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''[[United States|United States ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  [[West Virginia|West Virginia ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]  [[West_Virginia_Probate_Records|Probate Records]]''
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| link2=[[United States Probate Records|U.S. Probate Records]]
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| link5=[[West Virginia Probate Records|Probate Records]]
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<br>
==Online Resources==
*'''1724 - 1978''' [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=9087 West Virginia Wills and Probate Records 1724-1978] at Ancestry; index and images $
*'''1756 - 1971''' {{RecordSearch|1909099|West Virginia Will Books, 1756-1971}} at FamilySearch - [[West Virginia Will Books - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; index and images
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/full-text Full-Text Search - Probate Records] at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P00oMDsAsSw How to Search]


== Record Synopsis ==
==Record Synopsis==


Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”<ref>Henry Campbell Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary,'' 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."</ref> Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about&nbsp;the probate process,&nbsp;types of probate records,&nbsp;analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see [https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/United_States_Probate_Records United States Probate Records].  
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”<ref>Henry Campbell Black, ''Black's Law Dictionary,'' 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."</ref> Various types of records may be found in probate files. These may include, [[United States Probate Wills|wills]], bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the [[United States Probate Process|probate process]], types of probate records, [[Analyzing United States Probate Records|analyzing probate records]], and to access a [[Glossary of United States Probate Terms|glossary]] of probate terms, see [[United States Probate Records|United States Probate Records]].


== History ==
==History==


== State Statutes  ==
The area of West Virginia was a part of Virginia until the Civil War, 1861-1865. During&nbsp;that time there was&nbsp;a dispute over secession and&nbsp;fifty western counties broke off to form the “restored government of Virginia,” which remained loyal to the Union. The state of West Virginia was admitted to the Union in 1863. <br>Once its own state, West Virginia continued keeping probate records in the county courts.&nbsp;


== Repositories  ==
*&nbsp;A brief history of the settlement and boundary changes of&nbsp;West Virginia&nbsp;and the resultant effects on record keeping can be found on [http://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=History_of_West_Virginia Ancestry].&nbsp;
==== Local  ====
*A discussion of West Virginia Probate Records written by Johni Cerny in Red book: American State, County, and Town Sources can be found at [http://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=West_Virginia_Probate_Records Ancestry].&nbsp;
Probate records of [[West Virginia|West Virginia]] have been kept by the county courts. You can obtain copies of the complete probate packets by contacting the county clerk's office in the appropriate courthouse. Some probate matters have been recorded in deed books and court order books.  
==== Regional  ====
==== National  ====
The Family History Library has copies of many calendars of wills, order books, witness books, bonds, fee books, inventories, appraisals, and bills of sale from most counties. From Kanawha County, for example, the library has 208 microfilms of fiduciary settlements for 1871 to 1968, and 121 films of wills for 1820 to 1968.  


== Statewide Record Collections ==
==State Statutes==
 
Understanding the&nbsp;West Virginia&nbsp;probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.
 
Additional information about&nbsp;West Virginia state statutes relating to probate matters can be found at law libraries. Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "West Virginia statutes."
 
==Repositories==
 
====Local====
 
&nbsp;You can obtain copies of the complete probate packets by contacting the county clerk's office in the appropriate courthouse. Some probate matters have been recorded in deed books and court order books.
 
====Regional====
 
The [http://www.wvculture.org/history/archivesindex.aspx West Virginia State Archives] has an online index to their county court records.
 
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=48446 West Virginia Estate Settlements] at Ancestry ($)
 
====National====
 
*The [[Using the FamilySearch Catalog|FamilySearch Library]] has copies of many calendars of wills, order books, witness books, bonds, fee books, inventories, appraisals, and bills of sale from most counties. From Kanawha County, for example, the library has 208 microfilms of fiduciary settlements for 1871 to 1968, and 121 films of wills for 1820 to 1968. Use the wiki page [[FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search|FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search]] for help in accessing&nbsp;county records.
 
==Statewide Record Collections==


== Learn More  ==
==== Published Materials  ====
The following publications index early wills and estate settlements:  
The following publications index early wills and estate settlements:  


*Johnston, Ross B. ''West Virginia Estate Settlements 1753-1850''. Fort Worth, Texas: American Reference Publishers, Incorporated, 1969. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=49693&disp=West+Virginia+estate+settlements%2C+1753%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 975.4 P28j].) This is arranged by counties and is indexed.  
*'''1756-1971''' {{RecordSearch|1909099|West Virginia Will Books}} at FamilySearch - [[West Virginia Will Books - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection]]; Intended to be online indexes and images for will books from all 55 counties of West Virginia. Currently the index is not complete, but additional records will be added as they are completed.
*Torrence, Clayton. ''Virginia Wills and Administrations, 1632-1800''. 1930. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1965. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1009685&disp=Virginia+wills+and+administrations%2C+16%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 975.5 P22t].)
*'''1753-1850''' Johnston, Ross B. ''West Virginia Estate Settlements 1753-1850''. Fort Worth, Texas: American Reference Publishers, Incorporated, 1969. {{FSC|49693|item|disp=FS Library Book 975.4 P28j}}. {{WorldCat|2791137|At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. This source is arranged by counties and is indexed.<br>
==== Websites ====
*'''1632-1800''' Torrence, Clayton. ''Virginia Wills and Administrations, 1632-1800'' . 1930. Reprint. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1985. {{FSC|371231|item|disp=FS Library Book 975.5 P22t}} {{WorldCat|769168|At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. Online at: [https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/564542-virginia-wills-and-administrations-1632-1800-an-index-of-wills-recorded-in-local-courts-of-virginia-1632-1800-and-of-administrations-on-estates-shown-by-inventories-of-the-estates-of-intestates-recorded-in-will-and-other-books-of-local-c?offset=1 FamilySearch Digital Library].
 
<br>
 
====Additional Statewide collections====
 
*''Early West Virginia Settlers, 1600s-1900s.'' [S.l.]: Brøderbund, c2000. {{FSC|996821|item|disp=FS Library CD-ROM no. 9 pt. 520}} (FS Library US/CAN Access Window).<br><br>
 
*Johnston, Ross B. ''West Virginia Estate Settlements: An Index to Wills, Inventories, Appraisements, Land Grants, and Surveys to 1850. ''Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1977. {{FSC|50122|item|disp=FS Library Book 975.4 P28jr}}. Online at: [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/48446/ Ancestry] ($); {{WorldCat|2900643|At various libraries (WorldCat)}}. Contains abstracts of estate settlements for the 13 counties formed before 1800.<br><br>
 
*Plumley, Boyd Fulton. ''West Virginia Wills, 19th Century''. [S.l.: s.n.], 2003. {{FSC|1854270|item|disp=FS Library CD-ROM no. 6730}} (Computer US/CAN Desktop).
 
==Learn More==
 
====Published Materials====
 
====Websites====
 
*[http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/opac/willsabout.htm The Library of Virginia]<br>
 
*[http://www.wvculture.org/history/archivesindex.aspx West Virginia State Archives] <br>Archives And History Library<br>The Cultural Center<br>1900 Kanawha Blvd., East<br>Charleston, WV 25305-0300<br>Telephone: 304-558-0230, ext. 168<br>
 
*[http://estate.findlaw.com/probate/probate-court-laws/state-probate-courts(2).html#UT FindLaw] has information about West Virginia State Probate Courts. <br>


The Library of Virginia:&nbsp; [http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/willsabout.htm http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/willsabout.htm]
==References==


== References  ==
'''A wiki article describing this collection is found at:'''


[[Portal:United States Probate|Portal:United States Probate&nbsp;]]&gt;[[West Virginia|West Virginia]]  
*[[West Virginia Will Books - FamilySearch Historical Records]]


<br>{{West Virginia|West Virginia}}  
<references /><br>{{West Virginia|West Virginia}}  


[[Category:West_Virginia|Probate]]
[[Category:West Virginia, United States|Probate]]
[[Category:United States Probate Records]]

Latest revision as of 18:18, 6 June 2024

West Virginia Wiki Topics
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Beginning Research
Record Types
West Virginia Background
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Local Research Resources

Online Resources

Record Synopsis

Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.”[1] Various types of records may be found in probate files. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. For further information about the probate process, types of probate records, analyzing probate records, and to access a glossary of probate terms, see United States Probate Records.

History

The area of West Virginia was a part of Virginia until the Civil War, 1861-1865. During that time there was a dispute over secession and fifty western counties broke off to form the “restored government of Virginia,” which remained loyal to the Union. The state of West Virginia was admitted to the Union in 1863.
Once its own state, West Virginia continued keeping probate records in the county courts. 

  •  A brief history of the settlement and boundary changes of West Virginia and the resultant effects on record keeping can be found on Ancestry. 
  • A discussion of West Virginia Probate Records written by Johni Cerny in Red book: American State, County, and Town Sources can be found at Ancestry. 

State Statutes

Understanding the West Virginia probate laws and how they changed over time can help us learn how the estate was administered, taxed, and distributed and might help to solve difficult genealogical problems.

Additional information about West Virginia state statutes relating to probate matters can be found at law libraries. Online digital versions of state statutes can often be found by conducting a search engine search for the term, "West Virginia statutes."

Repositories

Local

 You can obtain copies of the complete probate packets by contacting the county clerk's office in the appropriate courthouse. Some probate matters have been recorded in deed books and court order books.

Regional

The West Virginia State Archives has an online index to their county court records.

National

  • The FamilySearch Library has copies of many calendars of wills, order books, witness books, bonds, fee books, inventories, appraisals, and bills of sale from most counties. From Kanawha County, for example, the library has 208 microfilms of fiduciary settlements for 1871 to 1968, and 121 films of wills for 1820 to 1968. Use the wiki page FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search for help in accessing county records.

Statewide Record Collections

The following publications index early wills and estate settlements:


Additional Statewide collections

  • Johnston, Ross B. West Virginia Estate Settlements: An Index to Wills, Inventories, Appraisements, Land Grants, and Surveys to 1850. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., c1977. FS Library Book 975.4 P28jr. Online at: Ancestry ($); WorldCat 2900643. Contains abstracts of estate settlements for the 13 counties formed before 1800.

  • Plumley, Boyd Fulton. West Virginia Wills, 19th Century. [S.l.: s.n.], 2003. FS Library CD-ROM no. 6730 (Computer US/CAN Desktop).

Learn More

Published Materials

Websites

  • West Virginia State Archives
    Archives And History Library
    The Cultural Center
    1900 Kanawha Blvd., East
    Charleston, WV 25305-0300
    Telephone: 304-558-0230, ext. 168
  • FindLaw has information about West Virginia State Probate Courts.

References

A wiki article describing this collection is found at:

  1. ↑ Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (St. Paul, Minnesota: West Publishing Co., 1979), 1081, "probate."


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