Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States   Pennsylvania    Cumberland County

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

Parent County
27 January 1750: Cumberland County was created from Lancaster County.

==== 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.

Neighboring Counties
Adams | Dauphin | Franklin | Perry | York

African Americans

 * Slave returns

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.

Catholic

 * "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
St. John's Church, Carlisle

Registers begin in 1793.

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.

Lutheran

 * 1896-1936 - Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1896-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($); book transcription.

Land and Property
Recorder of Deeds 1 Courthouse Sq Carlisle, PA 17013 Phone: (717) 240-6370

Due to the lack of vital records for Pennsylvania, land records are an important tool in early Pennsylvania research. Land records will list the sellor and purchaser of the property and may hide clues to family connections. Land records for Cumberland County are available from the recorder's office for 1750 to the present.


 * Deeds and Miscellaneous Records, 1750-1866; Indexes to Deeds and Miscellaneous Records, 1750-1954
 * On-line imagesare available for 1992 to the present and indexes are available for 1973 to the present. A fee is required to view the on-line records.
 * The Cumberland Co. Historical Society has published a series First Families of Cumberland County showing the connected drafts of the first landowners with maps showing the tracts and today's landmarks. (Click on "Publications")

Maps
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.

Courthouse
Cumberland County Courthouse 1 Courthouse Square, Carlisle, PA 17013 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Ph: 717.240.6100 Toll Free: 1.888.697.0371

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Carlisle Pennsylvania Family History Center (Mechanicsburg)

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.


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

Birth

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

Divorce
Divorce records are handled by the office of the Prothonotary. While no on-line indexes or records are available, records may be obtained by visiting or writing to the Prothonotary at:

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

Death

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Web Sites

 * Cumberland County Historical Society
 * Cumberland County PA Genealogy
 * Linkpendium - Cumberland County
 * USGenWeb project.