Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States  Pennsylvania  Lancaster County

County Courthouse
http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/lanco/site/default.asp Register of Wills 50 N. Duke St. P.O. Box 83480 Lancaster, PA 17608-3480 email: Mary Ann Gerber - MGerber@co.lancaster.pa.us

Office of the Clerk of Courts County of Lancaster 50 North Duke Street P.O. Box 83480 Lancaster, PA 17608-3480 Phone: (717) 299-8275 Fax: (717) 295-3686 Email: ClerkofCourts@co.lancaster.pa.us

Quick History
Many Scotch-Irish immigrants settled in Lancaster County in the early eighteenth century. The area was predominantly a German place of settlement.

Wikipedia

Parent County
14 October 1728: Lancaster County was created from Chester County.

Boundary Changes

 * 14 October 1749: York County set off.
 * 14 October 1751: Berks County set off.
 * 27 January 1750: Cumberland County set off.
 * 21 March 1772: Northumberland County set off.
 * 16 October 1813: Lebanon County set off.

Neighboring Counties
Berks | Chester | Dauphin | Lebanon | York | Maryland counties: Cecil | Harford

Cemeteries

 * Lancaster County USGenWeb Project This site has several listings for Lancaster County cemetery records.

Cemeteries of Lancaster County in Adamstown &amp; Akron Boroughs and Bart, Brecknock, &amp; Caernarvon Townships. Lists of cemeteries, some with lists of burials.

The has a number of cemetery records in books and on films. They would be available either in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or in one of its affiliate Family History Centers.

Individual cemeteries:


 * Camp Hill Cemetery, Mt. Joy at BillionGraves
 * Chiques Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Rapho at BillionGraves
 * Concordia Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Creswell Cemetery, Conestoga at BillionGraves
 * Crossroads Brethren in Christ Church Cemetery, Mt. Joy at BillionGraves
 * Donegal Presbyterian Church Cemetery, East Donegal Township in BillionGraves
 * Eberle Cemetery, Mt. Joy at BillionGraves
 * Green Mount Cemetery, Highville at BillionGraves
 * Habecker Mennonite Cemetery, Manor Township at BillionGraves
 * [http://www.billiongraves.com/pages/cemetery/cemetery.php?cemetery_id=160021 Hernley Memorial Cemetery, Manheim (Rapho Twp.) at BillionGraves
 * Kauffman Mennonite Church Cemetery in Penn, PA at BillionGraves
 * Kinderhook Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Laurel Hill Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Marietta Cemetery, Marietta at BillionGraves
 * Maytown Reformed UCC Church Cemetery, Mayton at BillionGraves
 * Millport Mennonite Church Cemetery, Millport at BillionGraves
 * Mount Bethel Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Mt. Joy Cemetery, Mt. Joy at BillionGraves
 * Mountville Cemetery, Mountville at BillionGraves
 * Mountville Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Mountville at BillionGraves
 * Saint Peters Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Silver Springs Cemetery in West Hempfield PA at BillionGraves
 * Trinity Cemetery in Columbia PA at BillionGraves
 * Washington Boro Cemetery in Washington Boro PA at BillionGraves

Church

 * Lancaster County USGenWeb Project This site has several listings of online Lancaster County church records.

Ephrata Community

 * 1728-1853 - Sachse, Julius F. "The Registers of the Ephrata Community," The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Burials 1728-1853: Vol. 14 (1890):297-312, Burials 1730s-1813: 387-402. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Episcopalian
St. James's Church, Lancaster

Registers begin in 1755.

St. John's Church, Pequea

Registers are lost, but some parishioners appear in the registers of St. James's Church, Lancaster.

St. Thomas's Church, Caernarvon

Registers are lost, but some parishioners appear in the registers of St. James's Church, Lancaster."

Bangor Church, Caernarvon

Registers are lost, but some parishioners appear in the registers of St. James's Church, Lancaster. An old trunk was discovered at Bangor Church with "sundry account-books and ancient title-deeds."

Presbyterian
The first Scotch-Irish settlement in Lancaster County was made at Chickies Creek in 1714. Donegal Presbyterian Church was built there shortly thereafter. Pequea Presbyterian Church, constructed at another early Scotch-Irish settlement, was built in 1724.

Paxtang Church and Derry Church were both organized in 1729.


 * 1741-1810 - Marriage Record of Paxtang and Derry Churches, 1741-1810 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Vol. 8, Part 10) at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.

The Hanover Presbyterian Church was built in 1736 in a Scotch-Irish settlement. This ground later fell within the bounds of Dauphin County and still later Lebanon County after those counties split off.

Directories

 * Lancaster City and County Directories, 1843-1914

Facebook

 * Come join our Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Group at Facebook

Land

 * Lancaster County has placed all county land records on-line Which can be viewed for free. Land Records from 1981 to present can be viewed and searched; you do not have to be a registered user, just login as Guest. Land Records from 1729 to 1981 can be viewed but not searched; the eFilm system is a bit awkward if you don't have the Page number and the Land Record number (Book and Volume for older records).
 * Deeds, 1729-1867; Index, 1729-1894
 * Ancestor Tracks has published Early Landowners of Pennsylvania: Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Lancaster County which contains the Township Warrantee Maps on file at the Pennsylvania Archives in Harrisburg. Each Warrantee Map was painstakingly platted by draftsmen from the original warrants, surveys, and patents of current Lancaster County.  The maps show precise outlines in metes and bounds of each original tract and all surrounding tracts in each township. Information included: names of the warrantee and patentee (first owners); tract name and size; dates of the warrant, survey and patent; patent book and page number; survey book and page number; and atlals coordinate.  Surveys have been placed online by the Pennsylvania Archives.

Local Histories

 * Lancaster County USGenWeb Project This site has several online histories of Lancaster County.

Some of the Lancaster County histories available in the :


 * History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 (Has been microfilmed on #547037 or on #1000559 Item 3)
 * History of Lancaster County : to which is prefixed a brief sketch of the early history of Pennsylvania. Rupp, Israel Daniel, 1803-1878 (Has been microfilmed on #1036814 Item 3)
 * An authentic history of Lancaster County, in the state of Pennsylvania. Mombert, J. I. (Jacob Isidor), 1829-1913 (This book has been digitized.)
 * 1875 Historical Atlas of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Everts &amp; Stewart (Has been microfilmed on #982071 Item 13)

Maps

 * Ancestor Tracks has posted free, downloadable images from the Bridgens' Atlas of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania from Actual Surveys by H.F. Bridgens published by D.S. Bare in 1864. This atlas 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.
 * An Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Lancaster County and a Companion Scans of Township Warrantee Maps plus Current Road Overlay CD ($) are also available from Ancestor Tracks. They show precise outlines in metes and bounds of each original tract and all surrounding tracts in the township, giving the names of the warrantee and patentee; dates of the warrant, survey, and patent; and the patent and survey book and page of the recorded patent.
 * Lancaster County USGenWeb Project This site contains several maps of Lancaster County both old and modern.
 * Online map site: http://www.800padutch.com/lancastermap.shtml

French and Indian War
In 1756, Colonel Armstrong recruited many Scotch-Irish men from Lancaster County. They attacked and destroyed the Indian village at Kittanning (present-day Armstrong County).

Colonel Henry Bouquet led a group of Scotch-Irish men from Lancaster County to rescue Fort Pitt. They decisively defeated the Indians at the Battle of Bushy Run.

Reverend John Elder, pastor of Derry and Paxtang churches, recruited Scotch-Irish rangers from his congregation in Lancaster County. Known as the Paxton Rangers or Paxton Boys, they provided security for white settlements between the Blue Mountains and the Susquehanna River. They are remembered for playing a prominent role in Pontiac's War.

Revolutionary War
Lancaster County men also served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, and the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment.

Civil War
Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Civil War lists Lancaster County Pennsylvania Soldiers in the Civil War - Civil War Books, Rosters, Medal of Honor Recipients, and Soldier Biographies.

Newspapers
The Lancaster County Digitization Project is a consortium of institutions interested in digitizing the county's newspaper and manuscript collections. Several Lancaster county newspapers are provided in digital format through this and other collaborative efforts.


 * Lancaster Examiner and Hearld (1834-72) from Collections: Our Digital Newspapers
 * The Columbia Spy (1830-89) from Collections: Our Digital Newspapers
 * The Intelligencer Journal (1848-71) from Collections: Our Digital Newspapers
 * The New Holland Clarion (1873-1950) from Collections: Our Digital Newspapers
 * The Lancaster Farmer (1869-84) from Collections: Our Digital Newspapers

Newspapers in Lancaster Pennsylvania at Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers

Probate
A number of wills and other probate records from the Lancaster County Probate office have been filmed by the in Salt Lake and are available for viewing either in Salt Lake or in one of its affiliate Family History Centers.

Lancaster County has an Online Index for their Probate Files and can be viewed for free.

An Index to the Will Books and Intestate Records of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 1729-1850 ($) by Eleanore Jane Fulton at Ancestry, institutional access only

Taxation

 * 1771-1773, 1779, 1782 - Proprietary and State Tax Lists of the County of Lancaster: For the Years 1771, 1772, 1773, 1779 and 1782. (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 17). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.

The Salt Lake City has microfilmed many Lancaster County taxation records, and they are available in Salt Lake City or in one of its affiliate Family History Centers.

Vital Records
These records are held at the County Archives.


 * Marriage Licenses are recorded continuously from 1885 and an index are available on-line.
 * Old birth records from 1881 through 1906 are kept by the Register of Wills
 * Old death registrations from 1894 through 1907 are kept in the County Archives

Birth/Death records from 1907 to the present are kept by the Pennsylvania Department of Vital Records at New Castle, PA

The Lancaster County Register of Wills maintains a 24-hour telephone information line (717-295-2001) which gives specific details about how to access these birth/death records

Societies and Libraries
There are two very helpful societies in Lancaster County:

Lancaster County Historical Society 230 N President Ave Lancaster, PA 17603 (717) 392-4633

The society has a research library. The Family History Library has some of the journals they have published on microfilm.

Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society 2215 Millstream Rd Lancaster, PA 17602-1499 (717) 393-9745

The society has an online catalog.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Lancaster Pennsylvania Family History Center

Web Sites

 * The Lancaster County PA GenWeb Project, has numerous maps, church records, local histories, family histories, and other genealogical and historical information for Lancaster county.




 * FamilyHart Online Database This is an online family database containing over 719,000 records, mostly of Pennsylvania Dutch Extraction. Many of the families are from Lancaster County. This database adds 1,000 names per week which is updated online every quarter. It is the most comprehensive family database online for Pennsylvania Dutch families.


 * Pennsylvania Dutch Family History, Genealogy, Culture and Life This site contains links to everything Pennsylvania Dutch with a large concentration in Lancaster County.