Madison County, New York Genealogy

United States

New York

Madison County

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

This page describes sources of genealogical data about Madison County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Madison County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 21, 1806
County Seat	Wampsville
Courthouse
Address	Madison County Office Building #4 138 North Court Street PO Box 668 Wampsville, NY 13163 Madison County Website

Madison County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Madison County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1905	1880	1889	1806	1806	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

21 March 1806: Created from Chenango County.

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.

1836: A part taken to add to Oneida 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
Oneida
Towns
Brookfield Cazenovia DeRuyter Eaton Fenner	Georgetown Hamilton Lebanon Lenox Lincoln	Madison Nelson Smithfield Stockbridge Sullivan
Villages
Canastota Cazenovia Chittenango DeRuyte	Earlville Hamilton Madison Morrisville	Munnsville Wampsville (county seat)
Hamlets
Leonardsville New Woodstock	Peterboro West Edmeston	Hubbardsville
Census-designated places
Bridgeport

Madison 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*
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

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

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	25,144	—
1820	32,208	28.1%
1830	39,038	21.2%
1840	40,008	2.5%
1850	43,072	7.7%
1860	43,545	1.1%
1870	43,522	−0.1%
1880	44,112	1.4%
1890	42,892	−2.8%
1900	40,545	−5.5%
1910	39,289	−3.1%
1920	39,535	0.6%
1930	39,790	0.6%
1940	39,598	−0.5%
1950	46,214	16.7%
1960	54,635	18.2%
1970	62,864	15.1%
1980	65,150	3.6%
1990	69,120	6.1%
2000	69,441	0.5%
2010	73,442	5.8%
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.

• The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.
  

State

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

• 1809-1833 - Fort Plain Reformed Church Records, courtesy: World Vital Records ($). Births, Marriages, Deaths.
• Baptist Church of New Woodstock, First Presbyterian Church of Cazenovia, and Methodist Church of Cazenovia records are part of the collection Early Settlers of New York State, Vol. II, courtesy: Ancestry ($).
  
• 1809-1862 Society of Friends. De Ruyter Monthly Meeting Madison County: Hicksite FHL film 17336 Item 2-3 Contains Marriages, removal certificates 1809-1862 and Men's meeting minutes 1820-1852
• 1935-1941 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Oneida District FHL film 1962 Item 13 Record of members from Oneida and Madison Counties.

Additional Church Records

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

• Early Religious and Other Incorporations In Madison County, NY 1806-1932

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.

Emigration and Immigration

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

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

• Rootsweb message board for Madison 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

Additional Resources:

Explore Madison County History

Genealogical Resources: Link to the different town pages at the top of the page to find information about different types of records throughout Madison County (Example: The Town of Nelson has information about the Welsh Church).

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Madison County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

Books

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Madison 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 Place-name Search.)

Additional resources

Additional resources for Madison County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Madison County, New York Genealogy – Land Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at various Family History Centers. 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.

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration

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

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

Military

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: Cazenovia, DeRuyter, Fenner, Georgetown, Hamilton, Lebanon, Smithfield, and Stockbridge.

Regiments. Service men in Madison County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.

- 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Batteries A and K.

- 12th Independent Company, New York Infantry, Company G.

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

- 18th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company H.

- 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies E, K and M.

- 35th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.

- 114th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, G and K.

- 157th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, F, G and I.

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A and F.

- 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1852-1953 - Madison County Declarations of Intent and Petitions for Naturalization, 1852-1953 - data from 27 volumes of naturalization records and numerous unbound records. Reports include last name, first name, alias last name, alias first name, date of birth, city of birth, country of birth, arrival date, arrival port, declaration of intent date, declaration of intent number, naturalization date, and certificate number. Available via the Madison County Clerk website.

Newspapers

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 Madison County, New York Genealogy newspaper images:

• Brookfield NY Courier 1876-1977
• Brookfield NY Forest Stream and Farm 1890
• Brookfield NY Young America 1875-1876
• Chittenango NY Bridgeport Times 1976-1988
• Chittenango NY Herald 1831-1836
• Chittenango NY Madison County Times 1870-1975
• Chittenango NY Phoenix 1848-1854
• Deruyter NY Gleaner 1876-1963
• Deruyter NY New Era 1876-1887
• Morrisville NY Madison Observer 1847-1877

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.

The petitions for Madison County, New York Genealogy are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:

• 1806–1876 Listed as "Estate records" FHL Film 425297 (77 films) Records are in case number order.

Online Probate 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 ($)
• 1806-1900 - SAMPUBCO Free browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1806-1876 - SAMPUBCO Free browsable index of Estates.
  
• 1866-1923 - New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

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 - Madison County: Administration bonds, 1890-1903; Bonds, Bond index, 1889-1901; Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1830-1902; General index, 1890-1919; Hierships, 1893-1925; Judicial settlements index, 1806-1890; Judicial settlements, 1836-1900; Letters of administration index, 1806-1927; Letters of administration, 1830-1903; Sales index, 1806-1890; Sales, 1807-1899; Wills, 1806-1900

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

• 1806–1920 General Index to Registers of Estates FHL Film 408531
• 1890–1919 General Index to Surrogate's Office FHL Film 409605
• 1806–1876 Estate Records (Petitions) FHL Film 425297 (77 films) Indexed in General Index to Registers of Estates
• 1806–1900 Will Records FHL Film 408505 (26 films)
• 1806–1890 Letters of Administration and index FHL Film 409610
• 1830–1902 Minutes, orders and decrees FHL Film 415213 (15 films)
• 1847–1899 Letters Testamentary, Index 1806–1890 FHL Film 415204 (4 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Madison County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1982). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.764 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Oneida Public Library 220 Broad Street Oneida, New York 13421 Phone: 315-363-3050

Genealogical resources: Local History Room The Oneida Public Library’s Local History Room contains a noncirculating collection of over 1,560 books, pamphlets, maps and genealogical materials relating to the City of Oneida, Madison County, Oneida County and New York State. It also contains on microfilm Oneida City and Madison County newspapers dating back to 1846, a complete set of published directories of Oneida City and surrounding communities and U.S. Census data for Madison County from 1850 to 1930.

County Historian's Office

Matthew Urtz, Historian Box 668 Wampsville, NY 13163 Phone: 315–366-2453 E–mail: matthew.urtz@co.madison.ny.us

Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 9-2 Wednesday 12-5 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.

Courthouses

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

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - link to 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

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 Madison County, New York Genealogy is the Utica New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Societies

Madison County Historical Society

435 Main Street
Oneida, NY 13421
Phone: 315-363-4136/315-361-9735
Facebook
E–mail: [mailto:history@mchs1900.org history@mchs1900.org

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.

Social Groups Online

• Madison County Historical Society, Oneida, New York - Facebook.
  

• 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.
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1904 (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1905)
  
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1922 (Poughkeepsie: Lansing Broas, 1923)
• List of Town Clerks, Record Managers and Historical Societies
  

The County Archives has the following records:

• 031 Petitions, Licenses, and recognizance to sell liquor (Tavern licenses) 1813-1878
• 139 Monthly Reports of Hunting and fishing licenses, 1908-1938
• 165 Certificates of Qualifications as Examiner in Lunacy, 1883-1947
  

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk. See also How to order New York Vital Records or order electronically online.

See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

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

Birth

Early births were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording births in 1881. Births were not recorded on the county level.

• 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 Historical Records – free; Index.
  

• Mary K. Meyer, Tuttle file: Index to Madison County, New York, Records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980). (Manuscript on film) FHL Film 1276127 Item 2–1276128Vital records collection from varied records of Madison County.
  

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military.
  

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 1905 until 1934.

• 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
  

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

• 1908–1920 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index; FHL Film 1023124 Item 1, first of 9 films Indexes on film go to 1935
  

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
  

• 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  

• 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  

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

• 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

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

• Mary K. Meyer, Tuttle File: Index to Madison County, New York, Records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980). (Manuscript on film) FHL Film 1276127 Item 2–1276128 Vital records collection from varied records of Madison County.
  

• Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery: Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

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

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 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.
  

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

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

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

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military.
  

• 1880s-1920s Selected Obituaries Chenango and Madison County at NYGenWeb - free.
  

• Mary K. Meyer, Tuttle File: Index to Madison County, New York, Records (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980). (Manuscript on film) FHL Film 1276127 Item 2–1276128 Vital records collection from varied records of Madison County.
  

• Wiles, Harriett M. Marriages and Deaths from the Lyons Republican and Inscriptions from the Lyons Rural Cemetery: Nelson, N.Y. and Aurora, N.Y. 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

Additional Resources

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

Madison County New York Genealogy Websites

• Madison County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• The Madison County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Madison County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Madison County. (Backup site)
• Madison County NY Genealogy

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free