Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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Pennsylvania
Bucks County

Guide to Bucks County, Pennsylvania ancestry, family history and genealogy in 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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Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Map
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Bucks County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S. highlighting Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
Facts
Founded November 10, 1682
County Seat Doylestown
Courthouse
Bucks County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Address Bucks County Courthouse
55 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Bucks County Website
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Bucks County Pennsylvania Historical Facts

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1893 1885 1893 1682 1684 1684 1790
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Parent Counties: Original county formed from colonial lands 10 March 1682.[2]

County Seat: Doylestown

Neighboring Counties:

Scotch-Irish immigrants made a settlement in upper Bucks County in 1728. The settlement grew rapidly and became known as "Craig Settlement" or "Irish Settlement." The settlement fell within the bounds of Northampton County once it split off.[3]

Description

It is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire. It's county seat is Doylestown. It was organized November 1682. It is located in the Southeast corner of the state.[4]

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss

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

Bucks County Pennsylvania Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online Tombstone Transcriptions in Print List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com Family History Library Findagrave.com
ORGenWeb WorldCat BillionGraves
PAGenWeb Archives Linkpendium
Tombstone Photos PAGravestones
PA-Roots Epodunk
BillionGraves (name) Interment
PA Cemeteries
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

  • Pennsylvania Genealogy
  • Names in Stone
  • Ancestry($)
  • The Mennonite Heritage Center
    565 Yoder Road
    Harleysville, PA 19438-1020
    Phone: 215-256-3020
    Email: library@mhep.org

    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 using various criteria. The transcriptions are available for further research at the MHC library.

Census

For tips on accessing Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy 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 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:


County-wide Database

(Multi-denominational)

Bucks county pennsylvania churches.png
Contains church records of:
  • The Reverend Simon K. Gross Pastoral Records
  • Bensalem: Bensalem Methodist Churchyard; Vandgrift Cemetery
  • Blooming Glen: Blooming Glen Mennonite Cemetery
  • Bristol: John Black Funeral Homes, Record Books
  • Buckingham: Forest Grove Presbyterian Cemetery; Forestville Presbyterian Church; Trinity Episcopal Church
  • Churchville: North and Southampton Reformed Church
  • Doylestown: Doylestown Mennonite Church Records; St. Paul's Episcopal Church
  • Durham: Durham Reformed Church; Lutheran Church
  • Fallsington: All Saints Episcopal Church
  • Ferndale: St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Haycock Run: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
  • Hilltown: Hilltown Baptist Church; Kratz Diaries; St. Peter's Lutheran Church
  • Hulmeville: Beechwood Cemetery; Grace Episcopal Church; Lewis Preston Townsend Funeral Ledger
  • Langhorne: Langhorne Presbyterian Church; St. James Episcopal Church
  • Milford: East Swamp Mennonite Cemetery; West Swamp Mennonite Cemetery
  • Milford Square: Jacob Clymer Justice of the Peace Dockets; William Z. Gottshalk Family Records
  • Morrisville: First Presbyterian Church
  • Newportville: Ascension Church
  • Newtown: St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church; St. Luke's Church
  • Northampton: Richboro Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Perkasie: Deep Run Mennonite Church Records; St. Andrew's United Church of Christ
  • Philadelphia: Southampton Baptist Church; Jonathan Worrall, J.P./Misc. Marriage Licenses, 1890-1915; Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Pleasant Valley: Trinity United Church of Christ
  • Quakertown: Emmanuel Church; First United Church of Christ; St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church; Swamp Mennonite Charge Church Bulletin; Swamp Mennonite Church Class Records; Swamp Mennonite Meetinghouse Construction; Union Cemetery
  • Richboro: Dutch Reformed Church; Union Cemetery
  • Richland: Flatland Mennonite Cemetery
  • Ridge Valley: The Reverend Simon K. Gross Pastoral Record
  • Riegelsville: St. John's United Church of Christ; St. Peter's Lutheran Church
  • Sellersville: Bucks County Historical Society
  • Southampton: St. Columba Church; William Grant Funeral Home
  • Springfield: Springfield Mennonite Cemetery; St. Paul Salem United Methodist; Trinity Lutheran Church
  • Springtown: Christ Lutheran Church
  • Torresdale: All Saints Episcopal Church
  • Trevose: Scottsville United Methodist Church
  • Trumbauersville: Christ Lutheran Church
  • Upper Black Eddy: Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church
  • West Rockhill: Ridge Valley Reformed Church
  • Wrightstown: Holy Nativity Episcopal Church; Penns Park Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Yardley: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
  • 1682 - 1800 Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Bucks County, 1682-1800. Washington, D.C.: Humphrey Publications, 1993. FHL Book 974.821 K2h.

Contains church records of Falls Friends Monthly Meeting; Middletown Friends Monthly Meeting; Wrightstown Friends Monthly Meeting; Richland Friends Monthly Meeting; Buckingham Friends Monthly Meeting; Southampton Baptist Church; Tinicum Presbyterian, also known as Red Hill; Neshaminy Presbyterian Church, Hartsville in Warwick Township; Newtown Presbyterian Church in Newtown Township; Reformed Low Dutch Church of Southampton and Northampton Townships; Dutch Reformed Church, Bensalem; Tohickon Reformed Congregation in Bedminister Township; Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, also known as Tinicum Lutheran Church in Tinicum Township; Tohickon Lutheran Congregation in Bedminister Township; Christ Reformed Church, Trumbauersville in Milford Township; Springfield Lutheran Church in Springfield Township; St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bedminister Township, also known as Keller's Lutheran Church; Springfield Reformed Church in Springfield Township; Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nockamixon Township; St. Luke's Reformed Church, Ferndale in Nockamixon Township; Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trumbauersville in Milford Township. Also includes the journal of John Dyer, Plumsteadville, Plumstead Township, beginning in 1769.

PAGenWeb, list of Bucks County churches.

Catholic
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Blue Ridge District of the Eastern States Mission comprised church members living in southeastern Pennsylvania. District headquarters were in Lancaster, with branches located in Bucks, Fulton, Lancaster, and York counties.

Dutch Reformed

Reformed Dutch Church, Churchville

Southampton Dutch Reformed Church

  • 1710 - 1800 Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1710-1800: Southampton Dutch Reformed Church at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages.
Episcopalian

St. James's Church, Bristol

Early registers "were stolen to prevent their evidence in a lawsuit."[6]

Lutheran

Keller's Lutheran Church, Bedminster Township

  • 1751 - 1798 Keller's Lutheran Church (Bucks County, Pennsylvania: Keller's Church, Bedminster Township) at Ancestry ($).
  • 1862 Keller's Lutheran Church, Marriage Index 1862 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M516271.

Nockamixon

  • 1770 - 1820 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Church Records, 1770-1820: Nockamixon Township at Ancestry ($). Includes baptisms, marriages, and deaths from Nockamixon Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, Nockamixon Lutheran Congregation, and Nockamixon Reformed Congregation.

Tohickon

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Springfield Township

  • 1751 - 1795 Hinke, William J. Trinity Union Church, Record of the Lutheran Congregation, Springfield Township, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, 1751-95 at Ancestry ($).
  • 1753 - 1797 Trinity Union Church, Springfield Township, Marriage Index 1753-1797 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M516581.[8]
  • 1760 - 1800 Hinke, William J. Trinity Union Church, Record of the Reformed Congregation, Springfield Township, Bucks Co., Pennsylvania, 1760-1800 at Ancestry ($).
  • 1760 - 1829 Hinke, William J. Trinity Union Church, Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania Records of the Reformed Church, 1760-1829 at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, deaths.
  • 1801 - 1829 Trinity Union Reformed Church, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1801-29 at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, burials.

Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church

  • 1883 - 1928 Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church Burials 1883-1928 at PAGenWeb - free.
Presbyterian

Several Presbyterian churches were built in Bucks County to accommodate Scotch-Irish settlers. Neshaminy Presbyterian Church in Warwick Township was organized in 1726. A Presbyterian Church was organized at "Craig's Settlement" by 1737. Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church was organized in 1738 in "Hunter's Settlement" in Lower and Upper Mount Bethel Townships. The latter two churches fell within the bounds of Northampton County after it split off in 1751. Neshaminy Presbyterian Church

  • 1788 - 1884 Neshaminy Presbyterian Church of Warminster and Warwick, Hartsville, Baptism Index 1788-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C535091.
  • 1788 - 1885 Neshaminy Presbyterian Church of Warminster and Warwick, Hartsville, Marriage Index 1788-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M535091.
  • 1788 - 1885 Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1788-1885: Neshaminy Presbyterian Church at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, burials.

Newtown Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church, Bensalem

Solebury Presbyterian Church

  • 1812 - 1867 Solebury Presbyterian Church, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1812-67 at Ancestry ($).
Reformed

Durham Union Church, Durham Township

First Reformed Church, Quakertown

  • Snyder, Elam J. Historical Sketch of First Reformed Church and Auxiliary Organizations, Quakertown, Pa.: Including a List of Present Members of Congregation and Societies. 1919. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Lower Milford or Swamp Reformed Church, Trumbauersville

Nockamixon

  • 1770 - 1820 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Church Records, 1770-1820: Nockamixon Township at Ancestry ($). Includes baptisms, marriages, and deaths from Nockamixon Evangelical Lutheran Congregation, Nockamixon Lutheran Congregation, and Nockamixon Reformed Congregation.

Reformed Dutch Church, Smithfield

Reformed Nether Dutch Church, Southampton

St. Paul's Reformed Church, Applebachsville Township

Tohickon Union Reformed Church

  • 1744 - 1801 Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1744-1801: Tohickon Union Reformed Church at Ancestry ($).
  • 1745 - 1869 Tohickon Union Reformed Church Baptism Index 1745-1869 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C507551.[9]
  • 1750 - 1800 Hinke, William J. A History of the Tohickon Union Church, Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania: With Copy of Church Records, Reformed Congregation, Lutheran Congregation. Meadville, Pa.: Tribune Pub. Co., 1925. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, burials.
  • 1755 - 1855 Tohickon Union Reformed Church Marriage Index 1755-1855 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M507551.

Trinity Union Reformed Church

  • 1801 - 1829 Trinity Union Reformed Church, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1801-29 at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, burials.

Court Records

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy court records are housed at the Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy 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 available at a local Family History Center. Call ahead for availability.


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. Bucks County has its own judicial district. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.[10]

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.[11] For the Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.


Prothonotary

The office of the Prothonotary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, federal and local tax liens, 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 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Prothonotary office information.



The Office of the Prothonotary
Bucks County Courthouse

55 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA
Phone: 215-348-6191
Fax: 215-348-6184

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.[12]

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


Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court
55 East Court Street, 3rd Floor
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-6265 (Register of Wills)
Phone: 215-348-6271 (Orphans’ Court)

The Archive Research Center is open to the public. No appointment is required to visit. The Center has birth records prior to 1907.

Finding Court Records at Other Repositories

Additional court records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Court Records in online catalogs like:


Emigration and Immigration

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


  • 1677 - 1687 "A Partial List of the Families Who Resided in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Prior to 1687, With the Date of Their Arrival," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 9 (1885):223-233. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Ethnic Groups

Germans

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy

History

Published Histories

Land and Property

Land records in Bucks County began in 1684. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Doylestown, 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

  • 1980 – present Bucks County offers online access to land records. Fees apply.

Land Records on Microfilm

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below 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 Bucks County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:

Maps

Bucks County

Migration

Early migration routes to Bucks County for European settlers included:

Military

Revolutionary War

Local men served in the Bucks County Associators and the Bucks County Militia. A guide at the Pennsylvania State Archives website identifies townships where specific companies recruited soldiers, see Revolutionary War Militia Battalions and Companies, Arranged by County.

Bucks County men also served in the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment[13] and the 5th Pennsylvania Regiment[13].

During the Revolutionary period, committees of safety governed local communities. Minutes of the Bucks County Committee have been published:

  • "Minutes of the Committee of Safety of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1774-1776," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 15 (1891):257-290. 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 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy naturalization in online catalogs like:

Newspapers

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy 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 Bucks 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

Newspaper Index

  • McNealy Terry A. (compiler), Index to Bucks County references in the Pennsylvania Gazette 1728-1789 (Doylestown, Pennsylvania:Bucks County Genealogical Society) FHL book 974.821 B3m Alphabetically arranged by surnames and subjects. "Bucks County had no newspaper of its own in the 18th century.--Intro."
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

  • A Record of deaths in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and territory immediately contiguous, 1934-1956: compiled mainly from the newspapers of the county; also burials in Richlandtown, Doylestown, Deep Run Mennonite, Kellers Church, and New Britain Beulah cemeteries (SLC, Utah, 1958) FHL film 172930 (first of 4)

Occupations

Indentured Servants


Periodicals

Poorhouse, Almshouse

Probate Records

Probate matters in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy 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 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:


Online Probate Indexes

  • 1684 - 1850 Williams, Richard T. Index of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Wills and Administration Records, 1684 to 1850. Danboro, Pa.: R.T. and M.C. Williams, 1981. Digital version at [1] ($).

Online Probate Records

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

  • 1684 - 1958 Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch.org - free. Includes Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Will Index (1684-1831), Will Abstracts (1685-1825), Will Books 1-32 (1684-1906), Wills and Letters of Administration (1684-1693); Estate Index (1684-1939); Inventories (1684-1688); Orphans' Court Record Index (1683-1958), Orphans' Court Records Vols. 1-16 (1752-1866); Register's Dockets Vols. 4-9 (1839-1913).
  • 1684 - 1693 "Bucks County Wills, 1684-1693," Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Vol. 1 (Jul. 1897):198-224. For free online access, see WeRelate

Online Probate 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.


Courthouse

Bucks County Courthouse
55 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901

Offices of the Bucks County Court include:

  • Clerk of Courts
  • Coroner
  • Prothonotary Naturalization Papers for the years 1802 to 1906 and Term Papers from 1733 to 1920 have been microfilmed and are available for public review in the Prothonotary's office.
  • The Office of the Prothonotary
    Bucks County Courthouse
    55 East Court Street
    Doylestown PA 18901
    Phone: 215-348-6191
    Fax: 215-348-6184
  • Recorder of Deeds All papers recorded in the office of Recorder of Deeds are public information, with the exception of Military Discharge Papers. Earliest records are for 1684. Indexes are available.
  • Register of Wills Research Center is open to the public. No appointment is required to visit. Records date back to 1684.
  • Genealogical and Archival Search Requests is available for the public. The site lists what records can be searched by staff and the cost.
Family History Centers

Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.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 Bucks County, Pennsylvania Genealogy is the Doylestown Pennsylvania Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Also see below:

Libraries
  • Bucks County Library Network
    Bucks County Free Library is a seven-branch county library system. An online catalog is available, and shows a sizable genealogy and biography collection.
  • The Mennonite Heritage Center
    565 Yoder Road
    Harleysville, PA 19438-1020
    Phone: 215-256-3020
    Email: library@mhep.org
    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
  • Historic Fallsington
    Information Center and Office
    4 Yardley Ave.
    Fallsington, PA 19054-1117
    Phone: 215-295-6567
    Email: info@historicfallsington.org
    The village of Fallsington was significant as a religious, social and market center for the surrounding area and a stop for stagecoaches. There are several historic homes and buildings as well as a manuscript collection with genealogical and historical records.
Societies
  • Bucks County Historical Society
    84 South Pine Street
    Doylestown, PA 18901
    Phone: 215-345-0210
    Online catalog: RolloPAC

    The Bucks County Historical Society operates the Mercer Museum and the Fonthill Castle. The research library of the museum is the major research center for local and family history related to Bucks County and the surrounding region. The Library houses over 20,000 books, periodicals and pamphlets, 2500 feet of county archives, over 800 manuscript collections, over 12,000 images, and maps and other records that document local history, and more. The online catalog searches collections of the Archives, the Museum, and the Library as well as an obituary collection from 2000 to the present.

    The Library is the repository for many Bucks County government records dating from 1683. These records come from the offices of the Court of Quarter Sessions, Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans Court, Prothonotary and the County Commissioners. Special indexes to county collections include the following: naturalization records (1802-1906), criminal papers (1697-1786), quarter sessions (1684-1700), coroners papers (1700-1900), divorces (1806-1948), marriage licenses (1852-1854, 1885-1946), vendues (1784-1884), tavern licenses (1742-1923), deed books and grantor/grantee index (1684-1919), wills and administrations (1684-1900), and mechanics liens (1836-1949).
  • Bucks County Genealogical Society
    PO Box 826
    Washington Crossing, PA 18977
    The BCGS was formed in February 2012 and has about 150 members. Monthly meetings feature informative speakers on topics of interest to genealogists. One of its projects is a Cemetery Assessment Project, with the goal of gathering information such as location of burial records and contact information for all the cemeteries in Bucks County.

Taxation

  • 1779, 1781 - 1786 Proprietary and Other Tax Lists of the County of Bucks: For the Years 1779, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786. (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 13). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.
  • 1798 Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records

See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

The Archive Research Center, located on the third floor of the Bucks County Courthouse, is open to the public for genealogical research. The Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan's Court has microfilm records dating back to 1684. Some original records are stored off-site and are available by advance request. Copy services (by fee) include the following:

  • 1684 - 1950 Genealogical Search Request, index search by name
  • 1684 - 1987 Index printout with name, death year, index number
  • 1987 - present Index printout also includes date of death
  • 1885 - present Marriage Application Record, Certified Application, Marriage Certificate
  • 1893 - 1906 Certified Birth/Death Record

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.


Birth

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 - 1855 Bucks County Birth Index 1852-1855 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C524001.[14]
  • 1852 - 1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
Marriage

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

Divorce

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

Death

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


Death Substitutes

  • Bucks County (Pennsylvania). Coroner. Coroner's Views and Inquisitions, 1710-1906; Index, 1722-1946. Coroner's reports supply information on accidental or suspicious deaths.

Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

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


Genealogy Societies and Libraries

  • Bucks County Genealogical Society
  • Bucks County Genealogical Society
    PO Box 826
    Washington Crossing, PA 18977
    The BCGS was formed in February 2012 and has about 150 members. Monthly meetings feature informative speakers on topics of interest to genealogists. One of its projects is a Cemetery Assessment Project, with the goal of gathering information such as location of burial records and contact information for all the cemeteries in Bucks County.

Bucks County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

Bucks County Pennsylvania Places

Populated Places

  • Boroughs: Bristol . Chalfont . Doylestown . Dublin . Hulmeville . Ivyland . Langhorne . Langhorne Manor . Morrisville . New Britain . New Hope . Newtown . Penndel . Perkasie . Quakertown . Richlandtown . Riegelsville . Sellersville . Silverdale . Telford . Trumbauersville . Tullytown . Yardley
  • Townships: Bedminster . Bensalem . Bridgeton . Bristol . Buckingham . Doylestown . Durham . East Rockhill . Falls . Haycock . Hilltown . Lower Makefield . Lower Southampton . Middletown . Milford . New Britain . Newtown . Nockamixon . Northampton . Plumstead . Richland . Solebury . Springfield . Tinicum . Upper Makefield . Upper Southampton . Warminster . Warrington . Warwick . West Rockhill . Wrightstown
  • Unincorporated communities: Brittany Farms-Highlands . Churchville . Cornwells Heights-Eddington . Croydon . Erwinna . Fairless Hills . Fallsington . Feasterville-Trevose . Holland . Lahaska . Levittown . Lumberville . Newtown Grant . Point Pleasant . Plumsteadville . Richboro . Southampton . The Devil's Half-Acre . Uhlerstown . Upper Black Eddy . Village Shires . Warminster Heights . Washington Crossing . Woodbourne . Woodside

Bucks County Pennsylvania Genealogy References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Page 588-593 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 579-581.
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
  3. ↑ Wayland F. Dunaway, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania (Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press, 1944), 54-55. Free digital version at PA's Past: Digital Bookshelf at Penn State.
  4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucks_County,_Pennsylvania accessed 2/1/2017
  5. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/8/86/Igipennsylvaniabb.pdf.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/2/23/Igipennsylvaniac.pdf.
  8. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/2/23/Igipennsylvaniac.pdf.
  9. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/2/23/Igipennsylvaniac.pdf.
  10. ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts in http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ClerksOfCourts.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2012)
  12. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at http://www.courts.phila.gov/common-pleas/orphans/ accessed 10 July 2012
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 John B.B. Trussell and Charles C. Dallas, The Pennsylvania Line; Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 (Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977). Digital version at Family History Archive.
  14. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/8/86/Igipennsylvaniabb.pdf.
  15. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/images/8/86/Igipennsylvaniabb.pdf.
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