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West Virginia Genealogy

West Virginia Genealogy Facts

West Virginia’s early history from 1609 until 1863 is largely shared with Virginia, of which it was a part until Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861. In 1731 Morgan Morgan established the first permanent white settlement on Mill Creek in present-day Berkeley County. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government, which was granted statehood in 1863. The state’s rapid industrial expansion began in the 1870s, drawing thousands of European immigrants and African Americans into the region.

  • West Virginia entered the union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863 .
  • West Virginia has 55 Counties.
  • West Virginia’s capital is Charleston and the official state website is www.wv.gov.
  • West Virginia is bordered by Kentucky (southwest), Maryland (northeast), Ohio (west), Pennsylvania (northeast), Virginia (east)
  • West Virginia has a land area of 24,231 square miles making it the 41st largest state.
  • West Virginia’s 2010 population was 1,852,994
  • West Virginia  largest cities (2010) are Charleston, 51,400; Huntington, 49,138; Parkersburg, 31,492; Wheeling, 28,486; Morgantown, 29,660; Weirton, 19,746; Fairmont, 18,704; Beckley, 17,614; Clarksburg, 16,578; Martinsburg, 17,227.
  • West Virginia is named for Queen Elizabeth I of England (she was known as the Virgin Queen). Sir Walter Raleigh may have suggested this name around 1584.
  • West Virginia’s nickname is ” Mountain State “
  • West Virginia State Motto is ” Montani semper liberi ” which means Mountaineers are always free

West Virginia County Genealogy

Each county courthouse has the records created by the clerk since its inception. The bulk of counties that would later comprise West Virginia were formed within the 130 years before statehood as Virginia counties. The county resources are good with much material being available in the courthouse and the two major repositories at Morgantown and Charleston. Some counties will answer mail inquiries, some charge a fee, and some request research in person. Land, probate, and vital records are all located at the county clerk’s office at the county seat. Court records, including those naturalizations and divorces that were recorded there, are at the circuit court clerk’s office at the county seat.

Select a County Below

COUNTY PAGES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

West Virginia has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Deale County: Formed in 1670 as Whorekill Co. Renamed in 1680 as Deale Co. Finally renamed as Sussex Co in 1682
  • St. Jones County: Formed in 1680 and renamed to Kent Co in 1682
  • Whorekill County: Formed in 1670. Renamed in 1680 as Deale Co. Finally renamed as Sussex Co in 1682

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West Virginia Genealogy Links

See West Virginia County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

West Virginia State History

The part of Virginia that would later became West Virginia was unknown to the adventurers who settled Jamestown in 1607. With the exception of a few scattered frontier outposts and even fewer permanent settlements, the area remained Native American hunting and battlegrounds until well into the 1700s. Virginia’s Governor William Berkeley encouraged exploration and trade as early as 1660, but extensive settlement was discouraged by mountain barriers, resistance from original inhabitants, disputed land titles, conflicting English and French claims, and a royal proclamation of 1763 prohibiting settlement beyond the ridge line of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Settlement began in earnest by the 1730s when Morgan Morgan established a settlement in Berkeley County, Virginia.

While eastern tidewater counties of Virginia were settled by English aristocrats and their descendants, pioneers in western Virginia were generally perceived as a ragtag group from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other parts of Virginia. The 1790 census lists more than 55,000 residents, of whom about 15,000 were of German descent. English immigrants and their descendants settled in Greenbrier, New, Kanawha, and Monongahela valleys, while Scots-Irish settlers made their homes in less accessible areas. West Virginia’s mountainous terrain limited agricultural development and reduced the need for slavery. Less than one percent of the population in 1790 was enslaved. After the Civil War, African Americans from southern states moved into West Virginia seeking work in the railroads, mines, and industry.

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