New York, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of an index to selected birth and baptism records for the years 1704 to 1962.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The index contains the following information:


 * Name of child
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Parent's names
 * Film number
 * Digital folder number
 * Image number

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the child
 * The birth date of the child
 * The birth place of the child
 * The names of the child's parents

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details or lead to other records about your ancestors.

Remember this is only an index. As with any index, transcription errors may have occurred.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the birth date along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * The father’s occupation can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * The parents' birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family

I Can't Find the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Look for a different index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the records of nearby localities
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of New York.
 * New York Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

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