Fayette County (Ky.). County Clerk.

Dates:

Active 1852

Active 1905

Active 1772

Active 1970

Active 1889

Active 1901

Active 1895

Active 1896

Active 1824

Active 1939

Active 1901

Active 1932

Active 1974

Active 1984

Active 1898

Active 1914

Active 1782

Active 1984

Active 1821

Active 1985

Active 1818

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Active 1840

Active 1880

Active 1888

Active 1899

Active 1901

Active 1880

Active 1918

Active 1803

Active 1811

Active 1947

Active 1948

Active 1794

Active 1803

Active 1922

Active 1926

Active 1793

Active 1900

Active 1846

Active 1850

Active 1898

Active 1905

Active 1813

Active 1819

Active 1881

Active 1894

Active 1913

Active 1933

Active 1948

Active 1950

Active 1850

Active 1856

Active 1821

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Active 1943

Active 1949

Active 1794

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Active 1984

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Active 1852

Active 1951

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Active 1876

Active 1840

Active 1850

Active 1897

Active 1909

Active 1880

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Active 1803

Active 1985

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Active 1927

Active 1807

Active 1808

Active 1947

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Active 1874

Active 1969

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Active 1794

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Active 1855

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Active 1833

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Active 1945

Active 1947

Active 1913

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Active 1924

Active 1929

Active 1882

Active 1888

Active 1908

Active 1922

Active 1841

Active 1846

Active 1859

Active 1865

Active 1803

Active 1870

Active 1891

Active 1913

Active 1932

Active 1937

Active 1850

Active 1865

Active 1796

Active 1967

Active 1916

Active 1925

Active 1907

Active 1914

Active 1840

Active 1966

Active 1812

Active 1898

Active 1871

Active 1901

Active 1869

Active 1874

Active 1883

Active 1977

Active 1883

Active 1897

Active 1793

Active 1948

Active 1888

Active 1939

Active 1850

Active 1855

Active 1976

Active 1985

Active 1819

Active 1824

Active 0178

Active 1948

Active 1882

Active 1937

Active 1930

Active 1950

Active 1852

Active 1968

Active 1906

Active 1910

Active 1813

Active 1875

Active 1930

Active 1955

Active 1876

Active 1977

Active 1910

Active 1918

Active 1974

Active 1985

Active 1885

Active 1928

Active 1925

Active 1932

Active 1923

Active 1924

Active 1893

Active 1915

Active 1811

Active 1821

Active 1793

Active 1988

Active 1853

Active 1959

Active 1803

Active 1892

Active 1932

Active 1951

Active 1836

Active 1841

Active 1853

Active 1859

Active 1898

Active 1928

Active 1833

Active 1840

Active 1827

Active 1830

Active 1938

Active 1942

Active 1961

Active 1975

Active 1906

Active 1952

Active 1871

Active 1967

Active 1803

Active 1939

Active 1794

Active 1946

Active 1817

Active 1879

Active 1794

Active 1901

Active 1953

Active 1977

Active 1793

Active 1813

Active 1790

Active 1969

Active 1872

Active 1881

Active 1907

Active 1913

History notes:

Fayette County was formed by Virginia in 1780 as one of the three original counties of the Kentucky District. It was named for General Lafayette. Lexington is the county seat. There was one courthouse fire in 1803, and another in 1897.

The Fayette 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: 145414186