Tioga County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Tioga 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 an American Indian word meaning "at the forks", describing a meeting place. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

Parent County
16 February 1791: Created from part of Montgomery 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.

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.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * 1841-1848 - Miscellaneous Records of Methodist Episcopal Marriages 1841-1848, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1850-1896 - Marriage, Baptism and Funeral Records of Rev. Wm. H. King, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free;.


 * 1854-1858 - Methodist Episcopal Marriages and Baptisms 1854-1858, courtesy: 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

 * Rootsweb message board for 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.

Online
Historical gazetteer of Tioga County, New York, 1785-1888

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

Online



Microforms



Books



Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

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


 * 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 the 1750s; toll booths opened by 1804.
 * Forbidden Path, 1767 from Athens, Pennsylvania to Salamanca, New York
 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Connecticut to Bainbridge, New York

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Berkshire· Candor· Nichols· Richford· Spencer· Tioga.

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


 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C and F.
 * - 23rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C and E.
 * - 64th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 109th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, C, H, I and K.
 * - 137th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, C, G and H.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
Online 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 ($)
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1795-1838 - Wills filed in Tioga County, New York by persons who resided in that portion of Tioga County that became present Chemung County, New York. Courtesy: Tri-Counties Genealogy &amp; History by Joyce M. Tice.
 * 1798-1904 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills (1798-1904).
 * 1798-1846 - Canfield, Amos. "Abstracts of Wills Taken from the Probate Records of Tioga County, New York," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1798-1808 (Liber A), 1808-1817 (Liber B): Vol. 57, No. 4 (Oct. 1926):381-386; 1818-1834 (Liber C): Vol. 58, No. 1 (Jan. 1927):67-76; 1834-1836 (Book 8-D-8), 1836-1840 (Liber 1-D-1), 1840-1846 (Liber 2-E-2): Vol. 58, No. 3 (Jul. 1927):277-287. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Tioga County: Accounts, Guardianship appointments 1840-1890; Administration and Guardianship index 1800-1936; Decrees, Minutes, Orders 1840-1969; Dower records 1810-1881; Final settlements 1858-1902; Letters 1852-1923; Letters of administration 1825-1847, 1873-1936; Letters of guardianship 1858-1947; Letters of testamentary 1840-1901; Orders 1885-1909; Sales 1804-1914; Surrogate record index 1937-1969; Surrogate records 1825-1835; Will and Proceeding index 1800-1936; Wills 1798-1905

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above also may be among those on microfilm including:


 * 1798–1905 Will books
 * 1800–1969 Probate records: Index to wills and surrogate records 1800–1969, Guardianship 1840–1905, Index to guardianship and administrations 1800–1936
 * 1825-1947 Probate records.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Tioga County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Courthouses
The Tioga County Clerk has marriage, divorce, court and land records. The Surrogate court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Tioga County are held, see the Tioga County Courthouses page.

Family History Centers

 * Elmira New York Family History Center
 * Ithaca New York Family History Center
 * Owego New York Family History Center
 * Vestal New York Family History Center


 * Steele Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Finger Lakes Genealogical Society PO Box 581 Seneca Falls, New York 13148

Social Groups Online

 * Tioga County Historical Society - Facebook.


 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 1829–1964 Tioga County Clerk Miscellaneous Records.


 * 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 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

 * 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.


 * 1829–1964 Tioga County Clerk Miscellaneous Records.


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


 * 1847–1850 Marriage Records . Microfilm of original records in the Tioga County courthouse.


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

Compiled from Town Clerk returns to the County Clerk.


 * 1908–1926 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; . Records are up to 1926, and index is up to 1935.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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 groon, 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."


 * 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.

Death

 * 1824-1962 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1829–1964 Tioga County Clerk Miscellaneous Records.
 * 1880-1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1956 - Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index

Death Substitutes


 * 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."


 * 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 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.

Additional Resources

Tioga County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Tioga County NYGenWeb
 * Tioga County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Tioga County Genealogy