Orleans County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Orleans 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 French Royal House of Orleans. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County
11 November 1824: Created from Genesee 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.

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 Bible.

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


 * 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places


 * 1854-1855 Orleans County members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education 1854-1855, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy

 * Rootsweb message board for 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.

History
Every Name Index to Pioneer History of Orleans County, New York. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2012; original text by Arad Thomas, 1871; reprinted by The Bookmark, 1977. EveryNameIndex.com

Land and Property
Original land records in began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online



Microforms



Books



Maps

 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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


 * Great Genesee Road 1794
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * Erie Canal 1825

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Barre· Carlton· Clarendon· Gaines· Kendall· Murray· Ridgeway· Shelby· Yates.

Regiments. Service men in Orleans County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Orleans County:


 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Mounted Rifles, Companies E, L and M.
 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 21st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 28th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 90th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
 * - 105th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
 * - 129th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 151st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D and G.
 * - 154th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
 * - 164th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Medina NY Daily Journal 1805-1922
 * Medina NY Tribune 1861-1945

Probate Records
Online Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1629-1971 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).
 * 1825-1902 SAMPUBCO - Browsable index to testators of wills (1825-1902).
 * 1825-1896 Will Book 1 (1825-1896) Index, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1897-1926 Will Book 2 (1897-1926) Index, courtesy: NYGenWeb.


 * - Orleans County: Bonds 1881-1903; Final Settlements 1854-1907; General index 1825-1926; Letters 1830-1902; Letters of administration 1853-1901; Letters of guardianship 1830-1911; Minutes 1881-1900; Orders 1830-1920; Real estate records 1840-1900; Wills 1825-1902

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


 * 1825–1926 Index to Probate Records
 * 1825–1920 Probate Records

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Orleans County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984). ; . 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


 * Swan Library, Albion
 * Community Free Library, Holley
 * Yates Community Library, Lynconville
 * Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, Medina

Courthouses
The Orleans County Clerk's office has 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 Orleans County are held, see the Orleans County Courthouse page.

Family History Centers

 * Brockport New York Family History Center
 * Rochester New York Family History Center


 * Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County - an affiliate library
 * Niagara County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Societies
Orleans County Genealogical Society Albion Town Hall 3665 Clarendon Road PO Box 103 Albion NY 14411 View resources in the society collection

Orleans County Historical Association P.O. Box 181 Albion NY 14411 View listing of local historical publications

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; publishes 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, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.



Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)

Birth

 * 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.


 * 1847–1849 Birth, marriage and death returns from various towns.


 * 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.


 * 1847-1850 New Orleans Vital Statistics 1847-1850 at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 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


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch – free;.


 * Marriage Volume 1 at USGenWeb Archives - free.

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."


 * 1840-1850 "Marriages by Justice Ammon Blair, Orleans County, 1840-1850," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 140, No. 4 (Oct. 2009):285-286. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.


 * 1847–1849 Birth, marriage and death returns from various towns.


 * 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.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.

Death
Death Indexes
 * 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 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 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."


 * 1847–1849 Birth, marriage and death returns from various towns.


 * 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 the Civil War section of Military for death information.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.

Additional Resources

Orleans County New York Genealogy Websites

 * Orleans County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Orleans County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * EveryNameIndex.com  Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
 * Orleans County NY Genealogy