Genesee County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Genesee 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 the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo, meaning "the Beautiful Valley". The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County

 * Created 30 March 1802 from Ontario 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.

[[Image:Genesee-river-valley.jpg|frame|


 * 7 April 1806: Allegany
 * 11 March 1808: Cattaraugus
 * 11 March 1808: Chautauqua
 * 11 March 1818: Niagara
 * 23 February 1821: Livingston
 * 23 February 1821: Monroe
 * 11 November 1824: Orleans
 * 14 May 1841: Wyoming

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 the Bible.

Biography

 * Gazetteer and Biographical Record of Genesee County, N.Y. 1788-1890, by J.W. Vose Co.


 * The two volumes listed below can be accessed at the Allen County Library website. Go to the website and search for Genesee County, New York to find these books.


 * Our county and its people: a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 1


 * Our county and its people: a descriptive and biographical record of Genesee County, New York, v. 2


 * World War II Gold Star Memorial Book a history of the boys who perished during WWII from Genesee county: short biographies, and death information.

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


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Volunteers have spent many hours transcribing cemetery markers. Here are several links to transcriptions:


 * Alabama Center Cemetery Transcription


 * Wheatville Cemetery, Alabama Township Transcription


 * East Alabama Cemetery Transcription


 * Nichols Cemetery, Alabama Township Transcription


 * Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Alexander Township Transcription


 * Alexander Village Cemetery, Alexander Township Transcription

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


 * 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell's Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at NYGenWeb - free.

Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Genesee County church records in their library.

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 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?].
 * More to Deeds Then You Think

Online


 * Parcel History Database (Note: Use advanced search to search by Owner Name.)

Microforms


 * 1792-1901 Deed Records 1792-1901 - Index included: 1802-1884
 * 1803-1887 Mortgage Records 803-1887 - Index included: 1802-1912

Books



Cindy Amrhein has written guides to help researchers use Genesee County land records:


 * How to Search Deeds &amp; Mortgages


 * More to Deeds Then You Think

Additional online resources:


 * 1804-1824 - Livsey, Karen E. Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 1825-1835 - Livsey, Karen E. Western New York Land Transactions, 1825-1835. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Genesee County for European settlers included:


 * Mohawk or Iroquois Trail (west fork) about 1722
 * Great Genesee Road 1794
 * Erie Canal 1825

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Alabama· Alexander· Batavia· Bergen· Bethany· Darien· Elba· Le Roy· Oakfield· Pavilion· Pembroke· Stafford.

Regiments. Service men in Wyoming County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.


 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Mounted Rifles, Company A.
 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and K.
 * - 9th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 12th Independent Company, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 14th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies E and F.
 * - 23rd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
 * - 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B and C.
 * - 104th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 105th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E and K.
 * - 129th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company L.
 * - 138th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company M.
 * - 151st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.

World War II

 * Genesee County World War II Gold Star memorial book Batavia, N.Y. : Gold Star Mothers Club, 1953. Batavia, N.Y. : Miller-Mac Print. Co. FS Library fiche 6060868

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch – free; Index.

Newspapers
Newspapers can be a rich source of genealogical information. Obituaries provide death and burial information, and often give names of immediate and extended family, including maiden and/or married names of women. Marriage announcements provide maiden names and often mention other family members as well. Information was not always carefully checked before publication, so it should be validated using other sources.

The Le Roy Gazette is available on Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=50002. Fees may apply. According to the site, the date range runs from 1826 through 1993, though not all years are available.

A searchable collection of over 16 million newspaper pages from New York, including many from Genesee County can be found at the Old New York State Historical Newspaper Pages


 * Batavia NY Batavian 1895-1897
 * Batavia NY Daily Herald 1859
 * Batavia NY Daily News 1878-1922
 * Batavia NY Genessee County Herald 1857-1861
 * Batavia NY Genessee Weekly Democrat 1857-1859
 * Batavia NY Morning Call 1881-1882
 * Batavia NY Progressive Batavian 1868-1895
 * Batavia NY Republican Advocate 1822-1876
 * Batavia NY Spirit Of The Times 1830-1868
 * Batavia NY Times 1902-1945

Probate Records
'''Tip. 'Cindy Amrhein's, "Surrogate's Court" in RootsWeb'' shows a case study of the value of other types of probate records beyond the wills in Genesee County.

The petitions are also available for free on the Internet. See Historical Records below where they are called "Probate records." And they are on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library and its centers:


 * 1856–1908 Listed as "probate books" Includes index.

Online Probate Indexes and Abstracts
 * 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 — index and images $
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($)
 * 1809-1901 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images


 * - Genesee County: Administrations, 1856-1907; Appraisal records, 1856-1902; Bonds, 1890-1901; Decrees, 1856-1901; General index, 1805-1939; Guardianship records, 1856-1909; Letters of administration, 1805-1901; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary, 1830-1854; Letters of guardianship, 1810-1906; Letters of testamentary, 1856-1891; Miscellaneous records, 1897-1909; Orders, 1809-1901; Probate records, 1856-1908; Sales, 1868-1911; Wills, 1809-1901

Probate Records on Microfilm

Probate records found at Historical Records and described in Online Probate Records above are also found on microfilm as follows:


 * 1805-1911 Probate records.
 * 1809-1911 Record of wills.
 * 1809-1901 Surrogates records and orders.
 * 1856-1908 Probate books.
 * 1856-1880 Decrees.
 * 1867-1901 Decrees.

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Genesee County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Nioga Library System 6575 Wheeler Rd Lockport NY 14094 716-434-6167


 * Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia
 * Byron-Bergen Public Library, Bergen
 * Corfu Free Library
 * Woodward Memorial Library, Le Roy
 * Haston Memorial Library, Oakfield
 * Pavilion Public Library

Holland Land Office Museum 131 West Main Street Batavia NY 14020-2021 716-343-4727 E-mail: [mailto:info@hollandlandoffice.com info@hollandlandoffice.com]

County Historian's Office
History Department Research Library &amp; Records Management Engine House 3 West Main Street Batavia, NY 14020 585-344-2550 ext 2613 E-mail: history@co.genesee.ny.us

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 Genesee County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce, court and land records as well as the state census. The Surrogate court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Genesee County are held, see the Genesee County Courthouse page.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Brockport New York FamilySearch Center
 * Buffalo New York FamilySearch Center
 * Buffalo New York - Inner City FamilySearch Center
 * Orchard Park New York FamilySearch Center
 * Pittsford New York FamilySearch Center
 * Rochester New York FamilySearch Center
 * Warsaw New York FamilySearch Center


 * Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County - an affiliate library
 * Fairfield Library Association - an affiliate library
 * Niagara County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Richmond Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Genesee Area Genealogy Society Richmond Memorial Library 19 Ross Street Batavia NY 14020 The Genesee Area Genealogists welcome those with an interest in Genesee and Wyoming counties.

Holland Purchase Historical Society Holland Land Office Museum 131 West Main Street Batavia NY 14020-2021 716-343-4727 Website [mailto:info@hollandoffice.com info@hollandoffice.com] Not a research facility; contact Genesee County History department. 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.

Western New York Genealogical Society P.O. Box 338 Hamburg, New York 14075-0338 Email: info@wnygs.org Directory


 * Focus is on eight Western New York counties - Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany - which comprise the area of the original Holland Land Company purchase.

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.


 * 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.


 * 1823–1827 Marriages - Justice of Peace, Charles Lee


 * 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


 * 1908–1936 at FamilySearch – free; Marriage Records and licenses, indexes  Licenses go to 1936

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."
 * 1836-1843 Index of Marriages by Eli Ellinwood, Pembroke Justice of Peace 1836-1843 - 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.


 * 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1874-5.
 * 1874-5 1875 Marriages from the Genesee County New York State Census at New Horizons Genealogical Services - free.

Death
Death Indexes
 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
 * 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 Record 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."


 * 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  in the Civil War section of Military for death information.


 * 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1874-5.
 * 1874-5 1875 Deaths from the Genesee County New York State Census at New Horizons Genealogical Services - free.

Additional Resources

Genesee County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Genesee County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Genesee County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Genesee County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Genesee County. (Mirror site)
 * Genesee County Genealogy