Essex County, New York Genealogy

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

New York Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the English county of Essex. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

Parent Counties

 * Created 1 March 1799 from Clinton and Franklin 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.

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:

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.


 * Daughters of the American Revolution. Jane McCrea Chapter (New York), Bible and Cemetery Records for Warren and Essex Counties (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971).

Biography
Biographies for Essex County, New York are available at:



Biographical Review Containing Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Clinton and Essex counties, New York (Boston: Biographical Review Pub. Co., 1896.) available FamilySearch Digital Library; ;

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


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * 1732-1760 Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, Fort Frédéric ou Fort Beauharnois, courtesy: Ancestry ($).


 * 1808-1877 Bloomingdale Baptism Index, courtesy: New York State Historical Literature.
 * 1853-1929 St. John's Church, Essex, Protestant Episcopal Contents: v. 1. Vestry meeting minutes, 1853-1929 -- v. 2. Baptisms 1854-1876, confirmations, burials 1855-1875, marriages 1855-1875, communicants, offerings -- v. 3. History, families, baptisms 1878-1923, confirmations, communicants, marriages 1878-1923, burials 1878-1920, index to v. 3.
 * 1853-1880 Parish, St. John the Baptist, Keeseville, New York, baptisms and burials, 1853-1880, extracted by Virginia Easley DeMarce Lists baptisms and burials. Keeseville is on the border of Essex and Clinton counties.

Court Records

 * 1799–1923 Index to Les Pendens


 * 1827–1876 Les Pendens

Emigration and Immigration

 * 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

Genealogy

 * Harold E. Hines, A Basic Guide to Genealogical and Family History Resources for Essex County, New York (Elizabethtown, New York: Essex County Historical Society (New York), 2004). ;.


 * Rootsweb message boardfor Essex County 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.

Guardianship

 * 1847–1902 Guardianship Records


 * 1869–1910 Guardianship Orders

History
Histories for Essex County, New York:



Fort Ticonderoga is known for nearby battles in French-Indian War and the American Revolutionary War.



Land and Property
Original land records in began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online



Microforms


 * 1799-1864 Deed Records - Index included: 1799-1873
 * 1789-1867 Mortgage Records 1799-1867 - Index included: 1789 - 1860
 * 1799-1923 Lis Pendens 1827-1876 - Index included: 1799 - 1923

Books




 * 1739-1802 Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802 ; MyHeritage ($); Ancestry ($)


 * 1789–1860 Mortgage Record Index


 * 1799–1867 Mortgage Records


 * 1799–1864 Deed records


 * 1800–1873 Grantee and Grantor Indexes


 * 1820–1904 Sheriff Certificate of Sales, indexed


 * 1837–1914 United States Deposit Fund Mortgages . Loans made to citizens of Essex County, by the Commissioners for Loaning Certain Moneys of the United States. Includes index.

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Civil War
Available towns. Registers are available for: Chesterfield, Crown Point, Elizabethtown, Lewis, Minerva, North Elba, St. Armand, Schroon, and Westport.

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


 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies I, K and L.
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 34th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 38th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A and I.
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 96th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 118th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, E and F.
 * - 153rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies G and I.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1799-1906 Petitions - Essex County (NY) Clerk's Office The National Archives at New York City


 * 1836–1906  Essex County (NY) Clerk's Office Italian Genealogical Group - index only


 * 1856–1906 Register of declarations of intention - Essex County Supreme Court, Oyer and Terminer Court


 * 1903–1906 Naturalization of Aliens: final orders - Essex County Court


 * 1907–1911 Declarations of Intention - Essex County Supreme Court


 * 1907–1913 Naturalization records - Essex County Supreme Court

Newspapers
Search historical newspapers 1844-2007 for Essex County at NYS Historic Newspapers, including:


 * Adirondack Record-Elizabethtown Post, 1920-1975
 * Elizabethtown Post, 1851-1920
 * Essex County Republican, 1839-1989
 * Lake Placid News, 1905-current
 * Ticonderoga Sentinel, 1874-1982 (coverage period varies)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes


 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($).
 * 1803-1904 SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills
 * 1803-1842 Essex Co., NY Probate Wills Index Books A and B (1803-1842) at NYGenWeb. (opens as a PDF file)


 * - Essex County: Guardianship orders, 1869-1910; Guardianship records, 1847-1902; Letters, 1831-1902; Will and Letter index, 1799-1938; Wills, 1803-1904

Probate Records on Microfilm:

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:


 * 1799–1938 Index to Probate
 * 1803–1910 Probate Records

Public Records

 * 1799–1879 Index to miscellaneous papers filed or recorded in Essex County, New York

Repositories
Cornell University. New York Historical Resources Center, Guide to Historical Resources in Essex County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Clinton Essex Franklin Library System consists of 34 public libraries in the counties of Clinton, Essex, and Franklin. Each library has access to genealogical databases - especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home. A list of the libraries in this system and their website and contact information is found here.

Brewster Memorial Research Library and Archives Adirondack History Center Museum 7590 Court Street P.O. Box 428 Elizabethtown, NY 12932 Phone: 518-873-6466 Open by appointment only Cemetery index, special collection library, some census on microfilm, maps, photographs, newspaper collection, and biographies.

Fort Ticonderoga/Thompson-Pell Research Center Fort Road Ticonderoga, NY 12883 Phone: 518-585-2821 Collections are accessible by appointment only Has 18th century military war maps, photos, and manuscripts that focus on campaigns in Champlain Valley. Special emphasis on French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution.

Keene Valley Library Archives 1796 NYS Rt. 73 Keene Valley, NY 12943 Phone: 518-576-4335 Open Tuesday and Thursday, 9 to noon. Local genealogy and cemetery information.

Lake Placid Public Library 2471 Main Street Lake Placid, NY 12946 Phone: 518-523-3200 The Village of Lake Placid/Town of North Elba Historical Collection in the the Archival Room of the library.

Penfield Foundation Museum Ironville Road Crown Point, NY 12928 Genealogical resources: Vital records, cemeteries, family files, censuses, church records, military records. List of family files is available under the Research dropdown menu. A research request service is available for a fee. Open June thru Mid-October Thursday thru Sunday or by appointment. Genealogical and military records for Hammondville, Ironville, and Crown Point.

Sherman Free Library 20 Church Street Port Henry, NY 12974 Phone: 518-546-7461 Offers workshops on genealogy, Reverand Woodbridge Scrapbooks from 1880s to 1895, maps,atlases, and local histories.

County Historian's Office
Essex County Historian Adirondack Center Museum PO Box 428 7590 Court Street Elizabethtown, NY 12932 Research Queries Email: research@adkhistorycenter.org

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 Essex County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records as well as the state census. For further information about where the records for Essex County are held, see the Essex County Courthouse page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Essex Vermont Family History Center
 * Lowville New York Family History Center
 * Plattsburgh New York Family History Center
 * Potsdam New York Family History Center


 * Kawartha Lakes Public Library - Omemee Branch - an affiliate library
 * Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Societies
The Adirondack Genealogical – Historical Society 100 Main St. Saranac Lake, NY, 12983
 * They have an obituary database extracted from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and will search for you by phone. They also have some church records, census records on Essex and surrounding counties, local directories, and cemetery information up to 2000. Phone: 518-891-0807.

Essex County Historical Society/Brewster Memorial Research Library Archives Adirondack History Center Museum 7590 Court St. P.O. Box 428 Elizabethtown NY, 12932 Phone: 518-873-6466 Facebook


 * Call for hours. Holdings include vertical files (biography subject oriented), newspaper collections, photographs, manuscripts, maps, cemetery index, some census on microfilm only, special collection library, historical documents relating to the history of Essex County. There are no birth, death, or marriage certificates. Research room rules, access regulations and fees for use of library apply

Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: [mailto:CNYGS@yahoo.com CNYSG@yahoo.com]


 * Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks  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

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * 1831-1864 Births, Marriages, and Obituaries Extracted from Essex County, New York Newspapers at NYGenWeb.


 * 1835-1850 1,100 Vital Records of Northeastern New York 1835-1850 on New York Family History - $


 * 1844-2005 NYS Historic Newspapers. Includes Adirondack Record-Elizabethtown Post (1917-1971), Elizabethtown Post (1882-1920), Essex County Republican (1844-1973), and Lake Placid News (1914-2005).

Birth

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


 * 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Internet Archive - images of index

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch – index.


 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.


 * 1847-1849 Essex Birth Records at NYGenWeb.

Marriage

 * 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($); ; . Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.


 * 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1866–1870 Record of marriages Microfilm of original records in the town hall, Williston, Vermont. These marriage records were written August 14, 1936 by W. E. Ferguson, town clerk of Williston, Vermont, from records created by Rev. A.D. Barber. Contains a few records of marriages performed by Rev. A.D. Barber in Willsboro, New York, 1866-1870.


 * 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Internet Archive - images of index


 * 1908–1935 at  FamilySearch – index.


 * 1908–1923 Marriage Records Microfilm of original records in the Essex County courthouse. Includes indexes.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch – index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman, 10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry ($); MyHeritage ($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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."


 * 1847-1849 1847-1849 Essex County, New York Marriages at NYGenWeb.


 * 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.


 * 1882–1914 Schroon Catholic Church Marriage Records at NYGenWeb. These are extracted marriage records. Grooms and Brides are listed on one list by surname.

Death
Death Indexes
 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1956 New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1880-1956 Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Internet Archive - images of index
 * 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only

Death Substitutes


 * 1777–1834 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry ($); MyHeritage ($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.


 * 1847-1849 Essex County Deaths at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 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.

Additional Resources

Essex County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Essex County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Essex County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Essex County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Essex County. (Mirror site)
 * New York Heritage Digital Collection. Includes a digital copy of Willsborough Town Book.
 * Essex Genealogy