Fulton County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Fulton County, New York 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 Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

Parent County
18 April 1838: from Montgomery County.

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.


 * Hamilton County was not fully organized until after 1860, so in 1838 it was attached to Fulton County.

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.

Biography

 * Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson–Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911. Free online index. Master index

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.

Federal

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

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 Fulton County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Fulton County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.


 * 1778-1803 Baptism and Marriage Records as Recorded by Rev. James Dempster 1778-1803, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1877-1911 Methodist Episcopal Church. Ephratah and Rockwood Charge Includes baptisms, 1877-1890, marriages, 1877-1894, funerals, 1886-1888, 1910-1911, and an alphabetical record of members.

Montgomery County History and Archives, at Fonda, N.Y. has the complete Rydon Vosburgh transcribed, typed, and indexed collection of church records from the Mohawk Valley and Hudson Valley, plus cemetery and other genealogy material.


 * Fulton County, New York Churches

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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 Fulton County.

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

Online



Microforms


 * 1772-1910 Deed Records 1772-1908 - Index included: 1772-1910
 * Kingsborough Patent rent rolls . The Kingsborough Patent, issued by the Royal Colonial Government in Albany in 1753 covered 20,000 acres of Forest land that had been purchased from the Mohawk Indians a year earlier. It included parts of the present towns of Johnstown, Mayfield and Ephratah and the future sites of the cities of Johnstown and Gloversville and the village of Mayfield.

Books



Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * Atlas of Montgomery and Fulton counties, New York : from actual surveys (1868) - freely available at the Internet Archive.

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Bleecker· Broadalbin· Ephratah· Johnstown· Mayfield· Oppenheim· Perth.

Regiments. Service men from Fulton 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 Fulton County.


 * - 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F
 * - 10th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I
 * - 32nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C
 * - 77th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K
 * - 115th Regiment, New York Infantry Companies E and K
 * - 153rd Regiment, New York Infantry Companies A, D, and F

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Gloversville NY Daily Leader 1888-1903
 * Gloversville NY Leader Herald 1955-1977
 * Gloversville NY Leader Republican 1937-1954
 * Gloversville NY Morning Herald 1913-1955
 * Johnstown Broadalbin Herald 1908
 * Johnstown NY Daily Republican 1890-1899
 * Johnstown NY Fulton County Republican 1877-1909
 * Valley News 1947-1999

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes
 * 1626-1836 Calendar of Wills On File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, of the County Clerk at Albany, and of the Secretary of State, 1626-1836 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at: Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($)
 * 1629 - 1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659 - 1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1789-1937 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1866 - 1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Fulton County: Administration bonds, 1890-1904; Administration records, 1877-1903; Citations, 1897-1927; Dower records, 1818-1861; Final settlements, Orders, 1879-1901; General index, 1830-1967; Guardianship appointments and bonds, 1877-1906; Letters of administration, 1856-1955; Letters of guardianship, 1838-1907; Letters of testamentary, 1789-1901; Minutes, 1838-1903; Orders, 1877-1910; Orders, Tax records, 1893-1906; Probate records, 1877-1908; Sales, 1838-1885; Wills, 1789-1937

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:


 * 1805-1939 General index and reference.
 * 1830-1967 Probate records, 1789-1955; general index.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Fulton 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
Fulton County is part of the Mohawk Valley Library System (MVLS).Holdings at these libraries include account books, business records &amp; ledgers; atlases &amp; maps; bibles; biography, surname &amp; obituary files; census records; cemetery, marriage, military &amp; pension records; church &amp; county histories; city directories; DAR lineage books; diaries; ephemera; gazetteers; genealogical family charts; letters &amp; personal papers; newspapers; notebooks; pamphlets; photographs; printed books; scrapbooks; watercolors &amp; objets d'art. The focus of these collections are the historical persons and places in the libraries' service area.

Fulton County Museum 237 North Kingsboro Avenue Gloversville, NY 12078-1428 Phone: 518-725-2203 Email: adimn@fultoncountymuseum.org

Adirondack Museum Library P. O. Box 99 Blue Mountain Lake, New York 12812 Phone: 518-352-7311 Email: jpepper@adkmuseum.org Collections: include books, manuscripts, maps, periodicals, microforms, and ephemera related to the Adirondack Mountains. It is strongly encouraged to make an appointment.

County Historian's Office
Peter Betz, Historian County Office Building 223 West Main Street Johnstown, NY 12095 Phone: 518–736-5667

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Fayetteville New York FamilySearch Center
 * Gloversville New York FamilySearch Center
 * Herkimer New York FamilySearch Center
 * Schoharie Valley New York FamilySearch Center
 * Utica New York FamilySearch Center


 * Guilderland Public Library - an affiliate library
 * New York State Library and New York State Archives - an affiliate library

Societies
Fulton County Historian 19 N. William St. Johnstown NY 12095 (518) 736-5667 E-mail: [mailto:emailofsociety historian@fultoncountyny.gov]

The Adirondack Genealogical – Historical Society - they have an obituary database extracted from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and will search for you by phone. They also have some church records, census records on Franklin and surrounding counties, local directories, and cemetery information up to 2000. Phone: 518-891-0807.

Capital District Genealogical Society Empire State Plaza Station PO Box 2175 Albany, NY 12220-0175


 * Counties served: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington.


 * $3 for non-member queries in their newsletter. Monthly meetings. They staff a genealogy support desk at the Town of Colonie Library.

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)

Birth

 * 1881-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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 – 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.


 * 1847–1849 Births and deaths from returns of Town Clerks.


 * 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, 1868–1871, 1875, 1889 Marriages from returns of Town Clerks.


 * 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


 * 1908–1919 at FamilySearch – free; Index.


 * 1863-1886 Methodist Episcopal Church Marriage Records

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch – 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.


 * 1830-1831 Marriage Records Extracted from Montgomery Republican, 1830-1831 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1834-1836 Marriage Records Extracted from Montgomery Republican, 1834-1836 at NYGenWeb - 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 browsable.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.


 * 1864-5 Marriages Extracted from the 1865 Census for Fulton County at NYGenWeb - free. Arranged by bride.


 * 1874-5 Marriages Extracted from the 1875 Census for Fulton County at NYGenWeb - free. Arranged by bride.

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


 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch – 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.


 * 1830-1831 Death Records Extracted from Montgomery Republican 1830-1831 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1834-1836 Death Records Extracted from Montgomery Republican 1834-1836 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1847–1849 Births and deaths from returns of Town Clerks.


 * 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.


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


 * 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, Fulton County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.


 * 1864-5 Death Records Extracted from the 1865 Census of Fulton County at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1874-5 Deaths - 1875 State Census, Mortality Schedule, Fulton County, New York at Mortality-Schedules.com - free.


 * 1874-5 Death Records Extracted from the 1875 Census of Fulton County at NYGenWeb - free.

Additional Resources

Fulton County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Fulton County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Fulton County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Fulton County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Fulton County. (Mirror site)
 * Fulton, New York Photos(includes, post cards,directories, newspapers etc)
 * Fulton County Genealogy