Seneca County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Seneca 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 Iroquois (Seneca) that occupied part of the region. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County
Created 24 March 1804 from part of Cayuga 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.


 * 1804 - Seneca County created from Cayuga County.
 * 1817 - Land loss as Tompkins County is created from part of Seneca County and Cayuga County.
 * 1819 - Some land regained from Tompkins County.
 * 1823 - Land loss as Wayne County and Yates County are created.

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.

Biography

 * 1871 History of with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, and important manufactories free on FamilySearch.org

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

A variety of local church records and histories for the Baptist, Catholic, Congregationalist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Presbyterian, Reformed, and Society of Friends faiths are available online at NYGenWeb.


 * 1854-1855 - Seneca County Members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education 1854-1855, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.


 * Mac Neal Dutch Reformed Cemetery, Seneca County, N.Y.: Vital Records. 1986. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * Bradley, A. Day. "Records of Junius Friends Monthly Meeting, Seneca and Wayne Counties, New York," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Mar. 1981):15-26. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Seneca County church records in their library.

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.


 * The current historian is Walter Gable. His email is wgable@co.seneca.ny.us. Call (315) 539-1785 for weekly hours and questions. Visit the About the Seneca County Historian page for specific information on the historian's duties.

History
In 1848, Seneca County New York was the site of the first Women's Rights Convention. Abolitionist and Quaker women of Seneca County met together and called for the convention. Five women organized the First Women's Rights Convention - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Mary Ann M'Clintock met in the M'Clintock home to write the first draft of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document modeled after the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Sentiments declared men and women as created equal and called for women to receive the right to vote. In addition, the M'Clintock family used their home as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

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

Online



Microforms


 * 1804-1823 Book of Deeds for on FHL Films 479881 and 479882.
 * 1804-1851 Mortgage records, with index 1804-1857 on FHL Films 843523, 843524, 843526, 843607, 843608, 843609, 843610, 843611, 843612, 843613, 843614, 843615, 843616, 843617, 843618, and 843619.
 * 1831-1910 Lis pendens on FHL Films 843622, 843623, and 843624. Lis pendens are notices of lawsuits concerning real estate.
 * 1851-1902 Homestead exemption on FHL Film 843625.

Books



Maps


Online


 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * 1850 Gibson Map of Seneca County Shows Towns - May need highspeed internet connection. You must zoom into the image with your browser. (Cayuga County NYGenWeb)
 * Seneca County Towns 1847 - Geography of the state of New York, 1847 Seneca County (Source: Google Books)

Microform


 * 1838 county map, on FHL film 833160.
 * 1853 and 1859 Cayuga county land ownership maps, with Seneca county on FHL fiche 6079715 and 6079716.
 * 1874 Atlas of Seneca county from actual surveys on FHL film 812865.

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


 * Great Genesee Road 1794


 * Erie Canal 1825

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Fayette· Junius· Lodi· Ovid· Romulus· Seneca Falls· Varick· Waterloo.

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


 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 14th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I.
 * - 33rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C and K.
 * - 55th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, F, G and I.
 * - 75th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 85th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
 * - 126th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, F and I.
 * - 148th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E and H.
 * - 160th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Old Fulton Postcards; Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.



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


 * 1830–1911 Listed as "Stanley I. Reynolds Collection" (transcript)..

Online Probate Indexes and Abstracts


 * 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 ($).
 * 1804-1813 - Wills and Letters of Administration, 1804-1813 Book A, Surrogate's Office, County Court House, Waterloo, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1804-1904 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills (1804-1904).
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Seneca County: Administrations 1815-1900; Bonds 1890-1903; Decrees, Minutes, Orders 1830-1903; Dower records 1829-1873; General index 1804-1914; Journals 1847-1918; Judicial settlements 1854-1902; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1827-1900; Letters of guardianship 1816-1901; Wills 1804-1923


 * Probate Records on Microfilm

Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:


 * 1804–1923 Probate Records

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Seneca County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1980). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Libraries


 * Waterloo Library and Historical Society 31 E. Williams St. Waterloo, New York 13165 Phone: 315-539-3313

The Waterloo library is the oldest library building in the state that has had continuous use. The Terwilliger Museum is an annex of the library.

Museums


 * The National Memorial Day Museum 35 East Main Street Waterloo, New York 13165 Phone: 315-539-9611


 * Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry 89 Fall Street P.O. Box 388 Seneca Falls, New York 13148 Phone: 315-568-1510 Email: staff@senecamuseum.com

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

Family History Centers

 * Auburn New York Family History Center
 * Cortland New York Family History Center
 * Fayette New York Family History Center
 * Palmyra New York Family History Center
 * Syracuse New York Ward Family History Center


 * Davie County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Onondaga County Public Library - 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; publishes 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.

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * 1822-1869 Finch, Jesse Howell. Vital Records from the Ovid Bee: Published at Ovid Village, Seneca Co., N.Y., 1822-1869. The J. Finch Committee, 1971. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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.

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;.

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."


 * 1813–1850  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ;. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1853–1879 Isaac Easterbrook, Account Book of the Reverend Isaac Easterbrook (198-). . Consists of a record of the marriages and funerals of the Rev. Isaac Easterbrook in southern Seneca County, Schuyler County and nearby areas 1853-1879 with some account of the activities of this minister and fees paid him.


 * 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.

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."


 * 1813–1850  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ;. Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


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


 * 1853–1879 Isaac Easterbrook, Account Book of the Reverend Isaac Easterbrook (198-). . Consists of a record of the marriages and funerals of the Rev. Isaac Easterbrook in southern Seneca County, Schuyler County and nearby areas 1853-1879 with some account of the activities of this minister and fees paid him.


 * 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.


 * 1892-1893 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1892-93 at USGenWeb Archives - free.


 * 1895 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1895 at USGenWeb Archives - free.

Additional Resources

Seneca County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Seneca County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Seneca County NYGenWeb (Rootsweb)
 * Seneca County USGW Archives
 * Seneca County NYGenWeb
 * Seneca County Links Cyndi's List; Scroll or search down to "Seneca" for Seneca County Links
 * Seneca County Links (GenealogyLinks)
 * Seneca County Links (New York Genealogy)
 * Seneca County Links (D'Addezio)
 * Seneca County Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * Seneca County Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)