Nearly all of my family lived in the rugged mountains of southern West Virginia, primarily in the counties of Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Fayette, Nicholas and Kanawha. For the most part, they were simple farmers, but starting in the late 1800s, coal mining and railroading became more common as occupations. Their origins were largely English, Scottish and Irish; a number of Dutch and German families settled here as well, coming mainly from the Shenandoah Valley.
The following links take you to descendant genealogies of the earliest known ancestor of each line with substantial families in West Virginia.
| Family | Description | Version |
| ALDERSON | Descendants of the Rev. John Alderson, b. 1699 Yorkshire, England, d. 1780 Botetourt Co, VA. This is an extensive genealogy, and additional resources, such as census, marriage and birth data, can be found on the Alderson Cousins page. The genealogy of the "Northern Neck" Aldersons, Jesse Alderson, and the Aldersons of Pittsylvania Co, VA can be found here as well | 8
Jan 2024 |
| BIBB | Descendants of Martin Thomas Bibb (c1759-1821) of Amherst Co, VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| BLAKE | Descendants of George Blake of Greenbrier and Fayette Cos, WV | 8 Jan 2024 |
| BOOTHE | Descendants of George Boothe, b. 1737, NY, d. 1813, Montgomery Co., VA. George lived in Dutchess Co., NY and migrated to Montgomery Co., VA by 1787. His wife was Permelia "Millie" Wright(?) | 8 Jan 2024 |
| BRAGG | Descendants of Joseph Bragg, b. ca 1756, d. bef. 1809, of Pendleton and Greenbrier Cos, (W) VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| BURDETTE/BURDETT | Early Monroe Co., (W)Va Burdettes. Descendants of John Burdette, early Greenbrier Co, VA settler, who died after 1792 | 8 Jan 2024 |
| BURGESS | Descendants of James Burgess, bc 1790, d. 1852, of Bedford Co, VA and Fayette Co, WV | 8 Jan 2024 |
| DEHART | Descendants of Abraham Dehart, b. ca 1755, PA, d. ca 1834, Monroe Co., VA. Abraham was a Revolutionary soldier. I have added a discussion of the various misidentifications of Abraham's parents and wife, and a summary of the known events in his life | 8 Jan 2024 |
| DOOLEY/ROLLYSON | New results of DNA study of the
descendants of George Whitfield Dooley indicate his biological
father was James Patterson Rollyson of Monroe Co, WV. This
genealogy combines the descendants of James & Comfort
Rollyson with those of Henry Whitfield Dooley, of Bedford Co, VA
and later Monroe Co (W)V, who enlisted in the Confederate Army
and later moved to Missouri |
8 Jan 2024 |
| FRIDLEY | Descendants of George Fridley, b. 1731, d. 1814, Rockingham Co, VA (includes descendants of Ludwig Fridley, d. 1748 Augusta Co, VA) | 8 Jan 2024 |
| HEDRICK | Descendants of Henry Hedrick, d. 1800, Greenbrier Co, (W) VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| JOHNSON | Descendant of William W. S. Johnson, b. ca 1793, VA, d. 1849 Greenbrier Co, VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| JOHNSON | Descendants of William Johnson, b. 1755, d. 1805, pioneer settler of Kanawha Co. (later Nicholas Co), VA, and Revolutionary War veteran . His descendants settled in Nicholas, Fayette, and Kanawha Cos., WV | 8 Jan 2024 |
| LAREW | Descendants of Jacob Larew, d. 1816 Augusta Co, VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| POFF | Descendants of John Poff of Floyd Co, VA; and WV branches | 8 Jan 2024 |
| SCOTT | Descendants of Joseph Scott of Giles Co., VA and possibly Frederick Co, MD, from ca 1765 (5 Generations: later generations of the descendants of Talitha Cumi Scott can be found in Poff) | 8 Jan 2024 |
| SIMS | Descendants of James Sims (1754-ca. 1845) of Nicholas Co, (W)VA, including an extensive biography of James Sims by Cathy Meder-Dempsey | 8 Jan 2024 |
| TATUM | Descendants of Wiley Tatum, b. ca. 1800, d. 1875, of Orange Co, NC and Fayette Co, WV | 8 Jan 2024 |
| TINGLER | Descendants of Jacob Tingler, b. c1786, d. 1868, Alleghany Co, VA | 8 Jan 2024 |
| TREADWAY | Descendants of Jesse Treadway, b. ca. 1800, VA, d. after 1880 in Fayette Co, WV | 8 Jan 2024 |
| UPTON | Descendants of Lloyd Upton, b. ca. 1774, MD, d. July 1859, Mercer Co., VA (later Summers Co., WV) | 8 Jan 2024 |
| WITHROW | Descendants of Robert Withrow (died before 1800) of Greenbrier Co, VA, including discussion of the source of the erroneous "Robert Watchers Withrow" | 8 Jan 2024 |
| DATABASE | Everyone in database
excluding living persons (some undocumented early lines may be
speculative) |
8 Jan 2024 |
| Restricted | 8 Jan 2024 |