Suffolk County, New York Genealogy

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

New York Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the county of Suffolk in England. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

Parent County
1683 Suffolk County was created an original county from the East Riding of Yorkshire in the Province of New York, earlier part of New Netherland.

Neighboring Counties


Connecticut counties


 * Fairfield
 * Middlesex
 * New Haven
 * New London

Rhode Island county


 * Washington

Atlantic Ocean

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.

1664 Yorkshire became the first large government unit (not actually a county) organized by New York after the English took control from the Netherlands. It was divided into three ridings including East Riding (Suffolk County). > 1683 New York ended Yorkshire, creating Suffolk County from part of Yorkshire.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

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.

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


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

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


 * 1778 - Scott, Kenneth. "Suffolk County Inhabitants in 1778," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 104, No. 4 (Oct. 1973):225-230. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.


 * 1778 - Scott, Kenneth. "Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, 1778 Census," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 63 (1975):276-283..


 * 1778 - Kearney, Michael. "A List of Persons in Suffolk County, Long Island, Who Took the Oath of Allegiance and Peaceable Behavior Before Governor Tryon, 1778," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 142, No. 2 (Apr. 2011):98-106; Vol. 142, No. 3 (Jul. 2011):226-236; Vol. 142, No. 4 (Oct. 2011):260-264; Vol. 143, No. 1 (Jan. 2012):65-74. Digital version at New York Family History ($); . Includes names, ages, and occupations.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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


 * 1828-1900 - Brown, Russell K. "Records of the Congregational Church, Orient, Long Island," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Membership Lists 1828-1869: Vol. 136, No. 3 (Jul. 2005):173-182; Membership Lists 1870-1900, Child Baptisms 1828-1900, Deaths 1851-1888: Vol. 136, No. 4 (Oct. 2005):285-295. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy

 * Rootsweb message boardfor 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.

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

Online



Microforms



Books




 * 1698-1736 - Records of Southampton, Long Island, New York: Abstracts of Volume 2 of Deeds in Town Clerk's Office. 1915. Digital version at World Vital Records ($).

Maps
{{NY Neighboring Counties Intro|county={{NY Suffolk County}}
 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Revolutionary War
Suffolk County men served in the 4th New York Regiment. "4th New York Regiment," Valley Forge Legacy, http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/regiments/ny4.asp, accessed 31 May 2012.


 * Kearney, Michael. "A List of Persons in Suffolk County, Long Island, Who Took the Oath of Allegiance and Peaceable Behavior Before Governor Tryon, 1778," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 142, No. 2 (Apr. 2011):98-106; Vol. 142, No. 3 (Jul. 2011):226-236; Vol. 142, No. 4 (Oct. 2011):260-264; Vol. 143, No. 1 (Jan. 2012):65-74. Digital version at New York Family History ($); . Includes names, ages, and occupations.

War of 1812
Revolutionary War pension request, 1790-1837, War of 1812, 1820, 1858 1 microfilm reel; 35mm. .

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Brookhaven· East Hampton· Huntington· Islip· Riverhead· Shelter Island· Smithtown· Southold.

Regiments. Service men in Suffolk 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 Orange County:


 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.
 * - 90th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies F, I and K.
 * - 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 119th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 127th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E, G, H, I and K.
 * - 131st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 132nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
 * - 139th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A and H.
 * - 145th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 155th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies H and K.
 * - 159th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
 * - 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1853-1990 The Suffolk County Naturalization Project at Italian Genealogical Group - free.


 * 1865-1957 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Indexes

 * 1792-1989 Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 at Ancestry ($). This database is based on NARA's Soundex Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts located in New York City, 1792-1989. All 5 boroughs are included.

The Family History Library has also acquired this comprehensive index for the years 1792 through 1906 on microfilm:. The courts this index covers are:


 * City Court of Brooklyn, 1836-1894
 * Kings County Court, 1806-1906
 * New York City Marine Court, 1806-1849
 * New York County Common Pleas Court, 1792-1895
 * New York County Superior Court, 1828-1895
 * New York City and County Supreme Court, 1868-1906
 * Queens County Court, 1799-1906
 * Queens County Surrogate Court, 1888-1898
 * Richmond County Court, 1869-1906
 * U.S. Circuit Court Southern District, 1846-1876
 * U.S. District Court Eastern District, (Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties), 1865-1906
 * U.S. District Court Southern Court Southern District, (New York, Bronx and also Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Richmond, Rockland, Sullivan and Westchester counties), 1824-1906

Newspapers

 * Huntington NY Long Islander 1839-1936
 * Long Island NY Daily Star 1881-1889
 * Long Island NY Star Journal 1938-1967
 * Sag Harbor NY Corrector 1827-1911
 * Sag Harbor NY Express 1862-1975
 * Sayville NY Suffolk County News 1900-1986
 * Southold NY Long Island Traveler 1872-1895

Suffolk Historic Newspapers provides access to:


 * Corrector (Sag Harbor) 1822-1911
 * Long Island Traveler 1872-1898
 * Long Islander 1839-1974
 * Mid-Island Mail 1935-1941
 * Patchogue Advance 1926-1948
 * Port Jefferson Echo 1892-1931
 * Sag Harbor Express 1885-1898
 * South Side Signal (Babylon) 1869-1879
 * Suffolk County News (Sayville) 1882-1942,1996-2007

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 $
 * 1670-1688 - Long Island Source Records, courtesy: Ancestry ($). Includes Inventories, Sessions Book No. 1.
 * 1670-1689 - Moore, C.B. "Inventories, Suffolk Co., L.I.: Sessions Book No. 1," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Jul. 1881):132-134. Digital versions at Internet Archive - free; New York Family History ($);.
 * 1691-1703 - Early Long Island Wills of Suffolk County 1691-1703. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1669–1684 Contents of session book, Riverhead, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y Contains abstracts of wills, inventories, deeds, and other land records.

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

Family History Centers

 * Bronx New York Family History Center
 * Brooklyn New York Family History Center
 * Flushing New York Family History Center
 * Queens New York Family History Center
 * Terryville New York Family History Center
 * Westchester New York Family History Center
 * 87th Street New York Family History Center


 * African-Atlantic Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Middle Country Public Library - Centereach - an affiliate library
 * Ohoopee Regional Library System - Ladson Genological Library - an affiliate library
 * West Babylon Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Yonkers Public Library - an affiliate library

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Taxation

 * 1798 - Smith, Edward H.L. "1798 Property Valuations for Western Suffolk County," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 127, No. 1 (Jan. 1996):12-16. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.

Birth

 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.


 * 1870-1892 (incomplete) Long Island City Birth Index at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1875, 1892-1896 Long Island City Birth Register at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry — index, ($)


 * 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes


 * 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

 * 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.


 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.


 * 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index


 * 1908–1935 Marriage records and index.


 * 1908-1935 Suffolk County Marriage Records 1908 to 1935 at Italian Genealogical Group - free.


 * 1904-1939 Suffolk County Marriage Index at German Genealogy Group - free.

Marriage Substitutes


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


 * 1696-1811 Salmon, William. The Salmon Records: A Private Register of Marriages and Deaths of the Residents of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, N.Y., and of Persons More or Less Closely Associated with that Place: 1696-1811. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1918. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 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."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1804-1809 King, Rufus. "Long Island (N.Y.) Marriages and Deaths, From the Suffolk Gazette," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Marriages 1804-1807: Vol. 24, No. 2 (Apr. 1893):86-88; Marriages 1807-1808: Vol. 24, No. 4 (Oct. 1893):159-161; Marriages 1808-1809: Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan. 1894):6-8; Marriages 1809, Deaths 1804-1806: Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr. 1894):89-92; Deaths 1806-1807: Vol. 25, No. 3 (Jul. 1894):137-139; Deaths 1808-1809: Vol. 25, No. 4 (Oct. 1894):161-164. Digital version at New York Family History ($); . Internet Archive has digitized Vol. 24 and Vol. 25 - free.


 * 1839-1864 Stevens, Marian F. An Index to the Long Islander, 1839-1864, Marriages-Deaths. Huntington, N.Y.: Huntington American Revolution Bicentennial Committee Huntington Historical Society, 1974..


 * 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 browsable.


 * 1864-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5.


 * 1871-1891 Barber, Gertrude A. Marriages of Suffolk County, N.Y.: Taken from the "Republican Watchman," A Newspaper Published at Greenport, N.Y. 1950. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Death
Death Indexes
 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
 * 1880-1956 - Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only

Death Substitutes


 * 1696-1811 Salmon, William. The Salmon Records: A Private Register of Marriages and Deaths of the Residents of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, N.Y., and of Persons More or Less Closely Associated with that Place: 1696-1811. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1918. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 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."


 * 1804–1850 Fred Q. Bowman, 8000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850 (Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship Books, 1991). ; . Abstracts of newspaper marriage and death columns.


 * 1839-1864 Stevens, Marian F. An Index to the Long Islander, 1839-1864, Marriages-Deaths. Huntington, New York : Huntington American Revolution Bicentennial Committee Huntington Historical Society, 1974..


 * 1847–1849 Suffolk County, New York, Return of County Clerks' Records of Births, Marriages, Deaths . Microfilm of town records returned to county clerk's office, Riverhead, New York. Includes towns of Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, Southold.


 * 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 browsable.


 * 1859-1900 Barber, Gertrude A. Deaths Taken from "The Republican Watchman": A Newspaper Published Every Saturday Morning at Greenport, Suffolk County, N.Y., Covering Death Records for the Whole County / Copied and Compiled from the Original Newspapers by Gertrude A. Barber. 5 vols. 1991. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


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


 * 1864-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5.


 * 1900-2003 Roberts, David. Suffolk-Times Obituaries 1900-2003 at Long Island Genealogy - free.

Additional Resources

Suffolk County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Suffolk County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Long Island Genealogy
 * Suffolk County NY Genealogy