1807

Active 1811

Active 1965

Active 1970

Active 1830

Active 1833

Active 1828

Active 1830

Active 1859

Active 1864

Active 1819

Active 1821

Active 1796

Active 1807

Active 1786

Active 1865

Active 1864

Active 1932

Active 1805

Active 1814

Active 1808

Active 1813

Active 1825

Active 1827

Active 1970

Active 1972

Active 1789

Active 1796

Active 1810

Active 1874

Active 1786

Active 1805

Active 1801

Active 1807

Active 1794

Active 1845

Active 1810

Active 1814

Active 1786

Active 1790

Active 1802

Active 1821

Active 1825

Active 1788

Active 1862

Active 1853

Active 1856

Active 1838

Active 1850

Active 1827

Active 1828

Active 1980

Active 1987

Active 1821

Active 1831

Active 1838

Active 1850

Active 1857

Active 1987

Active 1995

History notes:

Bourbon, the fifth county in Kentucky was formed in 1785 from part of Fayette County. It is named for the Bourbon Family of France. Paris is its county seat. There was a courthouse fire in 1872.

The Bourbon County Clerk, whose duties are numerous and diverse, records and maintains various legal instruments and Fiscal Court records. In addition, the clerk registers motor vehicles (KRS 186.020); issues and records marriage licenses and certificates (KRS 402.080, 402.220, 402.230); and receives, maintains, and reports voter registrations (KRS 116.045, 116.075, 116.095). The county clerk also serves as chair of the county Board of Elections (KRS 117.035) and has a variety of primary and regular election responsibilities.

The Office of County Court was established in each county when Kentucky became a state in 1792. Many of the duties and functions of the new county courts were carried over from those of the existing courts of Virginia, and as such may not have been specified in the Kentucky Constitution or by the Kentucky General Assembly (1792 Acts, Ch. 23, Sect. 6). The stated jurisdiction of the county courts included appointing guardians, recording deeds and wills, and overseeing matters concerning mills and roads. Justices of the peace in each county were appointed by the governor. The justices duties included presiding over a monthly meeting of the county court (1792 Constitution, Art. II, Sect. 8; 1792 Acts, Ch. 23, Sect. 1-4). In 1796, each county court was given the power to erect and maintain a courthouse and a jail (1796 Acts, Ch. 256, Sect. 5).

Each county court was permitted to appoint a clerk (1792 Constitution, Art. VI, Sect. 5). The constitution of 1850 provided for the election of a county clerk, a presiding judge, and two associate judges to four year terms (Art. IV, Sect. 29-30; Art. VI, Sect. 1). The associate judge offices were abolished the next year (1851 Acts, Ch. 419, Sect. 1). The 1891 constitution reaffirmed the election to four year terms of a county judge and county clerk (Sect. 99).

Occasionally, the jurisdiction of the county court was altered by the General Assembly. For example, in 1851 the county courts were given concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit courts in all actions involving sums of over fifty dollars but less than one hundred dollars, and in granting writs in relation to idiots and lunatics (1851 Acts, Ch. 419, Sect. 9, 11). In 1851, the judge of the county court also became judge of the newly created quarterly court in each county (1851 Acts, Ch. 419, Sect. 8). In 1906, a juvenile court was formed as a branch of the county court, with the county judge presiding and the county clerk in charge of its records (1906 Acts, Ch. 64, Sect. 2).

In the 1970s, the General Assembly made significant changes to Kentucky's court system. The office of county judge/executive was created, and the various judicial duties of the county judge and county court clerk were transferred to the circuit and district courts. Since the county judge/executive is in charge of the administrative affairs of the county (1976 Acts, Ch. 20, Sect. 2-6), the title "county clerk's office" is now used to more accurately reflect its present nature.

The county clerk may, except in counties with a city of the first class, serve as clerk of the fiscal court. The county clerk's office also serves as the official repository for fiscal court records (KRS 67.120).

From the description of Agency history. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145413926