Washington County, New York Genealogy

United States

New York

Washington County

Guide to Washington County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

This page describes sources of genealogical data about Washington County, New York Genealogy families, including links to smaller localities at the bottom of this page. New York, United States Genealogy-related pages show useful statewide sources. United States Genealogy pages explain the terminology and contents of genealogical records.

New York Online Genealogy Records

Washington County, New York
Map
Location in the state of New York, United States Genealogy
Location of New York in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 12, 1772
County Seat	Fort Edward
Courthouse
Photo courtesy Jimmy Emerson
Address	383 Broadway Fort Edward, NY 12828 Washington County Website

Washington County New York Historical Facts

Description

The County was named for President George Washington. The County is located in the east central area of the state.

Washington County, New York Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1847	1881	1847	1773	1762	1786	1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Parent County

Washington County was created 12 March 1772 from part of Albany 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:

Towns
Argyle Cambridge Dresden Easton Fort Ann Fort Edward (county seat)	Granville Greenwich Hampton Hartford Hebron Jackson	Kingsbury Putnam Salem White Creek Whitehall
Villages
Argyle Cambridge Fort Ann	Fort Edward Granville Greenwich	Hudson Falls Whitehall
Hamlets
East Greenwich East Lake George	Goose Island Huletts Landing	Kattskill Bay Shushan
Census-designated places
North Granville	Salem

Washington County New York Genealogy Resources

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

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com*	Family History Library*	Findagrave.com*
Interment.net*	WorldCat*	Tombstone Transcription Project*
Cemetery Site*		NYGenWeb Cemeteries*
New York Gravestones*		Billion Graves*
NYGenWeb Cemeteries*		Names in Stone*
Billion Graves*		FamilySearch Places
Names in Stone*
Linkpendium*
Ancestry*
*See the New York Cemeteries page for details about each site.

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

• 1800-1965 - New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — index

Additional Resources Genealogical Resources: Online Cemetery Database for several towns and some in Vermont.

Bancroft Public Library 181 S. Main PO Box 515 Salem, NY 12865 Phone: 518-854-7463

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	14,077	—
1800	35,574	152.7%
1810	44,289	24.5%
1820	38,831	−12.3%
1830	42,635	9.8%
1840	41,080	−3.6%
1850	44,750	8.9%
1860	45,904	2.6%
1870	49,568	8.0%
1880	47,871	−3.4%
1890	45,690	−4.6%
1900	45,624	−0.1%
1910	47,778	4.7%
1920	44,888	−6.0%
1930	46,482	3.6%
1940	46,726	0.5%
1950	47,144	0.9%
1960	48,476	2.8%
1970	52,725	8.8%
1980	54,795	3.9%
1990	59,330	8.3%
2000	61,042	2.9%
2010	63,216	3.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

Federal

U.S. Census Mortality Schedules for New York, 1850-1880:

• Available online at Ancestry ($).
• Deaths are included for the 12 months prior to the census, 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, and 1879-80 beginning 1 June and ending 31 May of the census year.
• Basic contents of the records include: Name, sex, age, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. 1870 also has parents' birthplace. 1880 lists how long a resident of the county.
• Also on FHL Films 1415128–42.

• 1790 Washington County Census Online
• The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see directories.

State

Source	1825	1835	1845	1855	1865	1875	1892	1905	1915	1925
Ancestry.com	-	-	-	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes
Family History Library Films	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
FamilySearch Images	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New York State Library Films	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

• Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.
• Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.
• Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.
• Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.
• 1865 deaths of officers and enlisted men entry content: Name, age, marital status, citizenship status, enlistment date, original regiment, original rank, regiment at death, rank at death, promotions, death date and place, manner of death, surviving associates, and burial place.
• Also on microfilm. See the Family History Library line in the above State Census Chart.

Church Records

Church records are good substitutes for birth, marriage, and death information and are most often found on a local city/town or county level.  Published and manuscript church records can be found at public, university, and private libraries.

For a brief general history of denominations and a guide to finding various New York denomination's records, see New York Church Records Wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History & Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Washington County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Washington County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Albany.

• 1790s-1850s - Register of Marriages, Coila, Cambridge, Salem, Celebrated by John Dunlop, Minister of the Gospel, courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  

• 1810s-1880s - "Washington County, N.Y., Quaker Records - Data Taken from the Records of Easton Monthly Meeting of Friends," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 46, No. 2 (Apr. 1915):122-130. Digital versions at Internet Archive - free; New York Family History ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 46. Births, deaths. Some births as early as 1739.

• 1852-1874 - Sandy Hill, NY: Marriage Records of the Methodist Church (1852-1874), courtesy: NYGenWeb - free.
  
• 1860-1870 Records of Rev. Uriah Marvin while pastor of the Reformed Dutch Churches of Union Village, Washington Co., N.Y., 1848-1855; Nyack, Rockland Co., N.Y., 1860-1870 FHL film 532967 Item 6; At various libraries (WorldCat). Contents: Union Village marriages, 1848-1854; baptisms, 1848-1855; funerals, 1848-1855, communicants, 1848-1854 -- Nyack marriages, baptisms, funerals, communicants, 1860-1870.

Additional Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Washington County, New York Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Court Records

Ancestors may have also been involved in municipal, state, or federal court cases. See also New York Court Records and United States Court Records.

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 - New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Rootsweb message board for Washington County, New York Genealogy 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

Schenectady Digital History Archive includes "Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Index to Families" includes people from Washington County.

Additional Resources:

Washington County, New York History

Genealogical Resources: Information about Hartford Village, Masonry, Amasa Brown's Church, 1790 census, and other information.

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See New York Land and Property for more details, especially about the papers generated in New York State by large speculative land companies.

Original land records in Washington County, New York Genealogy began in [?dateyear?]. These records are housed at the [?repository?] in [?town?].

Online

Microforms

Books

• 1765 - O'Neill, Terri Bradshaw. "Sale of Lots in the Argyle Patent Washington County, 1765," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 141, No. 3 (Jul. 2010):219-220. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 141.

Additional land records can sometimes be found using these catalogs:

• WorldCat using the search phase: Washington County, New York Genealogy deeds. (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
• FamilySearch Catalog using the search phrase: 1, New York - Land and Property. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search.)

• 1739-1802 - Landholders of Northeastern New York 1739-1802, courtesy: Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($)

Additional resources

Additional resources for Washington County, New York Genealogy land records may be found in the Washington County, New York Genealogy – Land Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing at various Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Maps

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration

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

• Hudson River pre-historic
• Lake Champlain pre-historic
• Champlain Canal 1823
• Erie Canal 1825
• Chambly Canal 1843
• Richelieu River pre-historic
• Saint Lawrence River prehistoric
• Lake Champlain Trail pre-historic

• Hudson River Path
• Mohawk or Iroquois Trail
• Forbidden Path or Catskill Turnpike
• Greenwood Road
• Old Connecticut Path

Military

Revolutionary War

Charlotte (Washington) County men served in the 1st New York Regiment.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

Access. The original registers are at the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. Microfilm copies are found at the Family History Library (FHL Film 1993401-37). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($).

Available towns. Registers are available for: Argyle · Dresden · Easton · Granville · Greenwich · Hampton · Hebron · Jackson · Putnam · White Creek.

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

- 2nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 2nd Regiment, New York Veteran Cavalry, Company A.

- 3rd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Company D.

- 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company D.

- 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A.

- 22nd Regiment, New York Infantry

- 43rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.

- 53rd Regiment, New York Infantry (1st)

- 87th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.

- 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies F, G and I.

- 96th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 123rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.

- 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 169th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C, D, E and F.

- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 177th Regiment, New York Infantry

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1791-1980 - New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has North Adams, MA newspapers (1895-1977) covering local news that included Washington County residents. ($)

Probate Records

Probate records including original estates and wills for New York are held in the office of the county Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives. See New York Probate Records for more information about using probate records.
Content:  Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types:  Wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distribution.

Probate Petitions

In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 57.

These petitions are often found in the estate files and can be obtained from the county Surrogate Court.

Online Probate Abstracts and Indexes

• 1629 - 1971 New York Probate Records 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
  
• 1788-1916 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills.
  
• 1788-1825 - Barber, Gertrude A. Abstracts of Wills of Washington County, New York. 3 vols. 1937. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1825-1850 - Barber, Gertrude A.. Index of Wills of Washington County, N.Y.: From 1825-1850: Wills Filed at Salem, Washington Co., N.Y. unknown, 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• 1866 - 1923 New York Kings County Estate Files 1866-1923 at FamilySearch.org — index and images

Online Probate Records

Original county-by-county New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971 are available free online at FamilySearch. To access these records, click Historical Records below, then click "Browse through 1,630,900 images". Then select the county name, and then the probate records and time of interest.

• Historical Records - Washington County: Decrees, 1894-1901; Letters of administration index, 1788-1896; Letters of administration, 1787-1916; Letters of guardianship, 1911-1928; Letters of testamentary, 1788-1920; Minutes index, 1830-1836; Minutes, 1830-1900; Orders, 1872-1885; Will index, 1788-1896; Wills, 1788-1878.

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above also may be among those on microfilm including:

• 1788–1916 Probate Records FHL Film 513861 (32 films)
• 1787–1916 Letters of administration FHL Film 513878 (11 films)
• 1830–1900 General Minutes and index FHL Film 462873 (18 films)

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Washington County, New York Genealogy probate wills in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Washington County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1983). At various libraries; FHL Book 974.749 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Archives

• Washington County Archives
  Washington County Municipal center building A
  383 Broadway Fort Edward, New York 12828
  Telephone: (518) 746-2136

• New York State Archives Reference Services
  Telephone (518) 474-8955
  Email: Archref@mail.nysed.gov

Libraries

Southern Adirondack Library System E-mail: sals58@gmail.com

Washington County is a part of the Southern Adirondack Library System which includes Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties. Check local towns and villiages for public libraries available in the community.

County Historian's Office

Washington County Historian Dona Crandall Washington County Municipal Center Building A,Records Room 383 Broadway Fort Edward, New York 12828 Telephone: (518) 746-2178 Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Genealogical Resources: The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area. Washington County Collection: listed online. Many available in pdf files for viewing and searching on your computer.

Courthouses

The Washington County Clerk archives has birth, death, marriage, probate, court and naturalization records as well as military pensions and the state census. The County Clerk has land and divorce records. For further information about where the records for Washington County are held, see the Washington County Courthouses page.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources for family history research.

The main FHC for Washington County, New York Genealogy is the Gloversville New York Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Washington County Historical Society Wing-Northup House 167 Broadway Fort Edward,  NY 12828-1709 Telephone: (518) 747-9108 FAX: 747-1665

Argyle Historical Society
6394 Hartford Road, Argyle, NY 12809

Cambridge Historical Society
12 Broad St, Cambridge, NY12816 518-677-5443 cambhistorical@aol.com

Dr. Asa Fitch Historical Society
RD 1 Box 336A, Cambridge, NY 12816 518-854-3888

Fort Edward Historical Association
22 & 29 Lower Broadway, PO Box 106, Fort Edward, NY 12828, 518-747-9600 oldfort@localnet.com

Granville Heritage Society and Granville Town Historian
PO Box 334, Middle Granville, NY12849 518-642-9824

Greenwich Historical Association
PO Box 35, Greenwich, NY 12834

Hartford Historical Group
Main St, Hartford, NY 12838 518-632-5222

Hebron Preservation Society
PO Box 328, Salem, NY 12865

Putnam Historical Society
Po Box 24, Putnam Station, NY 12861 518-547-8259

Village and Town of Salem Historical Archives
Proudfit Building Bancroft Public Library Main St, Salem NY 12865 518-854-3150

Historical Society of Whitehall
12 William Street,PO Box 238, Whitehall, NY 12887 518-499-1801

Capital District Genealogical Society Empire State Plaza Station PO Box 2175 Albany, NY 12220-0175

Counties served: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington.

$3 for non-member queries in their newsletter. Monthly meetings. They staff a genealogy support desk at the Town of Colonie Library.

Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: CNYSG@yahoo.com

Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publishes Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 B2t) 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, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

Facebook group: Washington County, NY Ancestors

Taxation

TOWN NAME CHANGES

The 1790 census lists a town called "Westfield". That town, with the towns of Hartford and Putnam taken from it, is now known as Fort Ann.==== Town Records ====

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. For further details, try the links to individual town Wiki pages found in Places. See also:

• Gordon L. Remington, New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002). NEHGS online edition; At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974.7 D27r. Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1904 (New York: Martin B. Brown, 1905)
  
• Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Putnam County for the Year 1922 (Poughkeepsie: Lansing Broas, 1923)
• List of Town Clerks, Record Managers and Historical Societies
  

The County Archives has the following records:

• 031 Petitions, Licenses, and recognizance to sell liquor (Tavern licenses) 1813-1878
• 139 Monthly Reports of Hunting and fishing licenses, 1908-1938
• 165 Certificates of Qualifications as Examiner in Lunacy, 1883-1947
  

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk. See also How to order New York Vital Records or order electronically online.

See the heading Places on this wiki page for links to local community wiki pages and their available records. See New York Vital Records for a discussion about beginning dates and availability of vital records in New York.

Use substitute records for birth, marriage, and death information. These substitute records include Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

• 1835-1850 - 1,100 Vital Records of Northeastern New York 1835-1850 on New York Family History - $

Birth

Early births were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording births in 1881. Births were not recorded on the county level.

• 1847–1849 Birth and Death Records FHL Film 1031419.

• 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes

• 1640–1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

• See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.

Marriage

Early marriages were sometimes recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). Town clerks continue to record marriages. The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1935.

• 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($); At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Film 514675 Item 1 or 930131 Item 2. Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.

• 1847–1848 and 1908–1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1847–1849 Marriage papers FHL Film 1031335 Item 1.

• 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index

• 1908–1935 New York, County Marriages 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; FHL Film 1031394 Item 1 (first of 14 films).

Marriage Substitutes

• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686–1890 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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."

• 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.

Divorce

Pre–1787	All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
1787–1847	All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
1847–present	All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

Divorce judgment papers often include date and place of the marriage and the names and birthdates of any children. Local newspapers may publish notices of divorce actions.

Death

Early deaths were recorded on the town level and the years vary by town. (List of towns) The New York State Department of Health (state level) began recording deaths in 1881. Deaths were not recorded on the county level.

• 1824-1962 - New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — index
• 1847–1849 Birth and Death Records FHL Film 1031419.

Death Indexes

• 1880-1956 - New York, State Death 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 - New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — Index only
  

Death Substitutes

• 1795–1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – 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."

• 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 Washington County, New York Genealogy 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

Additional resources for Washington County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the New York, Washington– Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.

Washington County New York Genealogy Websites

• Washington County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• New York Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• New York Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Washington County NY Genealogy

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Family History Library

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free