Hancock County, West Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Hancock 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 probate and land records from 1848
 * Clerk Circuit Clerk has divorce records

Parent County
1848--Hancock County was created 15 January 1848 from Brooke County. County seat: New Cumberland

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.

Neighboring Counties

 * Beaver County, Pennsylvania
 * Brooke
 * Columbiana County, Ohio
 * Jefferson County, Ohio
 * Washington County, Pennsylvania

Cemeteries

 * Random Acts WV Cemetery Records Research Guide

Court

 * County Court record, 1857-1927 Hancock County was part of Virginia until 1864, when it became part of West Virginia.
 * Chancery order book, 1875-1880
 * Chancery order books, 1848-1930 Hancock County was part of Virginia until 1864, when it became part of West Virginia.
 * Fiduciary records, 1897-1904
 * Index to discharges, 1866-1992
 * Inventory books, 1864-1931
 * Law order book, 1848-1871

County Clerk

 * County clerk's order books, 1897-1930 Original records at the Hancock County Courthouse in New Cumberland, West Virginia.

Land

 * Deed books, 1848-1863 Hancock County was part of Virginia until 1864, when it became part of West Virginia.

Maps

 * Maps of West Virginia (1617-1995)

Military
Go here for general Military Records of West Virginia

Civil War

 * 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)

Union


 * - 1st Regiment, West Virginia Infantry. Company I.

WW1

 * Officers and enlisted men, 1917-1918
 * Soldiers record, 1918

Naturalization

 * 1814 - 1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Weirton Daily Times (Weirton, West Virginia) at Ancestry.com ($)

Probate
Online Probate Records

Hancock County, West Virginia Wills 1853-1917
 * 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

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

Vital Records

 * . Includes marriages 1854-1873, 1880-1971 - free.
 * Hancock County, West Virginia deaths, deeds, wills, inventories, church and cemetery records Contains deaths 1853-1899; wills, inventories, etc. 1848-1899; cemetery records ca. 1799-1936; New Cumberland Methodist Protestant Church records of births 1878-1896, baptisms 1890-1895, membership 1889-1899; Cove Christian Church (organized as the Congregation of Jesus Christ) membership rolls 1830-1892; Cove Presbyterian Church baptisms 1859-1897, membership [1859?]-1898; Nessly Chapel (M.P.) membership roll [1878?]-1898; Point Pleasant M.P. Church membership roll 1885-1896; and miscellaneous deeds 1785-1814.
 * Will book, 1918-1932

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

Hancock County Genealogical-Historical Society

Tri-State Genealogical and Historical Society P O Box 454 Newell, West Virginia 26050-0454

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * Hancock County, WV History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.