Suffolk County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Suffolk

Parent County
1683 Suffolk County was created an original county from the East Riding of Yorkshire in the Province of New York, earlier part of New Netherland.

Neighboring Counties
Nassau· Westchester· Connecticut counties: Fairfield· Middlesex· New Haven· New London· Rhode Island county: Washington· Atlantic Ocean

Boundary Changes
1664 Yorkshire became the first large government unit (not actually a county) organized by New York after the English took control from the Netherlands. It was divided into three ridings including East Riding (Suffolk County). 1683 New York ended Yorkshire, creating Suffolk County from part of Yorkshire.

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.

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

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

Land and Property

 * 1698-1736 - Records of Southampton, Long Island, New York: Abstracts of Volume 2 of Deeds in Town Clerk's Office. 1915. Digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Military
Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Brookhaven· East Hampton· Huntington· Islip· Riverhead· Shelter Island· Smithtown· Southold.

Regiments. Service men in Suffolk County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Orange County:


 * - 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 127th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 131st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 132nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 139th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 145th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 155th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 156th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 176th Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1853-1990 The Suffolk County Naturalization Project at Italian Genealogical Group - free.


 * 1865–1957 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Indexes

 * 1792-1989 Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 at Ancestry ($). This database is based on NARA's Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts located in New York City, 1792-1989. All 5 boroughs are included.

The Family History Library has also acquired this comprehensive index for the years 1792 through 1906 on microfilm:. The courts this index covers are:


 * City Court of Brooklyn, 1836-1894
 * Kings County Court, 1806-1906
 * New York City Marine Court, 1806-1849
 * New York County Common Pleas Court, 1792-1895
 * New York County Superior Court, 1828-1895
 * New York City and County Supreme Court, 1868-1906
 * Queens County Court, 1799-1906
 * Queens County Surrogate Court, 1888-1898
 * Richmond County Court, 1869-1906
 * U.S. Circuit Court Southern District, 1846-1876
 * U.S. District Court Eastern District, (Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties), 1865-1906
 * U.S. District Court Southern Court Southern District, (New York, Bronx and also Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester counties), 1824-1906

Newspapers
Online Digital Newspapers


 * Suffolk Historic Newspapers
 * The Corrector (Sag Harbor) 1822-1911 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * The Long Island Traveler 1872-1898 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * The Long Islander 1839-1974 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * The Mid-Island Mail 1935-1941 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * The Patchogue Advance 1926-1948 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * The Port Jefferson Echo 1892-1931 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * Sag Harbor Express 1885-1898 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.
 * Suffolk County News (Sayville) 1882-1942 and 1996-2007 at Suffolk Historic Newspapers - Free.

Probate Records
Online Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1670-1688 - Long Island Source Records, courtesy: Ancestry ($). Includes Inventories, Sessions Book No. 1.
 * 1691-1703 - Early Long Island Wills of Suffolk County 1691-1703. Digital versions at Family History Archives, New York State Historical Literature, World Vital Records ($).

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1669–1684 Contents of session book, Riverhead, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y Contains abstracts of wills, inventories, deeds, and other land records.

Courthouses
The Suffolk County Clerk's office has incomplete birth and death records, marriage, court and land records. The Surrogate Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Suffolk County are held, see the Suffolk County Courthouses page.

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.


 * 1870-1892 (incomplete) Long Island City Birth Index at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1875, 1892-1896 Long Island City Birth Register at NYGenWeb - free.

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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

 * 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.


 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.


 * 1908–1935 Marriage records and index.


 * 1908-1935 Suffolk County Marriage Records 1908 to 1935 at Italian Genealogical Group - free.


 * 1908-1936 Suffolk County Marriage Index at German Genealogy Group - free.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1696-1811 Salmon, William. The Salmon Records: A Private Register of Marriages and Deaths of the Residents of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, N.Y., and of Persons More or Less Closely Associated with that Place: 1696-1811. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1918. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 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.


 * 1839-1864 Stevens, Marian F. An Index to the Long Islander, 1839-1864, Marriages-Deaths. Huntington, New York : Huntington American Revolution Bicentennial Committee Huntington Historical Society, 1974..


 * 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 browseable.


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


 * 1871-1891 Barber, Gertrude A. Marriages of Suffolk County, N.Y.: Taken from the "Republican Watchman," A Newspaper Published at Greenport, N.Y. 1950. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Death

 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.

Death Substitutes


 * 1696-1811 Salmon, William. The Salmon Records: A Private Register of Marriages and Deaths of the Residents of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, N.Y., and of Persons More or Less Closely Associated with that Place: 1696-1811. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1918. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 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.


 * 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.


 * 1839-1864 Stevens, Marian F. An Index to the Long Islander, 1839-1864, Marriages-Deaths. Huntington, New York : Huntington American Revolution Bicentennial Committee Huntington Historical Society, 1974..


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


 * 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 browseable.


 * 1859-1900 Barber, Gertrude A. Deaths Taken from "The Republican Watchman": A Newspaper Published Every Saturday Morning at Greenport, Suffolk County, N.Y., Covering Death Records for the Whole County / Copied and Compiled from the Original Newspapers by Gertrude A. Barber. 5 vols. 1991. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


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


 * 1864-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5.

Additional Resources

Websites

 * Long Island Genealogy