New York City, New York Genealogy

United States New York  New York City Research

This page introduces the big-city strategies and records that can help you learn more about your ancestors from the five boroughs (counties) of New York City. After studying this page, you will be prepared to use the pages for the five counties (Bronx, Kings, Manhattan, Queens, and Richmond), and the pages for the State of New York.

County Courthouses
At 31 Chamber Street on the 7th floor is the New York County Clerk's Office Old Records Division.

Parent County
New York City as it now exists was created from

Boundary Changes
In 1913 the large part of the Bronx split off from New York County (Manhattan) to form the Bronx.

The definitive work on the many New York City boundary changes is:

Harry Macy, Jr. “Before the Five-Borough City: The Old Cities, Towns and Villages That Came Together to Form ‘Greater New York,’" The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Newsletter, Winter 1998. It can be viewed online in the member area of http://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org.

It can also be ordered at any U.S. county library through Inter-Library Loan.

Resources

 * The resources listed herein pertaining in two periods
 * Before 1898, before the consolidation
 * From 1898, onwards
 * Note: Not all records are held in a single place. The counties (now Boroughs) retain many functions including probate. For records at the counties, please visit the county boroughs, Bronx (now The Bronx), Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Richmond (now Staten Island) and New York (Manhattan). See the List of Holdings web page of the NYC Municipal Archives for a listing of what records are available for some of the old towns.


 * Additionally, most of the Bronx belonged to Westchester County prior to 1898 so you may need to search there as well. Read the following article for further information: Before the Five-Borough City: The Old Cities, Towns and Villages That Came Together to Form "Greater New York"

Archives
New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Tel: +1-212-788-8580 Internet:[Http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/home.html http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/home.html]

The Municipal Archives has city birth, death, and marriage records; the 1890 police census; city directories; voter registrations; almshouse records; and municipal government records. When requesting copies of records include a self-addressed stamped envelope. A growing collection of records is available on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Census
A jury census was taken in 1816, 1819, and 1821 for the purpose of determinging jury eligibility. This census covers Manhattan. Each ward has a census book and the census is arranged by address within the book. It includes the following information: name, age, occupation (head of household), number in household, race, and citizenship of the people in the household. This census is available at the New York City Municipal Archives. Their website includes an image of the 1819 Jury Census, Manhattan, Second Ward.

Cemeteries
a. NYC cemeteries are almost all on Long Island (Brooklyn or Queens). There are almost no burials in Manhattan. b. In 1822 Manhattan outlawed burials below Canal Street, and in 1851 practical outlawed burials within Manhattan. c. NYC cemeteries kept wonderful records and survive back to about 1850 (depending on the cemetery). d. NYC cemeteries records, for the most part, have not been microfilmed. e. When you write to a cemetery ask for a list of everyone buried in the plot, who bought the plot and when, and the address at which the people died. f. NYC cemetery records often include vital clues to trace the origin of a family.

Books in the Family History Library collection about the cemeteries of New Yorkc City (Copies of these books can be ordered at U.S. county libraries through Inter-Library Loan.)

Ardolina, Rosemary Muscarella. Old Calvary Cemetery: New Yorkers Carved in Stone. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, c1996. FHL book: US/Can 974.7243 V3a. This is a good source for Catholic and Irish burials.

Ardolina, Rosemary Muscarella. Second Calvary Cemetery: New Yorkers Carved in Stone. Floral Park, N.Y. : Delia Publications, c2000. FHL book: US/Can 974.7243 V3a. This is a good source for Catholic and Irish burials.

Inskeep, Carolee. The Graveyard Shift: A Family Historian’s Guide to New York City Cemeteries. Orem, UT: Ancestry, 2000. FHL book: US/Can 974.71 V34i. This is the definitive work on New York City Cemeteries and how to find their records.

Pool, David de Sola. Portraits Etched in Stone: Early Jewish Settlers, 1682-1831. New York: Columbia University Press, 1952. FHL 974.71 F2p.

Sawyer, Ray C. Graveyard inscriptions of Trinity Cemetery, New York City, N.Y. Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941, Microfilm of typescripts (2 vols.) made in 1931 in possession of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, New York City. FHL Film 17777 item 4.

Silinonte, Joseph Michael. Tombstones of the Irish born: Cemetery of the Holy Cross, Flatbush, Brooklyn, [1850-1980]. Bowie, Md. : Heritage Books, c1994. FHL 974.723/B1 V3.

Stokes, Isaac Newton Phelps. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909, 6 Vols. New York: Arno Press, 1967, Reprint of books published in 1915-1928 by R. H. Dodd in New York. FHL 974.71 H2st. Includes a list of early New York City cemeteries in vol. 3, p. 927.

Church Records
Church or Synagogue Records a. Use the Inventory of Church Archives in New York (see below) to locate churches near where your ancestor lived. b. Use the city directories to find what churches of each denomination were in the city in any year. c. Plot the address of the church on a map to find the churches nearest where your ancestor lived. d. Church records many times give important details such as foreign places of birth, and family relationships. e. Church records often list the address where the family was living. f. Churches were specific for ethnic groups, even within the same denomination.

Books about New York City churches in the Family History Library (Copies of these books can be requested at U.S. county libraries through Inter-Library Loan.)

Dolan, Jay P. The Immigrant Church: New York's Irish and German Catholics, 1815-1865. Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 1975 FHL 974.71 K2d. Includes maps showing locations of church and when they were built [Manhattan only].

Haberstroh, Richard. The German Churches of Metropolitan New York : A Research Guide. New York: New York Genealogical &amp; Biographical Society, c2000. FHL 974.71 K2h. Includes history of the German churches in New York City and lists location, names of current pastors, location of records, and maps of church locations.

Mohrer, Fruma, and Marek Web. Guide to the Yivo Archives. New York: Yivo Institute for Jewish Research, c1998.

Wolfert, Marion. Index to Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Matthew, New York City Records [database online]. Orem, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1999. http://www.ancestry.com/ Index includes over 8000 names taken from the marriage records dating from 1835 to 1854. In each case both bride and groom are listed, as well as their date of marriage and places of origin.

WPA, Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan: Churches. Historical Records Survey, 1942. FHL 974.71 K23ma. Includes index of churches and an address index.

Note: the WPA Inventories of Church Archives of New York City (listed below) are essential to finding most church records in the city. The books generally include a list of all churches of the denomination, a chronological list of churches by borough, an alphabetical list of clergymen [incomplete], an address list by borough, and an index. Although the books were compiled in the 1940s, they are still very helful.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Armenian Church in America. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1940. FHL 974.71 K23eo.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Lutheran. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1940. FHL 974.71 K23l.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: The Methodist Church. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1939. FHL 974.71 K23m.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Diocese of New York, 2 Vols. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1940. FHL 974.71 K23en.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1940. FHL 974.71 K23p.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Reformed Church in America. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1939. FHL 974.71 K23r.

WPA. Inventory of the Church Archives of New York City: Roman Catholic Church, Archdiocese of New York, 2 Vols. New York: Historical Records Survey, 1941. FHL 974.71 K23rc. The library only has vol. 2, which excludes Brooklyn.

Directories

 * Fold3.com ($) has New York City Directories 1786-1922 (6 yrs. missing) available online.

Land and Property

 * Index to Mortgages and Real Estate in the City of New York 1665-1675, courtesy: Olive Tree Genealogy
 * Original Book of New York Deeds 1673-1675, courtesy: New York State Historical Literature

Military
Civil War service men in New York City served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Over 90 companies were specifically formed in New York City.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1792-1989 Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 at ($). This database is based on NARA's Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts located in New York City, 1792-1989.

Newspapers
Brooklyn Eagle Online The New York Times Article Archives

Probate Records
Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City of New York (digitized by Ancestry ($)):

A volunteer at USGenWeb offers to do free lookups in these records. Some of these indexes have also been digitized by New York State Historical Literature.

Also available online:


 * SAMPUBCO indexes (1665-1825). Courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * Sawyer, Ray C. Index of Wills for New York County (New York City) from 1662-1850. New York: unknown, 1990. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Sawyer, Ray C. Index of Wills for New York County, New York from 1851 to 1875, Inclusive. unknown, 1950-1951. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Sawyer, Ray C. Abstract of Wills Probated in the Common Pleas Court: Also Known as Mayor's Court, 1819-1892: Supreme Court of Judicature, 1821-1829: Supreme Court of Judicature, 1847-1856: Supreme Court of Judicature, 1856-1870, All of New York County, New York City, N.Y. unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records
New York City Municipal Achives

The Italian Genealogical Society, with the assistance of the NYC Municipal Archives, has been placing indexes to NYC records online, free of charge to the public. See the following:


 * Vital Records Index for NYC
 * Indexes to Naturalizations for NYC

Birth Records
The Family History Library has microfilms of some New York City births to 1909, deaths to 1919, and indexes to both to 1965. These microfilms can be ordered (for a small charge) and viewed at a family history center near you. The New York Public Library has the indexes to the present, but it does not search them in response to mail or telephone inquiries. Birth records to 1909 and death records to 1948 for the five boroughs of New York City are at the New York City Municipal Archives.

A digital version of the Family History Library's guide to New York City birth records is available online.

Microfilms at the Family History Library include:

Brooklyn (Kings County)
Births 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

Queens (Queens County)
Births 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Births 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Death Records
A digital version of the Family History Library's guide to New York City death records is available online.

A vaulable tool to search for death records in the five boroughs is One-Step Webpages by Steve Morse.It includes indexes for: Brooklyn, 1862-1890; Brooklyn and Manhatten, 1891-1897; All boroughs, 1898-1948.

Brooklyn (Kings County)

 * Deaths 1847–1851, 1880–1895 (years vary) for the towns of Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, New Lots, and New Utrecht are found in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, KINGS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Queens (Queens County)
Deaths 1847–1898 (years vary) for the towns of College Point, Far Rockaway, Flushing, Jamaica, Long Island City, Newtown, Richmond Hill, Rockaway, and Whitestone are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, QUEENS, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS

Staten Island (Richmond County)
Deaths 1847–1853, 1881–1897 (years vary) for the towns of Castleton, Edgewater, Middletown, Northfield, Port Richmond, Southfield, Tottenville, and Westfield are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under NEW YORK, RICHMOND, [TOWN] - VITAL RECORDS.

You can obtain New York City birth (1910 to the present) and death (1949 to the present) certificates for a fee from:

New York City Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records 125 Worth Street, Room 133 New York, NY 10013-0046 Telephone: 212-788-4500 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vr/vr.shtml

Mailing Address: Division of Vital Records City of New York, Department of Health P.O. Box 3776 Church Street Station New York, NY 10007

For birth records through 1909 and death records through 1948, write to:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

New York City Birth and Death Records are available using a credit card. Write to the New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. A "Hotline" telephone number, 212-788-4505, is available for information and for ordering birth and death certificates using a credit card. You can order birth records from 1910 to the present or death records from 1949 to the present. Using a credit card the cost is $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery. You can also order by sending a fax of the application to 212-962-6105. They can fax a copy of the application to your fax machine. The fee is also $15.00. Five to seven business days are required for delivery.

The records are not available for genealogical purposes and are subject to certain other restrictions.

All other local registrars sent copies of their records to the State Department of Health. Most New York deaths after 1962 are in the Social Security Death Index.

The Guide to New York City Public Records. Includes chapters on city government, courts, libraries, and personal information. Shows how to obtain vital records, name change records, and naturalizations.

Marriage Records
A digital version of the Family History Library's guide to New York City marriages is available online.

A bride and groom index is available through One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse. The groom index includes: Manhatten, 1866-1907; Brooklyn, 1864-1907; All Boroughs, 1908-1937. The bride index includes: Manhatten, 1866-1937; Brooklyn, 1871-1918, 1928-1937; Queens, 1905-1937; Bronx, 1899-1937 and Richmond, 1898-1937.

Marriage Licenses
For marriage records for Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Richmond through 1937, write:

New York City Department of Records and Information Services Municipal Archives 31 Chambers Street, Room 103 New York, NY 10007 Telephone: 212-788-8580 or 212-566-5292 Fax: 212-385-4253 Internet: http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/about/archives.shtml

Pre-1938 New York City marriages, some as early as 1830, are found at the Municipal Archives. The Family History Library has microfilmed marriages of:

Other Records of Marriages and Deaths
For New York City's five boroughs and some other counties, many newspaper notices of births, marriages, and deaths have been published. See New York Newspapers for a partial list. In the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog, these notices are listed under:

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - NEWSPAPERS

NEW YORK, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - OBITUARIES

Check also under the state and county levels.

Some church marriage records have been published or have been microfilmed for the five boroughs. An example from the Family History Library collection is:

New York City Methodist Marriages, 1785–1893 contains a groom index and a bride index, each of which has about 41,000 names.

Divorce records
Divorce records may be obtained from the County Clerk in the County where the divorce decree was granted. For information on how to obtain a copy of a divorce record in New York City boroughs:


 * New York County, Manhattan call (646) 386-5955.
 * Kings County Brooklyn call (718) 643-5894.
 * Queens County call (718) 298-0601
 * Bronx call (718) 590-3638
 * Staten Island call (718) 390-5389

(The Office of the County Clerk does not have a web site.)

Societies and Libraries

 * New York Historical Society


 * New York Public Library – Of note to genealogists are the following divisions within the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building:


 * Map Division
 * Microforms and Periodicals
 * Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy


 * Center for Jewish History Ackman &amp; Ziff Family Genealogy Institute 15 West 16th St New York City, New York Phone: 917-606-8217 Hours: Mon 9:30am -7:30pm; Tues-Thur 9:30am-5:30pm

Microfilms from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah are available at this Historical Society.

Web Sites

 * New York City Genealogy
 * New York City Research (articles on little known resources for New York City)