FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject New York/Tasks-Repositories Courthouse

WikiProject New York Progress Chart  Tasks - Repositories: Courthouse

Description
This task is to locate information about the government records available in the county offices and courts, where they are currently located, and add it to the county courthouse page. There will usually be a County Clerk and a Surrogate’s Court. But, there may also be a County Historian’s office because each of New York’s counties are required by law to appoint a public historian who is charged with preserving the county’s history, which includes public records.

Instructions
Please cite at least one source for each item you add. See Albany County for examples. See also


 * FamilySearch Wiki:Verifiable policy page
 * Help:How to add citations instruction page
 * FamilySearch Wiki:Source Citation Formats guidelines, and WikiProject NY Framework #3

1. Go to the county courthouse page (already created) using the link found on the county page under repository: courthouse.

2. Add the template at the top of the page but under the breadcrumb trail.

3. Use Heading 3 to list the different courts or offices. Usually there will be three to locate: the County Clerk’s Office, the County Historian's office and the Surrogate's Court.

4. Locate each court or office and find their respective contact information (address, phone, email, etc.) This usually involves the County Clerk (deeds, marriages/divorces), the County Historian (a mixture of county records) and Surrogate's Court (probate). Use the link in the info box at the top of the county page to go to the county website. NOTE: sometimes you have to use other resources to find the information, such as a) http://www.nycourts.gov/litigants/courtguides/index.shtml b) Google the “[county] county clerk” or “[county] county historian” or “[county] surrogate's court.” Be creative!

5. Search for specific information regarding the years and records the court or office holds. Some websites give details and others do not.

6. If the website does not give the specific information, use the County Courthouse Book by Elizabeth Bentley. Use this reference changing "ppp" to the correct page number:



7. You can also call the courthouse to clarify their holdings.

8. If you discover there are specific links leading to online indexes and/or records, you may wish to add a paragraph describing the record with its link and also place this information in the appropriate category on the County page. For example, Yates County, New York has indexes for wills and probate records so the following was added to the Courthouse page under “Surrogate’s Court” and also under “Probate” on the County page.


 * Example:
 * A project is underway to index and transcribe the 30 books of Wills recorded in Yates County since 1823. See the Every-Name index to Yates County Will Books for those currently on line.


 * Currently there is an online index for the first 180 boxes of probate files which includes an alphabetical index to principals and heirs and packet lists. See the Surrogate Court Records website for the online index.

County Historian's Office
Wayne County Historian 9 Pearl Street, Suite 3 Lyons, New York 14489 Phone: 315-946-5470 Email: historian@co.wayne.ny.us

Available Records


 * Land Records from 1823 through current year. Source is County Clerk.
 * Wills and Estate from 1823 through current year. Source is County Historian.
 * Census and all are indexed except 1920. Federal 1790-1880; 1900 - 1920. New York State 1855 (except Rose, Savannah, Sodus, Walworth, Williamson and Wolcott), 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925. Source is the County Historian.
 * Vital Statistics after 1881. Source is the Clerk of Town where the event occurred.
 * Cemetery including index. Inscriptions from tombstones in all known Wayne County cemeteries. Source is the County Historian.
 * Newspapers including index. Scattered years from 1817- 1970's. Source is the County Historian.

All County Public Records may be searched at their repository without charge. However, the County clerk and historian's offices have initiated a fee schedule for a genealogical search. The fee is $20 per hour with a minimum charge of $10 for up to 1/2 hour. A Genealogy Search Request form has been created for the request.

County Clerk's Office
Wayne County Clerk 9 Pearl St. P.O. Box 608 Lyons, NY 14489 Phone: 315-946-7470 Email:mjankowski@co.wayne.ny.us Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm

Available records:


 * Land records (deeds, mortgages, judgments, liens, etc.) from 1823 - current year
 * Original Passport applications
 * Original Pistol Permit applications
 * Court records
 * Veterans Discharges
 * Old Naturalization records -f rom about 1836 - 1927
 * Old Marriage records from about 1907-1934
 * Old Census records - 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925
 * Grantor and Grantee indexes from 1793-1823 - from the counties formed from.

Surrogate's Court
Wayne County Hall of Justice 54 Broad Street Lyons, NY 14489 Phone: 315-946-5459 Hours: Monday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm