Article by Richard L. (Rick) Francis
Meet the Virginia Court Clerks Association (VCCA) President, Rick Francis.
Raised 5mi outside of a town of 660 with no traffic lights even today, Rick is a graduate of Southampton High School in 1974, Wake Forest University in 1978, and the T.C. Williams Law School in 1982. Rick practiced law with his father and ultimately with his wife in their small-town Boykins general law practice.
From 1984, when he was 28, until to 2004, he served as Mayor of his hometown (which included being town attorney, pesticide applicator and Class III wastewater operator). Overpaid, with no salary.
From ’84 to ’04 Rick was a Boy Scout leader of his childhood troop. In Scouting, he made 4 treks to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico – three as Scoutmaster. While on one of these trips West, Rick was able to board an old WWII airplane. He is proud that he was able to urinate off the wing of this B24 at 10,000 feet (note to self: face aft).
As an attorney in a small-town practice, Rick was most honored by the opportunity presented by his client, and friend, James C. Deale, by which Rick was able to return an inscribed WWII era Japanese ‘rising star flag’ originally given in friendship by a school’s headmaster to the then occupying US soldiers barracking at the school. By virtue of others’ good detective work, the Widow of the headmaster was identified and located. Rick was able, at this own expense, to travel to Japan and return this token of friendship to the 91 year old widow.
(Rick is the tall one)
Over his lifetime, Rick traveled far and wide and had the joy of hiking much of Virginia’s portion of the Appalachian Trail with hiking buddy, Gary Pearson.
(Note strain on buttons)
In 2007, Rick was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court serving Southampton County and the City of Franklin. Rick was reelected in 2015 and 2023. As Clerk of the Circuit Court, Rick is most proud of his participation in The Ken Brantley Project which made Southampton County’s historic records freely available to the World-wide public.
https://www.brantleyassociation.com/pages/southampton_project.htm
Rick is a member of Boykins Baptist Church, Boykins Masonic Lodge #287, Courtland Masonic Lodge #85, Boykins Lions Club, Courtland Ruritan Club, Southampton Historical Society. Rick and his wife, Inga, often lead bus tours retracing the route taken by Nat Turner during his 1831 Slave Revolt. In pursuit of this History, Rick got his 15 seconds of fame on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper.
The Southampton County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office has six full-time and one part-time staff members. Its records date back to 1749.
Article and pictures provided by Richard L. (Rick) Francis
Southampton Circuit Court
22350 Main Street
P.O. Box 190
Courtland, VA 23837
rfrancis@vacourts.gov
(757) 653-2200, (757) 653-2547 fax
