Ulster County, New York Genealogy

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Guide to Ulster 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: Kingston
Organized: November 1, 1683[1]
Parent County(s): Original County[2]
Neighboring Counties
Columbia • Delaware • Dutchess • Greene • Orange • Sullivan
See County Maps
Courthouse
New York, Ulster County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Ny-ulster.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for the Irish province of Ulster. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Ulster County Courthouse
285 Wall St
Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: 845-481-9375
Ulster County Website

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

Ulster County, New York Record Dates[edit | edit source]

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[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1880 1908 1880 1793 1685 1787 1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[6]

Cities
Towns
Villages
Hamlets
Census-designated places


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

  • 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[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Ulster 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[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1790 29,370 —
1800 24,855 −15.4%
1810 26,576 6.9%
1820 30,934 16.4%
1830 36,550 18.2%
1840 45,822 25.4%
1850 59,384 29.6%
1860 76,381 28.6%
1870 84,075 10.1%
1880 85,838 2.1%
1890 87,062 1.4%
1900 88,422 1.6%
1910 91,769 3.8%
1920 74,979 −18.3%
1930 80,155 6.9%
1940 87,017 8.6%
1950 92,621 6.4%
1960 118,804 28.3%
1970 141,241 18.9%
1980 158,158 12.0%
1990 165,304 4.5%
2000 177,749 7.5%
2010 182,493 2.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

  • 1715 Scott, Kenneth. "Settlers West of the Highlands, Orange County, 1715," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 103, No. 4 (Oct. 1972):227-232. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 103. Identifies early settlers and biographical information.
  • 1750-1799 Scott, Kenneth. "Ulster County, New York, Jury Lists, 1750-1799," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 60 (1972):169-179. FS Library Book 973 B2ng v. 60 (1972).
  • 1798-1812 Scott, Kenneth, Julius Bloch and Leo Hershkowitz, "Ulster County Freeholders, 1798-1812," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 53 (1965):7-30. FS Library Book 973 B2ng v. 53 (1965).

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.[7]
  • 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

Source 1825 1835 1845 1855 1865 1875 1892 1905 1915 1925
Ancestry.com - - - Yes - Yes - - Yes Yes
FamilySearch Library - - - Yes Lost Yes Yes Yes
FamilySearch Historical Records - - - Yes Yes Yes Lost Yes Yes Yes
New York State Library - - - Yes Yes Yes Lost 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.


Church Records[edit | edit source]


Dutch Reformed

  • 1730-1880 Reformed Dutch Church records in Ulster and Orange County FS Library film 1405479 Item 3 Includes baptisms and marriages in Kingston 1766-1776, Catsbaan 1730-1760, Esopus 1790-1850, Clove, High Falls 1808-1850, Woodstock 1805-1880, Shokan 1799-1850, Walden 1793-1853, and Highland 1810-1860.
  • 1887-1908 Stewartville Reformed Church Ulster County, FS Library film 963004 Contains minutes of meetings, records of marriages and baptisms, lists of members.


Lutheran


Society of Friends


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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.

Online Court Indexes and Records

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Delaware CountyGreene CountyColumbia CountyDutchess CountyOrange CountySullivan CountyNY ULSTER.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

The migration routes used by early European settlers to and from Ulster County included: [8]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War
Ulster County men served in the 4th New York Regiment.[9]

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: Denning · Esopus · Hardenburgh · Kingston · Lloyd · Marlborough · New Paltz · Olive · Plattekill · Rochester · Saugerties · Shandaken · Wawarsing · Woodstock.

Regiments. Service men in Ulster 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 Ulster County:[10]

- 1st Battalion, New York Sharpshooters, 6th Company.
- 1st Regiment, New York Engineers, Company E
- 7th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company D
- 7th Veteran Regiment, New York Infantry
- 15th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company M
- 20th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H
- 25th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies E, L and M
- 48th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 56th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G
- 65th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B
- 71st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K
- 80th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 102nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B and G
- 120th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I
- 124th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 132nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H
- 156th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I
- 168th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G
- 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, E and G
- 178th Regiment, New York Infantry
- 192nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, F, G, I and K

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Olde Ulster ran for 10 volumes between 1905 and 1914. Many volumes are available online, see WeRelate. The FamilySearch Library has a complete collection: FS Library Books 974.73 B2o v. 1-10 as well as a comprehensive name index: FS Library Film 17987 Item 9. This historical and genealogical magazine published, among other items, the early records of Katsbaan Dutch Church.

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

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.[11] See New York Probate Records for online resources, details, links, and more.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

  • 1662-1822 Probate court records, wills and administrations, Surrogate Court. FS Library Film 481433
  • 1787-1916 Probate records: Index to wills 1787–1929, Wills 1787–1917, Minutes 1830–1917, Letters and bonds of administration and testamentary 1787–1906, Surrogate Court. FS Library Film 1535460 (92 films)
The microfilmed version of Ulster County probate files have a quirk. The index cards follow the probate files, rather than precede them.[12]

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Online Tax Indexes and Records

Town Records[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Ulster County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1988). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.734 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

County Historian
38 Rondout Harbor
Port Ewen, NY 12466
Phone: 845-331-7380
Email: pasaran@msn.com
Ulster County Website

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.

Ulster County Archives
300 Foxhall Ave,
Kingston, New York 12401
Phone: 845-340-3415

Ulster County Website

The Archives operate under the auspices of the Ulster County Clerk. They have a catalog online. Records available at the county Archives include:
  • Census records and indexes
  • Naturalization records
  • Birth, marriage and death records
  • City directories
  • Poorhouse records
  • Maps

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

There are some eighteen public libraries in Ulster County New York. They belong to the Mid-Hudson Library System that serves the communities of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, and Ulster Counties. They share a catalog that includes a sizeable collection of genealogical materials. For more information, see Individual libraries in Ulster County.

New York-Ulster County, Elting Memorial Library
Historical and Genealogical Department
93 Main Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
Phone: 845-255-5030
Email: frontdesk@eltinglibrary.org
Website

Ramapo Catskill Library System
Website
Multiple locations

Museums[edit | edit source]

Bevier House Museum
2682 Route 209
Marbletown, NY
Phone: 845-338-5614
Website

Associated with the Ulster County Historical Society, this museum has a research library as well as collections of 18th and 19th century furniture, decorative arts and tools and a Civil War room.

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Ulster County Genealogical Society (UCGS)
P.O. Box 536,
Hurley, NY 12443
Website

The Society research library is located in the basement of Schadewald Hall.
The Society also has an extensive genealogical reference library located in Hurley Reformed Church. It publishes a quarterly newsletter, "The GENIE", to Society members.The research library has Bible Records, Cemetery Records, Census Records, Church Records, Directories, Gazetteers, Genealogies, Maps, Naturalization Records, Newsletters, Newspapers, Obituaries, Reference Books, Surname File Folders, Tax Lists, Undertaker Records, Vital Records, and Wills.

Ulster County Historical Society
Bevier House Museum
2682 Route 209
Marbletown, NY
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 279
Stone Ridge, NY 12484-0279
Phone: 845-338-5614
Website
Facebook

Collections of 18th and 19th century furniture, decorative arts and tools. Civil War room, research library.

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Newberry
  2. ↑ Newberry
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ulster County, New York" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_County,_New_York, accessed 26 Nov 2018
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ulster 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.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 492. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ulster County, New York," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_County,_New_York, accessed 4 March 2020.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Handybook, 850-51.
  9. ↑ "4th New York Regiment," Valley Forge Legacy, http://valleyforgemusterroll.org/regiments/ny4.asp, accessed 31 May 2012.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ Information shared by New York expert David Samuelsen, 17 November 2011.



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This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

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