Raleigh County, West Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Raleigh County was named for Sir Walter Raleigh. The county is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Raleigh County Courthouse 215 Main Street Beckley, WV 25801 Phone: 304-255-9123 Raleigh County Website County Clerk has birth, marriage, death records from 1850. Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline

 * History of Beckley and Raleigh County

Bible Records

 * Raleigh County Bible Records at WVGenWeb

Biographies

 * Raleigh County biographies at WVGenWeb
 * Early Settlers of Raleigh County, West Virginia - very brief biographical sketches

Cemeteries

 * Pauline Haga. Raleigh County, West Virginia veteran's burial records : for veterans from the American Revolutionary War through World War I. Signal Mountain, Tennessee : Mountain Press, 1991. FS Library 975.473 V38ha

Census Records

 * 1880 Raleigh County Census at WVGenWeb
 * 1890 Raleigh County Special Schedule at WVGenWeb

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Raleigh County Churches at WVGenWeb
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1850-1852 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1900 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1926 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1852-1878 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1871-1872 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1878-1900 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1886-1914 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Blue Ridge Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Beckley.
 * Calfee Funeral Home in Beckley.
 * Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center in Beckley.
 * Ritchie and Johnson Funeral Parlor in Beckley.
 * Rose and Quesenberry Funeral Chapels in Beckley and Shady Spring.

Genealogies

 * Webb Webb Families of the Virginias at WVGenWeb. By Ronald Ray Turner. 2007.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Historical Notes on Fayette County, West Virginia. By Clarence Shirley Donnelly. Alk Hill, West Virginia : C.S. Donnelly, 1958. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Fayette County, West Virginia. By J. T. Peters and H. B. Carden. Charleston, West Virginia : Jarrett Print. Co., 1926. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of West Virginia (1617-1995)
 * Map of 1850 Virginia and West Virginia
 * Raleigh County, West Virginia Maps
 * Raleigh County, West Virginia 1895 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 - How to Use this Collection
 * 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. . Includes biographical sketches of soldiers from Raleigh County.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1814-1991  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * Beckley Post-Herald (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Raleigh Register (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Post-Herald And Register (Beckley, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Beckley Register-Herald Newspaper Archives ($)
 * Digital Archives of the Register-Herald ($)

Obituaries

 * Raleigh County Obituaries at WVGenWeb

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1724-1985 West Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1985 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
 * 1756-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1900 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1850-1900 (*); Works Progress Administration of West Virginia at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1850-1900 (*); County Court and Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1850-1926 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1926 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1969 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1850-1969 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1880-1931 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Raleigh County Wills. By Haga, Pauline A. Crab Orchard, West Virginia: Pauline Haga, n.d. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol. 3 - FamilySearch Digital Library
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
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

 * 1853-1914 West Virginia Birth Index, 1853-1914 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * West Virginia Vital Records, 1865-1969 (varies) - Includes birth, death, and marriage.
 * Raleigh County Births, 1853-75 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1780-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1801-1962 West Virginia, United States Marriages at Findmypast; index $
 * 1851-1861 Virginia Marriages 1851-1861 (Ancestry) ($).

Death

 * 1804-1999 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1853-1964 West Virginia Death Index & Certificates, 1853-1964 at MyHeritage - index ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Charleston West Virginia FamilySearch Center
 * Huntington West Virginia FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Raleigh County Public Library 221 N Kanawha St Beckley, WV 25801 Phone: 304-255-0511 Website Facebook

Societies
Fayette and Raleigh Counties Genealogical Society PO Box 68 Oak Hill, WV 25919 Fayette County Historical Society of West Virginia PO Box 702 Ansted, WV 25812 Phone: 304-658-4404 Email: [mailto:rnlthomas@frontier.com rnlthomas@frontier.com] Facebook Raleigh County Historical Society 1210 S Kanawha St PO Box 897 Beckley, WV 25801 Phone: 847-537-3119 Email: [mailto:wheelinghistoricalsociety.com wheelinghistoricalsociety.com] Facebook

Websites

 * Raleigh County WVGenWeb
 * Raleigh County USGenWeb Archives
 * Cyndi's List West Virginia
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records