Monroe County, New York Genealogy

United States Genealogy

New York

Monroe County

Guide to Monroe County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth, marriage, and death records, census records, family history, military, immigration and naturalization records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Monroe County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	February 23, 1821
County Seat	Rochester
Courthouse
Address	39 W. Main St. Rochester, NY 14614 Monroe County Website

Monroe County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. The County is located in the western area of the state.

Monroe County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1908	1880	1860	1821	1824	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent Counties

23 February 1821: Created from Genesee and Ontario counties.

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Monroe County was part of several counties before becoming its own county:

• 1683-1772: part of Albany County
• 1772-1784: part of Tryon County
• 1784-1789: name of the county was changed to Montgomery County
• 1789-1802: part of Ontario County
• 1802-1821: part of Ontario County and Genesee County
• 23 February 1821: Monroe County was formed from parts of Ontario County and Genesee County.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Rochester (county seat)
Towns
Brighton Chili Clarkson East Rochester Gates Greece Hamlin	Henrietta Irondequoit Mendon Ogden Parma Penfield Perinton	Pittsford Riga Rush Sweden Webster Wheatland
Villages
Brockport Churchville East Rochester Fairport	Hilton Honeoye Falls Pittsford Scottsville	Spencerport Webster
Hamlets
Genesee Junction Egypt Adams Basin Bushnell's Basin Gates Center Garbutt Mumford Union Hill Mendon Center Seabreeze Summerville	Parma Center Riga Center Sweden Center West Webster North Chili Clarkson Corners Gates Center North Gates Clifton Industry Belcoda	Coldwater Barnard Beattie Beach Braddock Bay Braddock Heights Elmgrove Grandview Heights Grand View Beach North Greece Ridgemont West Greece
Census-designated places
Brighton Clarkson Gates	Greece Hamlin Irondequoit	North Gates

Monroe 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.
  

Cemeteries

Cemetery records often reveal birth, 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*	Tombstone Project*
Cemetery Site*		NYGenWeb Cemeteries*
New York Gravestones*		Names in Stone*
NYGenWeb Cemeteries*		Billion Graves*
Billion Graves*		FamilySearch Places
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
Cemeteries of Monroe Co., NY
USGenWeb Archives Project
Mt. Hope & Riverside Cemetery Records
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY
Webster Union Cemetery, Webster, NY
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

• 1800-1965 New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

• Garland Cemetery Index - from the Monroe County Public Library System.
  

• Persons Buried in Ogden, NY and Addendum (pdf) -- This is a name index to persons buried in Ogden from 1803 to 2004. From the Monroe County Public Library System.
  

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	49,855	—
1840	64,902	30.2%
1850	87,650	35.0%
1860	100,648	14.8%
1870	117,868	17.1%
1880	144,903	22.9%
1890	189,586	30.8%
1900	217,854	14.9%
1910	283,212	30.0%
1920	352,034	24.3%
1930	423,881	20.4%
1940	438,230	3.4%
1950	487,632	11.3%
1960	586,387	20.3%
1970	711,917	21.4%
1980	702,238	−1.4%
1990	713,968	1.7%
2000	735,343	3.0%
2010	744,344	1.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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.
• 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.

State Census Records

Source	1825	1835	1845	1855	1865	1875	1892	1905	1915	1925
Ancestry.com	-	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes
Family History Library	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch Historical Records	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

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.

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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

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

The Rochester Genealogical Society Church Records Preservation Committee digitizes and publishes church records on their website.

Baptist

• 1819-1861 – Sweden Baptist Church (Sweden, New York) FHL film 1036289 Item 5 Records include Articles of Faith, List of members received 1819-1860, and Minutes of meetings 1819-1861.
  

Catholic

• Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History & Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Monroe County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Monroe County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Rochester.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• 1895-1941 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rochester and Cumorah Districts FHL film 1961 Items 8-10 Contains records of members. Usually contain birth and marriage information

Lutheran

• Records of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Webster, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Methodist

• 1875-1904 – Records of Rev. E. J. Whitney marriages and burials with a few baptisms and membership records, 1875-1904 FHL film 1381557 Rev. Whitney officiated in the Newfane Methodist Episcopal Circuit. Records from Parma, Hamlin, Clarkson and other towns in Monroe County; Kendall and other towns in Orleans County; Wilson and other towns in Niagara County; and Castile and other towns in Wyoming County

Presbyterian

• 1836-1906 –Records of Bethel Free Church, Washington Street Church, Central Presbyterian Church and Central Presbyterian Church Sunday School, 1836-1906: typescript. 1985. Digital version at Ancestry – ($).
  
• 1894-1931 – Brick Church Index [pdf file] - created from the monthly church bulletins of the Brick Church, which span the years from March, 1894 to June, 1931; from the Monroe County Public Library System

Quaker

• Quaker Records: Rochester Monthly Meeting Monroe County, New York. Digital version at Ancestry – ($).

Additional Church Records

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places 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.

The Monroe County Clerk has court records from 1860 to the present. The County Clerk is the Clerk of the Supreme and County Courts.

A search can be made of the public court records in person at the County Clerk's office or a request by phone or fax can be made asking the Clerk to do a search. For information about making such requests, including costs, see the County Clerk General Information and Requests web site.

When ordering documents, you need to provide the following information:
index number
type of record sought
filing date
name of the parties (or a business name)

An online index, Feb 1989 to the present and images, June 9, 1993 to the present is available online. Registration is required to use this free database.

Earlier records are at the County Clerk Office. Many have been filmed and are available through the Family History Library (see the FamilySearch Catalog for film numbers).

Directories

• Names from City Directories, 1876-1889 (pdf) -- This 21,199 name index was created from the Rochester city directories of 1876-1889 inclusive. These directories contain the year, names, the (USA style M/D/Y) date of the event, age if given, and notation (e.g. - removed to, or married) exactly as they appeared in the directories. From the Monroe County Library System.

• Fold3.com ($) has Rochester City Directories 1861-1889 (3 yrs. missing) available online.
• The Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County NY has digitized the Rochester City Directories; 1827 - 1940 for the years that they were published. They have also digitized the Suburban directories; 1930  - 1940.

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

• Monroe County New York Genealogy Project has tombstone transcriptions and information about the cemeteries in Monroe County, histories of some of the towns and villages, a map showin the original lots of the county, various old postcards, etc.
  

• Rootsweb message board for Monroe County, New York Genealogy 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

When it became a county on February 23, 1821, it already had 28,000 settlers with several towns and villages that provided agricultural support to the mill town of Rochester. Rochester became the county seat. Today, Monroe county is composed of 19 towns, 10 villages, and the City of Rochester.

Monroe County History article on the county Web site.

History of Monroe County, New York, by W.H. McIntosh is online at Internet Archive.

Land and Property

History of Land Records in Monroe County

Monroe County New York Early Land tracts.PNG

New York and Massachusetts both claimed the area of Monroe County. After the Revolution, the two states settled by allowing New York to have the right to govern, while Massachusetts had the right of pre-emption or first right to sell the land. Massachusetts sold those rights to Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham. Most of these rights later went to Robert Morris. Morris sold most of his rights to the Holland Land Company. The purchasers were also to acquire rights to the land from the Indians. For additional information, see Phelps and Gorham Purchase and My New York Genealogy, Monroe County.

Land Records

The Monroe County Clerk, as county registrar, has land records since 1821 when the county was created. The Clerk preserves and indexes the records. These records are housed at the Monroe County Court House at 39 W. Main Street, Rochester NY 14614.

An online index, 1973 to the present plus images, 1976 to the present is available online. Registration is required to use this free database.

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. 

Online

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Microforms

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Books

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Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Monroe County, New York Genealogy deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• FamilySearch Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search.)

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)
• The Monroe County Web site has a page with links to many types of Monroe County maps, including maps of each town.

• The Monroe County Genealogy Project has a map of the original lots in Monroe County within the towns.

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Monroe County for European settlers included:

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

Military

Since Monroe County was created in 1821, no one representing the county served in the Revolutionary War nor the War of 1812. However veterans of those wars became residents of Monroe County and have records there or in Monroe county's parent counties.

Various Wars

War Dead, from the Revolutionary War to the Lebanon Conflict (pdf) -- This information was taken from material provided by the County Historian's Office and contains about 2,800 names. From the Monroe County Public Library System.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

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). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Brighton · Chili · Clarkson · Gates · Greece · Henrietta · Irondequoit · Ogden · Parma · Penfield · Perinton · Sweden · Webster.

Regiments. Service men in Monroe County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are military units that were specifically formed in Monroe County:

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Batteries L and M.

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery (National Guard), Batteries A and B.

- 1st Regiment, New York Light Artillery, Battery L.

- 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Companies C and G.

- 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C and G.

- 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L and M, 2nd Companies K and L, 3rd Company K.

- 13th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 14th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.

- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.

- 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies G and K.

- 20th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.

- 21st Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C, G, K and L.

- 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D, F, G, I, K and M.

- 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and L.

- 27th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 55th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 67th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 78th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 89th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.

- 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.

- 104th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.

- 105th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies F, G, H and I.

- 108th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 129th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies L and M.

- 140th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 151st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.

- 178th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, E, H and I.

Monroe County Civil War Roster is an online transcription of pages from the History of Monroe County 1788-1877 that list the men who served in the Civil War from Monroe County.  The men are arranged by town, then by name. The entries give name, unit, enlistment and discharge dates, and whether wounded or killed.

Civil War Master List - a compilation of names taken from various sources such as card files, the 1865 census, and the County Historian's Office. It contains over 38,000 names primarily from the Rochester and Monroe County area. From the Monroe County Library System

• Civil War bounty check card file for residents of Monroe co., New York, 1863-1866

World War II

World War II and Korean Casualties (pdf) -- This information was taken from data punch cards with cells of newspaper film kept by the Local History Division and contains about 6,500 names.

World War II Master File (pdf) -- This information was taken from card files in the Local History Division and contains about 7,000 names. From the Monroe County Public Library System.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1907-1966 New York, Western District Naturalization Index, 1907-1966 at FamilySearch – free; Index.
  

Newspapers

The Rochester Newspaper Index is a project of the Rochester Public Library. The database consists of references to articles that appeared in the Rochester newspapers during the period 1818-1897.

The Digital Newspaper Gateway is a list of titles of many historic newspapers for Monroe County with the dates of newspapers available in the Monroe County Library System.

Historical Newspapers of the Rochester, New York Region has an index and images of selected historical newspapers with information for Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the largest online collection of 400 New York 1795-2007 newspapers. The instructions for this quirky site are needed to get the most out of it.

• Search engine for all 400 newspapers.
• List of 400 newspapers 1795-2007 at this site.

• Wiki instructions for finding ancestors in Old Fulton NY Post Cards newspapers.
• Site's FAQ instructions about how to do searches.

Old Fulton NY Post Cards has the following Monroe County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Fairport (NY) Herald; 1873-1925
• Fairport (NY) Monroe County Herald Mail; 1885-1992
• Greece (NY) Press; 1934-1958
• Hilton (NY) Record; 1906-1968
• Rochester (NY) Album; 1825-1828
• Rochester (NY) Daily Advertiser & Telegraph; 1828-1829
• Rochester (NY) Daily Record; 1910-1974
  
• Rochester (NY) Democrat Chronicle; 1884-1948
• Rochester (NY) Republican; 1829-1849
• Rochester (NY) Telegraph; 1818-1820
• Rochester (NY) Union & Advertiser; 1862-1885
• Spencerport (NY) Suburban News; 1961-1994
• Webster (NY) Herald; 1938-1981
• Moore's Rural New Yorker; 1872
  

Other resources:

• Fairport (NY) Herald; February 1873-March-1889, April 1890-April 1925 at Historical Newspapers of the Rochester, New York Region
• Fairport (NY) Herald-Mail May-December 1925 at Historical Newspapers of the Rochester, New York Region
• Fairport-Perinton (NY)Herald-Mail 1980-1992 at Historical Newspapers of the Rochester, New York Region
• Monroe County Mail 1885-1893, 1896-1979 at Historical Newspapers of the Rochester, New York Region
• Moore's Rural New Yorker  1861-1865 (published1850-1878)
• Moore's Rural New Yorker 1872 at Northern New York Historical Newspapers

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the 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. 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. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 54.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

Online Indexes and Abstracts

• 1629-1971 New York Probate Records 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($)
• 1796-1855 - Early Settlers of New York State, Vol. II. Online at Ancestry ($). Includes Monroe County wills and estate settlements. Includes records from parent counties.
  
• 1821-1841 - Gertrude A. Barber, Monroe County, New York, Abstracts of Wills. 1940-1941. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Ancestry ($); MyHeritage ($). Will Books A, 1, 2, and 3.
  
• 1821-1874 - The Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County has digitized searchable PDF files of the names in the petitions for the wills and and administrations for Monroe County from 1821-1874. ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY CIVIL RECORDS AND INDEXES.
• 1829-1901 SAMPUBCO Browsable Index of testators of wills.
• 1866-1923 New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
• 1873-1902 SAMPUBCO Browsable guardianship index of the children. Petitions are filed in their names rather than deceased father, mother, relative, or financial concerns.

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 - Monroe County: Dower records, 1830-1880; General index, 1821-1969; Letters of administration, 1863-1901; Letters of guardianship, 1826-1902; Letters of testamentary index, 1806-1890; Letters of testamentary, 1847-1901; Miscellaneous records, 1865-1902; Wills, 1829-1901

Probate Records on Microfilm

Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:

• 1821–1923 Miscellaneous Record Index FHL Film 833792
• 1821–1970 Probate Records Index FHL Film 833793 (5 films)
• 1861–1912 Probate Records FHL Film 833793 (178 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Monroe County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983–4). At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.788 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County
115 South Avenue
Rochester NY 14604
(585) 428-7300

Monroe County Library System, has an online catalog, Genealogy Resources,Digital Collections, Local History Resources, Pathfinders (guides to the collection)

Scottsville Free Library
28 Main Street
Scottsville, New York
585-889-2023

Cox Local History Room has genealogy files of local families, an index to cemeteries of Wheatland, histories of the area, maps, etc.

Western Monroe Historical Society, Brockport, New York, has an extensive collection of local history records.

Monroe County, New York Archives, a digital library of the USGenWeb Archives Project.

High Falls Heritage Area, Rochester, New York, has information about the area history, geography, commerce and culture.

Records and Archives room of Monroe County has a significant collection of drawings of construction jobs dating back to the 1870s and many aerial photographs. 

Monroe County Public Libraries gives many of the names and addresses of the public libraries in Monroe County by town.

Courthouses

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

County Clerk

County Clerk’s Office
101 County Office Building
39 W. Main Street
Rochester, NY 14614
Phone: 585 753-1600
Fax: 585 753-1624

County Historian

Office of Historian Lavery Library St John Fisher College 3690 East Avenue Rochester, NY 14618 Phone: 585-385-8244 Fax: 585-428-8353

Genealogical Resources: 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.

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Brockport New York Family History Center
• Buffalo New York Family History Center
• Buffalo New York - Inner City Family History Center
• Fayette New York Family History Center
• Orchard Park New York Family History Center
• Palmyra New York Family History Center
• Pittsford New York Family History Center
• Rochester New York Family History Center
• Warsaw New York Family History Center

• Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County - an affiliate library
• Niagara County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
• Richmond Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies

Pioneer Society of Rochester and Western N.Y. was created Sept., 31, 1847 in Rochester.  The organization faded after 1870. This site lists the members in 1847, 1854, 1866, and those listed in newspapers.

Rochester Historical Society
115 South Ave
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 428-8470
Facebook

Central New York Genealogical Society
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.

Schools

• Spencerport High School Yearbook Index (pdf) -- This name index covers the years 1911 through 1922, and then various years through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. From the Monroe County Public Library System.

Social Groups Online

• New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. 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

Monroe County is considered a consolidated county because birth and death records were collected from the towns, cities and villages. Birth and death records are at the Monroe County Health Department's Office of Vital Records. This site also explains the record availability and eligibility requirements. A separate page is specific to "Genealogy Records and Resources". An online form can be completed online, but then the page must be printed and mailed with payment (see page for instructions).

Office of Vital Records
Monroe County Health Department
111 Westfall Road
Room 147
Rochester, New York 14620
Phone 1-585-753-5141

Marriage records are usually found at the office of the town, city, or village clerk where the marriage license was issued. See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. Limited consolidated Tompkins County marriage records 1908-1935 are available at the Family History Library. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

The Web site, Assorted Vital Records from Monroe Co., NY, includes abstracts from newspapers, wills, directories, churches, and other records that gave information about births, marriages and deaths in Monroe County.

• 1801–1892 Monroe County, New York, master card file index of vital and other records. FHL Film 1432348 Item 3 (first of 4 films). Microfilm of original card file in Hilton, New York in the possession of the Hamlin town historian. Information indexed in the cards was taken from the following sources: Clarkson census, 1820-1850; Union census, 1855; Hamlin census 1865- 1892; original purchases of lots on Triangle Tract, 1801-1809; records of the following churches: Clarkson Congregational, Walker Baptist, and Morton Baptist; bounty payments made to Civil War enlistees and draftees and/or substitutes in all Monroe Co. towns; birth records of Dr. Mann; records of the following cemeteries: Blossom, Garland, Walker, Baxter, West Clarkson, Parma Union, Morton, Wright; records of the Harmon Monument Co.; veteran burials in Hamlin per Monroe Co. Grave Register; gazetteer and business directory, 1869-1870; deaths recorded in the diaries of Frank Cary; people mentioned in early town minutes, 1861-1871; excerpts from the Tenny genealogy; obituaries clipped from Br. Rep. and D and C; town of Hamlin birth, marriage, and death records.
  

• 1847-1850 Vital Records from the Monroe County Poorhouse 1847-1850 at NYGenWeb - free. Includes births, marriages, and deaths.

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.
However, birth records were collected and consolidated from the town records by Monroe County. See the Monroe County Vital Records for information about ordering records. Most town records begin in 1881.

• 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry — index, ($)

• 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes

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

• 1821–1876 Goodell Witty and Samuel Beach Bradley, Alphabetical Family Groupings From 1821-1876, Birth Records of Dr. Samuel Beach Bradley: For Adjacent Parts of the Towns of Greece, Parma, Ogden and Gates in Monroe County, New York." ([Rochester?, N.Y.] 1973). WorldCat 777827; FHL film 982260 Item 4, and book 974.788 D2wi. Extracted from Dr. Bradley's diaries, most of which are located in the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives at Cornell University.
  

• 1925-1953 Brockport Births, 1925-1953 (pdf) -- This is an index to births appearing in the Brockport Republic and the Brockport Democrat (also known as the Brockport Republic-Democrat) from 1925 to 1953. From the Monroe County Public Library System.
  

• 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. 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. The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1935.

• 1639-1962 New York, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $

• 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.
  

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1876-1943 City of Rochester Municipal Archives Historic Marriage Records Research Site at City of Rochester.
  

• 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch – free; Index; FHL film 833730 (first of 74 films)
  

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch – 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."
  

• 1840s-1910s Marriages Found in the "Miscellaneous Records" Volumes in the Monroe County Courthouse at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1846–1879 Karen E. Dau and Rev. George Washington Montogomery, Marriage Records of Rev. George Washington Montgomery, 1846-1879. (Rochester, New York : Rochester Genealogical Society, 1992.) WorldCat 37217766; FHL film 1440334 Item 3, and book 974.788 V2m. Reverand Montgomery was the founding minister of the First Universalist Society of the city of Rochester. This is transcribed from the original record with indexes added for bride, groom, and witnesses. Also includes ages and occupations.
  

• 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 browsable.
  

• 1856-1917 Brockport Marriages, 1856-1917 (pdf) -- This is a name index to marriages appearing in the Brockport Republic newspaper from 1856-1917. From the Monoroe County Public Library System.
  

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

• 1864-5 Marriages - 1865 State Census Records, Monroe County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.
  

• 1864-5 1865 Marriages Extracted from the Monroe County, New York State Census at New Horizons Genealogical Services - free.
  

• Pre-1908 Pre-1908 Marriages at USGenWeb Archives - free.
  

• 1925-1953 Brockport Marriages, 1925-1953 (pdf) -- This is an index to marriages appearing in the Brockport Republic and the Brockport Democrat (also known as the Brockport Republic-Democrat) from 1925 to 1953. From the Monroe County Public Library System.
  

Divorce

Pre–1787	All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
1787–1847	All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
1847–present	All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

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

However, death records were collected and consolidated from the town records by Monroe County. See the Monroe County Vital Records for information about ordering records. Most town records begin in 1881.
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 Indexes

• 1824-1962 New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1880-1956 New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1880-1956 New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
  
• 1880-1956 Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
• 1957-1963 New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only
  

Death Substitutes

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at Familysearch.org 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."
  

• 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 browsable.
  

• 1856-1923 Brockport Deaths, 1856-1923 (pdf) -- This is a name index to death notices and obituaries appearing in the Brockport Republic newspaper from 1856-1923. From the Monore County Public Library System.
  

• 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.
  

• 1864-5 1865 Deaths Extracted from the Monroe County, New York State Census at New Horizons Genealogical Services - free.
  

• 1864-5 Deaths - 1865 State Census, Mortality Schedule, Monroe County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.
  

• 1874-5 Deaths - 1875 State Census, Mortality Schedule, Monroe County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.
  

• 1875-1893 Deaths from the Western N.Y. Masonic Relief Association at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1925-1953 Brockport Deaths, 1925-1953 (pdf) -- This is an index to deaths appearing in the Brockport Republic and the Brockport Democrat (also known as the Brockport Republic-Democrat) from 1925 to 1953. From the Monore County Public Library System.
  

• Monroe County Casualties in Korean and Vietnam Wars at NYGenWeb - free.
  

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Monroe County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Monroe– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Monroe County New York Genealogy Websites

• Monroe County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Monroe County NYGenWeb Project, a member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Monroe County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Monroe County. (Backup site)
• Links to other genealogy related pages
• Monroe County NY Genealogy

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free