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Orange County, New York Genealogy

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Guide to Orange 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: Goshen
Organized: Nov 1, 1683
Parent County(s): non-county area
Neighboring Counties
Dutchess • Passaic (NJ) • Pike (PA) • Putnam • Westchester • Rockland • Sullivan • Sussex (NJ) • Ulster
See County Maps
Courthouse
New York, Orange County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Ny-orange.png

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Prince of Orange, who subsequently became King William III of England. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Orange County Courthouse
285 Main St
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: 845-476-3500
Orange County Website

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

Orange 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 1908 1880 1852 1703 1787 1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Record Loss

1774 Courthouse was destroyed by fire. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

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
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

  • History of Orange County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men V.1. Ruttenber, Edward Manning, and L.H. Clark. Everts and Peck Publishing, Philadelphia, PA. 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1; FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2
  • Portrait and biographical record of Orange county, New York, Containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States. Chapman Publishing, New York, NY. 1895. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library; also at Archive.org

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Orange 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. %±
1790 18,492 —
1800 29,355 58.7%
1810 34,347 17.0%
1820 41,213 20.0%
1830 45,336 10.0%
1840 50,739 11.9%
1850 57,145 12.6%
1860 63,812 11.7%
1870 80,902 26.8%
1880 88,220 9.0%
1890 97,859 10.9%
1900 103,859 6.1%
1910 116,001 11.7%
1920 119,844 3.3%
1930 130,383 8.8%
1940 140,113 7.5%
1950 152,255 8.7%
1960 183,734 20.7%
1970 221,657 20.6%
1980 259,603 17.1%
1990 307,647 18.5%
2000 341,367 11.0%
2010 372,813 9.2%
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.[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.
  • 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.


State

Source 1825 1835 1845 1855 1865 1875 1892 1905 1915 1925
Ancestry.com - - - Yes - Yes - - Yes Yes
FS Library Films Yes - - Yes
FamilySearch Images - - - Yes Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes
New York State Library Films Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes - - Yes Yes
  • 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.

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

Church Records


Reformed Churches


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
The USGenWeb Archives includes abstracts of the following:

  • 1695-1802 Deed Books A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
  • 1765-1785 Mortgage Books A, B, C.

Local Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

Sullivan CountyPassaic County,Pike CountySussex CountyRockland CountyWestchester CountyPutnam County,Dutchess CountyUlster CountyNY ORANGE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Early migration routes to Orange County for European settlers included:

Military Records

Revolutionary War
Orange County men served in the 4th New York Regiment.[7]

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: Blooming Grove · Chester · Crawford · Deerpark · Goshen · Greenville · Hamptonburgh · Minisink · Monroe · Montgomery · Mount Hope · Newburgh · Wallkill · Warwick · Wawayanda.

Regiments. Service men from Orange 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 Orange County: [8]

- 3rd Regiment, New York Infantry
- 5th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 5th Regiment, New York Infantry (Duryee Zouaves), Company H.
- 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company D.
- 7th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry
- 9th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 9th Regiment, New York Infantry (New)
- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies L and M.
- 18th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
- 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company D.
- 25th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C, D, E, H, I, L and M.
- 36th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
- 56th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D and E.
- 65th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
- 70th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company F.
- 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry
- 98th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.
- 115th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 124th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
- 153rd Regiment, New York Infantry
- 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies H, I and K.
- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
- 168th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, E, F, G, H, I and K.
- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C and D.
- 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
- 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
- 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Records

The FamilySearch Library has also acquired this comprehensive index for the years 1792 through 1906 on microfilm: FS Library Film 1419807 (1st of 294 films). The courts this index covers are:

  • City Court of Brooklyn, 1836-1894
  • Kings County Court, 1806-1906
  • New York City Marine Court, 1806-1849
  • New York County Common Pleas Court, 1792-1895
  • New York County Superior Court, 1828-1895
  • New York City and County Supreme Court, 1868-1906
  • Queens County Court, 1799-1906
  • Queens County Surrogate Court, 1888-1898
  • Richmond County Court, 1869-1906
  • U.S. Circuit Court Southern District, 1846-1876
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District, (Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties), 1865-1906

Newspapers

  • 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."
  • 1828-1831 Barber, Gertrude A. Orange County Patriot: A Newspaper Published at Goshen, N.Y.: Marriages and Deaths from May 1828 to Dec. 1831. 1990. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  • 1847-1849 Jeanne and Less Krish, Official Vital Records from the Various Towns of Orange County, New York, Births, Deaths, and Marriages 1847-1849: with a Supplement of Additional Marriage and Death Returns (Goshen, New York: Orange County Genealogical Society (New York), 2003). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.731 V28k. Includes indexes.
  • 1856-1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry ($) - 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.
  • Warwick NY Dispatch 1885-1907

Obituaries

Other Records

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

  • Joslyn, Roger D. "Indentures of the Poor Children of Orange County, 1829-1847, 1871, 1884, 1885," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 137, No. 4 (Oct. 2006):294-303; Vol. 138, No. 2 (Apr. 2007):138-143; Vol. 138, No. 3 (Jul. 2007):227-231. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 137-138.

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.[9] 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.

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

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Orange County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1989). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.731 A3. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

County Historian
101 Main St
Goshen, NY 10924
Phone: 845-291-2388
Website

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

Newburgh Free Library
124 Grand Street
Newburgh, NY 12550
Website

Genealogical resources: Subscription genealogy websites, family papers, school records, obituaries, city directories, censuses, church records, cemetery records, and newspapers.

Museums

Societies

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

Goshen Library and Historical Society
Main Street
Goshen, NY 10924
Website

Genealogical resources: Obituary Finder. Subscriptions to HeritageQuest, Ancestry Plus, Fold3 and newspaper sites. Local history information.

Central New York Genealogical Society
Box 104, Colvin Station
Syracuse, NY 13205
Email: contact@cnygs.org
Web Contact Form
Website

Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publishes Tree Talks FS Library Book 974.7 B2t); (At various libraries (WorldCat); 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.

Orange County Genealogical Society
101 Main Street
Goshen, New York 10924
Email:nhsip@frontiernet.net
Publishes The Orange County Genealogy Society Quarterly
Website

The Society has a very large collection including:
  • County Histories
  • Biographical information on local residents and published genealogies
  • Orange County church records and cemetery listings
  • City directories for Middletown and Newburgh 1899 - 1950's
  • Whig Press deaths and marriages 1851-1865
  • Vertical files of family folders - over 3,000
  • Well known quarterlies
  • Military records
  • Maps
  • Microfilm of various Orange County records including marriages, naturalization, deeds, newspapers and more.

The Hudson Valley Institute
3399 North Road
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601-1387
Phone: 845-575-3052
Email: hrvi@marist.edu
Website

Genealogical resources: Comprehensive surname index to books and folders, local histories, published family histories, vertical files, periodicals, military records, maps, vital records, censuses, naturalizations, newspapers, deeds, mortgages, surname queries.

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Orange County, New York" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County,_New_York, accessed 21 Nov 2018
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Orange 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), 490. 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, "Orange County, New York," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County,_New_York, accessed 19 Feburary 2020.
  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. ↑ "4th New York Regiment," Valley Forge Legacy, http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/regiments/ny4.asp, accessed 31 May 2012.
  8. ↑ Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
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