The West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s Archives and History Section has been posting birth, marriage, and death data, as well as images, at their website for some time. They now have over 5 million records indexed and available for searching – and even viewing of the record books themselves. The records I have viewed are all images of data kept in the vital records books. These are not certificates, as far as I can tell. Keep in mind that many certificates are made “after the fact” from records transcribed from books. The records are from all 55 counties. This is a work is process. The numbers of records available are massive – but by no means complete.
UPDATE – Jan. 1, 2010: – Becky Jamison left a note wherein she stated that she has found “certificates” on the site. She used them at her “Grace and Glory” blog site on December 29, 2009. Take a look.
At search website for births, marriages, and deaths, the researcher will find an alphabetical listing of the counties, with the dates covered by that vital record.
- Birth records start in 1790 and run through 1908.
- Marriage data as early as 1780 is available, with some as late as 1971.
- Death records start as early as 1835 and currently run down to 1970.
Searching on the surname, Cornett, I found the following:
- 10 Cornett births
- Cornett Marriages – 59 Grooms
- Cornett Marriages – 1 Bride
- 100 Cornett Deaths
Search for your ancestors in the West Virginia Vital Records Databases.
This is a great resource, Leland. Thanks for writing about it. I’ve used it for the last few days and have been able to find and print many ACTUAL DEATH CERTIFICATES. I posted a story last week in my blog about two of my husband’s grandaunts who each died at age 21. I discovered by finding their death certificates at this site that they each died of tuberculosis (1919 and 1925). Thanks again, Leland! Happy New Year.
I have been using this site for several years and the information is invaluable. I just wish other states would do more of this. And to make it free is a gift. I have many WV relatives and this site has changed much of my research. In many cases parents are listed on death certificates. Bravo for WV!
The records presented here sometimes vary from one county to another. Some are “book listings” but many/most of the later death certificates are individual certificates.
Example: for Flora Cornett who died in 1920 in McDowell County, there are two records listed in your example. The larger one 1455 kb is a “book listing”. The smaller one 99 kb is an actual death certificate. This record was filed a few days after Flora’s death.
For George Cornett in 1918 Ohio County, there are 3 records. One of them (919 kb) is a complete certificate with parents’ names.
So you may need to look at more than one record to find the best information.
Sharon