Records that survive
These are the record books from Hardy County that the Library of Virginia has on microfilm, grouped into series with the earliest and latest years filmed. A span can include gaps. The original books are still kept by the county.
Deeds and land
- Deed Book1786–1868
- Index to Deeds and Deeds of Trust1786–1970
- Land Tax List of Names1786–1800
- List of Delinquent Real Estate Sold1867–1932
- Release Deeds1867–1901
- Homestead Book1877–1909
Wills and estates
- Index to Wills1786–1970
- Will Book1786–1896
- Wills and Inventories1786–1899
- Guardians' Accounts1821–1869
- Administrators' Bonds1831–1913
- Executors' Bonds1831–1896
- Orphans' Bond Book1831–1854
- Guardians' Bonds1851–1933
- Executors'1853–1895
- List of Fiduciaries1853–1896
- Probate and Fiduciary Order Book1881–1938
- Special Commissioners' and Guardians' Bond Book1898–1925
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Bonds1792–1887
- Birth and Marriage Lists1795–1899
- Index to Record of Marriages1795–1833
- Record of Marriages1795–1833
- Register of Marriages1853–1916
Court records
- Execution Book1786–1854
- Record Book1788–1840
- Index to Minute Books1795–1812
- Pleas1797–1837
- Witness and Jury Book1797–1816
- Index to Order Books1827–1847
- Order Book1834–1880
- Chancery Record Book1859–1876
- Chancery Order Book1901–1913
- Police and Fiscal Order Book1922–1931
Other records
- Overseers of the Poor Minute Book1841–1890
- Officials' Bond Book1885–1927
- County Court Proceedings in Relation to the Poor1891–1924
- Naturalization Petition and Records of Robert Walker Love1913
See every volume and reel at the Library of Virginia
Source: Library of Virginia, West Virginia County Records Microfilm. The reels can be viewed in Richmond but can't be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Counties began recording births and deaths in 1853; the state began collecting them in 1917, though most state records from 1917 to 1920 were lost in a fire.
Where to find the records
- Find Hardy County's official website
We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the county clerk and the circuit clerk.
- The county clerk
Deeds, wills and estate (fiduciary) records, marriages from the county's beginning, and births and deaths from 1853.
- The circuit clerk
Lawsuits, chancery cases and divorces.
- The West Virginia Archives and History
In Charleston: some counties' original court records, microfilm of county records, and the state's online vital records.
- Library of Virginia: West Virginia county records on microfilmfree
Every filmed volume for Hardy County, with its years and reel number.
- West Virginia Vital Research Recordsfree
Search scanned county birth, death and marriage records by name, county and year.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "West Virginia, Hardy" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Hampshire County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Hampshire County
Later formed partly from Hardy County: Grant County, Pendleton County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1786, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
West Virginia was part of Virginia until 1863, so for an ancestor here before then, also use Virginia's statewide records at the Library of Virginia, such as land grants and land tax lists. The county clerk's birth and death registers from 1853 often name parents.