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Chenango County New York Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

• 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.
  

Biography

Cemeteries

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Links to web sites with partial lists, maps and the interred of Chenango County, New York, USA cemeteries.

• Partial list of Chenango County Cemeteries with links to lists of the interred on New Horizons Genealogy, dedicated to New England and New York cemeteries pre-1940.
• Partial list of Chenango County Cemeteries at the NY Hometown Locator, a gazetteer web site with maps. Additions are welcomed.

Census

For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal

U.S. Census Mortality Schedules for New York, 1850-1880:

• Available online at Ancestry ($).
• Deaths are included for the 12 months prior to the census, 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, and 1879-80 beginning 1 June and ending 31 May of the census year.^[3]
• Basic contents of the records include: Name, sex, age, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. 1870 also has parents' birthplace. 1880 lists how long a resident of the county.
• Also on FHL Films 1415128–42 which can be ordered through any Family History Center.

• The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.
  

State

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

• Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.
• Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.
• Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.
• Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.
• 1865 deaths of officers and enlisted men entry content: Name, age, marital status, citizenship status, enlistment date, original regiment, original rank, regiment at death, rank at death, promotions, death date and place, manner of death, surviving associates, and burial place.
• Also on microfilm. See the Family History Library line in the above State Census Chart. These can be ordered through any Family History Center.

Church Records

Church records are good substitutes for birth, marriage, and death information and are most often found on a local city/town or county level.  Published and manuscript church records can be found at public, university, and private libraries.

For a brief general history of denominations and a guide to finding various New York denomination's records, see New York Church Records Wiki page.

• Unpublished cemetery & church records for Chenango County. collected and compiled by Genealogical Committee Capt. John Harris Chapter FHL film 860334 Item 1

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Chenango County, New York Church Records  in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).

Court

Ancestors may have also been involved in municipal, state, or federal court cases. See also New York Court Records and United States Court Records.

Directories

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

Gazetteers

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Chenango County, New York has many information threads about families that resided in that county. There is a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.

History

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Chenango County, New York began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

• 1798-1969 Deed Records: 1798-1905 FHL film 811830 (first of 158 films) - Index included: 1798-1769
  
• 1798-1899 Mortgage Records 1798 - 1861 FHL film 819898 (first of 24 films - Index included: 1798 - 1899
  

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Chenango County, New York deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• Family History Library Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps

• Map of Chenango County Townships (from Chenango County Government Site)

Migration

Early migration routes for European settlers to and from Chenango County, New York included:^[4]

• Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Unadilla, New York
• Catskill Turnpike, trail 1760s; turnpike 1804, from Catskill, New York to Bath, New York with extensions to Buffalo, New York, or Erie, Pennsylvania
• Ulster and Delaware Turnpike (or Jericho, or Esopus Turnpike^[5]) 1804 from Kingston, New York to Bainbridge, New York

Military

Civil War

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

Access. The original registers are at the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. Microfilm copies are found at the Family History Library (FHL Film 1993401-37) and can be ordered for viewing at your local Family History Center. They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Afton · Columbus · Coventry · German · Lincklaen · McDonough · New Berlin · North Norwich · Norwich · Otselic · Oxford · Pharsalia · Pitcher · Plymouth · Preston · Sherburne · Smithville · Smyrna.

Regiments. Service men in Chenango County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Broome County: ^[6]

- 17th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 17th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry

- 19th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 26th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 76th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 89th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 90th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 114th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 157th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry

- 168th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

SAMPUBCO Index of naturalization records

Newspapers

Obituaries

Periodicals

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the Chenango County, New York County Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives. See New York Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
Content:  Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types:  Wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distribution.

Probate Petitions

In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. ^{[7] [8]}

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the Chenango County Surrogate Court.
Online Probate Indexes

• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes Chenango County, New York.^[9]
  
• 1792-1901 - SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.
  
• 1797-1850 - Index of Wills of Chenango County, New York from 1797-1850, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  
• 1797-1850 - Barber, Gertrude A. Index of Wills of Chenango County, New York, From 1797-1850: Records are Kept at Norwich, Chenango Co., N.Y. New York: unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1851-1875 - Barber, Gertrude A. Index to Wills of Chenango County, N.Y.: At Surrogate's Office, Norwich, N.Y., 1851-1875. New York: unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

Online Probate Records

Original county-by-county New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971 are available free online at FamilySearch. To access these records, click Historical Records below, then click "Browse through 1,630,900 images". Then select the county name, and then the probate records and time of interest.

• Historical Records - Chenango County: Accounts, Orders, 1830-1859; Administration bonds, 1890-1915; Appraisal records, 1892-1902; Bond index, 1878-1915; Creditor notices, 1859-1910; Dower records, 1830-1848, 1863-1868; Estate index, 1798-1970; Final settlements, 1856-1913; Final settlements, Orders, 1871-1897; Guardianship bonds, 1890-1915; Guardianship records, 1814-1940; Letters of administration, 1811-1829, 1848-1904; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1830-1882; Letters of guardianship, 1860-1890; Letters of testamentary, 1890-1904; Minutes, Orders, 1830-1903; Orders, 1858-1909; Probate records, 1809-1912; Publication orders, 1884-1912; Sales, 1858-1901; Tax records, 1892-1907; Will and Proceeding index, 1798-1970; Wills, 1792-1901

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:

• 1798-1970 Probate records FHL Film 826040 (63 films).
• 1792-1922 Wills FHL Film 819856 (30 films).

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Chenango County, New York probate wills in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Family History Library Catalog (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Chenango County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1982). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.777 A3. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

County Historian's Office

Patricia E. Evans, Historian
Joan Lieb, Historical Research Assistant
45 Rexford Street
Norwich, NY 13815
Phone: (607)337-1845
E-mail: countyhistorian@co.chenango.ny.us

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Courthouses

The Chenango County Clerk's office holds marriage, divorce, court and land records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Chenango County are held, see the Chenango County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist in the study of genealogy.

The closest FHC in Chenango County is the Norwich New York Family History Center. For additional Family History Centers, search this online FHC directory.

Societies

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. For further details, try the links to individual town Wiki pages found in Places. See also:

• Gordon L. Remington, New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002). NEHGS online edition; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 D27r. Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk.

See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

Use substitute records for birth, marriage, and death information. These substitute records include Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

Vital Records of Chenango County, New York before 1880: Marriages, Births, Deaths from Original Sources (courtesy: NYGenWeb) combined information culled from several sources to provide vital record information.

Birth

Early births were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording births in 1881. Births were not recorded on the county level.

Birth Substitutes

• 1640–1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.
  

Marriage

Early marriages were sometimes recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). Town clerks continue to record marriages. Marriages were recorded by the Chenango County clerk starting in 1908 and go until 1935.

• 1664–1784 New York. Secretary of State, Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860). At Cornell University digital library-free; Internet Archive - free; Ancestry edition($); At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 514675 Item 1 or 930131 Item 2. Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.
  

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• 1908–1922 Marriage records, and licenses FHL film 1023091(first of 7 films)
  

• 1908–1935 Chenango Co., New York, marriage record FHL film 819843(first of 6 films)
  

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
  

• 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  

• 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1813-1850 10,000 Vital Records of Central New York at World Vital Records ($).

• 1822-1906 Miscellaneous Chenango Marriage Notices at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1840-1841 Chenango Marriages from Chenango Telegraph at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1840-1869 Marriage Records, Chenango Telegraph 1840-1869 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1853-1878 Death & Marriage Notices from the Oneonta Herald at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browseable.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

Divorce

Divorce judgment papers often include date and place of the marriage and the names and birthdates of any children. Local newspapers may publish notices of divorce actions.

Death

Early deaths were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording deaths in 1881. Deaths were not recorded on the county level.

Death Substitutes

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
  

• 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

• 1822-1904 Miscellaneous Chenango Obituary Notices at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
  

• 1853-1878 Death & Marriage Notices from the Oneonta Herald at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browseable.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
  

• 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
  

• 1880s-1920s Selected Obituaries Chenango and Madison County at NYGenWeb - free.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Chenango County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Chenango– Vital Records topic page of the Family History Library Catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Voting Registers

Chenango County New York Places

Chenango County New York Genealogy Websites

• The Chenango County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chenango County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chenango County. (Mirror site)

Chenango County New York Genealogy References

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