Step-by-Step New York Research, 1880-Present

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Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews What to Ask the Relatives
 * Genealogy: 150 questions to ask family members about their lives
 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.

Using census records to research for an older generation.
'''In the 1915 census, Joseph A. Schwert was described as 30 years old, putting his birth in about 1885, in New York.



Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
NewYork State Census Records: - For more information, see New York Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths.
 * In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. *A marriage certificate might list the parents of the bride and groom.
 * A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Using the census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records.

Edward and Virginia (Peters) Schwert had three sons listed in the 1950 census, all born in New York:
 * David P. Schwert, age 8, born in about 1942
 * Douglas P., age 4, born in about 1946
 * Donald P., born that year

In the various New York birth indexes available online, this record shows up:



Using the census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can: Guess that the marriage would be recorded searching in the year of the first child's birth working backwards in time. Examples of marriage index entries.
 * establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
 * find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.



Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death: - Example of death index entry. - 'The examples shown above are index entries''. That means for each of them an actual, original, full certificate exists'''. It is highly advisable to order the original certificate. It will contain many details not given in the index. Instructions are given below on obtaining the original certificate.
 * birth date and place of the deceased
 * maiden name of the wife
 * names of the deceased's parents
 * birth places of the deceased's parents.

How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
 * online databases
 * writing to a county courthouse (prior to the beginning of state civil registration)
 * purchasing them from the state through the mail (New York except New York City New York City

Online databases, usually indexes, with some images

 * This chart gives links to some New York online databases for these records:

Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: New York Counties.

Order Certificates from New York Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).


 * Where to Write for (New York except New York City) Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records
 * Where to Write for New York City Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in New York, see How to Find New York Birth Records, How to Find New York Marriage Records, and How to Find New York Death Records.

Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.

Obituary Collections

 * Online New York Death Records &amp; Indexes, by county
 * New York Obituaries, by county
 * Archives.com Obituaries for New York ($)
 * Newspaper Obituary collection for New York: starts about 2003 to present ($)
 * Ancestry.com United States Obituary Collection for New York ($)
 * Genealogy Buff New York
 * — index and images
 * Search for obituaries in ProQuest Newspapers.com Library ($)

Cemetery Collections

 * Online New York Death Records &amp; Indexes, by county
 * New York State Cemetery Abstracts, ($), index or Browse Images, ($)
 * New York Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * Findagrave.com New York Cemetery Records
 * Billion Graves New York Cemetery Records
 * New Horizons Genealogy
 * The Cemetery Site
 * New York Gravestones
 * NYGenWeb Cemeteries A Through N
 * NYGenWeb Cemeteries O Through Y
 * Tombstone Transcription Project (NYGenWeb)
 * Names in Stone
 * New York: Long Island Cemetery Inscriptions, 1652-1910 ($)
 * New York Cemetery Records
 * Revolutionary War Graves of Soldiers Buried in New York, New Horizon, index
 * Revolutionary War Graves of Soldiers Buried in New York, New Horizon, index

U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.

- For more information, see New York Obituaries and New York Cemeteries
 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card.

- Example of a World War II draft card.

'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- For more information and additional collections, see New York Military Records.
 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Step 6: Look for church records.
Church records function as vital records. Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration in 1880. - Example of christening index entry.
 * An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
 * Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
 * Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.





FamilySearch Indexes

 * 1660-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images Incomplete
 * 1640-1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Incomplete
 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Incomplete
 * 1704-1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1704-1995 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Incomplete
 * 1795-1952 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Incomplete
 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index Incomplete

MyHeritage Indexes

 * 1660-1862 New York Baptisms, 1660-1862, ($), index, incomplete.

Findmypast
Catholic Heritage Archive

Catholic

 * New York Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms at Findmypast ($), index and some images
 * New York Roman Catholic Parish Marriages at Findmypast ($), index and images
 * New York Catholic Parish Registers Browse at Findmypast ($), images

The Drouin Collection

 * 1695-1954 Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954 ($) (Ancestry).

Dutch Reformed

 * 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 at Ancestry - index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry - index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1727-1803 New York: Records of Burials in the Dutch Church, 1727-1803 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry - index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry - index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1639-1801 New York, NY: Marriages in the Reformed Dutch Church, 1639-1801 at American Ancestors - index & images ($)

Episcopal

 * 1767-1970 New York, Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records, 1767-1970 at Ancestry ($), index and images. Incomplete.
 * 1800-1970 New York, Episcopal Diocese of Central New York Church Records, 1800-1970 at Ancestry ($), index and images.
 * 1800-1970 New York, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester Church Records, 1800-1970 at Ancestry ($), index and images. Incomplete.
 * 1900-1970 New York, Episcopal Diocese of Rochester Church Records, 1800-1970 at Ancestry ($), index and images. Incomplete.

Lutheran

 * 1679-1771 New York: Early Records of the Lutheran Church, 1697-1771 at American Ancestors -index & images ($)
 * 1722-1760 Lutheran Church in New York and New Jersey, 1722-1760 : Lutheran records in the ministerial archives of the Staatsarchiv, Hamburg, Germany, e-book.
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947, index and images, incomplete.($)
 * 1868-1970 U.S., Evangelical Covenant Church, Swedish American Church Records, 1868-1970, index, at Ancestry ($). Incomplete.
 * 1903 Some early records of the Lutheran Church, New York, Holland Society of New York, 1903, p. 1-118

Methodist

 * 1775-1949 New York and Vicinity, United Methodist Church Records, 1775-1949 at Ancestry ($), index and images. Incomplete.
 * 1887-1904 New York, U.S., Frank S. Rowland Church Register, 1889-1917 at Ancestry - images ($)

Presbyterian

 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970, index and images, incomplete.($)

Quaker (Society of Friends)

 * U.S., Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, index, at Ancestry ($). Incomplete.
 * 1680-1940 U.S., Hinshaw Index to Selected Quaker Records, 1680-1940, index, at Ancestry ($). Incomplete.
 * 1681-1935 U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, index & images ($). Incomplete.
 * U.S., Surname Index to Quaker Records, index, at Ancestry ($). Incomplete.
 * 1600s-1700s - Potts, William John. "New York Marriages, From the Friends' Records of Philadelphia," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Jan. 1872):51-52.
 * Digital version at New York Family History ($): Searchable index is free, viewing records requires membership.
 * Microfilm at FamilySearch Library:.

Other Collections
- These are the easiest records to access, but more records are available:
 * Dunham-Wilcox-Trott-Kirk indexes church, cemetery, probate and other early New England, New York and New Jersey records with links to abstracts of the records.
 * New York Church Records: Vosburgh Collection. Included in the collection are Dutch Reformed, Lutheran, and some Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, Congregational, and German Reformed records for Hudson Valley and Mohawk Valley churches (transcribed between 1913 and 1921).
 * For help with church records kept in New York, see New York Church Records.
 * To search records by denomination, if you know your ancestors religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.

Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.
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 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.
Currently, these records are digitized online: -
 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: New York
 * New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999, ($), Index and images, incomplete.
 * New York Probate Records, by county
 * New York Wills, 1626-1836 ($)
 * Browse images only.
 * New York: Abstracts of New York County Wills, 1662-1801 ($)
 * New York, Estate Inventories and Accounts, 1666-1822, ($), index/images
 * Abstracts of Wills, Admins. and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 ($)
 * SAMPUBCO New York Counties Will Testators Indexes

Probate Information in County Pages
Each New York county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: New York Counties

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.

Examples of passenger lists. Passenger lists, both the index and the original, for the Schwert/Schwertfeger (the family shortened its name after arriving in New York):





Immigration records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records
 * — index and images
 * New York Immigration Records, statewide and by county
 * Immigrant Ships Transcriber's Guild - New York Arrivals - Vol. 1, vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4. Vol. 5, Vol. 6
 * List of Early Immigrants to New Netherland...From Manuscripts of Teunis G. Bergen, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 14-15, e-book
 * Ship Passenger Lists from Holland to New Netherland: Miscellaneous Ships ($)
 * One Step Webpages by Stephen Morse Links to free and $ online passenger lists
 * New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920 Includes passenger lists. ($)
 * — index
 * The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.
 * New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 ($), also at Findmypast, ($), index
 * New York, Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1820-1850 ($)
 * , also at Ancestry.com, ($)
 * Passengers arriving in New York from Ireland 1846 - 1851 ($), index
 * Dutch Immigrants: New York Passenger Lists, 1881-1894, ($), index
 * , index and images.
 * — index and images
 * Browse images only.
 * , images of indexes
 * Index incomplete.
 * New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1974 ($)
 * , index
 * - index and images
 * - index and images

New York Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records
 * Online New York State Naturalization Records and Indexes, by county
 * Denizations, Naturalizations, and Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New York ($)
 * New York, Index to Petitions for Naturalization filed in New York City, 1792-1989 ($)
 * Early New York Naturalizations, 1792-1840 ($)
 * The Soundex index to naturalization petitions filed in federal, state, and local courts in New York City, including New York, Kings, Queens and Richmond counties, 1792-1906 ($)
 * New York, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1929, index & images ($)
 * New York, Naturalization Petitions, 1794-1906 ($)
 * New York, Naturalization Papers, 1799-1847 ($)
 * New York City, Selected Naturalization Records, 1816-1845 ($)
 * , also at Fold3, ($), also at Ancestry.com, ($)
 * Images/no index.
 * New York, Alien Depositions of Intent to Become U.S. Citizens, 1825-1871
 * New York Emigrant Savings Bank, 1850-1883,($) index/images
 * , also at Ancestry.com, also at
 * U.S., Naturalization Records - Original Documents, (World Archives Project) for New York, 1865-1937- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ($)
 * Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Jul 1865-Sep 1906 ($)
 * Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1957 ($)
 * Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1865-1937 ($)
 * New York, Naturalization Records, 1882-1944 ($)
 * Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1897-1944 ($)
 * Petitions for Naturalization of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1897-1944 ($)
 * Index to the Naturalization Petitions of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Oct 1906-Nov 1925 ($)
 * New York County Supreme Court Naturalization Petition Index, 1907-24 ($)
 * Index only.
 * Alphabetical Index to Petitions for Naturalizations of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, 1907-1966 ($)
 * Index to Declaration of Intent for Naturalization: New York County, 1907-1924 ($)
 * Alphabetical Index to Declarations of Intention of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1917-1950 ($)
 * U.S. World War I Soldier Naturalizations, 1918 ($)
 * New York Southern District, World War II Military Naturalization Index, 1941-1946 ($)
 * New York Southern District Court, Korean War Military Naturalization Index, 1950-1955 ($)
 * New York Southern District, World War II Military Naturalization Index, 1941-1946 ($)
 * New York Southern District Court, Korean War Military Naturalization Index, 1950-1955 ($)

Local Histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords New York; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "New York" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "New York" and the county name.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use New York and the name of the county.

FamilySearch Collected Local Histories

 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
 * If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
 * Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
 * In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
 * A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.

Biography Collections
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.
 * County and Town Histories with biographies
 * American Biographical Library for New York ($)
 * Early Settlers of New York State, Vol. I ($)
 * Early Settlers of New York State, Vol. II ($)
 * Who's who in New York City and State : a biographical dictionary of contemporaries, ($) index/images
 * New York Genealogical &amp; Biographical Society Member Biographies, index or Browse Images, ($)
 * NORTHERN NEW YORK:Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, index
 * New York Genealogy county histories with biographies
 * Famous families of New York; historical and biographical sketches of families which in successive generations have been identified with the development of the nation, by Margherita Arlina Hamm... Vol. 1 1902, Vol. 2

Step 10: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.

 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.


 * If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.
 * For more information, see New York Societies.

The online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the list to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings.

Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * New York, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * New York, United States Historical Images, Old Version

New York Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in New York Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the New York Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * New York Online Genealogy Records

Step 12: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in New York.
This article focused more on New York state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in New York. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.  Albany Allegany Bronx Broome Cattaraugus Cayuga Chautauqua</li> Chemung</li> Chenango</li> Clinton</li> Columbia</li> Cortland</li> Delaware</li> Dutchess</li> Erie</li> Essex</li> Franklin</li> Fulton</li> Genesee</li> Greene</li> Hamilton</li> Herkimer</li> <li>Jefferson</li> <li>Kings (Brooklyn)</li> <li>Lewis</li> <li>Livingston</li> <li>Madison</li> <li>Monroe</li> <li>Montgomery</li> <li>Nassau</li> <li>New York (Manhattan)</li> <li>Niagara</li> <li>Oneida</li> <li>Onondaga</li> <li>Ontario</li> <li>Orange</li> <li>Orleans</li> <li>Oswego</li> <li>Otsego</li> <li>Putnam</li> <li>Queens</li> <li>Rensselaer</li> <li>Richmond (Staten Island)</li> <li>Rockland</li> <li>Saint Lawrence</li> <li>Saratoga</li> <li>Schenectady</li> <li>Schoharie</li> <li>Schuyler</li> <li>Seneca</li> <li>Steuben</li> <li>Suffolk</li> <li>Sullivan</li> <li>Tioga</li> <li>Tompkins</li> <li>Ulster</li> <li>Warren</li> <li>Washington</li> <li>Wayne</li> <li>Westchester</li> <li>Wyoming</li> <li>Yates</li> </ul>
 * }