Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The county was named for the Schuylkill River. It is located in the mideastern central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Schuylkill County Courthouse 401 North Second Street Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: 570-622-5570  Fax: 570-628-1210 Schuylkill County Register Of Wills/Orphans' Court Phone: 570-628-1382 Schuylkill County Prothonotary Phone:570-628-1270 Clerk of Courts Phone: 570-628-1140 or 570-628-1133 Recorder of Deeds Phone: 570-628-1480 Schuylkill County Websites Clerk Comm has birth and death records 1893-1905, marriage records from 1885, divorce records from 1878, probate, court, and land records from 1811


 * Copies of documents including birth, marriages, deaths, divorces, land, and probate records can be obtained by using: Pennsylvania Public Record.

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

 * Bible Records Genealogy Trails
 * Schuylkill County Bible Records at PA USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Everyname Index to Munsell's, 1881:History of Schuylkill Co. courtesy USGenWeb

Cemeteries

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

Additional Cemetery Resources
 * ca.1700-ca.1950   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (incomplete)
 * PA-Roots
 * Names in Stone
 * Ancestry ($)

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1850-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * Visit Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Church Records for information about church denominations and records in Schuylkill County.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1798-1828  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Alphabet index then by numbered entry
 * 1900-1923  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1952-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Funeral Homes

 * 1914-2007  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1811-1915 Deed Books 1811-1902; Indexes to Deeds 1811-1915.
 * Warrants and Patents:Bucks and Schuylkill Counties courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * History of the County of Schuylkill. 1911. Pottsville, Pennsylvania : Dives, Pomeroy & Stewart. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * History of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Carbon, and Schuylkill Counties. 1885. By I. Daniel Rupp. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : Hickok and Cantine. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * History of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Including a Genealogical and Biographical Record of many Families and Persons. 2 volumes. 1907. Edited by Adolf W. Schalck and D.C. Henning. [S.l.] : State Historical Association. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive;  Vols. 1 & 2 - Hathitrust;.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * 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.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1865-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II
 * 1933-1947  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1795-1931  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1811-1907 Naturalization Petition Records  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; index included: 1811-1906
 * 1820-1940s Select Schuylkill County Naturalization Records at PAGenWeb
 * 1871-1878 Petitions of Naturalizations from Clerk of Courts  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; index included: 1871-1878
 * 1872-1876 Declarations of Intention from Clerk of Courts  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1896-1927 Miscellaneous Naturalization Records  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1901-1930 Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930; and 1901-1906 on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records
 * 1901-1930 Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry $
 * 1906-1944 Declarations of Intention  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1906-1946 Naturalization Petition and Record  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; index included: 1906-1990

Newspapers
Newspapers of Schuylkill County

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.


 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory.
 * Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * The Evening Herald (Shenandoah, PA) at Chronicling America. 1891-1966

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
 * Schuylkill County Newspapers courtesy USGenWeb Archives including:
 * Christian Advocate
 * Die Stimme des Volks, 1832-1839
 * The Evening Courier, Tamaqua
 * Miner's Journal
 * Pottsville Republican, January 1st for 1915, 1916, 1919, 1920-1923, 1926, 1927, 1939-1945 and more.
 * Shenandoah Evening Herald, various dates in 1944, 1945, 1948
 * The Splinters, Saint Clair, April 24, 1897
 * Tri-Weekly Record, Mahanoy City

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
Online Obituary Abstracts
 * 1914-2007  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2021  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1977-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * OA-Roots Obituaries for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
 * Schuylkill County Obituaries courtesy USGenWeb Archives

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 Indexes and Records


 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1752-1802 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1811-1891 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1811-1897 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1811-1917 Shuylkill County Probate Records at FamilySearch
 * 1811-1928 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1811-1994 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1812-1844 Abstracts of Wills, Schuylkill County, Penna., Book 1, November 1812- October 1844. By Shoener, Harry B., Mrs.; Mrs. Robert P Swank; Unger, Claude Weston; Daughters of the American Revolution, Mahantongo Chapter (Pottsville, Pennsylvania). Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania : Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, 1937-1940. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at:
 * 1812-1916 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1857-1922 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1874-1915 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1880-1936 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1888-1951 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * Schuylkill County Education and School Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1520-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1709-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * 1893-1897 Selected Schuylkill County Births courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * 1900-1905 Schuylkill County Birth Index 1900-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1512-1989  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at Findmypast
 * 1677-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1682-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1709-1940  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * Pre-1810  Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1852-1854  Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885-present Marriage Record Index available at Schuylkill County Courthouse website.
 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Some Schuylkill Marriages courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * Marriage License Search

Death

 * 1720-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 1856-1971  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1893-1901 Selected Schuylkill County Death Registrations courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * 1893-1906 Schuylkill County Death Index 1893-1906 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Archives
National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Rd Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: 215-305-2044 Fax: 215-305-2052 Email: [mailto:philadelphia.archives@nara.gov philadelphia.archives@nara.gov] Website Facebook Schuylkill County Archives 401 N 2nd St Pottsville, PA 17801-2528 Phone: 570-628-1145 Email: [mailto:archives@co.schuylkill.pa.us archives@co.schuylkill.pa.us] Website
 * 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; will books; estate files; county land records; deed books; and mortgage books.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Carlisle Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Harrisburg/Hershey Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Reading Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Sunbury Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * The Annville Free Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Pottsville Free Public Library 215 W Market St Pottsville, PA 17901 Phone: 570-622-8880 Email: [mailto:potref@pottsvillelibrary.org potref@pottsvillelibrary.org] Website Facebook
 * Genealogy collection includes: newspapers - Evening Herald, 1891 to 1980; county histories; city directories; census records; genealogy books; family files. The Library offers a limited search service for obituaries and specific pages of specific books.

Tamaqua Public Library 30 S Railroad St Tamaqua, PA 18252 Phone: 570-668-4660 Email: [mailto:tamaquapubliclibrary@hotmail.com tamaquapubliclibrary@hotmail.com] Website Facebook
 * Some resources include: newspapers, church records, cemeteries, and yearbooks.

Societies
Pinegrove Historical Society 205 N Tulpehocken St Pine Grove, PA 17963 Phone: 570-345-0157 Email: [mailto:pinegrovehistoricalsociety@comcast.net pinegrovehistoricalsociety@comcast.net] Facebook Schuykill County Historical Society 305 N Centre St Pottsville, PA 17801 Phone: 570-622-7540 Email: [mailto:sch.hist@comcast.net sch.hist@comcast.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Schuylkill County USGenWeb Archives
 * Schuylkill County PA Genealogy
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

 * 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.