New York Compiled Genealogies

Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. Some of the major collections are described below.

Sources at the Family History Library

Ancestral File. Ancestral File is a FamilySearch™ computer file that contains family history information linked into family groups and pedigrees. The file contains millions of names, including a growing number of New York families.

Ancestral File is a growing file of completed research, depending largely on contributions of ancestral information from organizations and individuals. Entries to the Ancestral File are no longer being accepted, but Pedigree Resource File has taken its place. To contribute to the Pedigree Resource File, go to www.familysearch.org and under "Preserve and Share Your Family History," click on Share Your Family Tree, and follow the instructions given. Contributions of genealogies are welcome and encouraged.

International Genealogical Index. Available on both microfiche and as a FamilySearch™ computer file. The International Genealogical Index provides names and vital information for millions of deceased persons, dating back to the mid-1600s. Most of the names were submitted by researchers or copied from church records.

Old Surname Index File. The Family History Library has a surname index of some manuscripts, periodicals, books, and films collected before 1964. It is especially useful for New York research and is found under The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Genealogical Department, Library Division, Old Surname Index File (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1976; Family History Library films 1058446–85).

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Collection. Since the 1910s, the DAR has collected genealogical information by transcribing previously unpublished records. They include Bible, cemetery, church, marriage, death, obituary, and will records. This collection is now called the Genealogical Records Committee (GRC) Reports. A portion of these reports regarding New York State have been microfilmed and divided into two parts:

Daughters of the American Revolution (New York). Cemetery, Church and Town Records. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970–1971. (On 86 Family History Library films and 28 fiche, starting with film 836756) The records are at the New York State Library, New York Public Library, and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. The Family History Library has microfilms of the first 388 volumes and many additional unnumbered volumes on microfilms. Volumes 528–536 are on microfiche.

Daughters of the American Revolution (New York). Bible, Family and Miscellaneous Records from New York State. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1971. (On 33 Family History Library films and 155 fiche, starting with film 862793. Includes an index for the first 40 volumes.) The original records are at the Daughters of the American Revolution Library in Washington, D.C.

Individual volumes in the DAR collection are generally arranged by county, and many volumes have individual indexes.

Before 2001, the DAR began indexing these GRC reports and created a searchable online index. At this time 2.2 million names have been indexed for New York State and information is added continually. Go to this website to search this index: http://grc.dar.org/dar/darnet/grc/grc.cfm?Action=New_Search

As of yet, this index is not complete for New York and should be used in conjunction with three other indexes that index a large portion of this collection:

Whitacre, Constance M. and Elsie Trotter. Master Index New York State DAR Genealogical Records. New York, New York: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1972. (Family History Library book 974.7 D22; film 1206452 item 13; fiche 6051491.)

In both Whitacre indexes the letter "V" before the volume and page refers to Cemetery, Church and Town Records; the letter "B" refers to the Bible, Family and Miscellaneous Records.

Whitacre, Constance M. Master Index Supplement 1972–1978: Records and Corrections. N.p., 1978. (Family History Library book 975.7 D22 Supp.; film 1206452 item 14.)

New York State Library (Albany, New York). Vital Records Card File. Albany, New York: New York State Library, 1979. (Family History Library fiche 6332544.)

Holland Society of New York Collections. This lineage society collects information about the early Dutch settlers and their descendants. Many of their church record transcripts and published yearbooks are at the Family History Library. The library has microfilms of Compiled Genealogies (Family History Library 47 films), Manuscript Historical and Genealogical Collection (FHL 41 films), and Membership Records (FHL 76 films). The film numbers are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under:

NEW YORK - GENEALOGY.

New York State Library (Albany, New York). Vital Records Card File. Albany, New York: New York State Library, 1979. (Family History Library fiche 6332544.)

Rider, Fremont, ed. American Genealogical- Biographical Index. Vols. 1–186+. Middletown, Connecticut: Godfrey Memorial Library, 1952–. (Family History Library book 973 D22am ser. 2; on 31 Family History Library films.) This is a continuing series. An earlier version of 48 volumes was published as The American Genealogical Index, 1942–1951. The index contains over 4 million brief citations (name, date, and source) to manuscripts, periodicals, and books. The earlier version indexed 350 sources. The second version includes the original 350 sources and an additional 800 sources.

To help you understand the source citations and to locate the original sources, use the colored pages in some volumes of:

Clark, Patricia L. and Dorothy Huntsman, eds. American Genealogical Biographical Key Title Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. (Family History Library book 973 D22am index; film 1698167 item 4; fiche 6088377.) Lists the sources that are at the Family History Library and their call numbers.

Look in the Family History Library Catalog Place Search under both NEW YORK - GENEALOGY and NEW YORK - SOCIETIES to find other manuscript collections.

Manuscript Collections at Other Repositories

Most New York libraries and historical societies have valuable collections for genealogical research. Some of the major ones include the following:

The Colonial Albany Social History Project. This project, begun in 1980, is an attempt to compile a detailed biographical profile of all 16,000 persons who lived in the city of Albany before 1800. The information comes from all available published and manuscript sources and includes birth, marriage and death data for each person; information on all members of the household; and information concerning residency, migration, education, religion, wealth, politics, and military service. For more information, contact:

Colonial Albany Social History Project
Stefan Bielinski, Director
New York State Museum
3093 Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Telephone: 518-474-6917
Internet: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/

Published Collections

Examples of important published genealogies include:

Bailey, Rosalie Fellows. Pre-Revolutionary Dutch Houses and Families in Northern New Jersey and Southern New York. 1936. Reprint, New York, New York: Dover, 1968. (Family History Library book 974 D2bp; film 1421882 item 3.) Thousands of names with birth, marriage, death, children, and often place of origin.

Bergen, Teunis G. Register in Alphabetical Order of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, New York from Its First Settlement by Europeans to 1700. 1881. Reprint, Cottonport, Louisiana: Polyanthos, 1973. (Family History Library book 974.723 D2b 1973; film 982133.) Thousands of names with birth, marriage, death, children, residence, and often place of origin.

Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Family History of Central New York. 3 vols. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1912. (Family History Library book 974.7 D2cu; film 1000226; fiche 6051122.) Index in volume 3. May show four to ten generations including birth, marriage, death, and place of origin.

Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Family History of Northern New York. 3 vols. New York, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1910. (Family History Library book 974.75 D2cut; film 1000225; fiche 6051252.) Has information about families in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. May show four to ten generations including birth, marriage, death, and place of origin.

Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Family History of Western New York. 3 vols. New York, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1912. (Family History Library book 974.7 D2c; film 1000228; fiche 6046620.) The above volumes by Cutter have been indexed by Norma Olin Ireland and Winifred Irving, Cutter Index: A Consolidated Index of Cutter's 9 Genealogy Series (Fallbrook, California: Ireland Indexing Service, ca. 1970; Family History Library book 974 D2ci; film 1036507 item 6; fiche 6046737.) Index in volume 3. May show four to ten generations including birth, marriage, death, and place of origin.

Davis, Norman C. Westchester Patriarchs: A Genealogical Dictionary of Westchester County, New York Families Prior to 1755. Bowie, Maryland.: Heritage Books, 1988. (Family History Library book 974.7277 D3d.)

Hoff, Henry Bainbridge., ed. Genealogies of Long Island Families from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. 2 vols. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1987. (Family History Library book 974.721 D2g.)

Pearson, Jonathan. Contributions for the Genealogies of the First Settlers of the Ancient County of Albany, from 1630 to 1800. 1872. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1978, 1984. (Family History Library book 974.742 D2p; film 1036122.) Pearson's original manuscript has material not in the book (Family History Library films 1304637–38.)

Pearson, Jonathan. Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady from 1662 to 1800. 1873. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1976, 1978. (Family History Library book 974.744 D2p; film 1036211 item 2.) Pearson's original manuscript (Family History Library film 1304636 item 3 to film 1304637.) Has material not in the book.

Reynolds, Cuyler. Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley. 3 vols. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1914. (Family History Library book 974.7 D3r; film 1000227; fiche 6046616.)

Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs; A Record of Achievement of the People of the Hudson & Mohawk Valleys in N.Y. State, Included within the Present Counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Washington, Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, Schenectady, Columbia & Greene. 4 vols. New York, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1911. (Family History Library book 974.74 D3r; film 1000229.)

Reynolds, Helen Wilkinson. Dutch Houses in the Hudson Valley Before 1776. 1929. Reprint, New York, New York: Dover Publications, 1965. (Family History Library book 974.7 H2r; film 982401 item 4.) May show historical, birth, marriage, or death information about several generations of a family.

Riker, James, Jr. Revised History of Harlem (City of New York), Its Origin and Early Annals. Revised with the assistance of Henry Pennington Toler. New York, New York: New Harlem Publishing, 1904. (Family History Library book 974.71 H2r; film 1035904 item 3.) The revised edition has an extensive genealogical appendix.

Seversmith, Herbert Furman. Colonial Families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut. 5 vols in 6. Washington, D.C.: H.F. Seversmith, 1939–58. (Family History Library book 929.273 Se835s; films 525304–306.) These volumes primarily cover surnames A–L, except volume 5 which covers A–W. The rest of Seversmith's notes for surnames after L are at the Easthampton Free Library and on microfilm as The Seversmith Manuscripts (Family History Library films 569823–24). Contains about 140 families showing multi-generation genealogical sketches about five to twenty pages long.

Western New York Genealogical Society, Inc. Ancestors of WNYGS Members.Hamburg, New York:WNYGS, 1993–. (Family History Library book 974.79 D2a.) Gives name, birth year and state, marriage year and state, and relatives' names for eight western counties.

Published Collections of Records

The following books are genealogical compilations obtained from original source records:

Hoff, Henry Bainbridge, ed. Long Island Source Records from The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing, 1987. (Family History Library book 974.721 H29L.)

Mather, Frederic Gregory. The Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut. 1913. Reprint, Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1990. (Family History Library book 974.6 H2m; film 164690.) This book mentions thousands of patriot families, both those that fled from Suffolk County to Connecticut in 1776 and those that remained during the Revolution.

Penrose, Maryly Barton. Mohawk Valley in the Revolution: Committee of Safety Papers & Genealogical Compendium. Franklin Park, New Jersey: Liberty Bell Associates, 1978. (Family History Library book 974.76 H2p.) Book I, committee papers, includes petitions, declarations, and elections. It is indexed and helps determine residence. Book II, the compendium, cites 33 documents used to compile about 600 alphabetical family groups which may show birth, marriage, death, spouses, children parents, and Revolutionary War service.

Stillwell, John E. Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey. 6 vols. 1903–1932. Reprint, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. (Family History Library book 974.D2sa; fiche 6045846; vols. 1 and 3 on film 908775; vol. 2 on 397793; vol. 4 on 844968 item 2; vol. 5 on 908776; vol. 6 on 1036561 item 8.) These books contain transcripts primarily for Monmouth and Burlington counties, New Jersey, and for Staten Island, New York. Some volumes also include compiled family genealogies.

Web Sites

http://www.dar.org/

http://www.accessgenealogy.com/newyork/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cgaunt/newyork.html

International Genealogical Index (FamilySearch) - free

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)