West Virginia Descendancy Research
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As families believe they have researched their pedigrees back in time as far as possible, they sometimes choose to gather information on all the descendants of a particular ancestor or even all of their ancestors. This article explains possible steps to take on such a project in West Virginia online records.
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Step 1. Find descendants in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Census records, widely indexed, are a fast way to identify members of families, their approximate year of birth, and the state where they were born. That information hints where to look for birth, marriage, and death records for more detailed information. One disadvantage is they are 10 years apart. Children born and dying within that 10-year span can be overlooked.
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For more information on census records, see West Virginia Census and United States Census.
Step 2: Find birth, marriage, and death records online.
Government records, known as civil registration or vital records, were kept in West Virginia statewide beginning in 1917, although counties may have kept earlier records. They provide full dates and places. They are sometimes indexed, and can be searched by child or parent names. They are especially useful because they name other family members, For example, marriage records name the parents of the bride and groom. Death records are especially helpful because they name parents, who lived years earlier, even before other records were kept. Coverage in the earlier years can be incomplete however. In some states, church records were gathered to provide earlier certificates.
- 1853 forward: West Virginia Vital Records at WVCulture.org
Births
- 1804-1938: West Virginia Births Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
- 1853-1914: West Virginia Birth Index at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
- 1853-1928: West Virginia Births and Christenings at FamilySearch; index only
- 1853-1930: West Virginia Births at FamilySearch; index & images
- West Virginia Birth Records at WVCulture.org
- West Virginia Births at Findmypast; index only ($)
Marriages
- 1776-1971: West Virginia County Marriage Records at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1780-1970: West Virginia Marriages at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1785-1971: West Virginia Marriages Index at Ancestry; index only
- 1863-1900: West Virginia Compiled Marriage Records at Ancestry; index only ($)
- 1931-1970: West Virginia Marriage Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
- West Virginia Marriage Records at WVCulture.org
Deaths
- 1804-1999: West Virginia Deaths at FamilySearch; index & images
- 1853-1964: West Virginia Death Index & Certificates at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
- 1853-1973: West Virginia Deaths Index at Ancestry; index only ($)
- 1854-1932: West Virginia Deaths and Burials at FamilySearch; index only
- West Virginia Death Records at WVCulture.org
For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in West Virginia, see How to Find West Virginia Birth Records, How to Find West Virginia Marriage Records, and How to Find West Virginia Death Records.
Step 3: Try to find additional details about descendants in obituaries and cemetery records online.
These records can be especially useful for details about births and deaths that took place before 1917. Frequently, family members are buried near each other. FindAGrave, often lists details, not even listed on the tombstone, but added to the website by family members or researchers.
Obituaries
- Genealogybank ($)
- Obituary Links
- ObitsArchive.com - West Virginia
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- Find-A-Grave
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current at Ancestry
- BillionGraves
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- BillionGraves Index at Findmypast ($)
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- West Virginia Cemetery Readings, 1941 at Ancestry ($)
- West Virginia Cemetery Records at AccessGenealogy
- West Virginia Cemetery Records at Interment
- West Virginia Deaths and Burials, 1854-1932 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- West Virginia Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb Transcription Project
- Online West Virginia Obituary and Cemetery Indexes at DeathIndexes
- Jewish Cemeteries in West Virginia at Find-A-Grave
- Hebrew Cemeteries in West Virginia at Find-A-Grave
- West Virginia Jewish Cemetery Project at International Jewish Cemetery Project
For more information, see West Virginia Obituaries and West Virginia Cemeteries.
Step 4: Explore Historical Images for additional online records about descendants..
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- West Virginia, United States Historical Images, New Version
- West Virginia, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Step 5: Search any other online records listed in West Virginia Online Genealogy Records.
The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the West Virginia Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.