Raleigh County, West Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Sir Walter Raleigh. The County is located in the southeast 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:

Bible Records

 * Raleigh County, West Virginia Bible Records, USGenWeb

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. FHL 975.473 V38ha

Census Records

 * 1850 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.
 * 1880 Raleigh County, West Virginia Census

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Raleigh County, West Virginia Churches, USGenWeb
 * FamilySearch Places

Genealogies

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

Local Histories

 * History of Beckley and Raleigh County
 * Early Settlers of Raleigh County, West Virginia by Judge W A Riffe
 * History of Fayette County, West Virginia. Available online at: Google Books

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. Available online, courtesy: Raleigh County West Virginia GenWeb. 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, West Virginia Obituaries

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1724-1978 West Virginia Wills and Probate Records 1724-1978 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1756-1971 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Raleigh County, West VirginiaWills,Courtesy The Riffe-Smith Collection

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.

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 $
 * 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.

Death

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

Family History Centers

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

Libraries

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

Societies
Genealogical Society: Fayette and Raleigh Counties, Inc. PO Box 68 Oak Hill, WV 25919 Genealogical Society: Fayette and Raleigh Counties, Inc.

Raleigh County Historical Society P O Box 897 Wheeling, WV 26003 Phone: 847-537-3119 Email: curator (at) [mailto:wheelinghistoricalsociety.com wheelinghistoricalsociety.com] Raleigh County Historical Society

Fayette County Historical Society of West Virginia P O 702    Ansted, WV 25812   Phone: 304-437-1488  Email: [mailto:rnlthomas@frontier.com rnlthomas@frontier.com] Fayette County Historical Society of West Virginia Facebook

Websites

 * Raleigh County, WV History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Cyndi's List West Virginia
 * Raleigh County Recordsfrom The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
 * - 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