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West Virginia County Court, Probate, Tax and Other Miscellaneous Records
West Virginia Vital Records • West Virginia Court Records • West Virginia Church Records
West Virginia Cemetery Records • West Virginia Land Records • West Virginia Military Records
West Virginia Archives & Societies • West Virginia Publications
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See Also Researching Court Records, Researching Probate Records and 
Researching Tax Records
On-Site County Court Records Search - Find nearly any West Virginia court record online! Many court records are not digitized yet, which signifies the only way to obtain these records is by visiting the actual courthouses. Someone from our network of court-runners will go retrieve the records and then send you the outcomes. Average response time is 38 hours. West Virginia Civil Records include Lawsuits, Bankruptcies, Liens and judgments, Marriage/divorce judicial proceeding, Child custody, Civil rights violations ands Other. West Virginia Criminal Records include Violent offenses, Theft and robbery, DUI/DWI's, Drugs and alcohol, Sexual crimes, Some traffic violations, Behavioral.
West Virginia Historical Records - Databases include West Virginia Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; West Virginia Birth, Marriage & Death Records; West Virginia Voter Lists & Census Records; West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records; West Virginia Obituary Records; West Virginia Military Records; West Virginia Family Tree Records; West Virginia Pictures; West Virginia Stories, Memories & Histories; West Virginia Directories & Member Lists and much more....
Definitions of Common Court Terms
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West Virginia Court Records
See Also Research In State Court Records
Since West Virginia was a part of Virginia until 1863, its court system matches that of the parent state (see Virginia-Court Records). The Historical Records Survey Collection on microfilm at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and the FHL includes court minutes and order books. Usually intermingled in court records, particularly those for the county's circuit court, are naturalizations, emancipation records for blacks, school commissioners' reports, and cattle brands.
- Submit a website for West Virginia Court Records
- Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records
- West Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
- Search Court Records From All States
- Search County Court Records
- Search County Criminal Records with a Criminal Background Check
- Search for Registered Sex Offenders in your local Area
- Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
- Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
West Virginia Probate Records
See Also Research In State Probate Records
When western Virginia was a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, estate records were produced by civil courts on the county level, such as county and circuit courts. Wills, administrations, guardianships, appraisals, and settlements are some of the records related to a person's estate or probate record. West Virginia continued in the same tradition by recording probate matters in the county courts. Most probate/estate matters were recorded in "will books." Original will books are available at the county clerk's office; however, most will books prior to 1968 have been microfilmed and are available at the Archives and History Library, West Virginia and Regional History Collection in Morgantown and the FHL.
A number of early Virginia and later West Virginia will books have been abstracted and published. The Archives and History Library in Charleston, West Virginia and Regional History Collection in Morgantown, and the FHL have collections of these works, and many other libraries nationwide have some printed will abstracts.
- Submit a website for West Virginia Probate Records
- Research In Probate Records - from The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy.
- How to Locate Printed Probate Records
- Advantages of Printed Probate Records
- Limitations of Printed Probate Records
- West Virginia Probate Books at Amazon.com
West Virginia Tax Records
See Also Researching 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.
