Records that survive
These are the record books from Monongalia 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
- Index to Record of Commissioners for Adjusting Unpatented Lands1760–1794
- Names of Persons Found in Vendues in Real Estate Book1798–1823
Wills and estates
- Abstracts from Estate Books1788–1832
- Wills1789–1829
- Estates1796–1824
- Abstracts of Wills and Inventories1797–1905
- Will Book1799–1907
- Index to Wills1810–1970
- Estate Book1824–1882
Marriages, births and deaths
- Index to Marriages1795–1970
- Index to Marriage Bonds1796–1850
- Marriage Bonds Filed in Monongalia County1796–1850
- Register of Marriages1796–1908
- Forks of Cheat Baptist Church Deaths1817–1913
- Register of Deaths1852–1924
- Deaths1853–1899
- Index to Registers of Births1853–1913
- Index to Registers of Deaths1853–1924
- Register of Births1853–1915
- Births1867–1876
- Marriage Licenses Book1880–1891
- Marriage License Book1891–1898
Court records
- General Index to County Court Records1789–1880
- Order Book1796–1905
Military and pensions
- Record of Soldiers’ Discharge1917–1921
Tax records
- Names of Early Land Owners Taken From Tax Commissioners’ Books1788–1806
- Treasurer's Book1864–1907
- Check Register1867–1868
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
- Monongalia County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk and the circuit clerk, and any online record search the county offers.
- 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 Monongalia 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, Monongalia" 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 Monongalia County: Harrison County, Marion County, Preston County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1776, 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.