Hamilton County, New York Genealogy

United States New York  Hamilton County

Parent County
21 February 1816: Created from Montgomery County.

Neighboring Counties
Essex· Franklin· Fulton· Herkimer· Saratoga· St. Lawrence· Warren

Boundary Changes

 * The county government was not fully developed until after 1860. Many functions were assigned to neighboring counties over the years.
 * Attached to Montgomery County until 1838 when it was reassigned to Fulton 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.

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

Federal

 * The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories

Church Records

 * 1835-1856 - Marriage Records of Joseph F. Spier Northville Methodist Episcopal Church 1835-1856, courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Military
Civil War

Available towns. Registers are available for: Lake Pleasant· Long Lake· Morehouse· Wells.

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


 * - 115th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.

Probate Records

 * 1861-1934 - SAMPUBCO Browseable index of testators of wills.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Hamilton County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Adirondack Museum Library P. O. Box 99 Blue Mountain Lake, New York 12812 Phone: 518-352-7311 Email: jpepper@adkmuseum.org

There collections include books, manuscripts, maps, periodicals, microforms, and ephemera related to the Adirondack Mountains. It is strongly encouraged to make an appointment.

Hamilton County libraries are part of the Northern New York Library Network. Each library has access to genealogical databases - especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home. A list of the libraries in this system and their website and contact information is found here.

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

Societies
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; publication: 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

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Vital Records

 * 1848-1851 Vital Records, 1849-1851 at NYGenWeb - free.
 * 1893-1993 Vitals from the Hamilton County News (incomplete) at NYGenWeb - free. Births, marriages, obituaries.

Birth
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

 * 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 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

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."


 * 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. 

Death
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."


 * 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information. See also indexes at NYGenWeb.


 * 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 in the Civil War section of Military for death information.
 * Hamilton County obituaries at NYGenWeb - free.

Additional Resources

Websites

 * The Hamilton County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hamilton County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Hamilton County. (Mirror site)