Ontario County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Ontario 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 Lake Ontario. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County
27 January 1789: Created from 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.


 * 1791: A part taken from Montgomery County.
 * 18 March 1796: Steuben County set off.
 * 30 March 1802: Genesee County set off.
 * 1814: A part taken from Steuben County.
 * 23 February 1821: Livingston and Monroe counties set off.
 * 5 February 1823: Yates County set off.
 * 11 April 1823: Wayne County set off.

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

 * Ontario County, New York Biographies -- Access Genealogy

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.

State

 * The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has many census indexes online. They have completed up to 1892. The indexes are divided by towns.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Online Databases 


 * 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1846-1888 - Marriages Performed by Rev. O.P. Alderman of Naples &amp; Phelps 1846-1888, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1850s-1880s - Marriage and Funeral Records of Universalist Church, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.

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

Court Records
The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line including various court records.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- 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.

History

 * The original owners of this land were men of Massachusetts and Connecticut, Nathan Gorham and Oliver Phelps.
 * They were trustees for thirteen Dutch investors in Amsterdam. Trustees were needed because aliens were not then permitted to own land. This tract was later known as The Holland Purchase.
 * The legal transactions and recordings were conducted in Massachusetts by the General Court assembled and passed in that House of Representatives and Senate. It was approved byJohn Hancock, the governor of Massachusetts, before it was recorded in New York. Many transactions thereafter recorded include the grantors Nathan Gorham of Massachusetts and Oliver Phelps of Connecticut. A deed in 1817 from Oliver Phelps daughter, Mary, granted land to the school commissioner of Connecticut.
 * More about Bristol and Our History, by the Town of Bristol, has a fairly lengthy history of the town (accessed 19 October 2011).

Land and Property
Original land records in began in 1789.These records are housed at the Record and Archives Center,3051 County Complex Drive in Canandaigua, New York, 14424.

Online



Microforms



Books




 * The indenture was procured from Chiefs and Warriors of the Five Indian Nations inhabiting this land by “fee or right of soil” in July of 1789. Nathan Gorham of Charlestown, Massachusetts and Oliver Phelps claimed title and began their development of this New York land from that date forward while never establishing residence in that State.
 * The original records for the Holland Land Company are in Holland. SUNY (State University of New York) at Fredonia microfilmed the records and they are in SUNY Brockport, New York.
 * Also available at "Holland Land Company Records"

The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line including the following:


 * Real Property Deeds for the period 1789-1845.
 * Chattel Mortgages 1830's-1860's
 * Chattel Morgages 1840's-1870's

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * Map of Ontario County Showing Town Boundaries - Ontario County NYGenWeb
 * Maps of Ontario County - Linkpendium
 * Maps of Bristol's Past - Town of Bristol
 * Western New York Legacy has many digital maps for western New York

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


 * Great Genesee Road 1794
 * Erie Canal 1825

General

 * Bristol Veterans lists veterans buried in the town of Bristol.

Revolutionary War

 * Preston E. Pierce. Index to the burial places of Revolutionary patriots in and around Ontario County, New York.S.l. : Ontario County Historian, Division of Human Services, 198-? FHL 974.786 V32p

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Bristol· Canadice· Canandaigua· East Bloomfield· Gorham· Hopewell· Naples· Phelps· Richmond· Seneca· Victor· West Bloomfield.

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


 * - 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Battery K.
 * - 1st Regiment, New York Engineers, Company G.
 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies A, D, G and M, 2nd Company L, and 3rd Company K.
 * - 9th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies F and M.
 * - 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company C.
 * - 18th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and L.
 * - 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 33rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and H.
 * - 38th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 55th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E, F, G, H and K.
 * - 85th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B and G.
 * - 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
 * - 126th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D E, H and K.
 * - 138th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
 * - 148th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, D, F, G, I and K.
 * - 154th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 160th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, D and I.

The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line which include the following military records:


 * Civil War Records
 * Civil War Pension Records
 * Military Commissions
 * Civil War Records from 1865 Census Records
 * Revolutionary War Pension Records

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1803-1956 The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has place two Indexes for Naturalization Records for the periods 1803-1906 and 1906-1956 on line.


 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Old Fulton Postcards. -   Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.
 * Daily Messenger (Canandaigua, New York) - ancestry.com - $ need subscription
 * Ontario County (NY) newspapers on microfilm and paper at all NYS locations - New York State Library


 * Canandaigua NY Ontario Repository 1817-1826
 * Naples NY Neopolitan 1840-1887
 * Naples NY News 1898-1943
 * Naples NY Record 1870-1960
 * Phelps NY Citizen 1877-1955
 * Phelps NY Country Editor 1963-1966
 * Geneva NY Advertiser 1841-1904
 * Geneva NY Courier 1831-1883
 * Geneva NY Daily Times 1895-1978
 * Geneva NY Expoiter 1806-1809
 * Geneva NY Finger Lake Times 1977-1988
 * Geneva NY Gazette 1809-1823
 * Geneva NY Gazette 1809-1914
 * Geneva NY Palladium 1825-1828

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.
 * 1789-1926 Surrogate Court Records, courtesy Ontario County Historian's Site.
 * 1795-1888 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1795-1827 Ontario County Estate Records for residents of what is now Yates County, courtesy The Yates County Office of Public History.
 * 1848-1850 Harriett M. Wiles, Abstracts of Wills of Ontario County, New York, 1848-1849-1850: Volume 12 (XII) (Liber D) (Sl.: s.n., 1949). Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1866 - 1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1927-1965 - Index to Surrogate Court Records, courtesy Ontario County Records and Archives Center.


 * - Ontario County: Decrees, Minutes, Orders, 1862-1872; Guardianship records, 1814-1817, 1862-1876; Inventories, 1797-1822; Letters of administration, 1851-1864; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1838-1865; Letters of guardianship, 1830-1862; Letters, 1830-1838, 1864-1870; Orders, 1862-1874; Probate records, 1818-1851, 1862-1924; Real estate records, 1851-1883; Surrogate record index, 1789-1965; Wills, 1795-1823, 1830-1875

Probate Records on Microfilm

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


 * 1789–1965 Surrogate Record, General Index
 * 1795–1924 Probate Records (includes wills and index)
 * 1797–1822 Estate Inventory Files
 * 1830–1833 Probate records

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Ontario 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

 * Pioneer Library System has names and addresses of libraries in Ontario, Livingston, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.


 * Ontario Public Library, 1850 Ridge Road Ontario, NY 14519, phone: (315) 524-8381


 * - Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, Livingston Counties (OWWL) Catalog


 * Bloomfield Public Library, 9 Church St, E Bloomfield, NY 14443, phone: 585-657-6264


 * Bristol Library, 6750 County Rd 32 Canandaigua, NY 14424, phone: (585) 229-5862. Web site explains about the local history and genealogy resources with information about the Town of Bristol Historian. Requests may made to the town historian.


 * Geneva Public Library, Local History and Genealogy Collection has atlases, histories, city directories, and filmed newspapers.


 * Ontario County Public Libraries web site lists libraries in Ontario County with their addresses and links to their web sites.


 * Ontario County Historian's Site has information about veteran burials, cemeteries, and other historical records.

Courthouses
The Ontario Records Management Officer has marriage, divorce, probate, court land, Revolutionary War, naturalization records as well as state census and county maps. For further information about where the records for Ontario County are held, see the Ontario County Courthouse page.

County Clerk
County Clerk 20 Ontario Street Canandaigua, NY 14424 Phone: (585) 396-4200

Family History Centers

 * Auburn New York Family History Center
 * Fayette New York Family History Center
 * Palmyra New York Family History Center
 * Pittsford New York Family History Center


 * Fairfield Library Association - an affiliate library
 * Richmond Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Ontario County Genealogical Society 55 North Main Streets Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-4975 E-mail: [mailto:emailofsociety barbarah@ocgsny.net] Website

Ontario County Historical Society 55 North Main Street Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585) 394-4975 Website

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.

Western New York Genealogical Society P.O. Box 338 Hamburg, New York 14075-0338 Email: info@wnygs.org Directory


 * Focus is on eight Western New York counties - Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany - which comprise the area of the original Holland Land Company purchase.

Social Group Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * The Ontario County Records and Archives Center has placed many of their historical records on-line. They include marriage records, Poor House Indentures, and Vital Town Records.
 * Various nineteenth-century newspaper vital records at NYGenWeb - free.

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 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.


 * 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 Ontario County Index to Marriages, 1908-1935 (file folders) at The Ontario County Department of Records, Archives and Information Managament Services - free.


 * 1908-1935 Ontario County Index to Marriage Records 1908-1935 (4 bound volumes) at The Ontario County Department of Records, Archives and Information Management Services - free.


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free;

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 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."


 * 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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.


 * 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
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 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."


 * 1809–1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Western New York, 1809-1850 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985).Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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.


 * 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

Ontario County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Ontario County NYGenWeb
 * Ontario County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Ontario County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site
 * The Ontario County Records and Archives Center
 * catalog for Ontario County
 * ancestry.com Ontario County Search - $ need ancestry.com subscription
 * Ontario County Links - NY (AHGP - American History and Genealogy Project)
 * Ontario County Links - GenealogyLinks.net
 * Ontario County Links - My New York Genealogy
 * Ontario County Links - D'ADDEZIO.com
 * Ontario County Links - I Dream of Genealogy Scroll down to Ontario County, mostly cemtery links)
 * Ontario County NY Genealogy