Clinton County, New YorkEdit This Page

• 7 March 1788: Set off from Washington County.^[1]

Neighboring Counties

Boundary Changes

• 1 March 1799: Essex County set off
• 3 March 1805: part taken to form Saint Lawrence County.
• 1801: a part transferred to Oneida County.
• 11 March 1808: west part of the county set off to form Franklin County.

Record Loss

Clinton 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.

Clinton County Tombstone Transcription Project

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

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.

Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

• 1938–1941 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Champlain District. FHL film 1961 Item 7
  

Quakers

• Frost, Josephine S.C. Quaker meeting records, state of New York: Ulster County, Columbia County, Albany County, Clinton County Other Libraries; FHL Book 974.733 K28

Roman Catholic

• 1762–1876 Registres Paroissiaux FHL films 1031559–1 FHL films 1031635–8 Quebec Catholic Parish Registers. Has Baptisms, marriages, burials, and confirmations. Record data is in French. Digital indexed version available at FamilySearch
  

• 1864–1881 Virginia Easley DeMarce, Baptisms and Burials: St. Edmund's, Ellenburg, New York, St. Philomene's, Churubusco, New York, St. James, Cadyville, New York, Clinton County, 1864-1881 (Plattsburgh, N.Y. (P.O. Box 1256, Plattsburgh 12901): The Society, 1990). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.754 K2c.Includes indexes to godfathers, godmothers, and maiden names of mothers. Includes notes from cemetery, St. James, Cadyville.
  

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Clinton 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 Records

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

• 1789–1847 Proceedings FHL film 863414–5
  

• 1824–1900 Lis pendens FHL film 863426(first of 5 films) Includes index.

Directories

Hamilton Child, Gazetteer and Directory of Franklin and Clinton Counties: With an Almanac for 1862-3, Embracing the Names of Business Men, County Officers, Distances, Interest Tables, Census Returns, and Much Other Valuable Statistical Information (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1987). At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL fiche 6061886. Includes index.

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

Gazetteers

Hamilton Child, Gazetteer and Directory of Franklin and Clinton Counties: With an Almanac for 1862-3, Embracing the Names of Business Men, County Officers, Distances, Interest Tables, Census Returns, and Much Other Valuable Statistical Information (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1987). At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL fiche 6061886. Includes index.

Genealogy

Rootsweb message board for Clinton county 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.

Guardianship

• 1830–1969 Guardian records indexFHL film 874599 Item 1
  

• 1830–1907 Guardian records FHL films 862401–2
  

• 1885–1921 Miscellaneous civil records FHL film 863411
  

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

Online

Microforms

• 1788-1966 Deed Records 1788-1900 FHL film 866941 (first of 111 films) - Index included: 1788-1966
  
• 1788-1855 Mortgage Records FHL film 866951 (first of 15 films - Index included: 1788 - 1855
  
• 1824-1900 Lis Pendens FHL film 863426 (first of 5 films - Index included: 1824 - 1900
  

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Clinton 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.)

• 1739-1802 - Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802, courtesy: Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($)
  

• 1788–1966 Deed records index FHL film 866941 (first of 20 films)
  

• 1788–1900 Deed records FHL film 866345(first of 91 films)
  

• 1788–1855 Mortgage records and index FHL film 866951 (first of 15 films)
  

• 1824–1900 Lis pendens FHL film 863426(first of 5 films) Includes index.
  

Additional resources

Additional resources for Clinton County, New York land records may be found in the Clinton County, New York – Land 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.

Maps

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Clinton County for European settlers included:^[4]

• Hudson River pre-historic
• Lake Champlain pre-historic
• Lake Champlain Trail pre-historic
• Champlain Canal 1823
• Erie Canal 1825
• Chambly Canal and the Richelieu River 1843

Military

War of 1812

Riddlell, William Renwick, A Canadian's view of the battle of Plattsburgh ; a Canadian's view of the battle of New Orleans ; the century of peace and its significance (Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1987) pages 42.

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: Altona, Au Sable, Beekmantown, Black Brook, Champlain, Chazy, Dannemora, Ellenburgh, Mooers, Peru, Plattsburgh, Saranac, and Schuyler Falls.

Regiments. Service men in Warren County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.^[5]

- 118th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 153rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 175th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalizations and Citizenship

Clinton County, New York Clerk's Office. Originals are at the The National Archives at New York City (Northeast Region)
Records include:

• Index to Petitions for Naturalization, 1851-1906 - ItalianGen.org 1865-1906; German Genealogy Group 1865-1906
  
• Petitions for Naturalization, 1851-1906
  

Newspapers

Search historic Clinton County newspapers 1811 - to present at Northern New York Historical Newspapers

• Cardinal Points of SUNY Plattsburgh 1940-2006 
• Plattsburgh Daily Press 1931-1942 
• Plattsburgh Press-Republican 1942-1992 
• The Press Republican - 2007 to the present
• Plattsburgh Republican 1811-1820
• Plattsburgh Sentinel 1866-1931

Obituary

Periodicals

Central New York Genealogical Society has indexed Tree Talks periodicals according to counties, surnames, and given names. Use this index online to search for ancestors in the Clinton County area.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the Clinton 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. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 488. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ Handybook, 478, and in Wikipedia contributors, "Clinton County, New York" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_County,_New_York (accessed 13 October 2011), and Detailed Ontario Map and Quebec Map of Towns and Counties for Genealogy, circa 1957 at http://web.archive.org/web/20090321052657/http://www.westol.com/~beaurega/map.htm (accessed 13 October 2011), and Marc Albert Schindler, "South Shore Montréal" in Administrative Atlas of Canada, vol. II, Quebec (Gloucester, Ontario: Schindler-Spring Family Association, 1987), 6b, FHL Film 1750799; Book 971 E7sm v. 2.
3. ↑ Arlene Eakle, and Johni Cerni, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1984), 103. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27ts.
4. ↑ Handybook, 847-61.
5. ↑ Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912). Internet Archive digital copy; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 1486494-96; Fiche 6083559-64; Book 974.7 M2p.
6. ↑ Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004.
7. ↑ Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

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

• 1787-1835 – Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes Clinton County, New York.^[1]
  
• 1790–1969 – Probate Records FHL film 874599 Item 2 (19 films) Indexes are at the beginning of each volume. Includes letters testamentary and of administration, guardianships, orders and decrees, dower books, real estate sales, and minutes.
  
• 1807-1902 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1807–1902 – Will books FHL film 863416 (10 films)
  

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 - Clinton County: Decrees, Orders, 1842-1882; Dower records, 1807-1873; Guardianship records, 1830-1890; Letter index, 1807-1969; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1790-1908; Letters of guardianship index, 1830-1969; Minutes, 1856-1901; Sales, 1849-1886; Wills, 1807-1902

Probate Records on Microfilm

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

• 1790-1969 Probate records FHL Film 864276 (19 films)
• 1807-1902 Records of wills FHL Film 863416 (10 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Clinton 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. New York Historical Resources Center, Guide to Historical Resources in Clinton County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987).ExLibris digital copy - free; At various libraries; FHL Book 974.754 A3g Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Clinton Essex Franklin Library System consists of 34 public libraries in the counties of Clinton, Essex, and Franklin.  Each library has access to genealogical databases - especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home.  A list of the libraries in this system and their website and contact information is found here.

Essex County Historical Society
Brewster Memorial Research Library and Archives
Adirondack History Center Museum
7590 Court Street
P.O. Box 428
Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Phone: 518-873-6466
Open by appointment only Cemetery index, special collection library, some census on microfilm, maps, photographs, newspaper collection, and biographies.

Feinberg Library
SUNY Plattsburgh
101 Broad St.
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: 518-564-2000
The Special Collections room in the Feinberg library contains many letters, papers, and photographs for several families and businesses. It also includes school records and Civil War letters. Includes manuscript guides for the collections.

County Historian's Office

Clinton County Historian
Anastasia Pratt
Clinton County Government Center
137 Margaret Street, Suite 105
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9 - 5 and by special appointment
Phone: 518-565-4749
Email: Historian@co.clinton.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 Clinton County Clerk's office has divorce records, land records and the state census. The Surrogate court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Clinton County are held, see the Clinton County Courthouse page.

Family History Libraries

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 Clinton county is the Plattsburgh New York Family History Center. For additional Family History Centers, search this online FHC directory.

Societies

Northern New York American Canadian Genealogical Society
15 Vine Street
P.O. Box 1256
Keeseville, NY 12944
Phone: 518-834-5401

Primarily a French Canadian collection. Church records, censuses, allied genealogical societies publications, genealogies, histories, cemetery records, and parish marriages in Quebec.

Central New York Genealogical Society^[2]
Box 104, Calvin Station
Syracuse, New York 13205
E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com

Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 B2t) quarterly with annual index.

Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)
• Clinton County Historical Association - Facebook.
• Clinton Historical Society - Facebook.
• Clinton Historical - 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.

• 1811-2006 Northern NY Library Network Newspaper Search. Includes Cardinal Points (1940-2006), North Countryman (1928-1982), Plattsburgh Daily Press (1894-1942), Plattsburgh Press-Republican (1942-1998), Plattsburgh Republican (1811-1942), and Plattsburgh Sentinel (1866-1931) - free.
  

• 1881-1894 Plattsburgh Morning Telegram Newspaper Index - 1881-1894 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

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 Clinton County clerk starting in 1909 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.
  

• 1908–1935 Marriage Record Index FHL film 863407-8
  

• 1908–1926 Marriage Record FHL film 863409-410
  

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.
  

• 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfq. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 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."
  

• 1830–1880 Benoît Pontbriand, Mariages, 1830-1880, comté de Clinton, New York = Marriages, 1830-1880, Clinton County, New York (Sillery [Quebec]: B. Pontbriand, 1984). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.754 K2p Contains transcription of church records from the following localities: Plattsburgh (1830) Cooperville (1843) Ausable Forks (1849) Keeseville (1849) Redford (1853) Rouses Point (1856) Champlain (1860) Dannemora (1860) Mooers Forks (1861) Cadyville (1861) Ellensburg (1869) Churubusco (1872). In both English and French.
  

• 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.
  

• 1864–1881 Virginia Easley DeMarce, Baptisms and burials: St. Edmund's, Ellenburg, New York, St. Philomene's, Churubusco, New York, St. James, Cadyville, New York, Clinton County, 1864-1881 (Plattsburgh, N.Y. (P.O. Box 1256, Plattsburgh 12901): The Society, 1990). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.754 K2c.Includes indexes to godfathers, godmothers, and maiden names of mothers. Includes notes from cemetery, St. James, Cadyville.
  

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

• 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2bfq. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

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

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

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Clinton County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Clinton– 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

Clinton County New York Places

Clinton County New York Genealogy Websites

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

Clinton County New York Genealogy References

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