West Virginia Deaths - FamilySearch Historical Records/Known Issues

Known Issues
NOTE: To validate the death date, please visit our Partner Site to view the original record. It is also helpful to view surrounding images to check other death dates since the indexer may have misinterpreted the original handwriting. Since the record year is only given in two-digits, it would be easy for the indexer to lose track of the correct century when records are not sequentially ordered.

Question #1: Some records appear to be indexed as a death date from the 1800s instead of the 1900s. How can I identify which records are affected? Answer #1: Generally, records with a death date from 1800 to 1853 fall into the suspect category of records that should be dated 1900 to 1953. Specific affected indexed records can be identified with a Film Number: 849406, a Digital Folder Number: 4229724, and an Image Number from 196 to 226, from Wirt County, West Virginia and the surname range from D to R; specifically: • surnames starting with D from 1841-1870 should be a 1941-1970 death date; • surnames starting with E - Q from 1831-1870 should be a 1931-1970 death date; and • surnames stating with R from 1831-1859 should be a 1931-1959 death date.

Question #2: Some records appear to be indexed as a death date from the 1900s instead of the 1800s. How can I identify which records are affected? Answer #2: Generally, records with a death date from 1971 to 1999 fall into the suspect category of records that should be dated 1871 to 1899.

Question #3: Some records appear to be indexed as deaths which are actually births. How can I identify which records are affected? Answer #3: Generally, records with an image viewed from our Partner Site that has a header “Register of Births …” or the Partner Site identifies the record as “Birth Records Search Results …” are birth records. Specific affected indexed records can be identified with a Film Number 559300: Births, v. 1 1853-1893, a Digital Folder Number: 4014156, and from Cabell County, West Virginia.

Question #4: Some records are linked to the wrong images, or the links do not work at all. How can the correct image be found? Answer #4: This is a shared collection, owned by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. There is no way to move between images on a film using their image viewer.

The only way to move between images on a film using their image viewer is to change the image number in the address bar of your web browser. To browse forward, increase the image number in sequential, ascending order (ex. 15, 16, 17.) To browse backward, decrease the image number in descending, sequential order (ex. 17, 16, 15.) (NOTE: This may not work for all records, or the record number may be off by more than just one digit.)

EXAMPLE:


 * 1) Go to the FamilySearch record details page for Robert Gustave Schane in the "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999" collection. (Note the Film Number 857619 and Image Number 878 located at the bottom of the records detail page.)
 * 2) Click on the partner link www.wvculture.org to view the image. The partner web address for the image is: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=857619&amp;ImageNumber=878 Notice that the link contains the film number and image number that correspond to the film and image numbers listed on the records details page for Robert Gustave Schane in #1 above, but the name on the death certificate is William John Schewinski.
 * 3) Click in the address bar of your web browser - change the image number in the link from 878 to 877 and hit enter.
 * 4) After you hit enter, the correct image for Robert Gustave Schane is shown. The link for the correct image is: http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view2.aspx?FilmNumber=857619&amp;ImageNumber=877

If this does not work, you have a few options for finding the correct image. You can contact the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and request research assistance. Fees are involved. You can contact the County Clerk’s office. The addresses for several of these are listed in the LearnMore Wiki associated with this collection. Or you can order the film and view it in your local FamilySearch Center. The film number is listed towards the bottom of the record details page.

Question #5: I am finding death dates outside of the parameters listed on this collection. Can you tell me the correct dates? Answer #5: This collection has records from 1853-1973.

If you encounter additional problems with this collection, feel free to report them at [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org].

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Return to the West Virginia Deaths (FamilySearch Historical Records) Learn More page.

Return to the West Virginia, Deaths 1853-1970 collection at FamilySearch.org.