Berkeley County Historical Society |
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Here is a sample of the records that we have access to in the Archives of the Berkeley County Historical Society:
WestVirginia Vital Statistics, 1853 - 1862 (Berkeley, Jefferson, & Morgan 1865-1893 counties are among those available. Birth records at the local courthouse start with 1865. Records may be incomplete for years listed for some West Virginia counties. Berkeley County 1865-1970 Jefferson County 1866-1906).
WestVirginia Vital Statistics, 1853 - 1862 (Berkeley, Jefferson, & Morgan 1866-1890 counties are among those available. Death records from the local courthouse start with 1865 and 1865-1990. Records may be incomplete for years listed for some West Virginia counties. Jefferson County 1866-1906).
1781 - 1950 Early Marriage Bonds of Berkeley, Morgan & Jefferson counties from Census Records 1781 - 1917 Berkeley County on Microfilm 1799 - State of Virginia 1810 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Hampshire counties 1820 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties 1830 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan and Hampshire counties 1840 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan and Hampshire counties 1850 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan, Hampshire and Frederick counties 1854 - 1862 West Virginia Vital Statistics; 1860 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan, Hampshire and Frederick counties 1870 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties 1880 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties 1890 - Special Census of Union veterans and widows - Berkeley, Jefferson & Morgan Counties. 1900 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan and Hampshire counties 1910 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan and Hampshire counties 1920 - Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan and Hampshire counties
Berkeley County, 1772 -1970. Morgan County, 1820-1935 Frederick County, Virginia wills, 1743-1917 Orange County, Virginia wills, 1734-1744 with index covering years 1734-1947 Jefferson County wills, 1801-1900
West Virginia land grants; Berkeley County deeds, 1772-1970; Berkeley County land books, 1782-1875; Frederick County, Virginia, deeds, 1743-1773; Jefferson County land books, 1801-1901; Orange County, Virginia, deeds, 1734-1744; Loudoun County, Virgina, tithables, 1758-1799; Northern Neck grants, 1690-1862, and surveys, 1786-; Virginia land warrants, 1779-1863; Hampshire County surveys; Early Berkeley County surveys with maps (material kept in vertical file.); Berkeley County personal property, 1783-1822; Berkeley County Land Tax Records 1788-1869; 1901-1960.
Early records of some congregations in Martinsburg, Hedgesville, Berkeley County and Shepherdstown. Denominations include Episcopal, German Reformed, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist. Historical Society's Genealogy Records which have several small collections and Civil War files.
Berkeley County and Martinsburg Minutes and Order Books as well as some from Jefferson County are available. Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia) was carved off Frederick County, Virginia in 1772. Remember that for many years, the Potomac River divided Frederick County, Virginia and Frederick County, Maryland. BCHS has the majority of copies of Records of the Berkeley County Courthouse from 1772-1972; 200 years of records! They include that part which was carved off in 1820 to form present Morgan County, and the one-third carved off for Hampshire County. 1801 to 1901 Jefferson County Courthouse records are on microfilm as are the Morgan County records from 1820 to 1901.
The Frederick County deeds and wills from 1743 to 1772 when the "Old Berkeley" area was part of Frederick County, Virginia. The Orange County, Virginia, records when we were a part of that county are also on microfilm from 1734 to 1743.
A complete set of land grant records for this area on microfilm. We have copies of the Robert Brook survey dated 1734 that may be copied. Galtjo Geertsma land grant maps for Berkeley and Jefferson Counties are available.
The Berkeley County Historical Society and Berkeley County Historic Landmarks Commission have been conducting grant assisted historic surveys of properties in Berkeley County, West Virginia, since 1975. Many of the houses in Berkeley County have been researched back to the time of the land grants. Thousands of pictures are located in the files. There are over 3,000 properties listed on the National Register. The forms are on file with the surveys. Additionally the Sandborn maps of Martinsburg are in the Archives.
1809 map of Berkeley and Jefferson Counties; 1851 and 1853 Howell Brown maps of Jefferson County; 1847 and 1894 Kearfoot maps of Berkeley County; 1864 Berkeley County; 1920 Whitman map of both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties; 1820 John Wood map of Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan Counties; Modern 911 maps for both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. There are 25 different maps for Martinsburg. Copies of some of the above maps are for sale.
Newspapers are available on microfilm back to the 1790's for this area. Some like the Martinsburg Gazette have been indexed. 1791-1799 Potomac Guardian (incomplete); 1802-1808 Berkeley and Jefferson Intelligencer (incomplete); 1810-1855 Martinsburg Gazette; 1849-1955 Shepherdstown Register; 1874-1906 Martinsburg Statesman; 1882-1893 Morgan Mercury; 1885-1912 The News (Berkeley Springs); 1909-1912 Spirit of Jefferson; 1926-1971 Martinsburg Journal
Many photographs of Berkeley County families are available; an index has been created for researchers to use. Miscellaneous Letters of Dr. A.C. Hammond (Falling Waters area), 1848-1898 National Register of Historic Places inventory and nominations (In file cabinet) Historical Society Journals The Berkeley Journal Old Martinsburg Journal files (roughly 1930 to 1960) -much biographical information (records in a couple of file cabinets.) Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society |
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