A Guide to the West Virginia Vital Statistics compiled by the Virginia Dept. of Health, 1853-1863 West Virginia Vital Statistics compiled by the Virginia Dept. of Health, 1853-1863
38788
A Collection in the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 38788
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia 800 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000 USA Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference) Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference) Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives) URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/
Virginia Dept. of Health. West Virginia Vital Statistics, 1853-1863. Accession 38788, State government records collection,
The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Acquisition Information
Details of acquisition unknown.
Alternative Form Available
Available on microfilm. Please note: the original materials from which the microfilm was created are in extremely poor condition.
The microfilm represents the best image that can be achieved considering the condition of the original records.
The Medical Society of Virginia, formed in 1870, sponsored a bill to create a State Board of Health and Vital Statistics to
supervise sanitation matters and to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. This bill was enacted into law by the General
Assembly on February 13, 1872, but no funding was provided the Board, which functioned intermittently until 1896. The General
Assembly passed an act on March 3, 1896, establishing and funding the Board of Health. An act passed on March 7, 1900, created
local boards of health in every country and city and gave the State Board authority over them.
The position of Commissioner of Health was established as the executive officer of the Board of Health by an act of the General
Assembly passed on March 14, 1908. The State Government Reorganization Act passed by the General Assembly on April 18, 1927,
created the Department of Health under the aegis of the State Board of Health.
The Department serves as the administrative arm of the Board of Health under the supervision of the State Health Commissioner
and is responsible to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. It continues to exercise its major functions of controlling
sanitation problems and limiting the spread of communicable diseases through a "comprehensive program of preventative, curative,
restorative, and environmental health services." It is also responsible for the education of the public in matters of health,
the keeping of vital records and health statistics, the licensure of health facilities, and the general protection of the
public health. The Department of Health includes the following offices: Center for Quality Health Care, Office of Emergancy
Medical Services, Environmental Helath Services, Epidemiology, Family Health Services, Medical Examiner, Primary Care, Vital
Records, Vital Statistics, and Water Programs.
The state of West Virginia was formed on 13 May 1862 and consisted of the following fifty counties that were formerly in Virginia:
Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock,
Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Marion, McDowell, Mercer, Monongalia, Monroe,
Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Taylor, Tucker,
Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood and Wyoming.
Contains registers of births, deaths and marriages of counties in Virginia that were later incorporated into West Virginia
in 1863. Birth Registers include: date of birth, name, color, and sex of the child, place of birth, father's name, occupation
and residence, name of mother, any deformities or circumstances of interest, and the source of the information. Death registers
include: full name, race, and sex of the deceased, date, place and cause of death, name of parents, birthdate and occupation
of the deceased, name of the coroner and the source of the information. Marriage registers include: date and place of the
marriage, full names of husband and wife, age and condition, place of their births, place of residence, names of their parents,
occupations, and the name of the person performing the ceremony.
Unfortunately, most of these records are incomplete with gaps in coverage from county to county. In particular, please note
that the birth registers for McDowell County are absent from the collection.
Note that some of the documents are in poor condition, including illegible text due to faded ink.
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