Kanawha County, West Virginia Genealogy

United States West Virginia  Kanawha County

County Courthouse


Kanawha County 409 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301 304-372-2011


 * County Clerk has Birth, Death Records 1853
 * Marriage Records 1831
 * Probate Records 1831
 * Land Records 1786

Parent County
1788--Kanawha County was created 14 November 1788 from Greenbrier and Montgomery (Virginia) Counties. County seat: Charleston

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Kanawha County boundary changes.

Neighboring Counties

 * Boone
 * Clay
 * Fayette
 * Jackson
 * Lincoln
 * Nicholas
 * Putnam
 * Raleigh
 * Roane

Census
Join us in indexing the 1940 Census

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Charleston

DNA
DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Kanawha County, (West) Virginia residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * [Fletcher] Descendant of William Fletcher, b. England, resident of Kanawha and Monroe Counties, Virginia. Y-DNA 12 Marker Test, FTDNA. Genetic signature available online (labelled William Fletcher of Accomac County, Virginia/James Fletcher of Brunswick County, Virginia), courtesy: The Fletcher DNA Project.

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

Maps
Map of 1850 Virginia and West Virginia

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: . [See Virginia, Western District, Kanawha County on page 135.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

Civil War
West Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865

Naturalization
West Virginia, Naturalization Records, 1814-1991

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (Together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. . [Includes a section on Charleston silversmiths.]

Probate
West Virginia Will Books

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1792] Indexed images of the 1792 Personal Property Tax List of Kanawha County, Virginia (now West Virginia) are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1802] Images of the 1802 Personal Property Tax List of Kanawha County, Virginia (now West Virginia) are available online, courtesy: Binns Genealogy.
 * [1815] Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . [The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Kanawha County is included in Vol. 6.]

Genealogical Society

 * Kanawha Valley Genealogical Society P.O. Box 8555 South Charleston, WV 25303


 * WV Midland Trail Genealogical Society 2614 Furlong Avenue St Albans, WV 25177

Archives
Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia 1608 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25311 304-344-3597 Fax 304-343-3295

Libraries
Archives and History Library Division of Culture and History The Cultural Center Capital Complex Charleston, West Virginia 25305-0300 304-558-0220 fax 304-558-2779


 * Vital Registration Office; State Capitol Complex No 3, Run 516 Charleson, WV 25305 304-558-2931; Fax 304-558-1051

Family History Centers

 * Charleston West Virginia Family History Center

Kanawha County Family History Hall of Fame "May we preserve their memories &amp; Contributions!" Please write about deceased historians &amp; Genealogist!

Websites

 * Kanawha County, West Virginia USGENWEB
 * CYNDI'S List West Virginia
 * CYNDI'S List West Virginia

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