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Montgomery County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

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Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Map
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Montgomery County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S. highlighting Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
Facts
Founded September 10, 1784
County Seat Norristown
Courthouse
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Address Montgomery County Courthouse
P.O. Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311
Montgomery County Website
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Contents

Montgomery County Pennsylvania Historical Facts

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth
Marriage
Death
Deeds
Probate
1893
1885
1893
1784
1784
  • Parent Counties: Formed from Philadelphia County 10 September 1784. [1]
  • County Seat: Norristown
  • Neighboring Counties: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania residents may also have records in [2]Lehigh (north) • Berks (west) • Philadelphia (southeast)  • Delaware (south)  • Chester(southwest)  • Bucks (east)


Montgomery County was named for either Richard Montgomery, the American Revolutionary War general who was killed at Battle of Quebec in 1775 or for Montgomeryshire, Wales, from where much of early Welsh Quakers came from. The Quakers settled in the Welsh Tract. Early histories yielded nothing as to how the name came to be.


Boundary Changes

No counties were formed from Montgomery County.

Montgomery County Pennsylvania Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Cemeteries

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

Online Grave Transcripts Published Grave Transcripts County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com Family History Library Findagrave.com
Interment.net WorldCat Names in Stone
USGenWeb-transcripts
USGenWeb-tombstone photos 		Billion Graves
Pennsylvania Genealogy Epodunk
Pennsylvania Gravestones
Billion Graves
Names in Stone
Access Genealogy
Ancestry($)

See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information.

The Mennonite Heritage Center
565 Yoder Road
Harleysville PA 19438-1020
215-256-3020
library@mhep.org
Hours: Tuesday thru Friday, 10am–5pm, Saturday, 10am–2pm

The Cemetery Database at the Mennonite Heritage Center includes 86,000 burial records from 125 local cemeteries.  Records cover cemeteries in the counties of Berks, Bucks, Butler, Chester, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Westmoreland. The database provides transcriptions from Mennonite, Brethren, Lutheran, Reformed, Union, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, community, and private cemeteries. Search the list of cemeteries and the alphabetical surname lists in Adobe PDF format.

Visit the Mennonite Heritage Center to search the cemetery database by various criteria. The transcriptions are available for further research at the MHC library.

Census

For tips on accessing Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Federal (or United States) census records online, see: Pennsylvania Census.

There are no county or state census records available for Pennsylvania. County and city tax records can be used as a substitute when census records are not available.

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. In Pennsylvania, church records are often used as a substitute for birth, marriage, and death information. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, view the Pennsylvania Church Records wiki page.

Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

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

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational
Montgomery county pennsylvania churches.png
Contains the church records of:
  • Ambler: Calvary United Methodist Church; Trinity Episcopal Church
  • Anconia Township: Anconia Mennonite Cemetery Gravestone Inscriptions; Salford Mennonite Church
  • Ardmore: Methodist Episcopal Church; United Methodist Church
  • Barren Hill: St. Peter's Lutheran Church
  • Blue Bell: Boehm's Reformed Church (United Church of Christ)
  • Bridgeport: Christ Church
  • Collegeville: Skippack Brethren Cemetery; Trinity Christian Church; Trinity Reformed Cemetery
  • Conshohocken: Calvary Church; Calvary Episcopal Church
  • Eagleville: Lower Providence Presbyterian Church
  • East Greenville: New Goshenhoppen United Church of Christ
  • Elkins Park: Church of the Annunciation
  • Fairview: Riton Brethren Cemetery
  • Flourtown: David H. Kollock III Funeral Homes, Record Books; First Presbyterian Church
  • Franconia: Indian Creek Reformed Church
  • Harleysville: Vincent Mennonite Cemetery
  • Lansdale: Plains Mennonite Cemetery
  • Limerick: James Union Lutheran and Reformed
  • Lower Salford Township: Salford Mennonite Church
  • Marion: Westminster Cemetery Company
  • Montgomeryville: Montgomery Square United Methodist
  • New Hanover: New Hanover Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Norristown: Christ United Church of Christ; St. John's Episcopal Church; St. John's Episcopal Church (2)
  • Oaks: Germantown Ministry Church of the Brethren
  • Obelisk: St. Luke's Lutheran Church
  • Plymouth: Reverend L O Knipp Diary and Pastoral Record
  • Potts Grove: Presbyterian Church
  • Pottstown: Christ Episcopal Church; Trinity United Church of Christ
  • Prospectville: Prospectville Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Rockhill: Rockhill Mennonite Church
  • Roxborough: St. Timothy's Episcopal Church; St. Timothy's Protestant Episcopal Church [sic]
  • Schwenksville: Mennonite Cemetery
  • Skippack: Charles M. Pool Undertaker Records; Lower Skippack Mennonite Cemetery; Neutralist Newspaper; Upper Skippack Mennonite Cemetery; Warren G. Bean Ministerial Records
  • Towamencin Township: Towamencin Mennonite Cemetery Gravestone Inscriptions
  • Trappe: Frank W. Shalkop Undertaker Records
  • Upper Frederick Township: Riton Brethren Cemetery
  • Upper Hanover: Gehman Family Papers
  • Upper Providence: Providence Mennonite Cemetery
  • Worcester: Worcester Mennonite Cemetery
  • 1682-1800 - Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Montgomery County, 1682-1800. Washington, D.C.: Humphrey Pub., 1993. FHL Book 974.812 K2h.
Contains baptisms of Abington Friends Monthly Meeting, Lower Merion Friends, Abington Presbyterian Church, Gwynedd Friends Monthly Meeting, Lower Dublin or Pennypack Baptist, Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church at Trappe, New Goshenhoppen Reformed, St. Paul's Lutheran at Red Hill, New Hanover Lutheran, Falkner Swamp Reformed, Horsham Friends Monthly Meeting, Old Goshenhoppen Lutheran, Indian Creek Reformed, Indianfield Lutheran, St. Luke's Reformed at Trappe, Wentz's Reformed, Boehm's Reformed, Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church, St. Paul's Lutheran at Barren Hill, Trinity Reformed at Pottstown, St. Paul's Lutheran at Ardmore, St. John's Lutheran at Centre Square, Emanuel Lutheran at Pottstown, St. Peter's Lutheran in North Wales Township, St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal, Plymouth Friends Monthly Meeting, records of Rev. John Casper Stoever (Lutheran), and records of Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg (Lutheran).
Episcopalian

St. James's Church, Perkiomen

Early registers, which began in 1730, are lost. Surviving registers date from 1800.[4]

For a history, read:

  • Barrow, A.J. "St. James's, Perkiomen," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 19 (1895):87-95. For free online access, see WeRelate.

St. Thomas's Church, Whitemarsh

Early registers "were destroyed in the Revolution."[4]

Lutheran

Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trappe

Indianfield Lutheran Church, Franconia Township

Lutheran Church, New Hanover

  • 1745-1809 - Marriage Record of the Lutheran Church, New Hanover, Montgomery County, PA., 1748-1800 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Vol. 8, Part 7) at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.

Lutheran Church, Old Goshenhoppen

St. Peter's Yellow Church, North Wales Township

  • 1787-1856 - Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1787-1856: St. Peter's Yellow Church, North Wales Township at Ancestry ($). Births, marriages, deaths.
Methodist
  • 1920 - Directory, First Cheltenham Methodist Episcopal Church, Cheltenham, Pa. ... February, 1920 at Ancestry ($).
Presbyterian

Ashbourne Presbyterian Church, Elkins Park

Presbyterian Church, Abington

Reformed

Boehm's Reformed Church

Indian Creek Reformed Church

  • 1753-1851 - Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1753-1851: Indian Creek Reformed Church at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages.

Reformed Church, Falkner Swamp

  • 1748-1800 - Marriage Record of the Reformed Church, Falkner Swamp, Montgomery County, PA., 1748-1800 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Vol. 8, Part 6) at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.
  • 1748-1854 - Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1748-1854: Falckner Swamp Reformed Congregation at Ancestry ($). Births, marriages, deaths.

St. Paul's Memorial Church

  • Directory, St. Paul's Memorial Church ... Oaks, Pa. ... Lent, 1926 at Ancestry ($).

Trinity Reformed Church, Pottstown

  • 1770-1865 - Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1770-1865: Trinity Reformed Church of Pottstown at Ancestry ($). Births, marriages, deaths.

Court Records

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania court records are housed at the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Courthouse. For many counties copies of court records may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives and in the FamilySearch collection. Note that within these collections some films may contain the same records, but have different titles. Other titles are not duplicates. See Finding Court Records at other repositories within this section for links to the online catalogs for these two collections. Films at the Pennsylvania State Archives are not available for inter-library loan. If court records are available FamilySearch films may be ordered at a local Family History Center.

Court of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.[5]

Clerk of the Courts

The Clerk of Courts prepares and maintains the records for the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk signs and affixes the Seal of the Courts to all writs and processes, administers oaths and affirmations, and assumes custody of the seal and records of the Courts. The Clerk certifies and distributes orders of the Court. The Clerk also certifies and prepares bills of costs for the defendants and utilizes the computerized financial management system to disburse fines, costs and restitution.[6] For the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.

Prothonotary

The office of the Prothontary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, federal and local tax leins, city liens, family court, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, appeals to higher court, commercial code filings, applications for passports and divorce proceedings. See the Courthouse section on this page for the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Prothonotary office information.

Mark Levy, Prothonotary

Office of the Prothonotary
PO BOX 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311

Telephone: 610-278-3360

Orphan's Court (see Vital Records)

See Vital Records
The Orphans' Court is responsible for a wide range of matters. The name of the Court is derived from the more general definition of "orphan," that being a person or thing that is without protective affiliation or sponsorship. This would include those not capable of handling their own affairs, minors, incapacitated persons, decedents estates, nonprofit corporations and trusts. It is the role of the Court to ensure that the best interests of the person or entity are not compromised.

It is believed the name of this court was borrowed from the Court of Orphans of the city of London, England which had the care and guardianship of children of deceased citizens, in their minority.[7]

For Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Orphans' Court contact information see the Courthouse section on this page.

D. Bruce Hanes, Esq., Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans’ Court

One Montgomery Plaza 4th floor
Norristown PA 19404

Please send Mail to:
Montgomery County Register of Wills/Orphans' Court
Marriage License Department
P.O. Box 311
Norristown PA 19404-0311

Orphans' Court
610 278-3400

Marriage License
610 278-3414

Hours 8:30 am - 4:15 pm

Template:PA Court5

Emigration and Immigration

For information about emigration into Pennsylvania, see the Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration page.


Ethnic Groups

Germans

Gazetteers

  • United States Geographic Survey Place Names - GNIS for Montgomery County  (over 2000)
    (may not always be present in alphabetic order on first try.)

Genealogy

History

Published Histories

Land and Property

Land records in Montgomery County began in 1850. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Online Land Records

The Register and Recorder offers online access to land records (available years are unknown). The online indexes are free but fees apply for copies.

Land Record Abstracts

Land Records on Microfilm

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below also includes maps related to land ownership.

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Montgomery County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:

Maps

https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/b/b0/Montgomery_county_pennsylvania_townships.pngMontgomery county pennsylvania townships.png
About this image
Click the image to view an enlarged version


Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the 1868 Barnes' Driving Map of Philadelphia and Surroundings.  This wall map located in the Library of Congress shows major landowner and geographic sites at the date of publishing.  While the physcial maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially.  We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Migration

Military

Revolutionary War

Local newspapers published obituaries on many Montgomery County Revolutionary War veterans. Summers abstracted these records and his article is available for free online:

  • Summers, William. "Obituary Notices of Pennsylvania Soldiers of the Revolution," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 38 (1914):443-460. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. See Pennsylvania Naturalization for more information about the types of records and availability.

Naturalizations granted at the county level were kept by the office of the Prothonotary. Naturalizations could also be granted on the Federal Court level.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm

Finding Naturalization Indexes at Other Repositories

Additional naturalization indexes can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Montgomery County, Pennsylvania naturalization in online catalogs like:

Newspapers

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, historical/genealogical societies, college or university libraries, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published.

For information on state-wide newspapers see Pennsylvania Newspapers

Newspapers of Montgomery County

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

Online Newspaper Abstracts

Obituaries

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Tip
 Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local public library in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.

Online Obituary Abstracts

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts

Occupations

Indentured Servants

Periodicals

Poorhouse, Almshouse

Probate Records

Probate matters in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created. To obtain original probate records, contact the Orphan's Court in the County Courthouse.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates of decedents, incompetents, and minors; appointment and control of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills involving probate matters; inheritance tax appeals and various petitions and motions.

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

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

Online Probate Indexes

  • 1784-1850 - Williams, Richard T. Index of Wills & Estate Settlements, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1784-1850. Danboro, Pa.: R.T. and M.C. Williams, 1972. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Online Probate Records

Many original Montgomery County probate records are available free online as digital images at:

  • 1784-1973 – Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch.org - free. Includes Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Will Index (1784-1942), Will Books 1-34 (1784-1907); Administration Record Index (1784-1941); Estate Index A-Z (1784-1973); Orphan's Court Dockets Volumes 1-15 (1784-1866); Proceedings Index Volumes 1-45 (1784-1973).

Online Probate Record Abstracts

Original Probate Records on Microfilm

Repositories

Archives
  • The Pennsylvania Archives collection contains county archive records that can be searched onsite. Currently the Archives' staff cannot provide research or make copies of these records. Their collections include Almshouse Registers; Tax records; Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes and Records; Midwife records; African American records; Wills; Deeds; Naturalizations; Coroner's inquests; and Orphan's Court dockets. A list of the Archive's county holdings are on Microfilm or Manuscript form.
  • Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center, Library and Archive
    105 Seminary Street
    Pennsburg, PA 18073
    Phone: 215–679–3103
    info@schwenkfelder.com
    This organization has over "200 unpublished records from churches in  Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh and Bucks County, from the Schwenkfelder, Reformed, Lutheran, Mennonite, Brethren, and Roman Catholic congregations." It also has many years of five local newspapers, family genealogies and files, local and county histories, diaries, printed fraktur, cemetery records, photographs, and other types of records.
Courthouse
  • Montgomery County Courthouse
    493 Swede Streeet
    Norristown, PA 19401
    PO Box 311
    Norristown, PA 19404-0311
    Telephone: (610) 278-3000
    Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:30am - 4:15pm
    Some of their offices include:
  • Register of Wills/Orphans’ Court
    One Montgomery Plaza 4th flr.
    Swede and Airy Streets
    Norristown, PA
    This office probates wills,processes intestate estates, and is an agent for the Commonwealth in collecting inheritance taxes.The Clerk of the Orphans’ Court issues marriage licenses and has charge of the Orphans’ Court dockets. Petitions for adoptions are filed here. The Register of Wills also keeps the records of all persons born in Montgomery County between 1893 and 1915. Records after that time are filed with the Department of Health.
  • Recorder of Deeds
    One Montgomery Plaza
    Swede and Airy Streets ~ Suite 303
    P.O. Box 311
    Norristown, PA 19404
    Records and collects deeds. mortgages, and other land records for the county.
  • Prothonotary Office
    PO Box 311
    Norristown, PA 19404-0311
    This office is responsible for recording and filing a wide variety of legal papers such as: personal injury, medical malpractice, divorce, custody, protection from abuse, judgments, change of name, District Justice appeals, Federal income tax liens, and administers oaths and affirmations. They also processes passport applications.

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 for family history research.

The main FHC for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania is the Pottstown Pennsylvania Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Libraries

The Montgomery Area Public Library is part of the Lycoming County Library System. The system has genealogical, historical, and biographical items in their collection.

The Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania support the John L. Ruth Historical Library and Museum at the Mennonite Heritage Center. Located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania the records and resources of this treasure also cover the counties of Bucks, Chester, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, and Philadelphia. The website provides a comprehensive overview of library resources, online cemetery database, manuscript collections, photo collections, archival collections, and more.

Museums
  • Valley Forge National Historical Park
    At this time the library and archives are only available by appointment:
    Dona M. McDermott, Archivist
    Valley Forge National Historical Park
    1400 North Outer Line Drive
    King of Prussia, PA 19406
    Office: 610-783-1034
    Fax: 610-783-1060
    Library: 610-296-2593 (only during scheduled appointments)
    Email: dona_mcdermott@nps.gov
  • Temple Judea Museum
    Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel
    8339 Old York Road, (SE corner Township Line Road)
    Elkins Park, PA 19027
    Phone: 215-887-2027
    Email: TJMuseum@aol.com
    The museum has collections of art works, political items, military information, music, history, and more.
Societies

The Society preserves historic resources of the Township of Lower Merion and the Borough of Narberth. They have a collection of online biographical sketches, burial records, early maps, and other historical items. In their library are countless records that can be identified by online searches.

The Society was established in 1881. They have a Library containing over thirty thousand titles including books, pamphlets, newspapers and archival materials, family files, censuses, city directories, maps, photographs, county and church records, and scrapbooks. A guide to the library will prepare you to visit their facility.

Schools

Pottstown, PA High School: 1941 Football Team Photo with names of individuals.

Taxation

  • 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records

The following records are available at the Montgomery County Records Department:

  • 1852-1855 Birth, Marriage and Death Records
  • 1893-1915 Birth and Death Records
  • 1841-1966 Delayed Birth Certificates
  • 1885 to present Marriage Records, with bride and groom index

Montgomery County Records Department
2000 Old Arch Rd
Norristown PA 19404
Phone: 610-278-3441
Fax: 610-292-4966
archives@montcopa.org

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. While the records for that time period are available, there were few events recorded. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. Abstracts and copies of vital records are available for some counties, but most are incomplete. For the most complete set of records, always contact the County Orphans' Court.

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

The following records are available at the Montgomery County Records Department:

  • 1841-1966 Delayed Birth Certificates
  • 1852-1855 Birth Records
  • 1893-1915 Birth Records

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 and 1907. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

  • 1726-1930 - Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
  • 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
  • 1893-1895 - Montgomery County Birth Index 1893-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.[3]
Marriage

The following records are available at the Montgomery County Records Department:

  • 1852-1855 Marriage Records
  • 1885 - present Marriage Records, with bride and groom index

Pennsylvania marriages are located at the county level. Contact the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania clerk's office for these records.

  • 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
  • 1725-1976 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
  • Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
  • 1812-1839 - Van Booskirk, Mahlon. "Marriages from Squire Van Booskirk's Docket," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 30 (1906):437-444. For free online access, see WeRelate. Van Booskirk was a Justice of the Peace. Republished as: "Marriage Record of Mahlon Van Booskirk," Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Mar. 1911):305-311. For online access, see WeRelate; the Family History Library also has this series in its collection: FHL Book 974.8 B2p.
  • 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
  • 1885-1950 - Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
  • Index to Marriage Records at USGenWeb - Includes two indexes: the first is an alphabetical listing of brides and grooms in local newspapers, the second is a county marriage license search from the early 1990s to the presennt.
Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death

The following records are available at the Montgomery County Records Department:

  • 1852-1855 Death Records
  • 1893-1915 Death Records

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania death records are available through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1962. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified death certificate can be obtained obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Vital Records in online catalogs like:

Montgomery County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

Montgomery County Pennsylvania Places

Populated Places

Home Rule Muncipalities

  • Bryn Athyn
  • Cheltenham Township
  • Horsham Township
  • Norristown
  • Plymouth Township
  • Whitemarsh Township

Boroughs

  • Ambler
  • Bridgeport
  • Collegeville
  • Conshohocken
  • East Greenville
  • Green Lane
  • Hatboro
  • Hatfield
  • Jenkintown
  • Lansdale
  • Narberth
  • North Wales
  • Pennsburg
  • Pottstown
  • Red Hill
  • Rockledge
  • Royersford
  • Schwenksville
  • Souderton
  • Telford
  • Trappe
  • West Conshohocken

Townships

  • Abington
  • Douglass
  • East Norriton
  • Franconia
  • Hatfield
  • Limerick
  • Lower Frederick
  • Lower Gwynedd
  • Lower Merion
  • Lower Moreland
  • Lower Pottsgrove
  • Lower Providence
  • Lower Salford
  • Marlborough
  • Montgomery
  • New Hanover
  • Perkiomen
  • Salford
  • Skippack
  • Springfield
  • Towamencin
  • Upper Dublin
  • Upper Frederick
  • Upper Gwynedd
  • Upper Hanover
  • Upper Merion
  • Upper Moreland
  • Upper Pottsgrove
  • Upper Providence
  • Upper Salford
  • West Norriton
  • West Pottsgrove
  • Whitpain
  • Worcester

Communities

  • Ardmore
  • Ardsley
  • Audubon
  • Bala Cynwyd
  • Barren Hill
  • Bethayres
  • Blue Bell
  • Bryn Mawr
  • Crestmont
  • Dresher
  • Eagleville
  • Elkins Park
  • Erdenheim
  • Evansburg
  • Flourtown
  • Fort Washington
  • Gilbertsville
  • Gladwyne
  • Glenside
  • Graterford
  • Gulph Mills
  • Halfway House
  • Harleysville
  • Haverford
  • Hollywood
  • Horsham
  • Huntingdon Valley
  • Jarrettown
  • King of Prussia
  • Kulpsville
  • Lafayette Hill
  • La Mott
  • Laverock
  • Linfield
  • Maple Glen
  • Montgomeryville
  • Meadowbrook
  • Melrose Park
  • Merion
  • Miquon
  • Mont Clare
  • Noble
  • North Hills
  • Oaks
  • Oreland
  • Penn Wynne
  • Perkiomenville
  • Plymouth Meeting
  • Port Indian
  • Port Providence
  • Pottsgrove
  • Prospectville
  • Rosemont
  • Roslyn
  • Roychester
  • Rydal
  • Sanatoga
  • Skippack
  • Spring House
  • Spring Mount
  • Stowe
  • Three Tons
  • Trooper
  • Villanova
  • Wayne
  • Willow Grove
  • Wyncote
  • Wyndmoor
  • Wynnewood
  • Zieglersville

Montgomery County Pennsylvania Genealogy References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/1/10/Igipennsylvaniall.pdf.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Philip Syng Physick Conner,"Registers of the Anglican Church in Pennsylvania prior to 1800," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 12 (1888):341-349. For free online access, see WeRelate.
  5. ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts in http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ClerksOfCourts.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2012)
  7. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at http://www.courts.phila.gov/common-pleas/orphans/ accessed 10 July 2012
v • d • e
Links to Pennsylvania-related articles
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Extinct Co.
Major
 Repositories
Migration
 Routes
Beaver and Erie Canal · Bethlehem Pike · Braddock's Road · Burd's Road · Canada Road · Centre Turnpike · Culbertson's Path · Delaware and Raritan Canal · Delaware River · Fall Line Road (or Southern Road) · Forbes Road · Gist's Trace (or Memacolinis Path) · Great Indian Warpath · Great Island Path · Great Shamokin Path · Great Trail · Great Valley Road (or Philadelphia Wagon Road) · King's Highway · Kittanning Path · Lake Erie · Lake Shore Path (or Lake Trail) · Leheigh and Lackawanna Paths · Minsi Path · National Road (or Cumberland Road) · Ohio River · Pennsylvania Road · Philadelphia Lancaster Turnpike · Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road · Pennsylvania Railroad · Schuykill Canal · Tuscarora Path · Union Canal · Venango Path Ports Philadelphia
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