Schoharie County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Schoharie County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The County was named for the Mohawk word meaning "floating driftwood." The County is located in the east central area of the state.

Parent County
Schoharie County was created 6 April 1795 from parts of Albany and Otsego counties.

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.

Record Loss
1845 Courthouse was destroyed by fire.

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.

Biographies

 * The Blue-Eyed Indians: The Story of Adam Crysler and His Brothers in the Revolutionary War by Don Chrysler - 1999
 * Life and Dying Confession of John Van Alstine - 1819

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

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

Church Records
Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History &amp; Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Schoharie County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Schoharie County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.

A variety of local church records and histories from the Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed faiths are available online at NYGenWeb.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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
Schenectady Digital History Archive includes "Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Index to Families" includes people from Schoharie County.

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

Online



Microforms



Books



Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from included:


 * Hudson River a navigable river stretching from north of Albany then flowing south to empty into the Atlantic Ocean at New York City
 * Susquehanna River
 * Albany Post Road from New York City to Albany, New York 1669
 * Alford and Egremont (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Connecticut to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by 1792; toll booths opened by 1804.
 * Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Great Barrington and Aford (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Greenwood Road 1799 from Hartford, Connecticut to Albany, New York
 * Hampden and Berkshire (MA) Turnpike 1826
 * Hillsdale and Chatham Turnpike 1805 from Alford, Massachusetts to Albany, New York
 * Housatonic River (MA) Turnpike 1809
 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Massachusetts 10th Turnpike 1800
 * Massachusetts 12th Turnpike 1812
 * Minsi Path 1766 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Kingston, New York
 * Rensselaer and Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Salisbury and Canaan (CT) Turnpike 1801-1829
 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Connecticut to Bainbridge, New York

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Blenheim· Broome· Carlisle· Conesville· Esperance· Fulton· Gilboa· Middleburgh· Richmondville· Schoharie· Seward· Sharon· Summit· Wright.

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


 * - 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company L.
 * - 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
 * - 129th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company L.
 * - 134th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, D, E, G, I and K.
 * A Crooked Gun: The Civil War Dead of Schoharie County. by Peter Lindemann
 * A Crooked Gun: The Civil War Dead of Schoharie County. by Peter Lindemann

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Obituaries

 * Obituaries - from Selected issues of the Gilboa Monitor (1878-1880)]
 * Obituaries and Death Notices Nov 4
 * ObitCentral

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, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1795-1903 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills (1795-1903).
 * Wills. Individually submitted copies of wills, miscellaneous years.
 * 1866 - 1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1795–1933 Probate Records: Index, 1795–1902, Wills, 1895–1903; Letters, testamentary, administration 1812–1875, 1897–1911; Guardianship, 1830–1933; Minutes and orders, 1830–1891.
 * 1851–1901 Miscellaneous Records.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Schoharie 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.

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

Social Groups Online

 * Old Stone Fort Museum &amp; Schoharie County Historical Society - Facebook.


 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

 * 1780 - Scott, Kenneth. "Schoharie District, New York, 1780 Tax List," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 74 (1986):295-298. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($);.

Birth

 * Birth Certificates

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.


 * 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). ; . Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.


 * 1847–1850 Vital Records - Summit (1847-1850)


 * 1848 Vital Records - Middleburgh (1848)


 * 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.


 * 1847–1850, 1852 Marriage Records . Records of County Clerk.


 * 1851–1921 Marriage certificates . Miscellaneous records of County Clerk including marriage certificates.

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."


 * 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). ; . Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.


 * 1819–1836 1819-1836 Deaths and Marriages in the Delaware Gazette


 * 1837–1849 1837-1849 Deaths and Marriages in the Delaware Gazette


 * 1847–1850 Vital Records - Summit (1847-1850)


 * 1848 Vital Records - Middleburgh (1848)
 * Mid 1800s Marriage Records from Havana Newspapers (Havana Republican and Havana Journal) at RootsWeb - free.


 * 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.


 * 1865 1865 Marriage Records from the Schoharie County State Census


 * 1878–1880 Marriages from selected issues of the Gilboa Monitor (1878-1880)


 * 1879-1908 Marriages Beard's Hollow Residents


 * Marriages from selected issues of the Cobleskill Index


 * Marriages from Lutheran newspapers: The Lutheran Observer and The Southern Lutheran


 * Marriages from various sources


 * Marriage Certificates

Death
Death Indexes
 * 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
 * 1957-1963 - at FamilySearch — Index only

Miscellaneous


 * 1918–1953 Deaths, 1918–1953, Schoharie and Otsego counties.


 * Death Certificates


 * Sharon Register of Deaths (partial list)

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."


 * 1808–1850 Fred Q.Bowman, 7000 Hudson-Mohawk Valley, (NY), Vital Records, 1808-1850 (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1997). ; . Abstracts from newspapers filed at the New York State Library in Albany.


 * 1819–1836 1819-1836 Deaths and Marriages in the Delaware Gazette


 * 1837–1849 1837-1849 Deaths and Marriages in the Delaware Gazette


 * 1847–1850 Vital Records - Summit (1847-1850)


 * 1848 Vital Records - Middleburgh (1848)


 * 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.


 * 1861-1865 Military Service Deaths - 1865 State Census, Schoharie County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1864-5 Deaths - 1865 State Census, Mortality Schedule, Schoharie County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.


 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.


 * 1865 1865 Deaths from the Schoharie County Census Mortality Schedules
 * 1874-5 Deaths - 1875 State Census, Mortality Schedule, Schoharie County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.


 * Deaths - from Lutheran newspapers: The Lutheran Observer and The Southern Lutheran


 * Deaths and Burials in Schoharie County from the records of Henry Cady


 * 1926-1928 Funerals conducted by Alva J Stewart, 1926-1928 undertaker in Charlotteville

Additional Resources

Schoharie County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Schoharie County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Schoharie County New York Genealogy
 * Schoharie County NY Genealogy
 * Shoharie County before 1860 from French's Gazetteer State of NY - includes early settlers' names
 * Towns of Schoharie County from French's Gazetteer State of NY - also includes early settlers' names
 * History of Schoharie County by Jeptha R. Simms Complete text and graphics
 * History of Schoharie County by William E. Roscoe Complete text and graphics
 * Brief Sketch of the First Settlement of the County of Schoharie by the Germans by John M. Brown 1823
 * Genealogical Notes (Young Family) by J. A. Young 1886
 * Index to "A History of the Town of Jefferson" by Mildred L. Bailey 1771 - 1976
 * [ History of Blenheim Hill by Albert C. Mayham] 1905-1907
 * Schoharie and Mohawk Valley Raids 1780
 * Historical Markers - Information about historical markers in Schoharie County
 * NYGen Web site