Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania Schuylkill County

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Berks and Northampton Counties 1 March 1811.
 * County Seat: Pottsville
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Luzerne (north) • Berks (south) •  Carbon (northeast)  • [Dauphin County, Pennsylvania|Dauphin]] and Lebanon (southwest)  •  Columbia (northwest)  •  Northumberland (west)  •  Lehigh (east)

Named for the Schuylkill River. Benjamin Franklin left money in his will (dated 1789) for the restoring of the river long time before the conception of "conservation."

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

Saint Nicholas Cemetery, Mahanoy City BillionGraves

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.


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Ashland: Christ's United Lutheran Church; North Parish Episcopal Church; St. John's Episcopal Church
 * Delano: Delano Episcopal Mission
 * New Philadelphia: United Methodist Church
 * Orwigsburg: St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Pine Grove: Jacobs Evangelical Lutheran Church; Pine Grove Methodist Episcopal Church; Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church; St. Peter's Lutheran Church; Suedberg Church of God; United Church of Christ - St. Peter's Parish
 * Port Carbon: First United Methodist Church; Grace United Methodist Church
 * Pottsville: First Baptist Church; First United Church of Christ; Trinity Episcopal Church; Trinity Lutheran Church
 * Reinerton: St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Schuylkill: First United Church of Christ; Grace Evangelical Congregational Church; St. James Episcopal Church; St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Schuylkill Haven: Christ Lutheran Church; St. John's United Church of Christ
 * Shenandoah: All Saints Episcopal Church
 * Summit Station: St. Paul's United Church of Christ
 * Tamaqua: Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church; Calvary Episcopal Church; First Presbyterian Church of Summit Hill; First United Presbyterian Church; Salem and Coaldale United Methodist Church; St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church; Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Tower: St. Paul's Lutheran Church
 * Valley View: United Methodist Church
 * Washington: Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church


 * Marriages and Marriage Evidence in Pennsylvania German Churches at PAGenWeb – Free, covers Lutheran and Reformed churches


 * 1755-1825 - Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Carbon County, 1795-1825; Monroe County, 1741-1825; Schuylkill County, 1755-1825. Washington, D.C.: PA Genealogy Books, 2006..


 * Contains church records of Zion Lutheran Church aka "Old Red Church," Orwigsburg, West Brunswick Township; "Hetzel's" Lutheran Church, Pine Grove Township; St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed Church aka "Summer Hill" Church, Mannheim Township; St. John's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Friedensburg, Wayne Township; St. Jacob's Lutheran Church, Pine Grove Township; St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed Church aka "White Church," Ringtown, Union Township; St. Peter's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Pine Grove, Pine Grove Township; St. John's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Tamaqua, Rahn Township; Frieden's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Norwegian, Branch Township; Frieden's Lutheran and Reformed Church, near New Ringgold, West Brunswick Township; and Zion Reformed Church, West Brunswick Township.

Baptist
In 1840, the "First English Baptist Church of Minersville" was organized.

Catholic

 * 1845-1860 - Marriage, Baptism and Death Records from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, marriages, and burials

Congregational
The First Congregational Church was established by the Welsh in the area in 1836.

Episcopal
St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal church was organized in 1845 and their building erected in 1849.

Lutheran
The German Lutherans were the first in the county although the exact date of their organization is unknown. The German Evangelical Lutheran Zion's Congregation had their first church built in 1849. Before it was built, they had met in the schoolhouse. The first English Lutheran Church was organized in 1851.


 * 1755-1800 - Zion Red Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, Brunswick Township, then Berks, now Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
 * 1894-1994 - St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, marriages, located in Klingerstown
 * 1894-1994 - St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, burials and funerals, located in Klingerstown
 * Christ Lutheran Church at PAGenWeb – Free, burials, located in Rush Township
 * Saint Jacob's Evangelical Lutheran Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Pine Grove
 * St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Klingerstown
 * Some Confirmations and Baptisms of Christ Lutheran Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Rush Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

Methodist
The Methodist Episcopal church began meeting in Minersville starting in 1834.

Reformed
In 1840, Emmanuel's Church was organized and met in the union church with the Lutherans.


 * 1755-1800 - Zion Red Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, Brunswick Township, then Berks, now Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
 * 1894-1994 - St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, marriages, located in Klingerstown
 * 1894-1994 - St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, burials and funerals, located in Klingerstown
 * St. Michael's Lutheran &amp; Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Klingerstown
 * Some Church Records of Emmanuel Reformed Church at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Nuremberg, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania

United Church of Christ

 * 1831-1920 - Index to St. John's United Church of Christ at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Orwigsburg, index
 * 1831-1920 - St. John's United Church of Christ at PAGenWeb – Free, baptisms, located in Orwigsburg
 * St. John's United Church of Christ at PAGenWeb – Free, burials, located in Orwigsburg

Court of Common Pleas
The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. County has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.

Land and Property
Land records in Schuylkill County began in 1811. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Pottstown, 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


 * 1811-1915 Deed Books 1811-1902; Indexes to Deeds 1811-1915.

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below also includes maps related to land ownership.

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 Schuylkill 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.)

Maps
Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the County Atlas of Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, from Recent and Actual Surveys and Records by F.W. Beers and A.B. Cochran (New York, 1875). This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Newspapers
Newspapers of Schuylkill County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.


 * The Evening Herald (Shenandoah, PA) at Chronicling America. 1891-1966

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts


 * Compiled by Cheryl Fidler Schneck, Abstracts of Miscellaneous Notices Published in "The Press Herald" Newspaper of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, beginning January 3, 1879 [to 1885]

Obituaries
Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Online Obituary Abstracts


 * OA-Roots Obituaries for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

Obituary Extracts and Abstracts


 * A scrapbook by Schuyler C. Brossman, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, war veterans' graves : a list of veterans of the western part of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah, 1992)
 * Brossman, Schuyler C. Veterans of Western Berks County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah) Record of newspaper clippings and more arranged by name of veteran, principally from Tulpehocken and Bethel Townships in Berks County with some records from Lebanon and Schuylkill Counties.
 * Hughes, Jeremiah, Obituaries, 1880-1917 (SLC, Utah, 1981))
 * Death Notices in the Christliche Botschafter, New Berlin, 1836-1848 (SLC, Utah, 1981)
 * Collected and compiled by Phillip A. Rice; Schuylkill Roots Researchers, Index to the Obituaries as Found in the Pottsville Republican and Various Other Periodicals of the Region : covers Schuylkill as Well as Adjoining Counties (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c 1992-1993)

Probate Records
Online Probate Records Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. 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: Complete Collection:


 * 1683-1994 – at FamilySearch.org

Schuylkill County Only:


 * 1811–1917 – Shuylkill County Probate Records

Archives
Archives Schuylkill County Courthouse 401 N 2nd Street Pottsville PA 17801-2528 570-628-1145 archives@co.schuylkill.pa.us Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily excluding holidays The Schuylkill County Archives is a central depository for all county government records. These include records from the Clerk of the Courts, Prothonotary, Recorder of Deeds, and Register of Wills. Most records are open to the public. The oldest records predate the creation of the county in 1811. Early records have been microfilmed with the originals in storage at the archives. Records of interest to genealogists and family historians include:


 * Birth and death records
 * Marriage dockets 1885–May 1969
 * Naturalization indexes and records 1828–1988
 * Wills books 1811–1986
 * Estate files 1811–1959
 * County land records
 * Deed books
 * Mortgage books

Built as an annex to the courthouse, the archives covers two floors with access from the public entrance to the courthouse. Services are free with a nominal cost for copies. Online Marriage License Search

Courthouse

 * Schuylkill County Courthouse 401 North Second Street Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: (570) 628-1332


 * Copies of documents including birth, marriages, deaths, divorces, land, and probate records can be obtained by using: Pennsylvania Public Record. Click on the link for the record you wish to request.


 * Schuylkill County Prothonotary Schuylkill County Courthouse 401 N 2nd Street 1st Floor Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: 570–628-1270

Libraries
Pottsville Free Public Library 215 W. Market St. Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: (570) 622-8880 Email: potpublib@pottsvillelibrary.org

The Library has a genealogy collection that includes:


 * Newspapers - Evening Herald, 1891 to 1980
 * County histories
 * City directories
 * Census records
 * Genealogy books
 * Family files

The Library does offer a limited fee service for obituaries and specific pages of specific books. No in-depth research is provided.

Tamaqua Public Library 30 South Railroad Street Tamaqua, PA 18252 Phone: (570) 668-4660 Email: tamaquapubliclibrary@hotmail.com

The Library is currently building their genealogical collection. Some resources include:


 * Newspapers
 * Church records
 * Cemetery records
 * Yearbooks

Societies
Schuykill County Historical Society 305 North Centre St Pottsville PA 17801 570-622-7540 e-mail: sch.hist@comcast.net Hours: Wed 1:30 – 6:00 pm, Thurs and Fri 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Sat 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Newsletter: Schuylkill Heritage available online. facebook twitter

The Society also has a library with an extensive collection available for researchers. It also has a research service for a fee. The collection includes:


 * Church histories and religious records (131 Volumes)
 * Pottsville City Directories (100 Volumes)
 * Genealogy books (305 Volumes)
 * Mine Inspector Reports, Anthracite Coal Mining, Mining Operations (276 Volumes)
 * Railroads (42 Volumes)
 * County History Books (96 Volumes)
 * Schuylkill County Census (1790 - 1930)
 * Estate Records
 * Marriage Records
 * Death Register
 * Orphans Court Records
 * Petitions of Naturalization

Pinegrove Historical Society 205 North Tulpehocken Street Pine Grove, PA Mailing address: PO Box 65 Pine Grove, PA 17963 Phone: (570) 345-0157 Email: research@historicpinegrove.org

This Society has a library with a genealogical collection. There is a $3 fee for non-members of the society to use the library. The Society also provides a research service for a fee.

Research Guides
Woodroofe's guide to Schuylkill County "hidden sources" at The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania is available online:


 * Woodroofe, Helen Hutchison. "A Genealogist's Guide to Pennsylvania Records," The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 34, No. 3 (1986):241-250. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Birth

 * 1726-1930 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 1885-1950 - Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * 1885-present Marriage Record Index available at Schuylkill County Courthousewebsite.

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

Death

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.