Rensselaer County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Rensselaer

Parent County
Rensselaer County was organized from Albany County in 1791.

Neighboring Counties
Albany· Columbia· Greene· Saratoga· Washington· Massachusetts county: Berkshire· Vermont county: Bennington

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

 * Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson–Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911. Free online index. Master index

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

The Rensselaer County Cemetery Name Extraction Project directed by Don and Clare Radz started in 1991. Data from headstones throughout the county was collected by volunteers. More than 600 cemeteries in 14 towns of rural Rensselaer County were surveyed, resulting in 93,274 names being recorded. Data was entered into a computer then compiled into books for each town. The records are online at Rensselaer County Cemetery Database. The cities of Troy and Rensselaer are not included in this database.

The Albany New York Family History Center has copies of the Rensselaer County rural cemetery records on microfilm.

Microfilms of rural cemetery records include the name (in alphabetical order by cemetery), location of grave, date of birth, date of death, and age at death.

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Church Records
A large number of local church records have been transcribed as part of the NYGenWeb Project. Faiths represented include: Baptist, Catholic, Dutch Reformed, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Reformed Protestant, and Society of Friends.


 * Addresses for Rensselaer County Places of Worship - Rensselaer County, NY GenWeb
 * 1750-1868 - Schaghticoke Dutch Reformed Church Marriages, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1777-1783 - Baptisms, Gilead Lutheran Church, Brunswick, Rensselaer Co., NY, courtesy: Betty Fink.
 * 1800s - "North Baptist Church of Troy, New York," Early Settlers of New York State, Vol. I (begins on page 363), courtesy: Ancestry ($). Membership lists.
 * 1868-1923 - Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Troy, New York 1868-1923 Marriages, Funerals, Confirmations, Baptisms, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

History
The county had partial settlements at a very early period of [early American] history, and has long sustained a very considerable population. The whole of the county, except the towns of Schaghticoke, Pittstown, Hoosick, and north part of Lansingburg and part of Troy, is comprised within the Rensselaerwyck patent, leased under the ordinary rent, in farms, at ten bushels of wheat the hundred acres. The county contains 13 towns and the city of Troy.


 * Excerpts from A Driving Tour of Rensselaer County New York by Craig Stromme

Land and Property

 * 1630-1899 - Rensselaerwyck Manor Records, 1630-1899 - New York State Library

Maps

 * Rensselaer County Map - Rensselaer County Online
 * Rensselaer County Tax Maps - Rensselaer County Bureau of Research and Information Services Internet Mapping Gateway

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


 * pre-historic
 * pre-historic
 * Champlain Canal 1823
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * Chambly Canal 1843
 * pre-historic
 * prehistoric
 * Lake Champlain Trail pre-historic
 * Albany Post Road (or Queen's Road, or King's Road) 1669
 * Hudson River Path
 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail
 * Forbidden Path or Catskill Turnpike
 * Greenwood Road
 * Old Connecticut Path

Military
Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Berlin· Brunswick· East Greenbush· Grafton· Greenbush· Hempstead· Nassau· North Greenbush· Petersburg· Pittstown· Sand Lake· Schodack.

Regiments. Service men from Rensselaer County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Rensselaer County:


 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 3rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 7th Regiment, New York Veteran Infantry
 * - 10th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 30th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 62nd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 65th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 91st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 104th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 125th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 156th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 169th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 175th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 177th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Rensselaer County Naturalization Records (partial index) at NYGenWeb - free.

Newspapers

 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Pittsfield, MA newspapers (1858-1977) and North Adams, MA newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Rensselaer County residents.

Probate Records

 * 1790-1850 - Abstracts Of Wills, Rensselaer County, New York (1790-1850)
 * 1791-1871 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills (1791-1871).
 * 1791-1850 - Phillips, Ralph David. Abstracts of Wills of Rensselaer County, New York: In the Office of the Surrogate at Troy, New York, 1791-1850. Nassau, N.Y.: unknown, 1938. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Stephentown Genealogy has indexes to wills of residents of Stephentown. Miscellaneous years.
 * Rensselaer County Wills and Probate Records, courtesy: NYGenWeb. Miscellaneous years.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Rensselaer 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.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

 * Rensselaer County, New York Free Public Records Directory - public record sources in Rensselaer County, New York

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

Societies
Rensselaer County Historical Society

Capital District Genealogical Society Empire State Plaza Station PO Box 2175 Albany, NY 12220-0175


 * Counties served: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington.


 * $3 for non-member queries in their newsletter. Monthly meetings. They staff a genealogy support desk at the Town of Colonie Library.

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

 * Rensselaer County Historical Society - Facebook.


 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth
Birth Substitutes


 * 1846–1850 Frank Warner Thomas, Vital Records of Rennselaer County, New York–Births, 1846-1850 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1968). ExLibris digital copy - free;.


 * 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

 * 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.


 * 1908-1935 Marriage index; vol.1–10 . This index is from the Registrar's Office in Rensselaer County. It is a microreproduction of the manuscript in the County Courthouse.


 * 1908-1935 - Index to Marriage Records, Rensselaer County, NY 1908-1935, provided by the Troy Irish Genealogy Society.

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1777–1834  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 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."


 * 1809-1828 Some Rensselaer Co. Residents Married in Bennington, VT, 1809-1828 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1846–1850, 1874–1881 Frank Warner Thomas, Vital Records of Rennselaer County, New York–Marriages, 1846-1850, 1874–1881 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1968)..


 * 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 browseable.


 * 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 Substitutes


 * 1777–1834  Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834 (Baltimore,MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987). Ancestry($); World Vital Records($); ; . Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1787-1850 Index to Some Deaths Appearing in Lansingburgh Newspapers, 1787-1850 at NYGenWeb - free; missing deaths for surnames beginning with letters A-K.


 * 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."


 * 1847–1851 Milton Halsey Thomas and Frank Warner Thomas, Vital Records of Rennselaer County, New York–Deaths, 1847-1851 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1941). ExLibris digital copy - free; ;.


 * 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 browseable.


 * 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

Web Sites

 * The Rensselaer County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.