Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Northumberland County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named for Northumberland. The county is located in the Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Northumberland County Courthouse 201 Market Street Sunbury, PA 17801 Phone: 570-988-4148 Office of the Prothonotary Phone: 570-988-4151 Clerk of Courts: Phone: 570-988-4148 Register & Recorder/Orphan’s Court Phone: 570-988-4143 Northumberland County Website

Copies of documents including birth, marriages, deaths, divorces, land, and probate records can be obtained by using: Pennsylvania Public Record. Click on the link for the record you wish to request.

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

 * Northumberland Bible Records courtesy of USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Biographies taken from Genealogical and Biographical Annals of Northumberland County, Floyd 1911. Courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Indentured Servants

Cemeteries

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

Additional Cemetery Resources
 * PA-Roots
 * Names in Stone

Church Records


The Northumberland County Historical Society has various records for churches throughout the Northumberland County area. However, the society has not put the records online and to view the records one must go to the society. The society will do limited lookups in the records. See their website for details.

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational
 * 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Danville: Danville Methodist Episcopal Church; Emmanuel Evangelical Congregational Church
 * Fairview: United Methodist Church
 * Milton: Bethany United Methodist Church; Christ United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
 * Northumberland: Christ United Methodist Church; St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Methodist Church
 * Potts Grove: Presbyterian Church
 * Ralpho: German Reformed Church; St. Peter's Lutheran Church
 * Rebuck: Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregations; Lutheran Church
 * Stone Valley: Zion Lutheran Church
 * Sunbury: Boehm's Reformed Church (United Church of Christ); First Presbyterian Church; Mountain Presbyterian Church; St. Luke's Lutheran Church; St. Matthew's Episcopal Church (Francisville, Pa.); Zion Lutheran Church
 * Turbotville: Trinity United Church of Christ; Zion Lutheran Church
 * Watsontown: First Presbyterian Church


 * Northumberland County Church Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Baptists There were many Baptist churches established in Northumberland County, including the Milton Baptist Church organized with 9 members in 1826.

Hemlock
 * 1803-1843 Hemlock Baptism Index 1803-1843 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Lutheran There were many Lutheran churches in the county. One of the earliest Lutheran churches built was the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sunbury in 1791. In Milton, the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church gathered in a union church with the Reformed Church in 1807 although they met before that date. St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northumberland was dedicated in 1818 although they also met together before that date.

David's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Jordan Township


 * 1829-1875 David's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Jordan Township Baptism Index 1829-1875 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

Follmer's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Turbot Township


 * 1801-1876 Follmer's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Turbot Township, Baptism Index 1801-1876 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See Birth and Christening Collection.

Himmel Lutheran and Reformed Church, Washington Township


 * 1774-1846 Himmel Lutheran and Reformed Church, Washington Township, Baptism Index 1774-1846 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See Birth and Christening Collection.

Lutheran Church, Stone Valley


 * 1774-1793, 1806 Lutheran Church, Stone Valley, Baptism Index 1774-1793 and 1806 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See Birth and Christening Collection.

St. Elias Union Church


 * Lutheran baptisms St. Elias Union Church courtesy USGenWeb Archives

St. James or St. Jacob's Howarter Lutheran and Reformed Church, Upper Mahanoy Township


 * 1803-1869 St. James or St. Jacob's Howarter Lutheran and Reformed Church, Upper Mahanoy Township, Baptism Index 1803-1869 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

St. John's Lutheran Church


 * 1874-1925 St. John's Lutheran, Northumberland baptisms, marriages and deaths courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Schwaben Creek Lutheran Church, Washington Township


 * 1774-1846 Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1774-1846: Schwaben Creek at Ancestry $

Stone Valley Lutheran and Reformed Congregations, Lower Mahanoy Township


 * 1777-1854 Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1777-1854: Stone Valley Lutheran and Reformed Congregations at Ancestry $

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milton


 * 1819-1875 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milton, Baptism Index 1819-1875 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See Birth and Christening Collection.
 * 1845-1850, 1872-1880 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milton, Marriage Index 1845-1850 and 1872-1880 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See PA Marriage Collection.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sunbury Township


 * 1851-1892 Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1851-1892: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church at Ancestry $

Presbyterian In Northumberland, the Presbyterians first record of gathering was written in a journal in 1775, although it was 1787 before they were officially organized.

Reformed The first Reformed Church in Sunbury was organized in 1784 and met in the same church building as the Presbyterians until 1841 when they built their own church. It is believed the Reformed Church was the first religion to practice in Milton. However, they didn't have an official building until 1807 when they began meeting in a union church with the Lutherans. The Associate Reformed Church in Milton was organized in 1818 by members originally associated with the Presbyterian church.

Roman Catholics In Milton, St. Joseph's Catholic Church was created just after 1783. More Catholic churches were organized as more immigrants moved to the county, including St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church organized by Polish immigrants in 1861.

Emigration and Immigration
Indentured Servants

Guardianship
Orphans
 * 1752 -1868 Orphans Court Docket (index 1772–193-)

Land and Property Records
Land records in Northumberland County began in 1772. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.


 * for deeds, land, mortgages, etc.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1770-1914 Deeds, 1770-1866; Index, 1772-1914.  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; Deeds earlier than 1770 were created in the applicable parent county.
 * 1772 -1974 Mortgages, 1793-1838; Index, 1772-1974.  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1903–present Images are available online using the Landex ($) system.
 * 1785 and 1816 Land Lotto courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Trackshas posted downloadable images from the Map of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania from Actual Surveys by G.M. Hopkins, published by J.A.J. Cummings in 1858. This wall map located in the Library of Congress 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.

Military Records
Revolutionary War

Northumberland County men also served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, the 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment, and the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1740-1773 Pennsylvania Naturalizations, 1740-1773 on Ancestry $
 * 1802-1906 Naturalization Papers and Index  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; index included 1854–1913
 * 1901-1930 Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930; and 1901-1906 on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records
 * 1901-1930 Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Northumberland County


 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.


 * 1848-1879 Sunbury American (Sunbury, PA) through Chronicling America.

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * Northumberland Archives Newspapers courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
 * Northumberland Democrat, Aug 18, 1904 and Aug 29, 1907
 * Mount Carmel ledger, 4th quarter 1892, 1893, 1894
 * Shamokin Newspaper Abstracts 1862-1893
 * Shamokin Herald June 15, 1893 and June 23, 1893
 * Sunbury American, April 1860, April 1861, March 1862
 * Sunbury Gazette, various dates in 1853


 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch

Obituaries
Online Obituary Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
 * Northumberland Archives Obituaries courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Other Records
Prison Records
 * 1842-1909 Eastern State Pen

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1772-1907 Northumberland County Probate Records at FamilySearch
 * 1772 -1813 Wills and administrations of Northumberland County, (index 1752–1882) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1773 -1833 Indexes to mortgages, wills and administrations, and miscellaneous records (index 1752–1882) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1772 -1907 Wills (index 1792–1930) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1772-1813 Index to Letters of Administration
 * 1772-1859 Will Index
 * Will abstracts, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
 * Northumberland Archives - Wills courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * Wills and Administrations of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Including Wills and Administrations of Union, Mifflin and Indiana Counties; all formerly a part of Northumberland County Pennsylvania. 1950. By Charles A. Fisher. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library. Includes information for Northumberland County 1772-1813.

School Records

 * Northumberland Archives Education Data courtesy USGenWeb Archives including:
 * Mt. Carmel High School Grads 1887-1892 and 1936 Shamokin High School 1877-1958 Trevorton High School Graduation 1913

Tax Records

 * 1778-1787 Proprietary, Supply, and State Tax Lists of the Counties of Northampton and Northumberland: For the Years 1772 to 1787 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 19). Digital versions at Don's List; Google Books - free.
 * 1778-1787 Northampton County (What is Now Columbia County), Pennsylvania Tax Lists at PAGenWeb
 * 1798 Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Birth

 * 1852-1853 Sunbury Birth Index 1852-1853 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. See Birth and Christening Collection.
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * "Birthday Book" of Clara Reichley on PAGenWeb, information varies, appears to be from a birthday book kept by a local resident living in Northumberland, NOT COMPLETE
 * Abstracts of some vital records, mostly births courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Marriage

 * 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1677-1950  at FamilySearch
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1725-1976  index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by FamilySearch.
 * Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1852-1854 Sunbury Marriage Index 1852-1854 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1950  Extracted marriage records. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * Northumberland County Marriage Index Female Surname on PAGenWeb – alphabetical order
 * Northumberland County Marriage Index Male Surname on PAGenWeb – alphabetical order

Death

 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 1852-1855 Northumberland County Death Index 1852-1855 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * 1893-1902 Northumberland County Death Index 1893-1902 International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.
 * "Birthday Book" of Clara Reichley on PAGenWeb, information varies, appears to be from a birthday book kept by a local resident living in Northumberland, INCOMPLETE
 * Names of persons killed in the mines of Northumberland County on PAGenWeb covers various years

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary Northumberland County Courthouse.

Archives

 * National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Road Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: 215-305-2044 Fax: 215-305-2052 website

Family History Centers

 * Sunbury Pennsylvaia Family History Center
 * Nazareth Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

 * Mount Carmel Area Public Library 30 South Oak Street Mount Carmel, PA 17851 Phone: 570-339-0703 Email: [mailto:mountcarmelpubliclibrary@verizon.net mountcarmelpubliclibrary@verizon.net] Website


 * The Mount Carmel Area Public Library collection includes: Microfilm collection of newspapers, local histories, coal mining histories, high school year book collection. MCA Obituary Indexes from 1860 to 1963.

Museums

 * Muncy Historical Society and Museum of History 40 North Main Street P.O. Box 11 Muncy, PA 17756 Phone: 570-546-5917 Website

Societies

 * Muncy Historical Society and Museum of History 40 North Main Street P.O. Box 11 Muncy, PA 17756 Phone: 570-546-5917 Website
 * The Muncy Historical Society publishes Now and Then Magazine (1868 to present) which includes: Cemetery records,marriage records, death records, local Revolutionary War veteran pension declarations, published family genealogies, county histories.


 * The Northumberland County Historical Society 1150 North Front St. Sunbury, PA 17801-1126 Phone/Fax: 570-286-4083 Website
 * Montour County Genealogical Society 205 Ferry Street Danville, PA 17821 Phone: 570-275-6177 Website
 * The collections held in the 2nd floor genealogy room of the Thomas Beaver Free Library includes records for Columbia, Montour and Northumberland Counties. Research requests may be submitted in writing using a printable form which includes the fee schedule.

Websites

 * USGenWeb
 * Northumberland County PA Genealogy
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.