Records that survive
These are the record books from Putnam 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.
Wills and estates
- Appraisements and Inventories1848–1888
- General Index to Wills1848–1968
- Will Record1848–1948
- List of Fiduciaries1850–1909
- Administrators' and Guardians' Accounts1854–1874
- Settlements of Fiduciaries1873–1913
Court records
- Order Book1905–1913
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
- Putnam 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 Putnam 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, Putnam" 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: Cabell County, Kanawha County, Mason County
Check the parent counties for earlier records: Cabell County, Kanawha County, Mason County
Later formed partly from Putnam County: Lincoln County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1848, 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.