Wayne County, New YorkEdit This Page

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Record Loss

Wayne 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

Business Records and Commerce

Cemeteries

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

• Wayne County Cemeteries - Map of Cemeteries in Wayne County  -  Find a Grave

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.

Online Databases

• 1800s - Wayne County NY Marriages from Universalist Sources, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1823-1847 - Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1847, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1836-1837 - Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages - free. For Sodus, Arcadia, Newark, Phelps and Lockville.
  

The Wayne Co., NYGenWeb Project has compiled an impressive list of local ministers.

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Wayne County church records in their library.

Baptists

• 1854-1855 - Wayne County members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education, 1854-1855, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

Methodist

• 1863-1870 - Marriages at the Methodist Episcopal Church, Port Gibson, Ontario County, N.Y., October 1863 - April 1870, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1870-1894 - Records of Marriages of Port Gibson, Methodist Episcopal Church, Port Gibson, Ontario County, N.Y. November 1870 - April 1894, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1907-1936 - Records of Marriages of Port Gibson, Methodist Episcopal Church, Port Gibson, Ontario County, N.Y. June 1907 - March 1936, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

Quakers

• Bradley, A. Day. "Records of Junius Friends Monthly Meeting, Seneca and Wayne Counties, New York," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Mar. 1981):15-26. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($); FHL Book 973 B2ng v. 69 (1981).

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Wayne 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.

Crime and Criminals

Directories

The Wayne County NY Gen Web site has provided the 1867 Directory of Wayne County.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Gazetteers

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Wayne 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

Wikipedia has more about this subject: Wayne County, New York

FamilySearch Books Online

Wayne County, New York farmhouse.jpg

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

Online

Microforms

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Wayne 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.)

Additional resources

Additional resources for Wayne County, New York land records may be found in the Wayne 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

Wayne County Town Map - Wayne County Government

Migration

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

• Lake Ontario
• Mohawk or Iroquois Trail (west fork) about 1722
• Great Genesee Road 1794
• Erie Canal 1825

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: Butler · Galen · Huron · Lyons · Macedon · Marion · Ontario · Rose · Savannah · Sodus · Walworth · Williamson · Wolcott.

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

- 111th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 138th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 160th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1907-1966 New York, Western District Naturalization Index, 1907-1966 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
  

Newspapers

• Old Fulton Postcards - Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.
• Surname Search - Office of the Wayne County Historian - Enter surname, given name matches listed in alphabetical order from historiancs records. Includes clipped newspaper articles. This site does not give online access to the actual articles, but sometimes the actual articles can then be found at Old Fulton Postcards, using the citation to give a clue as to what search string to use at Old Fulton Postcards.
• Wayne County (NY) newspapers on microfilm and paper at all NYS locations - NY State Library

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 Wayne 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), 492. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ Handybook, 478.
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 Wayne County Surrogate Court.

Online Probate Abstracts and Indexes

• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes Wayne County, New York.^[1]
  
• 1823-1901 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1823-1849 - Wiles, Harriet M. Abstracts of Wills of Wayne County, N.Y.: Surrogate's Office, Lyons, N.Y. New York, 193--1940. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1823-1850 - Wiles, Harriet M. Letters of Administration: Intestate Records in the Surrogate's Office, Lyons, Wayne County, N.Y. New York, N.Y., 1940. 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 - Wayne County:  Administrations, 1823-1903; Bonds, 1890-1901; Decrees, 1897-1902; Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1854-1879; Final settlements, 1855-1883; Guardianship records, 1823-1890; Index, 1823-1964; Judicial settlements, 1883–1903; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1830–1903; Letters of testamentary, 1859–1902; Wills, 1823-1901.

Probate Records on Microfilm
The probate records described above also may be among those on microfilm including:

• 1823–1903 Probate records (index to 1964) FHL Film 850032 (45 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Wayne 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 Wayne County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1982). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.787 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Libraries

• Lyons Public Library
  122 Broad Street
  Lyons, New York 14489
  Phone: 315-946-9262
  Email: lyonslibrary@owwl.org
  Hours:Monday and Wednesday 10 am - 5 pm, 7 - 9 pm
  Tuesday and Thursday 12 - 9 pm
  Friday 10 am - 5 pm, Saturday 9 am - 1 pm

• The Palmyra Kings Daughters Free Library
  127 Cuyler Street
  Palmyra, New York 14522
  Phone: 315-597-5276
  Hours: Monday - Thursday 10 am - 8 pm
  Friday 10 am - 5 pm
  Saturday 10 am - 2 pm (Closed Saturdays in July and August)

The Palmyra library had local histories, old newspaper listings on marriages, cemetery listings, old maps, deaths, poorhouse records and more.

• Clyde Savannah Public Library
  204 Glasgow Street
  Clyde, New York 14433
  Phone: 315-923-7767
  Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1 - 8 pm
  Tuesday and Thursday 10 am - 6 pm
  Friday 1 - 6 pm, Saturday 10 am - 1 pm
  Closed Saturdays during July and August and on major holidays.

The Clyde library has historical photos.

Museums

• Museum of Wayne County History
  21 Butternut Street
  Lyons, New York 14489
  Phone: 315-946-4943
  Email: info@waynehistory.org
  Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm
  Saturdays 10 am - 1 pm April 1 - May 28
  Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm June 4 - September 30
• Heritage Square Museum
  7147 Ontario Center Road
  Ontario, New York 14519

• The Museums of Historic Palmyra
  132 Market Street
  Palmyra, New York 14522
  Phone: 315-597-6981
  Email:bjfhpinc@rochester.rr.com

• To learn about more museums in Wayne County see the website for Wayne County Tourism - Museums

County Historian's Office

Courthouses

The Wayne County Courthouse is the home for the County Clerk and County Historian. For further information about the records available and whre they are held, see the Wayne County Courthouses 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 for family history research.

The main FHC for Wayne County, New York is the Palmyra New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

• Wayne County Historical Society
  21 Butternut Street
  Lyons, New York 14489
  Phone: 315-946-4943
  Email: info@waynehistory.org

• 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; publishes 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.

• Lyons Heritage Society
  P.O. Box 150
  Lyons, New York 14489
  Phone: 315-946-6316 or 946-4596

• For the names of other Historical Societies in Wayne County see the website at the Office of the County Historian.

Social Groups Online

• Wayne County Historical Society/Museum of Wayne County History - Facebook.
  

• 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.

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 Wayne County, New York clerk starting in 1907 and go until 1934.^[3]

• 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; FHL films 10058088 (first of 16 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."
  

• 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2b. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1813–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries;FHL Book 974.7 V2bf. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 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.
  

• Marriages and Deaths from the Wayne Sentinel. www.ancestry.com($)
  

• Wiles, Harriett Mae Evretts. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery: Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms International - Books on Demand, 1990. WorldCat 22894918; FHL fiche 6081207 Also found at www.ancestry.com ($).
  

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.

Substitute Death Records

• 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."
  

• 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries; FHL Book 974.7 V2b. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

• 1813–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); At various libraries;FHL Book 974.7 V2bf. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  

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

• 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 ofMilitary for death information.
  

• Marriages and Deaths from the Wayne Sentinel. www.ancestry.com ($)
  

• Wiles, Harriett Mae Evretts. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery: Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms International - Books on Demand, 1990. WorldCat 22894918; FHL fiche 6081207 Also found at www.ancestry.com ($).
  

Additional Resources

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

Wayne County New York Genealogy Websites

• The Wayne County NYGenWeb
• USGenWeb Archives Project
• Office of the Wayne County Historian
• Surname Search - Office of the Wayne County Historian - Enter surname, given name matches listed in alphabetical order from historiancs records. Includes clipped newspaper articles.
• Wayne County Links - Cyndi's List - Scroll or search down to "Wayne" for Wayne County Links
• Wayne County ALHN & AHGP *Wayne County Links GenealogyLinks.net
• Wayne County Links My New York Genealogy
• Wayne County Links Kindred Trails
• Wayne County Links D'ADDEZIO.com

Wayne County New York Places

Wayne County New York Genealogy References

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