New York, Yates County, Swann Vital Records Collection - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index and images of the Swann Vital Records Collection from the Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society in Penn Yan, New York. The collection covers the years 1723 to 2009. Additional indexed records will be published as they become available. The collection contains the following types of records:


 * Compiled genealogy
 * Newspaper clippings
 * Bible pages
 * Family records

The collection is named after Frank L. Swann (1894-1987), who was the Yates County Historian from 1956 to 1980.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in this collection may include the following information:


 * Names of family members
 * Birth, marriage, death, or burial dates and places
 * Relationships
 * Residencies
 * Family groupings

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Identifying information such as name of other family members, residence or event dates

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Make a photocopy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the names, dates, and places as the basis for family groups or to build a family pedigree.
 * Use the dates along with places or residences to help you locate the family in other records, such as census, church, and land records.
 * Use age listed to determine approximate birth dates.
 * Use burial information to locate mortuary or funeral records, which could include names and addresses of family members.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.
 * You may need to search for both their Indian name and their English name.
 * Be aware that, as with any compiled source, transcription errors may occur.
 * Compile entries for individuals and families with the same surname.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same locality or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.

General Information About These Records
The Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society in Penn Yan, New York, collected historical and genealogical documents pertinent to the county. This collection is considered a secondary source, but the information in it can lead you to other primary records.

The collection was created in response the societies mission. The reliability depends on the knowledge of the individual informants and each seperalte record type.

Related Websites

 * Municipal Vital Records of Yates County, NewYork
 * Yates County, New York Free Public Records Directory
 * Yates County Public Records
 * Yates County Genealogical and Historical Society
 * Family Tree Maker

Related Wiki Articles
Finding Genealogy Collections

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from the record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you do not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.