Clinton County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Clinton 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 George Clinton, the first Governor of New York, who went on to become Vice President, having been a Founding Father who represented New York in the Continental Congress. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

Parent County

 * 7 March 1788: Set off from Washington 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.


 * 1 March 1799: Essex County set off
 * 3 March 1805: part taken to form Saint Lawrence County.
 * 1801: a part transferred to Oneida County.
 * 11 March 1808: west part of the county set off to form Franklin 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:

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.


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index
 * Clinton County Tombstone Transcription Project

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

Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

 * 1938–1941 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Champlain District.

Quakers

 * Frost, Josephine S.C. Quaker meeting records, state of New York: Ulster County, Columbia County, Albany County, Clinton County ;
 * James E Hazard Index to the Records of New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends 1761 -1856 Religious_Society_of_Friends
 * The majority of data relating to Clinton County, NY will be from the Peru meeting which has 1,414 listings with dates from 1761-1856.

Roman Catholic

 * 1762–1876 Registres Paroissiaux  Quebec Catholic Parish Registers. Has Baptisms, marriages, burials, and confirmations. Record data is in French. Digital indexed version available at


 * 1864–1881 Virginia Easley DeMarce, Baptisms and Burials: St. Edmund's, Ellenburg, New York, St. Philomene's, Churubusco, New York, St. James, Cadyville, New York, Clinton County, 1864-1881 (Plattsburgh, N.Y. (P.O. Box 1256, Plattsburgh 12901): The Society, 1990). ; .Includes indexes to godfathers, godmothers, and maiden names of mothers. Includes notes from cemetery, St. James, Cadyville.


 * 1835-1925Church of the Immaculate Conception, Keeseville, New York : St. Catherine of Sienna - Mission, Clintonville, New York, 1835-[1925], marriages - births - deaths

Other Church Resources
Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society (fees charged)
 * Publications of church registers [mostly Roman Catholic] of marriages, births, & deaths and cemetery transcriptions varied years by locale 1830-1930.

Court Records

 * 1789–1847 Proceedings


 * 1824–1900 Lis pendens Includes index.

Directories

 * Hamilton Child, Gazetteer and Directory of Franklin and Clinton Counties: With an Almanac for 1862-3, Embracing the Names of Business Men, County Officers, Distances, Interest Tables, Census Returns, and Much Other Valuable Statistical Information (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1987). ; . Includes index.

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

Detailed Ontario Map and Quebec Map of Towns and Counties for Genealogy, circa 1957 at http://web.archive.org/web/20090321052657/http://www.westol.com/~beaurega/map.htm (accessed 13 October 2011), and Marc Albert Schindler, "South Shore Montréal" in Administrative Atlas of Canada, vol. II, Quebec (Gloucester, Ontario: Schindler-Spring Family Association, 1987), 6b,.

Hamilton Child, Gazetteer and Directory of Franklin and Clinton Counties: With an Almanac for 1862-3, Embracing the Names of Business Men, County Officers, Distances, Interest Tables, Census Returns, and Much Other Valuable Statistical Information (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1987). ; . Includes index.

Genealogy
Rootsweb message boardfor Clinton 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

 * 1830–1969 Guardian records index


 * 1830–1907 Guardian records


 * 1885–1921 Miscellaneous civil records

Land and Property
Original land records in began in 1788. These records are housed at the Clinton County Clerk's Office at 137 Margaret Street; Plattsburgh, New York.

Online



Microforms


 * 1788-1966 Deed Records 1788-1900 - Index included: 1788-1966
 * 1788-1855 Mortgage Records - Index included: 1788 - 1855
 * 1824-1900 Lis Pendens - Index included: 1824 - 1900

Books


 * Pioneer Homes of Clinton County 1790-1820, Alan S. Everest, Plattsburgh, N. Y. : Published by the Clinton County Historical Association with the assistance of the County of Clinton, New York, 1966.


 * 1739-1802 - Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802. Online at Ancestry ($), MyHeritage ($)


 * 1788–1966 Deed records index


 * 1788–1900 Deed records


 * 1788–1855 Mortgage records and index


 * 1824–1900 Lis pendens Includes index.

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

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


 * Hudson River pre-historic
 * Lake Champlain pre-historic
 * Lake Champlain Trail pre-historic
 * Champlain Canal 1823
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * Chambly Canal and the Richelieu River 1843

Revolutionary War

 * New York in the American Revolution: A Source Guide for Genealogists and Historians by Eric G. Grundset; Washington, D.C. : National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, [2012].
 * This book provides detailed information on the availability of manuscript and archival material that exists for New York State for the period of the Revolutionary War along with listings of historical and genealogical studies that have been published and which supplement the original sources. It is the most extensive gathering of such information ever published, and researchers will find it an essential resource with which to identify materials and studies located in many scattered libraries and archives. The PDF comprises more than 700 pages including table of contents, text pages, map pages, and an index to the text.
 * This title is available in printed version or as a PDF download through the DAR Store, visit dar.org/darstore or call the store toll-free at 888-673-2732 to order.


 * Moses Hazen and the Canadian Refugees in the American Revolution, Allan S. Everest, Nw York State American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, Syracuse, N.Y. : Syracuse University Press, 1976.

War of 1812
Riddlell, William Renwick, A Canadian's view of the battle of Plattsburgh ; a Canadian's view of the battle of New Orleans ; the century of peace and its significance (Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1987) pages 42.

A War of 1812 Death Register : "Whispers in the Dark" : K.I.A., M.I.A., P.O.W.'s, Wounded & Deaths in Vermont, New York & along the Canadian Border during the War of 1812. Soldiers from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia & Washington DC : With a special chapter on the participants in "The Battle of Plattsburgh", American & British. by Jack Bilow, Plattsburgh, NY: 2011.

Battle of Plattsburgh Association & War of 1812 Museum Hours of Operation: Wednesday-Saturday 10 AM - 3 PM Phone: (518) 566-1814   Fax: (518) 562-3534 Address: 31 Washington Road, Plattsburgh, NY 12903 United States

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Altona, Au Sable, Beekmantown, Black Brook, Champlain, Chazy, Dannemora, Ellenburgh, Mooers, Peru, Plattsburgh, Saranac, and Schuyler Falls.

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


 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I.
 * - 9th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and K.
 * - 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, E, F, G, H and I.
 * - 16th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, E and K.
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 25th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies L and M.
 * - 26th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 34th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 60th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 72nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company L.
 * - 91st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 96th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, C, D, F and K.
 * - 118th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, H, I and K.
 * - 153rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies G, I and K.
 * - 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies E, F, H and I.

1883 Pension List
1883 Pensioners includes list of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883; Washington Government Printing Office, 1883

Naturalizations and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

Clinton County, New York Clerk's Office. Originals are at the National Archives at New York City Records include:


 * Index to Petitions for Naturalization, 1851-1906 - ItalianGen.org 1865-1906; German Genealogy Group 1865-1906
 * Petitions for Naturalization, 1851-1906

Newspapers
Search historic Clinton County newspapers 1811 - to present at Northern New York Historical Newspapers


 * Cardinal Points of SUNY Plattsburgh 1940-2006 
 * Plattsburgh Daily Press 1931-1942 
 * Plattsburgh Press-Republican 1942-1992 
 * The Press Republican - 2007 to the present
 * Plattsburgh Republican 1811-1820
 * Plattsburgh Sentinel 1866-1931

Obituary
Try a Worldcat search for author Clyde Rabideau

Periodicals
Central New York Genealogical Society has indexed Tree Talks periodicals according to counties, surnames, and given names. Use this index onlineto search for ancestors in the Clinton County area.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes


 * 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1787-1835 – [https://www.americanancestors.org/browse-database Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($).
 * 1790–1969 – Probate Records Indexes are at the beginning of each volume. Includes letters testamentary and of administration, guardianships, orders and decrees, dower books, real estate sales, and minutes.
 * 1807-1902 SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1807–1902 – Will books
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * 1626-1836 Calendar of Wills On File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, of the County Clerk at Albany, and of the Secretary of State, 1626-1836 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at: Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($)


 * - Clinton County: Decrees, Orders, 1842-1882; Dower records, 1807-1873; Guardianship records, 1830-1890; Letter index, 1807-1969; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1790-1908; Letters of guardianship index, 1830-1969; Minutes, 1856-1901; Sales, 1849-1886; Wills, 1807-1902

Probate Records on Microfilm

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


 * 1790-1969 Probate records
 * 1807-1902 Records of wills

Repositories
Cornell University. New York Historical Resources Center, Guide to Historical Resources in Clinton County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). - free; ; 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.

Essex County Historical Society 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.

Feinberg Library SUNY Plattsburgh 101 Broad St. Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Phone: 518-564-2000 The Special Collections room in the Feinberg library contains many letters, papers, and photographs for several families and businesses. It also includes school records and Civil War letters. Includes manuscript guides for the collections.

County Historian's Office
Clinton County Historian Anastasia Pratt Clinton County Government Center 137 Margaret Street, Suite 105 Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Office Hours: Tuesday &amp; Thursday 9 - 5 and by special appointment Phone: 518-565-4749 Email: Historian@co.clinton.ny.us

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Essex Vermont FamilySearch Center
 * Montpelier Vermont FamilySearch Center
 * Plattsburgh New York FamilySearch Center
 * Potsdam New York FamilySearch Center


 * Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Societies
Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society 44 Emmons Street Civic Center, Dannemora, NY mailing address: NNYACGS, PO Box 928, Dannemora, New York, 12929 USA (518) 492-4142 during library hours Library open Wednesday & Saturdays 11 AM- 4 PM Facebook


 * Primarily a French Canadian collection. Church records, censuses, allied genealogical societies publications, genealogies, histories, cemetery records, and parish marriages in Quebec.

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.

North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association 1131 Mace Chasm Rd, Ausable Chasm, New York 12911-1704 Phone: (518) 834-5180 Email: ugr@frontier.com Hours 9 AM-4 PM daily Saranac Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Plattsburgh, NY. email: pameyers@verizon.net Battle of Valcour Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Plattsburgh,NY email: valcourbattlechapter@gmail.com

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)
 * Clinton County Historical Association - Facebook.
 * Clinton Historical Society - Facebook.
 * Clinton Historical - Facebook.

Taxation
1798 Tax Assessment for Northern New York, edited by David Kendall Martin, MA, FASG. [ 1798 Tax Assessment]

Vital Records

 * 1811-2006 NYS Historic Newspapers. Includes Cardinal Points (1940-2006), North Countryman (1928-1982), Plattsburgh Daily Press (1894-1942), Plattsburgh Press-Republican (1942-1998), Plattsburgh Republican (1811-1942), and Plattsburgh Sentinel (1866-1931) - free.


 * 1881-1894 Plattsburgh Morning Telegram Newspaper Index - 1881-1894 at NYGenWeb - free.

Birth

 * 1881-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry — index ($)


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

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch – free; Index.


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

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


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


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch – free; Index.


 * 1908–1935 Marriage Record Index


 * 1908–1926 Marriage Record

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch – free; 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). Online at: 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."


 * 1830–1880 Benoît Pontbriand, Mariages, 1830-1880, comté de Clinton, New York = Marriages, 1830-1880, Clinton County, New York (Sillery [Quebec]: B. Pontbriand, 1984). ; Contains transcription of church records from the following localities: Plattsburgh (1830) Cooperville (1843) Ausable Forks (1849) Keeseville (1849) Redford (1853) Rouses Point (1856) Champlain (1860) Dannemora (1860) Mooers Forks (1861) Cadyville (1861) Ellensburg (1869) Churubusco (1872). In both English and French.


 * 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.


 * 1864–1881 Virginia Easley DeMarce, Baptisms and burials: St. Edmund's, Ellenburg, New York, St. Philomene's, Churubusco, New York, St. James, Cadyville, New York, Clinton County, 1864-1881 (Plattsburgh, N.Y. (P.O. Box 1256, Plattsburgh 12901): The Society, 1990). ; .Includes indexes to godfathers, godmothers, and maiden names of mothers. Includes notes from cemetery, St. James, Cadyville.

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 only
 * 1880-1956 Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - 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). Online at: Ancestry ($); MyHeritage ($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


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


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

Additional Resources

Clinton County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Clinton County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Clinton County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Clinton County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Clinton County. (Mirror site)
 * Clinton County Genealogy