Delaware County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Delaware 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 Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609. The County is located in the central area of the state.

Parent County
Created 10 March 1797 from Orange and Ulster counties.

Neighboring Counties


New York counties •   Broome  •  Chenango  •  Greene  •  Otsego  •  Schoharie  •  Sullivan  •  Ulster  •  Pennsylvania county •  Wayne

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.

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

Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History &amp; Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Delaware County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Delaware County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.


 * 1839-1895 - Pastor Julius S. Pattengill, Ledger of Marriages &amp; Deaths at NYGenWeb - free.

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

 * message boardfor 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

 * History of Delaware County and Border Wars of New York by Jay Gould (Roxbury, MA; Keeney &amp; Gould, 1856). Available online through Hathi Trust.
 * Delaware County, New York, History of the Century, 1797-1897 by David Murray (Delhi, NY; W. Clark, 1898). Available online through the Library of Congress.
 * Transcript of Munsell's The History of Delaware County

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

Online



Microforms


 * 1792-1962 Deed Records 1792-1907 - Index included: 1797-1962
 * 1797-1913 Mortgage Records 1797-1862 - Index included: 1797 - 1913

Books




 * 1797-1804 - Abstracts of Deed Book A (1797-1804), courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1804-1808 - Abstracts of Deed Book B (1804-1808), courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1798-1866 - Various Tax, Assessment, Lease and Mortgage Records, courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from included:


 * Hudson River a navigable river stretching from north of Albany then flowing south to empty into the Atlantic Ocean at New York City
 * Susquehanna River
 * Albany Post Road from New York City to Albany, New York 1669
 * Alford and Egremont (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Connecticut to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by 1792; toll booths opened by 1804.
 * Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Great Barrington and Aford (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Greenwood Road 1799 from Hartford, Connecticut to Albany, New York
 * Hampden and Berkshire (MA) Turnpike 1826
 * Hillsdale and Chatham Turnpike 1805 from Alford, Massachusetts to Albany, New York
 * Housatonic River (MA) Turnpike 1809
 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Massachusetts 10th Turnpike 1800
 * Massachusetts 12th Turnpike 1812
 * Minsi Path 1766 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kingston, New York
 * Rensselaer and Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Salisbury and Canaan (CT) Turnpike 1801-1829
 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Connecticut to Bainbridge, New York

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
 * Delaware County's Civil War Soldiers at Delaware County Historical Association - list includes the soldier's name, unit, census district in the 1865 state census, age, and occasional comments.

Available towns. Registers are available for: Andes· Delhi· Franklin· Hamden· Hancock· Masonville· Meredith· Middletown· Roxbury· Sidney· Stamford· Tompkins· Walton.

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


 * - 25th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A and B.
 * - 71st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
 * - 72nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies I and L.
 * - 89th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 101st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, F and G.
 * - 118th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 129th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company M.
 * - 130th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 136th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 142nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 144th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies H, I and K.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Naturalization Records for Delaware County at NYGenWeb - free.

Newspapers

 * Catskill Mountain News 1902-1943, Margaretville, NY
 * Bloomville NY Mirror 1851-1871
 * Stamford NY Stamford Mirror 1874-1931

Probate Records
The petitions for are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:


 * 1799–1905 Listed as "Estate papers and proceedings" Indexed by surname in general index to wills and proceedings. . How to use FamilySearch Catalog

Online Probate Abstracts and Indexes


 * 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 by NEHGS ($).
 * 1797-1875 - Gertrude A. Barber, Letters of Administration of Delaware County, New York: Copied from the Original Records at the Court House, Delhi, N.Y. 4 vols. 1988. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1834-1875 - Gertrude A. Barber, Abstracts of Wills of Delaware County, New York. 6 vols. New York, 1989. Digital copy at Ancestry ($); NYGenWeb.
 * 1797-1916 - SAMPUBCO Free online browsable index of will testators.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Delaware County: Wills, 1901-1920

Probate Records on Microfilm

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


 * 1796-1963 General index to wills and proceedings, 1797-1963, guardians index to proceedings, 1797-1965..
 * 1795-1885 Minnie Cowen, Index of wills, Delaware County, New York, 1795-1885.
 * 1797-1885 Gertrude A. Barber, Index of wills, Delaware County, New York, from 1797-1885 ;.
 * 1797-1900 Estate papers and proceedings. (Indexed in General index to wills and proceedings).
 * 1797-1926 Wills..
 * 1803-1930 Probate records..

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Delaware County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Sidney Historical Museum Sidney Civic Center 21 Liberty Street 2nd Floor-Room 218 Sidney, NY 13838 Library Hours: Wednesday 4:00pm-6:00pm Thursday 9:00am-11:30am Phone: (607) 563-2542; (607) 563-1425; (607) 563-1547 The museum has books, vintage photos, maps and a genealogy section.

County Historian's Office
Gabrielle Peirce, Historian One Court House Square Suite 1 Delhi, N.Y. 13753 Phone: (607) 746-8660

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

Family History Centers

 * Cortland New York Family History Center
 * Kingston New York Family History Center
 * Norwich New York Family History Center
 * Oneonta New York Family History Center
 * Owego New York Family History Center
 * Vestal New York Family History Center


 * Fairview Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Guilderland Public Library - an affiliate library
 * New York State Library and New York State Archives - an affiliate library

Societies
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.

Delaware County Historical Association 46549 State Hwy 10 Delhi, NY 13753 Phone: (607) 746-3849 Email: dcha@delhi.net Facebook
 * Many of the County's genealogical resources are available online, through the Delaware County NY - Genealogy and History Site.

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records
Varied Vital Records of Delaware County combines vital record information culled from various sources into a single online resource. Most records date from the nineteenth century.

Birth

 * 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.


 * 1847–1848 Births, deaths, marriages, and index to all


 * 1847 Births - 1847 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1848 Births - 1848 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1851-1858 Births from Bloomville Mirror at NYGenWeb - free.

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 Marriage records Records kept by town clerks and sent to County Clerk.


 * 1847–1848 Births, deaths, marriages, and index to all


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


 * 1872-1880 Early Marriage Records at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1874 Marriage Notices Filed with Delaware County Clerk 1874 at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1874-5 Marriages from 1875 State Census, Schedule II at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1875-1881 Statements of Marriage Filed with Delaware County Clerk 1875-1881 at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


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


 * 1908-1933 Names from Marriage Records Index (Including Parents' Names) at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch – free; Index. Marriage records (only to 1933) and license index


 * 1908-1927 Marriage Record Index Delaware County, NY at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch – 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."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1819-1853 Index to Marriages Delaware Gazette at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1819-1853 Marriages Taken from The Delaware Gazette at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1844-1879 Barber, Gertrude A. Marriages Taken from the Delaware Gazette: Delhi, Delaware County, New York: from Aug. 7, 1844 to Dec. 31, 1879. New York: 1934. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 1851-1855 Marriages from Bloomville Mirror 1851-1855 at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 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.


 * 1856-1858 Marriages from Bloomville Mirror - 1856-1858 at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1860-1869 Marriages from Delhi Republican Newspapers 1860-1869 at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1860s Marriages from Delhi Republican Newspapers, 1860 &amp; Scattered Dates at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


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


 * 1870s-1880s Early Marriage Records by Linda Ogburn at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * The Village of Delhi Marriages at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.

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


 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch – 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.


 * 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1819-1844 Barber, Gertrude A. Delaware Gazette, Published at Delhi, Delaware County, N.Y., from Nov. 1819 to Aug. 28, 1844, Death Notices. 1933. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Index at NYGenWeb.


 * 1819-1879 Index to Deaths Delaware Gazette at Delaware County, NY Genealogy and History Site - free.


 * 1844-1895 Barber, Gertrude A. Deaths Taken from the Delaware Gazette: Delhi, Delaware County, N.Y. 1991. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 1847–1848 Births, deaths, marriages, and index to all


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


 * 1849-50, 1859-60, 1864-65, 1869-70, 1874-75 Death Records at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1851-1858 Bloomville Mirror Obits 1851-1858 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1851-1858 Bloomville Mirror Deaths in the News Section, 1851 to 1858 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 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.


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


 * 1870 The Harvest of Death at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1885 Deaths for 1885 taken from the Diary of Sarah Antoinette Holiday Williams wife of Henry A. Williams Colchester (Downsville N.Y.) at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1897-1900s Coroner's Reports at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1898 Coroner's Reports at NYGenWeb - free.


 * Deaths from Early New Delhi Republican Newspapers at NYGenWeb - free.

Additional Resources

Delaware County New York Genealogy Websites

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