Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Cumberland County

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Cumberland County Pennsylvania Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Lancaster County 27 January 1750.
 * County Seat: Carlisle
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Perry (north) • Franklin (west) • Adams (south) • Dauphin (east) • York (southeast)

The Scotch-Irish settled heavily in the Cumberland Valley. It is estimated that they made up 90% of the population in the eighteenth century.

Boundary Changes

 * 10 March 1682: Chester County was created from the Colonial lands, including the whole part of future Cumberland County.
 * 14 October 1728: Lancaster County was set off from Chester County, including the future Cumberland County.
 * 9 March 1771: Bedford County was created from Cumberland County. By this time, Cumberland County included all what is now of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Franklin, plus parts of Centre, Union, Snyder counties as well as the current county.
 * 9 September 1784: Franklin County was set off, no part of it was taken for any future counties.
 * 19 September 1789: Mifflin County was created from Cumberland and Northumberland counties, including the parts for future Centre and Juniata Counties.
 * 22 March 1820: Perry County was created from Cumberland County.

African Americans

 * Slave returns

Bible Records

 * Cumberland County Bible Records at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Cumberland County Biographies at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives including Beer's History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania surname list with page links.

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

Census

 * 1814 - Septennial Census 1814 at Cumberland County, PA Archives website - Free. Scanned images.

Church Records


The Cumberland County Historical Society holdings include local area church records. The society also maintains an internal database of over 900 church and cemetery records. Research Services will perform a search of their records for a fee.

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.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.


 * Contains church records of:
 * Jonathan Worrall, J.P./Misc. Marriae Licenses, 1890-1915
 * Big Spring: United Brethren in Christ
 * Boiling Springs: Boiling Springs Methodist Episcopal Church; Otterbein United Methodist Church; St. John's Lutheran Church; United Brethren in Christ
 * Bridgeton: First United Methodist Church
 * Carlisle: Allison United Methodist Church; First Presbyterian Church; First United Methodist Church; German Reformed Church; Grace United Methodist Church; Historical Society Carlisle Marriages and Deaths; Second Presbyterian Church; St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Brethren in Christ
 * Chambersburg: United Brethren in Christ
 * Maurice River: Cumberland Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church; Harmony Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church; Port Elizabeth Methodist Episcopal Church
 * Mechanicsburg: Silver Spring Presbyterian Church; Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Methodist Church
 * Millville: First Presbyterian Church on Maurice River
 * Mount Holly Springs: Wesley United Methodist Church
 * New Cumberland: St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Brethren in Christ
 * New Kingstown: Trinity United Methodist Church
 * Newville: Big Spring Presbyterian Church
 * Philadelphia: Cohansey Baptist Church
 * Shippensburg: German Reformed Church; Grace United Church of Christ; Memorial Lutheran Church; Middle Spring Presbyterian Church; Presbyterian Church; United Methodist Church
 * Walnut Bottom: Trinity United Methodist Church


 * 1737-1898 - Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Church Records at Ancestry ($). Big Spring Presbyterian Church (Newville, Pa.), Bobenmayer Church (Upper Frankford, Pa.), First Evangelical Lutheran Church (Carlisle, Pa.), Meeting-House Springs, Middle Spring Presbyterian Church, Poplar Evangelical Lutheran Church (Shiremanstown, Pa.), German Reformed Church (Shippenstown, Pa.), St. James Episcopal Church, St. Stephen's Evangelical Lutheran Church (New Kingston, Pa.), First Presbyterian Church (Carlisle, Pa.), Trindle Spring Lutheran Church, Ziegler's Church (Mifflin Twp., Pa.) and other miscellaneous church records.

Catholic
St. Patrick's, located in Carlisle, was constructed in 1807. Prior to it's construction the area was used as a supply station for the Jesuits.


 * "100 years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843–1943". Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, 17:1. FamilySearch Library book 974.8 B2wg. Contains chronolgy, map, county-by-county information.

Episcopalian
Attempts to establish a congregation date from as early as 1753 with a permanent structure being built about 1825.

St. John's Church, Carlisle

Registers begin in 1793.

Lutheran
Lutherans began to establish their denomination in the county about the mid 1700s. However, major strides in the growth of the denomination did not occur in Cumberland County, until the mid 1800s.


 * 1896-1936 - Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lemoyne, Pa. Parish Register 1896-1936 at Ancestry ($).

Presbyterian
Silvers' Spring Presbyterian Church, near the present site of Mechanicsburg, was organized in 1734. Meeting House Spring Presbyterian Church was organized in Middleton Township (present site of Carlisle) in 1734. Big Spring Presbyterian Church was organized in what is now the town of Newville by 1737. Falling Spring Presbyterian Church was organized, at a Scotch-Irish settlement in what is now Franklin County (formerly Lancaster and then Cumberland counties), in 1738. Middle Spring Presbyterian Church, in Southampton Township, was organized by the 1740s. Upper West Conococheague Presbyterian Church was organized at what is now the town of Mercersburg in 1738. Another Presbyterian church at the "Conococheague Settlement" (present-day Greencastle) was organized by 1738.

First Presbyterian Church


 * 1785-1812 - Marriage Record of the First Presbyterian Church, at Carlisle, 1785-1812 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Vol. 8, Part 4) at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.

Silver Spring Presbyterian Church


 * 1814-1830 - Silver Spring Presbyterian Church Marriages, 1814-30, Silver Spring Twp., Cumberland County, Pennsylvania at PAGenWeb - free.

Court Records
Thousands of commissioners orders from the 1820s and 1830s have been indexed and digitized at the Cumberland County, PA Archives website.

Court of Common Pleas
The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.


 * 1769-1905 Appearance dockets; Adsecturm index, 1750-1894 . Consult listings in both individual volumes and Adsectum index for all parties concerned.

Quarter Sessions

 * 1750-1785 - Greene, Diane E. Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Quarter Session Dockets 1750-1785. Baltimore, Md.: Clearfield, 2001. Digital version at Ancestry ($);.

Land and Property
Land records in Cumberland County began in 1750. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Online Land Records


 * 1766-1769 - Land Warrants West Side Applications 1766-1769 at Cumberland County, PA Archives website - Free. Index and scanned images.
 * 1824-1872 - Treasurer's Deeds Unseated Lands 1824-1872 at Cumberland County, PA Archives website - Free. Index and scanned images.
 * 1973–present - Cumberland County offers free online access to indexes. Fees apply to view images since 1993. Check the website for current information on availability and fees.

Online Land Record Abstracts


 * Cumberland County Land Records at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives including a surname list of Cumberland County warrantees of land 1750-1874.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1750–1954 Deeds and Miscellaneous Records, 1750-1866; Indexes, 1750-1954.
 * 1738–1890 Land Drafts and Warrants.
 * 1777–1956 Mortgages, 1777-1826; Indexes, 1777-1956.

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Cumberland County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps
Click the image to view an enlarged version

Ancestor Tracks has posted free, downloadable images from the 1872 Atlas of Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania, from Actual Surveys by and under the Direction of F.W. Beers. 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.

French and Indian War
In 1756, Colonel Armstrong recruited many Scotch-Irish men from Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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
Cumberland County men also served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment and the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment.


 * 1779-1781 - Cumberland County Militia Accounts 1779-1781 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1786-1804 - Revolutionary War Pension Applications Series 1, 1786-1804 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and description.


 * 1820-1834 - Revolutionary War Pension Applications Series 2, 1820-1834 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.

Later Records
Various military records, including Civil War Board of Relief (1861-1862), Military Bounty Correspondence (1862), Military Enrollment (1870-1874), Military Exonerations (1846-1865), Military Fund (1845-1873), Military Papers Miscellaneous (1840-1923), and Militia Rolls (1849-1861) have been digitized at the Cumberland County, PA Archives website - Free.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm Naturalization records available for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania include the following:

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 1820-1906 – Index to Declarations and Petitions in the Western District of Pennsylvania, US Circuit and District Courts located in US Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 database on Ancestry.com - ($), National Archives publication M1208
 * 1820-1930 – Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537, incomplete for all counties
 * 1820-1930 - Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania located in Selected US Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 database on Ancestry.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537.


 * 1798-1905 Naturalization Records

Newspapers
Newspapers of Cumberland County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Cumberland County.

Obituaries
Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Online Obituary Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Cumberland County.
 * The Sentinel Online Obituaries are archived from 1997 to the present. To find a name, use the advanced search tab.
 * Cumberland County Obituaries at Cumberland, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Occupations

 * 1750-1881 - Tavern License Petitions 1750-1881 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and many scanned images.


 * 1758-1874 - Hawkers and Peddlers License Applications 1758-1874 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1857-1885 - Liquor License Receipts 1857-1885 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1917-1946 - Commissions Volunteer Police Officers at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and some scanned images.


 * Cumberland County Iron Furnaces and Iron Works at PAGenWeb - free.

Indentured Servants

 * 1760-1850 - Indentured Servant and Apprentice Matters at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and some scanned images.

Officials
Cumberland County has preserved records of local men who served in various government capacities during the 1700s and 1800s, including assessors, attorneys, auditors, clerks of court, commissioners, constables, coroners, election officials, judges, juries, justices of the peace, lumber inspectors, notaries, policemen, poorhouse directors, prothonotaries, recorders of deeds, registrars of wills, sheriffs, surveyors, and treasurers. The records have been indexed and digitized at the Cumberland County, PA Archives website - Free.

Constables helped maintain law and order in the community. Many can be identified:


 * 1789-1927 - Constables' Returns 1789-1927 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Identifies locals who served as constables by name and township.


 * 1791-1884 - Appointments and Petitions for Appointments 1791-1884 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Includes many different types of local government officials.


 * 1793-1888 - Constables Oaths of Office 1793-1888 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free.
 * 1805-1870 - Constable Bonds 1805-1870 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Identifies locals who served as constables by name and township.

If your ancestors served as a tax collector, you may be able to identify him in these collections:


 * 1842-1894 - Tax Collector Bonds 1842-1894 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free.


 * 1890-1908 - Tax Collector Oaths 1890-1908 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free.

Poorhouse, Almshouse
Poorhouse Records History at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1812-1948 - Orders, 1812-1948 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1823 - Directors' Statements Work Papers 1823 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1859-1915 - Admissions and Commitments 1859-1915 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1868 - Poorhouse Vouchers at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1870-1912 - Poorhouse Indentures and Apprenticeships Children at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1880-1882, 1899 - Out-Door Relief Reports at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1886-1919 - Correspondence Miscellaneous 1886-1919 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1902-1953 - Burial Permits, Poorhouse, 1902-1953 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1921-1934 - Anatomical Board Unclaimed Bodies 1921-1934 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1930-1937 - Anatomical Board Unfit Bodies 1930-1937 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.

Prisons

 * 1775-1778 - Jail Keepers' Account Books 1775-1778 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1776-1852 - Prison Kalendars 1776-1852 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images. Identify prisoners and crimes.


 * 1873-1887 - Prison Discharges Eastern Penitentiary at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images. Identifies criminal and type of crime.


 * 1886-1896 - Prison Discharges 1886-1896 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index. Identifies prisoner and type of discharge.

Probate Records
Online Probate Records

Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below:

Complete Collection:


 * 1683-1994- at FamilySearch.org

Chester County Only:


 * 1750-1937-Cumberland County Probate Records

Online Probate Abstracts


 * Cumberland County Wills and Estate Records at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives including will abstracts 1750-1776, with index.

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1846-1874 Register's Court Docket
 * 1750-1908 Wills - Index included: 1750-1937

Archives
Cumberland County Archives 1 Courthouse Square Carlisle, PA 17013 Phone: 717.240.7886 Hours: By Appointment Only (Mon-Fri)

The Archives holds deeds (1831-1908), mortgages (1839-1924), births, marriages, and deaths (1852-1855), letters of administration (1887-1937) and more.

Courthouse
Cumberland County Courthouse 1 Courthouse Square Carlisle, PA 17013 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Phone: 717-240-6100 Toll Free: 1-888-697-0371

Recorder of Deeds can be reached at 717.240.6370 and is open M-F from 8 am - 4:30 pm.

The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court is located in room 102 of the County Courthouse and is available at 717-240-6345. The office is open from 8 am - 4:30 pm.

The County Archives (see above) holds deeds (1831-1908), mortgages (1839-1924), births, marriages, and deaths (1852-1855), letters of administration (1887-1937) and more.

Prothonotary Office 1 Courthouse Sq. Suite 100 Carlisle, PA 17013 Phone: 717–240–6195

Many records stored at the courthouse are now available for free online.

Societies
Rich in history, contains a number of societies dealing with the history of the area.

Cumberland County Historical Society 21 North Pitt Street P.O. Box 626 Carlisle, PA 17013 Phone: 717.249.7610

The Cumberland County Historical Society was founded in 1874 an maintains http://www.historicalsociety.com/Template9.html The Hamilton Library], a Museum and works with the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau to maintain and staff the county Visitors Center.

The Hamilton Library holds historical records, a collection of manuscripts and rare books, census records, tax lists, newspapers and periodicals, and surname files.

Schools

 * 1899 - Return of Children Between the Ages of Six and Twenty-One years, residing within the District of South Middleton Township, Upper, 1899 at Cumberland County, PA Archive - Free. Scanned images. Identifies children's names, exact birth dates, genders, nationalities, residences, school districts, and parents.


 * 1900 - Return of Children Between the Ages of Six and Twenty-One Years, Residing within the District of South Middleton Township, Lower, 1900 at Cumberland County, PA Archive - Free. Scanned images. Identifies children's names, exact birth dates, genders, nationalities, residences, school districts, and parents.

Slavery and Bondage

 * 1780-1841 - Slave and Slaveholder Register at Cumberland County, PA Archive - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1780-1841 - Slave Returns 1780-1841 at Cumberland County, PA Archive - Free. Index and scanned images.


 * 1801-1838 - Slave Matters Miscellaneous 1801-1838 at Cumberland County, PA Archive - Free. Index and scanned images.

Taxation

 * 1778-1782, 1785 - State and Supply Transcripts of the County of Cumberland: For the Years 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1785. (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 20). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.


 * 1779-1850 - Tax Appeals 1779-1850 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1781-1852 - Cumberland County Tax Assessors' Duplicates 1781-1852 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images arranged by year and township.


 * 1781-1789, 1824, 1829, 1845 - Tax Collector Accounts Delinquent Taxes at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1781-1782, 1790-1791, 1826-1828 - Tax Collectors Settlements at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1783, 1806, 1815 - Delinquent Taxes Unseated Lands at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).


 * 1841-1898 - Cumberland County Tax Collectors' Exonerations 1841-1898 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images arranged by year and township. Explicity state when taxpayers moved from the area or died.


 * 1867 - Tax Exonerations Tax Payers at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1870-1875 - Tax Collectors Exonerations Vouchers at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.


 * 1920-1922 - Estate Tax Reports 1920-1922 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.

Birth

 * 1788-1908 - Bastardy Bonds 1788-1908 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1761-1786 - Marriage Bonds 1761-1786 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and some scanned images.
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 1885-1950 - Extracted marriage records – free. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building. The Cumberland County, PA Archives website includes a list of divorces in the county between 1810 and 1967.

[Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Archives (Historical Records) 1 Courthouse Square Carlisle, PA 17013

Death

 * 1785-1914 - Coroner's Inquests at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 1917-1921 - Statement of Deaths in Cumberland County 1917-1921 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.
 * 1921-1934 - Anatomical Board Unclaimed Bodies 1921-1934 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Scanned images.
 * 1930-1937 - Anatomical Board Unfit Bodies 1930-1937 at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Index and scanned images.

Voter Registration

 * 1874-1893 - Voter Oaths at Cumberland County, PA Archives - Free. Identifies individuals by name, naturalization status, and often township of residence.