Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania Jefferson County

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Lycoming County 26 March 1804.
 * County Seat: Brookville
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Elk (north) • Clearfield (east) • Clarion (west) • Forest (northwest)  •  Indiana (south)  • Armstrong (southwest)



Named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States.

Wikipedia

Boundary Changes

 * 18 April 1843: Elk County was set off from Jefferson including parts from Clearfield and McKean Counties as well as the future Cameron County.
 * 11 April 1848: Set off Forest County with parts from Jefferson and Venango counties.

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

LDS Cemetery Records US Vol. 1 page 92 - Sugar Hill

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational



 * 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.

Methodist
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Jefferson County, Jefferson County Genealogy Project

Presbyterian
Jefferson County Presbyterian Church, Jefferson County Genealogy Project

Prothonotary
Jefferson County Courthouse 200 Main Street Brookville, PA 15825

Telephone: 814-849-1606

Orphan's Court (see Vital Records)
Register of Deeds/Register of Wills Clerk of Orphans' Court Jefferson County Courthouse 200 Main Street Brookville, PA 15825

Telephone: (814) 849-1610 Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. / Monday thru Friday

Land and Property
Land records in Jefferson County began in 1818. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Brookville, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1818–1910 Deed Books, 1818-1887; Indexes, 1818-1910.

Additional Resources

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Jefferson County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Probate Records
Online Probate Records

Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below:


 * 1683-1994- at FamilySearch.org

Jefferson County Only: Jefferson County Probate Records

Courthouse
Register of Deeds/Register of Wills Clerk of Orphans' Court Jefferson County Courthouse 200 Main Street Brookville, PA 15825

Note: The county does NOT have website for the county courthouse or services (as of 7 January 2009.)

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Brookville Pennsylvania Family History Center

Societies
Rich in history, contains a number of societies dealing with the history of the area.


 * Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Society 172-176 Main Street P.O. Box 51 Brookville, PA 15825 (814) 849-0077

Birth
Birth records for Jefferson County began in 1893. The Jefferson County Clerk of Orphans' Court maintains birth records upto 1906. To obtain a copy of birth record in the 1893–1906 time period contact the Jefferson County Courthouse.

The birth records for Jefferson County were microfilmed by FamilySearch. These microfilms may be ordered into a local FamilySearch Center or authorized public library for a small fee.


 * Record of Births, 1893-1906 – 
 * Record of Delayed Births, filed 1941-1969 –

Beginning in 1906 Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health. Birth records become public after 105 years. A statewide index is available. Once an individual is located in the index a certificate can be obtained by writing to:

Division of Vital Records ATTN: Public Records PO Box 1528 New Castle, PA 16103

The cost for an non-certified birth certificate is $3.00.

Some Jefferson County births can be found online in Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950.

Marriage
Jefferson County marriages are maintained at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Jefferson County began recording marriages in 1885 although some registrations took place from 1852–1855. Marriage licenses from 1885 are available at the Clerk of Orphans' Court in Brookville.

A free online index with images to some Jefferson County marriages can be found in the FamilySearch Records Collection, Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885 – 1950. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. These records have been microfilmed.


 * Registration of Marriages, 1852-1855 –
 * Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1916 (Jefferson County, Pennsylvania) –

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death
Jefferson County began recording deaths in 1893, although some were recorded from 1853–1854. These records are available in the Jefferson County Courthouse in Brookville. You may request a death record from the Clerk of Orphans' Court.

These county death records were microfilmed by FamilySearch. They are available through Family History Centers.


 * Registration of Deaths, 1853–1854 –
 * Record of Deaths, 1893-1906 –

Pennsylvania death certificates become public records after 50 years. An annual index is released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Records less than 50 years old are kept by the Division of Vital Records and are not public certificates. Only certain people can request a non-public death certificate. To order a non-public representative you must be:


 * Legal representative of decedent's estate
 * Immediate family member
 * Extended family member who indicates a direct relationship to the decedent
 * Power of Attorney (Please note that a Power of Attorney document is no longer valid upon the death of the individual)

See the Pennsylvania Department of Health website to obtain a copy of a non-public death certificate. The cost is $9.

The cost for a non-certified public death certificate is $3.00. Indexes for Pennsylvania public death records are available online through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1961. Once an individual is located in the index a certificate can be obtained by writing to:

Division of Vital Records ATTN: Public Records PO Box 1528 New Castle, PA 16103

Web Sites

 * Jefferson County Genealogy Project - free access to Biographies, Cemetery Records, Census Records, County History and lots of other great free resources.
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.