Broome County, New York Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Binghamton
Organized: March 28, 1806
Parent County(s): Tioga
Neighboring Counties
ChenangoCortlandDelawareTiogaWayne(PA)Susquehanna(PA)
See County Maps
Courthouse
New York, Broome County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Ny-broome.png


Your Home Library.jpg

County Information

Description

The county was named for John Broome, who was lieutenant governor in 1806 when Broome County was established. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Broome County Courthouse
65 Hawley St
Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone: 607-240-5800
Broome County Website

The County Clerk's office has marriage, naturalization, divorce, court, land and state census records. The Surrogate Court has probate records.

Broome County, New York Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[2]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1880 1880 1880 1806 1790 1806 1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

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:[5]

Cities
Towns
Villages
Hamlets
  • Chenango Forks
  • Census-designated places


    History Timeline

    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.

    Biographies

    Business, Commerce, and Occupations

    Cemeteries

    Cemeteries of Broome County, New York online and in print
    Tombstone Transcriptions Online
    Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
    List of Cemeteries in the County
    See New York Cemeteries for more information.


    Census Records

    Historical populations
    Census Pop.
    1810 8,130
    1820 14,343 76.4%
    1830 17,579 22.6%
    1840 22,338 27.1%
    1850 30,660 37.3%
    1860 35,906 17.1%
    1870 44,103 22.8%
    1880 49,483 12.2%
    1890 62,973 27.3%
    1900 69,149 9.8%
    1910 78,809 14.0%
    1920 113,610 44.2%
    1930 147,022 29.4%
    1940 165,749 12.7%
    1950 184,698 11.4%
    1960 212,661 15.1%
    1970 221,815 4.3%
    1980 213,648 −3.7%
    1990 212,160 −0.7%
    2000 200,536 −5.5%
    2010 200,600 0.0%
    Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

    • The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see Broome.

    Federal Census Records
    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.[6]
    • 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 FS Library Films 1415128–42.

    State Census Records

    NY State Census 1825 1835 1845 1855 1865 1875 1892 1905 1915 1925
    FamilySearch - - - Link Link Link Link Link Link Link
    Ancestry - - - Link - Link Link Link - Link
    FamilySearch Catalog Index, Images Link - Link Link Link Link Link Link Link
    New York State Library Microfilm - 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 FamilySearch Library line in the above State Census Chart.
    • 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
    • 1864-1865 1000 Vital Records from 1865 Broome Co., NY Census - Deaths, Courtesy [2]

    Church Records


    Catholic

    List of Churches and Church Parishes

    Court Records

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

    Directories

    Emigration and Immigration

    Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

    Funeral Homes

    Genealogies

    Guardianship

    Land and Property Records

    Online Land Indexes and Records

    Local Histories

    Maps and Gazetteers

    Susquehanna CountyWayne CountyDelaware CountyChenango CountyCortland CountyTioga CountyNY BROOME.PNG
    Click a neighboring county
    for more resources

    Migration

    Catskill Turnpike.png

    Migration routes for early European settlers to and from Broome County included:[7]

    Military Records

    Civil War

    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 FamilySearch Library (FS Library Film 1993401-37). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($). Available towns. Registers are available for: Barker · Binghamton · Chenango · Colesville · Conklin · Kirkwood · Lisle · Maine · Nanticoke · Port Crane · Sanford · Triangle · Union · Vestal · Windsor.

    Regiments. Service men in Broome 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 Broome County:[20]

    - 6th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery, Companies G and I.
    - 6th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G and I.
    - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, 2nd Company L and Company M.
    - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C and F.
    - 27th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, D and F.
    - 65th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
    - 89th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, F, G, H and K.
    - 90th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
    - 109th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, E and H.
    - 124th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
    - 130th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.
    - 137th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, E and F.
    - 155th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
    - 161st Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies E and G.
    - 168th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A and H.
    - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
    - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

    Naturalization and Citizenship

    Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

    Newspapers

    • Binghamton NY Broome Republican 1828-1909
    • Binghamton NY Phoenix 1815-1816
    • Binghamton NY Press 1904-1969
    • Johnson City NY Endicott Record 1915-1921
    • Union NY Union News 1857-1923

    Obituaries

    Other Records

    Periodicals

    Probate Records

    Probate records (wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions) 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.
    Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
    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. These petitions are often found in the estate files.[21] See New York Probate Records for online resources, details, links, and more.

    Online Probate Indexes and Records

    School Records

    Social Security Records

    Tax Records

    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. See:

    • New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources by Gordon L. Remington. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. FS Library Book 974.7 D27r; At various libraries (WorldCat); Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.

    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. In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1935.[22] 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.

    Birth

    Marriage

    Death

    Divorce

    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.

    • 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.

    Voting Records

    Research Facilities

    Archives

    County Historian
    Broome County Historian
    Gerald R. Smith, Historian
    2nd Floor

    • 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.

    FamilySearch Centers

    FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

    • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

    Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

    Libraries

    Broome County Library
    185 Court Street
    Binghamton, New York 13901
    Phone: 607-778-6400
    Website
    Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-8pm
    Friday - Saturday 9am-5pm

    The Local History and Genealogy Department is located in this facility which had many resources for genealogical research.

    Steele Memorial Library
    Chemung County Library District
    East Church Street
    Elmira, New York 14901
    Phone: 607-733-8602
    Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-9pm
    Friday-Saturday 9am-5 pm
    Sunday 1-5 pm
    Closed Saturday and Sunday May 30-September 30.
    Website

    Although this library is not technically in Broome County, it has an impressive genealogical collection and is only an hour from Binghamton. To see a summary of the collection see the Broome County, New York USGenWeb site.

    Binghamton University Libraries
    Glenn G. Bartle Library
    P.O. Box 6012
    Vestal Parkway East
    Binghamton, NY 13902-6012
    Phone for Reference Desk: 607-777-2345
    Email: jgreen@binghamton.edu
    Hours:Monday - Friday 10am-4pm during Fall and Spring semesters.
    Hours vary during intersessions and in the summer
    It is advisable to contact Special Collections in advance to discuss request.
    Website

    The Glenn G. Bartle Library houses Special Collections which includes Civil War Collections and numerous private collections and papers.

    Cornell University
    Guide to Historical Resources in Broome County, New York Repositories.
    ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1984).
    At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.775 A3. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

    Museums

    Societies

    Listed below are societies in Broome County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see New York Societies.

    Broome County Historical Society
    185 Court Street
    Binghamton, New York 13901
    Phone: 607-772-2982

    The Broome County Historical Society participates with USGenWeb and has many online resources including biographic/family, church, census, military, land records and other miscellaneous data.

    Southern Tier Genealogical Society
    P.O. Box 680
    Vestal, NY 13850
    Email: wdbetcher@frontiernet.net
    Website

    STGS is dedicated to the pursuit of family history and genealogical research and meets the first Thursday evening at 7 pm April - October at the Vestal Public Library at 320 Vestal Parkway, Vestal, New York. The society has a newsletter which is published three times a year with news and articles to help in genealogical research. The website includes a list of the local Broome county, town and village historians , town clerks and local libraries, historical societies and FamilySearch centers.

    Central New York Genealogical Society[23]
    Box 104, Calvin Station
    Syracuse, New York 13205
    Email: CNYSG@yahoo.com
    Website

    Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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.

    Websites

    Research Guides

    References

    1. Wikipedia contributors, "Broome County, New York" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broome_County,_New_York accessed 19 Nov 2018
    2. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Broome County, New York. Page 488-493 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 490-492.
    3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 488. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
    4. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
    5. Wikipedia contributors, "Broome County, New York," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broome_County,_New_York, accessed 16 December 2019.
    6. Arlene Eakle, and Johni Cerni, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1984), 103. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27ts.
    7. Handybook, 847-61.
    8. Isaac Huntting, History of the Little Nine Partners of North East Precinct and Pine Plains, New York, Dutchess County (Amenia, NY: Chas. Walsh, 1897), 99-101. Google Book edition.
    9. List of turnpikes in New York in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 6 November 2014).
    10. Ancram Turnpike in Routes in the Northeastern United States: Historic Trails, Roads and Migration Routes (accessed 6 November 2014). The Ancram Turnpike went from Springield, MA to Catskill, NY; and was called the Catskill Road.
    11. 11.0 11.1 Almira E Morgan, The Catskill Turnpike: A Wilderness Path (Ithaca, N.Y.: DeWitt Historical Society of Thompkins County, 1971), 5. Online digital copy.
    12. [1] in Routes in the Northeastern United States: Historic Trails, Roads and Migration Routes (accessed 6 November 2014). The Catskill Turnpike went west from Catskill, NY to Bath, NY; the east part was called the Susquehanna Turnpike.
    13. Huntting, 97-99.
    14. List of turnpikes in New York in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 1 November 2014).
    15. Anastassia Zinke, The Susquehanna Turnpike and America's Frontier History in Catskill Mountain Foundation (accessed 1 November 2014).
    16. Joan Odess, The Susquehanna Turnpike (pdf accessed 1 November 2014).
    17. Handybook, 850-51.
    18. Handybook, 851.
    19. Bethlehem Pike in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia (accessed 17 November 2014).
    20. Frederick Phisterer, compiler. New York in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1865 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912). Internet Archive digital copy; At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Film 1486494-96; Fiche 6083559-64; Book 974.7 M2p.
    21. Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 54.
    22. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 488-493. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
    23. Central New York Genealogical Society at http://www.cnygs.org/ (accessed 16 May 2018).