FamilySearch Wiki

Berkeley County, West Virginia Genealogy

(Redirected from Berkeley County, West Virginia)


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

County Facts
County seat: Martinsburg
Organized: February 10, 1772
Parent County(s): Frederick (VA)[1]
Neighboring Counties
Clarke (VA) • Frederick (VA) • Jefferson • Morgan • Washington (MD)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Berkeley County, West Virginia Courthouse.JPG
Location Map
Wv-berkeley.png

County Information

Description

Berkeley County was named for Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, and is located in the northeastern area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Berkeley County Courthouse
126 West King Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401-3209
Phone: 304-264-1929
Berkeley County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1865; marriage records from 1781; probate records from 1772; land records from 1880.
Clerk Circuit Court has divorce records.[3]

Berkeley County, West Virginia Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1865 1781 1865 1772 1880 1772 1870
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1917. General compliance by 1925.

Record Loss

1797-98, 1809-11, 1816-17, 1827-30, 1837-38, 1853-55, 1861-64 Deed records are missing.
1832-36, 1849-52, 1854-60 Will records are missing.
1852-64 Marriage records are missing.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

  • 1772-- Berkeley County was created 10 February 1772 from Frederick County (Virginia).
  • County seat: Martinsburg[5]

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:[6]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Occupations

  • Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. FS Library. Includes a section on Martinsburg silversmiths.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Berkeley County, West Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See West Virginia Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

For tips on accessing Berkeley census records online, see: West Virginia Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 19,713 —
1800 22,006 11.6%
1810 11,479 −47.8%
1820 11,211 −2.3%
1830 10,518 −6.2%
1840 10,972 4.3%
1850 11,771 7.3%
1860 12,525 6.4%
1870 14,900 19.0%
1880 17,380 16.6%
1890 18,702 7.6%
1900 19,469 4.1%
1910 21,999 13.0%
1920 24,554 11.6%
1930 28,030 14.2%
1940 29,016 3.5%
1950 30,359 4.6%
1960 33,791 11.3%
1970 36,356 7.6%
1980 46,846 28.9%
1990 59,253 26.5%
2000 75,905 28.1%
2010 104,169 37.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

Baptist
Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):

  • Mill Creek (1766).[7] A historical marker places the organization at "prior to 1742."[8]
  • Timber Ridge (1809)[7]
  • 1776 Petition of Baptists (10,000 names!) and sympathizers from all over Virginia, dated 16 October 1776, asking for an end to persecution of Baptists by the established church. After locating your ancestor, view the digital copies.
    – Digital copies at Library of Congress; also at Library of Virginia
    – Hall, Jean Pickett. "Legislative Petitions: the 10,000 name petition" transcription in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vols. 35-38, with annotations in Vol. 39, (Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Genealogical Society, 1983-) online at Ancestry ($) and in book form at various libraries.

Berkeley County fell within the bounds of the Ketocton Association.

Church of England

Quaker
Early monthly meetings (with years of existence):

  • Middle Creek Monthly Meeting, Darkesville, W.Va. (1762-1828)[9]
  • Mill Creek Monthly Meeting, Arden, W.Va. (1759-1800)[9]
  • Providence Monthly Meeting, near Martinsburg, W.Va. (1736-1758) aka Beeson's replaced by Tuscarora[9]
  • Tuscarora Monthly Meeting, near Martinsburg, W.Va. (1760-1796)[9]


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

  • Coldham, Peter Wilson. North American Wills Registered in London 1611-1857. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2007. Includes wills of residents of Berkeley County proved in London. These records often help establish an immigrant's place of origin.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies


  • Ament - McJohn, James F. The Ament Family of York County, Pennsylvania. LaGrange, Ill.: McJohn Research, 1992.
  • Barnes - Cole, Mary. "Stevens - Barnes - King - Mears Connection," Bulletin of the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. 24, No. 2 (1995):141-142.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. Addams—Adams and Allied Families, ca. 1715-1925. Unpublished, 1925.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. Ancestors of Katharine Kellogg Adams. Unpublished. 1928.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. “The Beeks Family,” The Researcher: A Magazine of History & Genealogical Exchange, ():109-113.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. Genealogy Column of the Boston Transcript, March 15, 1922. 9589.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. Genealogy Column of the Boston Transcript, December 10, 1924. 2498.
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. “Genealogical Queries,” The William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., Vol. 6, No. 3 (Jul. 1926):245-250. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. “Query: Beakes or Beeks,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 54, No. 3 (1930):288. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
  • Beeks - Adams, Katherine K. “Genealogical Notes and Queries: Barnes-Bonner-Beakes,” The William and Mary Quarterly, 2nd Ser., Vol. 11, No. 1 (Jan. 1931):73. Digital version at JSTOR ($).
  • Beeler - Pappas, Carolyn H. "Christopher Beeler, 1705-1775," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1999):243-255; Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 2000):18-30; Vol. 44, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2000):115-125. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). FS Library Book 975.5 B2vg.
  • Benson - Miller, Lori. Burns--Miller--Garrett--Benson Families, ca. 1794-1932. Typescript, Butler Area Public Library, Butler, Pa. Microfilmed 1991. Reproduction: FS Library Film 1675268 Item 39
  • Boyd - Paul, Gordon W. John Boyd of Berkeley County, West Virginia. Albuquerque, New Mexico: G.W. Paul, 1991. FS Library Book 929.273 B692pg
  • Buckles - Albert, Ethel Evans. Southwest Virginia Kin. 2 vols. Kingsport, Tenn.: 1977. FS Library Book 975.57 D2a v. 1-v. 2
  • Burns - Miller, Lori. Burns--Miller--Garrett--Benson Families, ca. 1794-1932. Typescript, Butler Area Public Library, Butler, Pa. Microfilmed 1991. Reproduction: FS Library Film 1675268 Item 39
  • Campbell - Campbell, Martha W. The Duties and Contributions of James Campbell to Berkeley County, West Virginia. Typescript. Microfilmed 1991. FS Library Film 1787180 Item 17
  • Chapman - Chapman, George E. Chapman Family Historical Workbook. Allison Park, Pa.: G.E. Chapman, 1966. FS Library Film 1015849 Item 2
  • Chapman - Chapman, George E. Chapman Family Historical Workbook. 2 vols. Mars, Pa.: G.E. Chapman, 1991. FS Library Book 929.273 C366cg
  • Clark - French, Grace Clark. Descendants of Ambrose Clark of Berkeley and Morgan Counties, Virginia, and Their History, 1765-1973. Hagerstown, Md.: G.C. French, 1974. FS Library Book 929.273 C547fg
  • Cunningham - Newman, Betty Cunningham. Adam and 500 More Cunninghams of the Valley of Virginia, c.1734-c.1800. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, Inc., 2000. FS Library Book 929.273 C917n.
  • Cunningham - Dunn, Victor S. "Family Record of George Cunningham of Berkeley County, [West] Virginia, and Probable Parentage of His Second Wife Ruth," Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Feb. 2010):33-39. FS Library Book 975.5 B2vs.
  • Cunningham - Dunn, Victor S. "Using Lawsuits to Identify Family Origins: George Cunningham of Virginia," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 98, No. 4 (Dec. 2010), 251-261.
  • Daniel - Woods, Dorothy J. and Michael E. Pollock. "The Daniel/Daniels Family in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties," Frederick Findings, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Winter 1988):19-24; Vol. 1, No. 2 (Spring 1988):80-87; Vol. 1, No. 3 (Summer 1988):139-145; Vol. 1, No. 4 (Fall 1988):219-222; Vol. 2, No. 1 (Winter 1989):41-49; Vol. 2, No. 3 (Summer 1989):157-167; Vol. 2, No. 4 (Fall 1989):251-258; Vol. 3, No. 1 (Winter 1990):1-10; Vol. 3, No. 2 (Spring 1990):79-88; Vol. 3, No. 3 (Summer 1990):175-188; Vol. 3, No. 4 (Fall 1990):207-212. FS Library Book 975.59 D25f.
  • Dawkins - Prewitt, Lela Wolfe. The Dawkins and Stewart Families of Virginia and Kentucky. [Fairfield, Iowa: Prewitt], 1968. FS Library Book 929.273 D322p.
  • Duke - Brandenberger, Evelyn Duke. The Duke Family. 2 vols. [Houston, Texas]: E.D. Brandenberger, 1979-1995. FS Library Book 929.273 D885b v. 1-v. 2.
  • Dunham - Roberts, Gary Boyd. Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. FS Library Book 973 D2r 2009.
  • Faris - Wilson, Mrs. George F. "Aaron Faris, Jr.," The Kentucky Genealogist, Vol. 17, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):128-129.
  • Flagg - Flagg, Charles Allcott. Descendants of Josiah Flagg of Berkeley County, W. Va. With Sketches of the Flagg, Keyes, Foss, Shively, Hughes, Slemons and Campbell Ancestries. Boston, Mass.: Press of T.R. Marvin & Son, 1920. FS Catalog Collection; digital version at {{FSbook|FamilySearch Digital Library
  • Garrett - Miller, Lori. Burns--Miller--Garrett--Benson Families, ca. 1794-1932. Typescript, Butler Area Public Library, Butler, Pa. Microfilmed 1991. Reproduction: FS Library Film 1675268 Item 39
  • Geringer - Shaper, M. Caroline. Unpuzzling One David Geringer/Gerringer/Garinger/Garringer. Washington C.H. [Court House], Ohio: M.C. Shaper, 1992. FS Library Book 929.273 G183s; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
  • Gerrard - Society of Descendants of the Colonial Clergy, Robert Glenn Thurtle, and Lillian S. King. Pedigrees of Descendants of the Colonial Clergy. 3 vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1976-1987. FS Library Books 973 D2cc v. 1-3.
  • Gray - Gray, Clarence E. and Lynn Jones Warren. The Michael Gray Family: of Berkeley and Morgan Counties, Virginia (now West Virginia) and Fayette and Greene Counties, Ohio. Decorah, Iowa: Anundsen, 2001. FS Library Book 929.273 G793gc; digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
  • Grundy - Thompson, Mrs. Arthur A. "The Family of Samuel Seay, Amelia County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1963):127-135. FS Catalog 975.5 B2vg; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
  • Habermehl - Allemong, Kathern Ruppenthal and Sylvia H. Clark. Johann Christian Habermehl, Morgan County (VA) WV, Hovermale/Hovermill/Hawvermale Descendants, 1731-1993. Berkeley Springs, W. Va.: Morgan County Historical and Genealogical Society (West Virginia), 1993. FS Library Book 929.273 H113ak
  • Hardon - Hardon, Henry W. Some of the Ancestors and the Children of Anna Hall Field, Wife of Comfort Hardon, Esq.: Sometime Civil Justice in Berkeley Co., W. Va., She was Born December 26, 1797, at Taunton, Mass. n.p.: H.W. Hardon, 1904. FS Library Film 22358 Item 1; digital version at Open Library.
  • Harrison - Harrison, G. Eugene. Threads. Peoria, Ariz.: G.E. Harrison, 1995. FS Library Book 929.273 H245hg
  • Hedges - Eustice, Joanne, Mackey Hedges, and Hedges Family Association. Jonas Hedges (1716-1804) & Wife Agnes Powelson of Berkeley Co., VA (W VA) and Their Descendants. St. George, Utah: Hedges Family Association, 1995. FS Library Book 929.273 H358ejo
  • Hite - The Colonial Dames of America. Ancestral Records and Portraits, 2 vols. New York: The Grafton Press Publishers, 1910. Digitized by Internet Archive: Vol. I and Vol. II - both free.
  • Hunter - Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. Digital versions at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 at Ancestry ($).
  • Knox - Wood, Christine Knox. Knox Memorial: Descendants of William Knox Who Died 1778 Berkeley Co., Va., His Son George Knox, Revolutionary Soldier, Born Ireland, 1761, Died Howard County Missouri 1833 as Many as 9 Proven Generations to Date. [Lubbock, Texas: C. Wood?], 1972. FS Library Book 929.273 K779w v. 1-2
  • Lucas - Hall, Betty Porter. Governor Robert Lucas, His Ancestors and Descendants. LaVerne, Calif.: University of LaVerne Press, 1989. FS Library Book 929.273 L964hb.
  • McNew - Hockett, Thomas Jack and Janice M. Snead. The Macknew (McNew) and Marlow (Marler; Marley) Family of Prince Georges Cty, Md., Frederick (Berkeley) Cty, Va. and Fincastle (Washington) Cty., Va., and the Possibly Allied Families of Hargis and Berry. Typescript, microfilmed 1991. FS Catalog Collection 1697545 Item 21; also FS Catalog Collection 929.273 M218ht
  • McNew - Hockett, Thomas Jack and Janice M. Snead. William Macknew (McNew), 1715-1791 and Wife, Mary____ of Prince Georges County, MD, Frederick (Berkeley) County, VA and Fincastle (Washington) County, VA: An Early Settler to the County of Fincastle (Washington), 1773. St. Davids, Pa.: J. Hockett, 1991. FS Library Book 929.273 M218ht
  • Male -Mayhle, Bernard Victor. The Males of Barbour County, West Virginia. 1983.
  • Male - Barnett, Glenn W. Mayle-Male-Male Family Kinship: Four Generations of Descendants of Mary Elizabeth Male nee Cockit.
  • Male - Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware (2005). Digital versions at Ancestry ($), Free African Americas.
  • Male - Finley, Alexandra. "Founding Chestnut Ridge: The Origins of Central West Virginia's Community," Senior Honor's Thesis, The Ohio State University (2010). Digital version online.
  • May - Cuddy, Jo Ann. "John May Family," Bulletin of the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. 15, No. 1 (1986):60.
  • Miller - Whitaker, Mildred Campbell. Genealogy of the Campbell, Noble, Gorton, Shelton, Gilmour and Byrd Families. St. Louis, Mo.: Mound City Press, 1927. Digital versions at Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch Digital Library - free.
  • Miller - Miller, Lori. Burns--Miller--Garrett--Benson Families, ca. 1794-1932. Typescript, Butler Area Public Library, Butler, Pa. Microfilmed 1991. Reproduction: FS Library Film 1675268 Item 39
  • Morgan - Meade, William. Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia. 2 vols. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1861. Digital versions at Internet Archive: Vol. I and Vol. II - free.
  • Morgan - Chancellor, Johnson Camden. The Chancellors. Odessa, Texas: West Texas Office Supply, 1963. FS Library Book 929.273 C36c.
  • Morgan - Society of Descendants of the Colonial Clergy, Robert Glenn Thurtle, and Lillian S. King. Pedigrees of Descendants of the Colonial Clergy. 3 vols. Ann Arbor, Mich.: Edwards Brothers, 1976-1987. FS Library Books 973 D2cc v. 1-3.
  • Motter - Russell, Donna Valley. "Valentine Motter of Middletown," Western Maryland Genealogy, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan. 1987):3-9; Vol. 3, No. 2 (Apr. 1987):51-56.
  • Newman - Boogher, William F. Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources. Washington: n.p., 1903. FS Catalog Collection; online at Internet Archive. Includes a chapter titled "Genealogy of the Newman Family, 1618-1900," see Table of Contents; discusses Newmans of Berkeley County.
  • Nourse- Lyle, Maria Catherine Nourse. James Nourse and His Descendants. Lexington, Ky.: Transylvania Printing Company, 1897. FS Catalog Collection 929.273 N855L
  • Nourse - Long, Martha Ann Nourse. "Weston Hall: The Seat of the Nourse Family," The Kentucky Genealogist, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Apr./June 1985):43-66. FS Catalog Collection 976.9 B2kg v. 27 (1985)
  • Pendleton - Meade, William. Old Churches, Ministers and Families of Virginia. 2 vols. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co., 1861. Digital versions at Internet Archive: Vol. I and Vol. II - free.
  • Pendleton - Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. Digital versions at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 at Ancestry ($).
  • Plunket - Reinders, Alice K. "Patrick Plunket: A Virginia Revolutionary Soldier," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 1980):9-10. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). FS Library Book 975.5 B2vg v. 24 (1980).
  • Range - Range, Joan Elaine. "Noah Range Descendants," Bulletin of the Watauga Association of Genealogists, Vol. 29, No. 2 (2000):148-149.
  • Rumsey - Beltzhoover, George M. "James Rumsey, The Inventor of the Steamboat," Paper, The West Virginia Historical and Antiquarian Society's Publication, ca. 1900.
  • Seaton - Katheder, Thomas. "Seaton of Fauquier County, Virginia," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2000):83-102. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). FS Library Book 975.5 B2vg.
  • Seibert - Bell, Raymond Martin. The Seibert Family. Wolfersweiler, Saar. Tulpehocken, Pennsylvania. Clear Springs, Maryland. Martinsburg, West Virginia. Washington, Pa., 1959.
  • Slagle - von Frank, Karl Friedrich. The Slagle Family in America, Descended from the Schlegel von Gottleben Family of Germany. Baltimore, Md.: A.R. Slagle, 1967. FS Library Book 929.273 SL 12sr.
  • Snodgrass - Snodgrass Clan Society et al. The Mace: Official Journal of the Snodgrass Clan Society. Indianapolis, Ind.: Snodgrass Clan Society, 1977-. FS Library Book 929.27305 Sn52h
  • Spiker - W.R. Spiker Family Association. W.R. Spiker Family Newsletter. Berkeley Springs, W. Va.: W.R. Spiker Family Association, 2003. FS Library Book 929.27305 Sp44w
  • Stephen - Kennedy, Mary Selden. Seldens of Virginia and Allied Families. New York: Frank Allaben Genealogical Co., c1911. Digital versions at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 at Ancestry ($).
  • Stephen - "General Adam Stephen," The Appalachian Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Sep. 1996):90. FS Library US/CAN Book 975.5743 D25a v. 1, no. 2 (Sep. 1996).
  • Strode - Boss, Lula Reed. "Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Mason County, Kentucky," The Kentucky Genealogist, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1967):52-57.
  • Strother - Owen, Thomas McAdory, "William Strother of Virginia and His Descendants," Publications of the Southern History Association, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Apr. 1898):149-173. Digitized by Internet Archive.
  • Stuntz - Stuntz, Jeanne DeCamp Cheadle and Rick J. Ashton. Stuntz, Fuller, Kennard and Cheadle Ancestors. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University, University Libraries, 1989. FS Library Book 929.273 St94sj.
  • Swaim - Eustice, Robert L. and Joanne Eustice. A Homespun History of Matthias Swaim (1740-1825) and Wife, Abigail (Hedges) Swaim: of Frederick County, Virginia and Berkeley County, West Virginia and Their Descendants. St. George, Utah: B. & J. Eustice, 1994. FS Library Book 929.273 Sw13e.
  • Washington - Hardy, Stella Pickett. Colonial Families of the Southern States of America. New York: Tobias A. Wright, 1911. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust.
  • Woltz - Woltz, Flora Lee. The Woltz Family. Berryville, Va., 1975.
  • Womeldorf - Komarek, Carole Womeldorf. Frederick Womeldorf: The Pennsylvania/Virginia Connection. n.p.: Womelsdorf Family Association, 1984 (?). FS Library Book 929.273 W842kc
  • Yadon - Fletcher, Virginia Billingsley. "Down in the Barns", The Kecks of Claiborne County, Tennessee; The Ancestors and Descendants of John "Guider" Keck and His Wife Rebecca A. Yadon. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1983. Digital version at Family History Archives; FS Library Fiche 6075685 (5 fiche).

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See West Virginia Land and Property for additional information about early West Virginia land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Grants and Patents

  • Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775. Vol. II. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($). (Includes Berkeley County)
  • Gray, Gertrude E. Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1775-1800. Vol. III. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1993. FS Library; digital version at Ancestry ($). (Includes Berkeley County)
  • Sims Index to Land Grants in West Virginia - Berkeley

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Berkeley County, West Virginia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section West Virginia Local Histories.

  • Aler's History of Martinsburg and Berkeley County, West Virginia. By F. Vernon Aler. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
  • History of the Lower Shenandoah Valley Counties of Frederick, Berkeley, Jefferson and Clarke. By J. E. Norris. Chicago: A. Warner, 1890. Online at: Ancestry ($); and MyHeritage ($).
  • Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia (Illustrated) from Its Formation in 1738 to 1908, Compiled Mainly from Original Records of Old Frederick County, Now Hampshire, Berkeley, Shenandoah, Jefferson, Hardy, Clarke, Warren, Morgan and Frederick. By T. K. Cartmell. n.p.: n.p., c1909. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

Washington CountyJefferson CountyClarke CountyFrederick CountyMorgan CountyWV BERKELEY.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

  • West Virgina, Naturalization Records, 1814-1991
    Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):248-254. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Berkeley County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on pp. 250-254.

Military Records

Go here for general Military Records of West Virginia

French and Indian War

  • Bockstruck, Lloyd DeWitt. Virginia's Colonial Soldiers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. FS Library. Online at: Ancestry ($). Identifies some Berkeley County veterans and 1774-1775 militia officers; see place name index.

Revolutionary War

Regiments. Service men in Berkeley County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Berkeley County supplied soldiers for the:

- 8th Virginia Regiment
- 12th Virginia Regiment (8th Company)[10]Berkeley County, West Virginia Revolutionary War Pension List

Additional resources:

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. 1967 reprint: FS Catalog Collection 973 X2pc 1840. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Virginia, Western District, Berkeley County on page 134.
  • Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." FS Catalog Collection 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.
  • Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War. By J.T. McAllister. 1913. Hot Springs, Va.: McAllister Pub. Co. Online at: Internet Archive

War of 1812

Berkeley County men served in the 67th Regiment.[11]

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in Berkeley served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Berkeley County:

- 1st Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, Local Defense (Confederate). Company B (Berkeley Troop)
- 1st Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate).
- 1st Regiment, Virginia Light Artillery (Pendleton's) (Confederate). Company B (Wise Artillery)
- 2nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company D (Berkeley Border Guards), Company E (Hedgesville Blues)
- 11th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry. Company A (The Wildcat Company).[12]

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battles were fought in Berkeley County.[13]

  • July 2, 1861 - Hoke's Run, also known as Falling Waters and Hainesville.
  • August 25-29, 1864 - Smithfield Crossing.

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

School Records

Tax Records

How can West Virginia tax lists help me?

  • 1774 Rice, William H. The 1774 List of Tithables and Wheel Carriages in Berkeley County, Virginia. Elkins, W. Va.: W.H. Rice, 2006. FS Library Book 975.497 R4r
  • 1782 Fothergill, Augusta B. and John Mark Naugle. Virginia Tax Payers, 1782-87, Other Than Those Published by the United States Census Bureau. 1940; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978. FS Catalog book 975.5 R4f 1978. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, FS Library film 874197, item 4 - images. 1782 personal property tax list of Berkeley County.
  • 1783 Personal Property (or Land) Tax List, 1783; index online at Revolutionary War Service website - free.
  • 1787, 1788 Schreiner-Yantis, Netti and Florene Speakman Love. The 1787 Census of Virginia: An Accounting of the Name of Every White Male Tithable Over 21 Years, the Number of White Males Between 16 & 21 Years, the Number of Slaves over 16 & Those Under 16 Years, Together with a Listing of Their Horses, Cattle & Carriages, and Also the Names of All Persons to Whom Ordinary Licenses and Physician's Licenses Were Issued. 3 vols. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1987. FS Library. Source for this publication are the 1787 personal property tax list and 1787/1788 tax delinquent lists. Berkeley County is included in Vol. 2.
  • 1788 Clay, Robert Y. "Some Delinquent Taxpayers 1787-1790," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1975):248-254. FS Library; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($). These records often identify migrants who left the county and their intended destinations. Berkeley County's 1788 Delinquent List appears on pp. 250-254.
  • 1798 Berkeley County Historical Society. 1798 House Tax and Slave Tax of Berkeley County, Virginia: This Included the Area in 2003 of Berkeley County, Jefferson County and 2/3 of Morgan County West Virginia. Martinsburg, W. Va.: Berkeley County Historical Society, 2003. FS Library Book 975.49 R4b
  • 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. FS Library Book 975 E4w v. 6. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Berkeley County is included in Vol. 6.

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 at the West Virginia Assessor and Property Tax Records Directory.

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Berkeley County. For state-wide archival repositories, see West Virginia Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Berkeley County. For state-wide library facilities, see West Virginia Archives and Libraries.

Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries
101 W King St
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Phone: 304-267-8933
Email: mbcpl@mbcpl.org
Website
Facebook

Multiple locations.

Museums

Belle Boyd House and Berkeley County Museum
136 E Race St
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Berkeley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see West Virginia Societies.

Berkeley County Historical Society
136 E Race St
PO Box 1624
Martinsburg, WV 25402-1624
Phone: 304-267-4713
Email: chs@historicberkeley.org
Website
Facebook

Websites

Research Guides

  • Good, Rebecca H. and Rebecca A. Ebert. Finding Your People in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1998. 4th ed. FS Library Book 975 D27e 1998
  • Macomber, Kenneth D. "Genealogical Research in Berkeley County, West Virginia," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 30, No. 5 (Oct. 2004):1-3. FS Library; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.

References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Berkeley County, West Virginia" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_County,_West_Virginia."
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Berkeley County, West Virginia. Page 743-746 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 742-743.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Berkeley County, West Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_County,_West_Virginia, accessed 28 June 2018.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Robert Baylor Semple and George William Beale, A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia (1810; reprint, Richmond, Va.: Pitt and Dickinson, 1894), 386-387. Digital versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
  8. ↑ "Mill Creek Baptist Church," The Historical Marker Database, http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=14596, accessed 20 June 2012.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Jay Worrall, The Friendly Virginians: America's First Quakers (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994), 537-539. FS Library Book 975.5 K2wj.
  10. ↑ E.M. Sanchez-Saavedra, A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations in the American Revolution, 1774-1787 (Richmond, Va.: Virginia State Library, 1978), 67-68. FS Library Book 975.5 M2s.
  11. ↑ Stuart Lee Butler, A Guide to Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1988), 53. FS Library Book 975.5 M2bs.
  12. ↑ Richard L. Armstrong, 11th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1989). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 52.
  13. ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles



v • d• e
Links to West Virginia-related articles (see also Virginia-related articles)
Topics
Counties
Major
Repositories
Boyd County Public Library (Ashland, KY) · Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library · Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, PA) · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Library of Virginia (Richmond, VA) · Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library · Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library (Lancaster, VA) · Maryland State Archives (Annapolis, MD) · National Archives I (Washington, DC) · National Archives II (College Park, MD) · National Archives at Philadelphia (PA) · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library · Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston · Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown (Santa Cruz, CA) · University of Chicago Library (Chicago, IL) · Virginia Historical Society (Richmond, VA) · Washington National Records Center (Suitland, MD) · West Virginia Archives and History · West Virginia University Wise Library · West Virginia Vital Registration Office
Migration
Routes
Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Berkeley_County,_West_Virginia_Genealogy&oldid=6308449"