West Virginia, County Vital Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of digital images of births, marriages, and deaths from county courthouses. The content and time period varies by county. Some records exist prior to West Virginia becoming a state in 1863. See also the West Virginia statewide collections of births, marriages, and deaths. This collectioncovers the years 1794 to 1969.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in most birth certificates are:
 * Name of the child
 * Sex; whether a twin, triplet or other, race and marital status of parents
 * Date and time of birth
 * Birthplace
 * Names and sometimes ages of parents, often with maiden surname of the mother
 * Parent’s residences, races, birthplaces, occupations and sometimes educational attainments
 * Sometimes the number of children born to the mother, and the number of surviving children
 * Attending physician or midwife and time of birth

The key genealogical facts found in most marriage records are: *Names of the groom and bride, including the maiden name of the bride
 * Race and sometimes ages of the groom and bride
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Residences of bride and groom
 * Names of parents of the bride and groom, often with maiden surname of the mother
 * Parent’s residences, races, birthplaces and occupations
 * Names of witnesses and the officiator

The key genealogical facts found in most death certificates are:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Sex, race, marital status and age of the deceased
 * Dates of death and burial
 * Birth date and birthplace of the deceased
 * City, county, and state of death
 * Name and location of the cemetery where buried
 * Frequently, the country or state and sometimes the town and county of birth for the deceased
 * Names of parents, often with maiden surname of the mother
 * Name of the informant, who is often a child or other family member
 * Residence or address of the deceased, if foreign-born
 * Whether the deceased was single, married, widowed, or divorced at the time of death
 * Occupation of the deceased

How To Use The Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The approximate date and place of the event.
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the bride and groom, the infant, or the deceased.

Search the Collection
To search the collection image by image select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type" ⇒Select the appropriate "Year Range, and Volume number or letter" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * Use a marriage number to identify previous marriages.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Web Sites
[Record Type, Year Range, and Volume number or letter West Virginia GenWeb]

Related Wiki Articles
West Virginia Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata > San Ponciano > Matrimonios 1884-1886 >  image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.