Titles arranged by time periods:

Hampshire County, West Virginia, 1754-2004,
published by the Hampshire County 250th Anniversary Committee. Hardbound, 262 pages, 50 illustrations, fully indexed. Over 80 authors have written on a wide range of topics about the history of the county from prehistory to recent times. Click here for ordering information. - may be available from www.FortEdwards.org

Colonial times:

Frontier Forts Along the Potomac and Its Tributaries, by William Ansel [a well documented reference to colonial Virginia frontier forts, the work does have some mistakes as certian types of records were not researched and this subject is a very difficult one to get contemporary, authoritative information on; no other work covers the subject as extensively.]

History of Hampshire County, West Virginia, From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present; by Hu Maxwell and H. L. Swisher; A. Brown Boughner, Morgantown, WV, 1897 (reprinted by McClain Printing Company, Parsons, WV, 1972) [This is the most important and complete history of the county; although much of the information is anecdotal, no researcher can afford to overlook this source.  Covers periods from earliest days to late 1800s.]

A History of the Valley of Virginia by Samuel Kercheval, Woodstock, Va., 1850 [This is one of the most important sources for research on the colonial Virginia northern frontier; although much of the information is anecdotal, it does contain information and stories found no where else. Kercheval was broadly copied by later authors.]

Capon Valley: Its Pioneers and Descendants, 1698-1940; by Maud Pugh; originally published in two volumes in 1946 and 1948. (republished as a single indexed volume) [Miss Pugh often refers to items for which no current documents are available; although her work has some of the mistakes and inconsistencies of early genealogies and anecdotal histories, her work is among the most important sources for Hampshire County genealogies and family histories. Preface has wonderful description of North River Mills.]

George Washington and the Virginia Backcountry; ed. by Warren Hofstra; Madison House Publishers, Madison, WI, 1998 [This is a new book which deals in depth with the area of Hampshire County in Washington's day and his effect on it and its effect on him. There are two chapters of special interest: one on Washington the surveyor and the other on Washington's experience as Commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War.]

For King and Country, George Washington, the Early Years;  by Thomas A. Lewis;  John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, 1993.  [A very good indepth look at George Washington's years in Hampshire County first as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax and then as commander of the Virginia Regiment during the early years of the French and Indian War.]
 
 

Civil War era:

Hanging Rock Rebel; ed by Dan Oates; Pearsall Press, Romney, WV, 1994. [A new publication of Lt. John Blue's recollections of his experiences in Hampshire County as a Confederate spy. He mentions many people and places of his day.]

Romney in the Civil War; by C. H. Ambler; a manuscript in the West Virginia Archives. [Available in the Romney Library; in depth look at actions in Romney during the War of the Rebellion.]

Stonewall Jackson's Romney Campaign, January 1 - February 20, 1862; by Thomas M. Rankin; H. E. Howard, Inc., Lynchburg, Virginia, 1994. [New publication covers this campaign in detail.]

The Devastating Hand of War: Romney, West Virginia During the Civil War; by Richard A. Sauers; The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War, Shepherdstown, WV, 2000. ISBN 0-9628218-7-X [This book available from the Fort Mill Ridge Foundation (304)822-4320 or http://www.hampshirereview.com/CountryStore/books.htm]

Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade; by John O. Casler; Press of Morningside Bookshop; Dayton, Ohio, 1982 [first published in 1893; second enlarged and corrected edition published in 1906; the current reprint has added numerous informative footnotes to corroborate or correct the original manuscript. Casler enlisted at Springfield and served in most of Jackson's Romney campaign; he offers names of local persons and identifies locations in Hampshire County.]

Dear Ester: Civil War Letters of Private Aungier Dobbs, Centerville, Pennsylvania, Company "A", The Ringgold Cavalry Company, 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, June 29, 1861 to October 31, 1865; by Ralph Haas; Closson Press, Apollo, Pennsylvania, 1991.
 
 

Public Records and Genealogical Resources:

Early Marriages, Western Frederick Co., Virginia, Eastern Hampshire; by Grace K. Garner and Ralph L. Tripplett; privately published, 1975.

Early Records: Hampshire County Virginia, Now West Virginia; by Clara Sage McCormick and Laura Sage Jones; [originally published 1939] Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1969. [information from wills, grants, deeds, marriage records, census and pensions]

Historical Records of Old Frederick and Hampshire Counties, Virginia; by Wilmer L. Kerns; Heritage Books, Revised edition pub by Heritage Books, Baltimore, 1992. [Contains extensive genealogical information on early Hampshire County families. Dr. Kerns has other books available and earlier editions of this work.]

Frederick County, Virginia: Settlement and Some First Families of Back Creek Valley, 1730-1830; by Wilmer L. Kerns; Gateway Press, Inc, Baltimore, 1995.

Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, compiled by Gertrude E. Gray; Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987.

Western Frederick and Eastern Hampshire Counties; by Grace Kelso Garner; 1978

Pioneers of Old Frederick County, Virginia; by Cecil O'Dell; Walsworth Publishing Company, Marceline, Missouri, 1995

Virginia Public Claims: Hampshire County; comp. By Janice L. Abercrombie and Richard Slatten; Ibeian Publishing Company, Athens, Georgia, [no date] [contains abstracts of claims filed in Hampshire County court covering a period from about 1778 to about 1782.]

The Personal Property Tax Lists for the Year 1787 for Hampshire County, Virginia [now West Virginia]; by Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love; Genealogical Books in Print, Springfield, VA, 1987.

Hampshire County Records Available on Microfilm; comp. by Charles C. Hall; privately printed, 1994. [This is a compilation made from the Family History Library Catalog of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; it is indexed for easy reference. Items available in the Hampshire County Library are marked. Most of the items in this bibliography and other public records of Hampshire County are included the referenced microfilm collection.]

West Virginians in the American Revolution; comp. by Ross B. Johnson; Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1997.

Cemeteries of Hampshire County, W. Va. And Vicinity; by Ralph L. Triplett; pub by James M. Secord, Kimberly, Ohio, 1974 [Typed manuscript of cemetery listings for many sites of Hampshire County;Bound printing by Dan Oates available from the Hampshire Review: www.HampshireReview.com]

Hampshire County Minute Book Abstracts; Vicki Bidinger Horton; The Hampshire Review, Romney, 1994

Hampshire County Death Records; Vicki Bidinger Horton; The Hampshire Review, Romney, 1993

Springfield District Cemeteries of Hampshire County, WV; Vicki Bidinger Horton; The Hampshire Review, Romney, 1993

Hampshire County Personal Property Tax Lists; Vicki Bidinger Horton; The Hampshire Review, Romney, 1995

An index of the estate records in the basement of the Hampshire County court house from 1754 to 1870, with a partial index from 1870 through 1884; by William H Rice; pub by W.H. Rice, Elkins, WV, 2000.

Hampshire & Hardy Counties, (W) Va., abstracts : Hampshire County, wills, 1780-1794, deeds, 1757-1786 : Hardy County, wills, 1786-1824, deeds, 1786-1800; by Larry G Shuck; Closson Press, Apollo, PA, 1996.

Hampshire County (Virginia), West Virginia will abstracts : 1758-1899; by Connie Jean Casilear; pub by C.J. Casilear, Winchester, VA (P.O. Box 611, Winchester 22604), ©1996.

Hampshire County, [West] Virginia personal property tax lists, 1782-1799; by T.L.C. Genealogy; pub by T.L.C. Genealogy, Miami Beach, Florida, 1990.

Hampshire County (Virginia), West Virginia marriages : 1865-1899; by Connie Jean Casilear; C.J. Casilear (P.O. Box 611, Winchester 22604), Winchester, Virginia, 1996.

Hampshire County (Virginia), West Virginia births : 1865-1889; by Connie Jean Casilear; pub by C.J. Casilear (P.O. Box 611, Winchester 22604), Winchester, Virginia, 1996.

Hampshire County court records, 1754-1885: index to microfilmed records; by West Virginia Archives and History Library; West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Archives and History Library, Charleston, WV 2001.

Hampshire County (Virginia), West Virginia deaths : 1866-1894; by Connie Jean Casilear; pub by C.J. Casilear (P.O. Box 611, Winchester 22604), Winchester, Virginia, 1996.

Hampshire County marriages of the 1800s; by Vicki Bidinger Horton; Hampshire Review, Romney, WV, 1994.

Hampshire County, West Virginia Surnames & Researchers; by Vicki Bidinger Horton; pub by V.B. Horton, Green Spring, WV, 1994

The personal property tax lists for the year 1787 for Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia); by Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florene Speakman Love; Genealogical Books in Print, Springfield, Va., 1987.

Marriages and deaths : Mill Creek District, Hampshire County, West Virginia; ??; Owl Print, Romney, W. Va., [1924]

 
 

Other sources and books of interest:

Historic Romney, 1762-1937; sponsored by The Town Council; Romney, 1937. [Deals primarily with the Town of Romney.]

Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders: An Appalachian Mountain Ecology; by George Constantz; Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, MT, 1994 [Very readable and informative insight into the eastern deciduous forest and the natural flora and fauna therein.]

Capon Valley Sampler: Sketches fo Appalachia from George Washington to Caudy Davis; by Willard Wirtz; Bartleby Press, Silver Spring, Maryland, 1990

What to See and Do in the Lost River and South Branch Valleys; by Nancy Powell; Lost River, 1997.

A Colonial Feast in Capon Bridge; by Roberta Munske & Charles Hall; The Fort Edwards Foundation, Capon Bridge, 1997 [A collection of delights that local history buffs have brought to the famous Colonial Feast sponsored by the Foundation; sales help preserve and interpret the site of Joseph Edwards home and fort.]

Note: Hanging Rock Rebel
Frontier Forts Along the Potomac
A Colonial Feast in Capon Bridge
Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders
may be available at the Hampshire Review at 25 S. Grafton St. in Romney (www.hampshirereview.com) or at the Hampshire County Library on West Main St. across from the Rite Aid.

 
 

For further information see:

The official records of Robert Dinwiddie, Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony of Virginia, 1751-1758. First printed from the manuscript in the collections of the Virginia Historical Society, by R. A. Brock. Richmond, The Society, 1883-84. New York, AMS Press

First Biennial Report of the Department of Archives and History of the State of West Virginia; by Virgil A. Lewis; Charleston, The Tribune Printing Company, 1906.

Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, compiled by Gertrude E. Gray; Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1987.