Marriage Index: West Virginia, 1863-1900

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This index provides data about around 177,000 people who tied the knot from 1863 to 1900 in certain counties of West Virginia.

When West Virginia became its state on June 20, 1863, it had already established most of its counties operating under Virginia’s laws. One important law from Virginia, dating back to 1853, required that county clerks keep official records of all marriages. This included issuing marriage licenses—a document officially allowing couples to marry.

During the months leading up to West Virginia’s statehood, particularly May and June of 1863, the process of recording marriages got a bit tricky. Because West Virginia was transitioning from being part of Virginia to being its state, some people might have applied for their marriage license under Virginia’s laws, but their marriage could have been recorded in West Virginia. Although it’s not very common, some marriage records from that time could be found in Virginia and West Virginia.

For genealogists, you have to be a bit of a detective. If you’re looking into marriages from around 1863 in this area, you might need to check records in both states to get the full picture. This dual record-keeping is a unique twist in tracing West Virginia family histories, showing how deeply historical events can affect personal records. Understanding these details can help you uncover more about your ancestors’ lives during this fascinating period.

Information was collected from the following West Virginia counties:

  • Barbour
  • Jackson
  • Roane
  • Boone
  • Kanawha
  • Summers
  • Brooke
  • Lewis
  • Taylor
  • Calhoun
  • Marion
  • Tyler
  • Clay
  • Marshall
  • Upshur
  • Doddridge
  • Mason
  • Wayne
  • Fayette
  • Nicholas
  • Wetzel
  • Gilmer
  • Pleasants
  • Wirt
  • Greenbrier
  • Raleigh
  • Wyoming
  • Hampshire
  • Randolph
  • Harrison
  • Ritchie