Raleigh County, West Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Raleigh County, West Virginia ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, marriage, death records form 1850 Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records

History
History of Beckley and Raleigh County Early Settlers of Raleigh County, West Virginia by Judge W A Riffe History of Fayette County, West Virginia Google Books

Parent County
1850--Raleigh County was created 23 January 1850 from Fayette County. County seat: Beckley

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating West Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation West Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
Raleigh countyCities and Towns

Raleigh County, West Virginia Landmarks

Neighboring Counties

 * Boone
 * Fayette
 * Kanawha
 * Mercer
 * Summers
 * Wyoming

Cemeteries

 * Random Acts WV Cemetery Records Research Guide

Census
Turner, David Anderson. Families of Raleigh County, (West) Virginia: The 1850 Census Annotated. Madison, W.Va.: D.A. Turner, 1982. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website.
 * 1850

1880 Raleigh County, West Virginia Census

Church
Raleigh County, West Virginia Bible Records(USGENWEB)

Raleigh County, West Virginia Churches (USGENWEB)

Family Histories

 * Webb - Turner, Ronald Ray. Webb Families of the Virginias. 2007. Available online, courtesy: Raleigh County West Virginia GenWeb.

Maps

 * Maps of West Virginia (1617-1995)
 * Map of 1850 Virginia and West Virginia

Raleigh County, West Virginia Maps Raleigh County, West Virginia

1895 Map Fayette County, West Virginia

Big Maps Fayette County, West Virginia Map

Civil War
Union


 * - 8th Regiment, West Virginia Infantry.

Confederate


 * - 30th Battalion, Virginia Sharpshooters (Clarke's) (Confederate). Company A.
 * - 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company K.

Records and histories are available, including: 


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861 - 1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * Turner, Ronald Ray. 7th West Virginia Cavalry. Manassas, Va.: R.R. Turner, 1989. Available online, courtesy: Raleigh County West Virginia GenWeb. Includes biographical sketches of soldiers from Raleigh County.

Naturalization

 * 1814 - 1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Beckley Post-Herald (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Raleigh Register (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Post-Herald And Register (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry.com ($)

Beckley Register-Herald Newspaper Archives:

ATT: Libby Walker - Archives 801 N. Kanawha Street P. O. Drawer P or R Beckley, WV 25802 (304)255-4400 or (800)950-0250

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1724 - 1978 West Virginia Wills and Probate Records 1724-1978 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1756 - 1971 at [https:/familysearch.org/ FamilySearch] — index and images

Raleigh County, West Virginia Will Books 1850 - 1969

West Virginia Will Books

Raleigh County, West VirginiaWillsCourtesy The Riffe-Smith Collection

Raleigh County, West Virginia Obituaries

Online West Virginia Tax site
West Virginia real and personal property tax records are managed by the County Assessor in each county. Land and land improvements are considered real property while mobile property is classified as personal property.

Many County Assessors offer an online searchable database, where assessment record searches can be performed by name, account number, year, or mp/parcel number. Where online records are not available, requests for records can be made to the Assessment Office in person, by phone, or in writing.

The search for tax information can start here

Birth
. Includes marriages 1890-1969 - free.


 * Raleigh County Births, 1853-75 at Ancestry.com ($)

Marriage

 * 1850-1911 - Turner, Ronald Ray. Raleigh County, West Virginia Marriages 1850-1911. 1984. Available online, courtesy: Raleigh County West Virginia GenWeb.
 * 1851-1861 - Virginia Marriages 1851-1861 (Ancestry) ($).
 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Raleigh County West Virginia Marriages From Other Counties. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website.

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of West Virginia Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies


 *  Raleigh County Public Library:
 * Main Branch 221 N. Kanawha St. Beckley, WV 25801 (304)255-0511

Family History Centers
The closest family history centers are in the Huntington Family History Center and the Charleston Family History Center
 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites
Learning How to Edit our Wiki Sites
 * Raleigh County, WV History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * CYNDI'S List West Virginia
 * Raleigh County Recordsfrom The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
 * Raleigh County Recordsfrom The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints