Marriage records often begin when or soon after counties are formed in (W)VA. Same for deeds and wills. Some have been lost in fires, etc. Births and Deaths generally began in 1853. The following list can be helpful in finding when a county was formed. IF you know what counties were partitioned to give a county the second list can be helpful in finding whether earlier records might exist for an area. This list was formed for a fixed width font; columns should line up using Courier (a typewriter like font). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Sorted alphabetically Know the name? Look here for when Barbour 1843 Lewis 1816 Pendleton 1787 Berkeley 1772 Lincoln 1867 Pleasants 1851 Boone 1847 Logan 1824 Pocahontas 1821 Braxton 1836 Marion 1842 Preston 1818 Brooke 1796 Marshall 1835 Putnam 1848 Cabell 1809 Mason 1804 Raleigh 1850 Calhoun 1856 McDowell 1858 Randolph 1786 Clay 1858 Mercer 1837 Ritchie 1843 Doddridge 1845 Mineral 1866 Roane 1856 Fayette 1831 Mingo 1845 Summers 1871 Gilmer 1845 Monongalia 1776 Taylor 1844 Grant 1866 Monroe 1799 Tucker 1856 Greenbrier 1777 Morgan 1820 Tyler 1814 Hampshire 1753 Nicholas 1815 Upshur 1851 Hancock 1848 Ohio 1776 Wayne 1842 Hardy 1785 Webster 1860 Harrison 1784 Wetzel 1846 Jacksom 1831 Wirt 1848 Jefferson 1801 Wood 1798 Kanawha 1788 Wyoming 1850 -------------------------------------------------------- Sorted by date of formation Know when? Look here for before/after 1753 Hampshire 1818 Preston 1847 Boone 1772 Berkeley 1820 Morgan 1848 Hancock 1776 Ohio 1821 Pocahontas 1848 Wirt 1776 Monongalia 1824 Logan 1848 Putnam 1777 Greenbrier 1831 Fayette 1850 Raleigh 1784 Harrison 1831 Jacksom 1850 Wyoming 1785 Hardy 1835 Marshall 1851 Pleasants 1786 Randolph 1836 Braxton 1851 Upshur 1787 Pendleton 1837 Mercer 1856 Roane 1788 Kanawha 1842 Wayne 1856 Tucker 1796 Brooke 1842 Marion 1856 Calhoun 1798 Wood 1843 Barbour 1858 Clay 1799 Monroe 1843 Ritchie 1858 McDowell 1801 Jefferson 1844 Taylor 1860 Webster 1804 Mason 1844 Taylor 1866 Mineral 1809 Cabell 1845 Doddridge 1866 Grant 1814 Tyler 1845 Mingo 1867 Lincoln 1815 Nicholas 1845 Gilmer 1871 Summers 1816 Lewis 1846 Wetzel