Records that survive
These are the record books from Preston 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.
The Library of Virginia's guide doesn't list microfilm for Preston County. Its records are with the county clerk and circuit clerk, and many are filmed and searchable through FamilySearch.
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
- Preston 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.
- 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, Preston" 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: Monongalia County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Monongalia County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1818, 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.