Raleigh County, West Virginia Genealogical Records Information

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Raleigh County History and Information

Raleigh County Facts

See D.O.T. Maps for a Detailed County Map

Raleigh County was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on January 23, 1850, from parts of Fayette County. It was named in honor of Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), an English soldier, adventurer, and the favorite of Queen Elizabeth.

Beckley, the county seat, was founded on General Alfred Beckley's land and was originally called Beckleyville. Chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1838, some historians claim that the town was named for General Alfred Beckley's father, John Beckley. He was the first Clerk of the Congress during the administrations of Presidents George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and later served as the first Librarian of Congress. Others claim that the town was named for General Alfred Beckley. In either case, the town had a very slow start. The first business did not locate in the town until 1850 and prior to that time the local settlers sarcastically referred to Beckley's land as "Beckley's Paper Town." By 1860, the town's population had grow to only 160, with another 160 living in the vicinity. From 1881 to 1897, the town was called Beckleyville, Town of Beckley, and Raleigh Court House. The name Beckley finally won out around 1897. It was incorporated by the West Virginia state legislature on April 26, 1927.

See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Raleigh County are Kanawha County (north), Fayette County (northeast), Summers County (east), Mercer County (southeast), Wyoming County (southwest), Boone County (northwest). Raleigh County Cities and Towns Include Abraham, Ameagle, Arnett, Artie, Beaver, Beckley, Blue Jay, Bolt, Bradley, Clear Creek, Coal City, Colcord, Cool Ridge, Crab Orchard, Cranberry, Daniels, Dorothy, Dry Creek, East Gulf, Harper, Helen, Jonben, Josephine, Lanark, Lester, Mabscott, Mac Arthur, McAlpin, Mead, Midway, Montcoal, Naoma, Odd, Pemberton, Piney View, Princewick, Prosperity, Raleigh, Rhodell, Rock Creek, Saxon, Shady Spring, Skelton, Slab Fork, Sophia, Sprague, Stanaford, Stickney, Sullivan, Sundial, Surveyor, Tams, Terry, Whitby, White Oak, Winding Gulf

Official County Government/ Community Website
Raleigh County, West Virginia History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Raleigh County Court Records

See Also West Virginia Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Raleigh County Clerk has Land Records from 1850, Marriage Records from 1850, Probate Records from 1850 and Birth & Death Records from 1853 -Present and is located at the Courthouse, 215 Main Street, P. O. Drawer AN, Beckley, WV 25802; 304-255-9126, Fax: 304-255-9352 .
The County Clerk's many duties include some of the following: the issuance of marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, record births, marriages and deaths in the county, serve as the recorder of all documents, prepare and send to all heirs a Notice to Redeem and take care of publications, redemptions or recording deeds with regard to delinquent property, issue military service discharge records and probate wills and assist in administration of estates.

Raleigh County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1850 and is located at the Courthouse, 215 Main Street, P.O. Drawer AN, Beckley, WV 25801-4688; 304-255-9135, Fax: 304-255-9353.
The County Clerk of the Circuit Court's many duties include some of the following: Serve as the Clerk to the Circuit and Family Court, Issue mesne (during the progress of a case) process, Issue final process to enforce and execute judgements, Appoint guardian ad litem where required, Responsible for all papers filed in the office; serve as registrar, recorder and custodian for all pleadings, documents and funds pertaining to cases filed in circuit court and family court, Responsible for the administration and management of the petit and grand jury systems in the county

Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.

Click Here to Search West Virginia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Court Records by clicking the link below:

West Virginia Marriage Records, 1863-1900
Raleigh County, West Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Raleigh County Vital Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Click Here to Search West Virginia Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Raleigh County, West Virginia are (See Virginia Censuses 1850, 1860) 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Raleigh County, West Virginia are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. (NOTE: For the years 1850 & 1860, Raleigh County was located in Virginia)

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Census Records by clicking the link below:

Raleigh County Maps & Atlases

   Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for West Virginia and other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
   You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The West Virginia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Maps. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Maps by clicking the link below:

Raleigh County Military Records

Click Here to Search West Virginia Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Military Records by clicking the link below:

West Virginia Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
West Virginia Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
Southern Claims Commission from the State of West Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of West Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the CSA (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from southern units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804
Raleigh County, West Virginia Military Books at Amazon.com

Raleigh County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

While people were taxed in Virginia prior to 1782, not many tax lists for that early period have survived, and the originals that have survived are at the Virginia State Library. Colonial period taxes were imposed on the personal property of males who were twenty-one and older, and called "tithables." While there is no comprehensive list or collection of early tax lists, many fragments are printed throughout Virginia genealogical literature

West Virginia has one of the most complete sets of old tax records in existence. Land tax records dating from 1782 to 1936 for all counties, with some through 1959, are available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston. Most county clerks have duplicate copies in their offices. As noted in the section on Virginia, the Virginia State Library has the original unindexed personal property tax records from 1782 to 1863.

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Raleigh County, West Virginia Tax Books at Amazon.com

Raleigh County Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Genealogical Society: Fayette and Raleigh Counties, Inc., PO Box 68, Oak Hill, WV 25901-0068
Raleigh County Historical Society, P. O Box 897, Skelton, WV 25919-0897
Local West Virginia Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research
Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
West Virginia Genealogical Society, Post Office Box 249, Elkview, West Virginia 25071
West Virginia Historical Society, PO Box 5220, Charleston, WV 25361
West Virginia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
West Virginia Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Raleigh County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search West Virginia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Raleigh County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Raleigh County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many religious groups have deposited their records at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Church record inventories compiled as part of the Historical Records Survey are available there and at the FHL. For a complete discussion of early church records, see Virginia-Church Records.

The most extensive collection of West Virginia tombstone inscriptions was compiled by the Historical Records Survey. Available at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and on microfilm at the FHL, the collection includes inscriptions through 1939-40. The DAR and others have published volumes of cemetery records.

Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search West Virginia Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Raleigh County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Raleigh County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Raleigh County, West Virginia Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

John Peter Salley was the first Englishman to set foot in present Raleigh County. He explored the area in 1742. The next English visitor was probably Christopher Gist. He explored the lands south of the Ohio River on behalf of a land investment company (the Ohio Company) in 1750 and 1751. It is likely that he passed through the county on his return to Virginia. Between 1750 and 1830 the county was a favorite hunting site for fur traders who traveled throughout the county in search of beaver pelts.

William Richmond was the first English settler in the county. He arrived between 1807 and 1810. John Harper arrived in 1810 and Joseph Harper arrived the following year. By the spring of 1815, there were 63 families living in the present county.

Brigadier-General Alfred Beckley (1802-1888) was the most prominent citizen in the county for many years. He arrived in 1836 (then Fayette County) and served as the county's physician, preacher, and philanthropist. A graduate of West Point, he served in the military for 13 years before settling in the county. He later represented Raleigh County in the House of Delegates at Wheeling, and, at the onset of the Civil War, was commissioned a Brigadier-General of the Militia, under the command of General Henry A. Wise, in the Confederate Army. His command was disbanded in 1862 and he returned home to Beckley, which was occupied by the Union Army at that time. He surrendered himself to the Union officer in charge, and was held prisoner for several months before being released on parole. In his later years he was a leader in the state temperance movement.

County Name Origin

In 1584, Sir Walter Raleigh convinced the Queen to finance an expedition to the New World. He set sail from London in April 1584 with two ships. He was to explore the New World and find gold or other riches for the Queen. He reached the shore of North Carolina in July and remained there until September before returning to England. Although he did not find gold, he returned with a glowing description of the country. Happy to see his safe return, the Queen knighted Raleigh, named him Captain of the Queen's Guard, and appointed him to Parliament. The land was named Virginia, in the Queen's honor (unmarried, Queen Elizabeth was known as the "Virgin Queen"). Raleigh then convinced the Queen to send another fleet of ships to the continent to found a settlement and, by so doing, secure the lands from the St. Lawrence on the north to Florida on the south from the Spanish and the French. A total of 108 men made the voyage and established themselves on Roanoke Island, now North Carolina. Most of the "settlers" were actually speculators hoping to find gold and other riches and were not used to the hard work necessary to establish a permanent colony. When the supply ships returned later that year, most of the colonists, distressed that they had not found an easy way to get rich, demanded to be returned to England. Only 15 men volunteered to stay. In 1587, another fleet of ships brought more colonists to the Island, but when they arrived there was no trace of the 15 men who had stayed behind. It was assumed that they had been murdered by Indians. The colonists decided to stay and restart the colony only after the commander of the fleet assured them that he would return immediately with reinforcements. However, by the time the ships reached England a war had broken out between Spain and England and the ships were needed to defend the nation. A fleet of ships were finally sent to the colony in 1590, but when they arrived at the island, there was no trace of the colony. Sir Walter Raleigh's dream of an American colony had failed.

Raleigh later fell into disfavor with the Queen, primarily because he was found having a relationship with Elizabeth Throgmorton, one of the Queen's maids of honor. He was sent to prison for a short time and he later married Elizabeth Throgmorton. After the Queen died in 1603, King James stripped Raleigh of his titles and lands, and imprisoned him, his wife and his son in the Tower of London for 13 years. He was released in 1616 to allowed to search for gold in the New World. The expedition failed and he was beheaded in 1618 at the insistence of the Spanish for his role in the destruction of the Spanish colony, San Tomas. It is said that when he went to his execution he was elegantly dressed and spoke for nearly an hour to a very large crowd that had gathered to see the event.

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