NYS Library Genealogical Resources before 1800
a draft document

BIBLE RECORDS

1. The New York State Library is a depository for several record series compiled by New York State Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, including 266 volumes of Bible records. For more information on the DAR records, see the DAR Records fact sheet, which is part of the Genealogy Research Series http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/genealogy/gentopic.htm. The Bible records are indexed in:
   
   
   1. Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Prepared by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter. Zephyrhills, Fla.: Jean D. Worden, 1998. 2 v.
      R-REF,929,qD23,98-005610
      
      1. This is a revision of the Master Index, New York State DAR Genealogical Records ([S.l.: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1972. 371 p.; R,929,qD23m) and Master Index, Supplement 1972-1978, Records and Corrections ([S.l.: s.n., 1978?; 66 p.; R,929,qD23m,1972b). The Bibles are indexed in Volume 1.
         
         
   2. Surname Card Index – Index to genealogies the New York State Library acquired before 1980. References to the DAR collection say DAR Bible and give volume and page numbers.
      
      
2. Kirkham, E. Kay. An Index to Some of the Bible and Family Records of the United States (Excluding the Southern States): 45,000 References as Taken from the Microfilm at the Genealogical Society of Utah. [Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers], 1984. 104 p.
   R-REF,016.9292097,qK59,88-032857
   
   
3. Robison, Jeannie Floyd Jones. Genealogical Records: Manuscript Entries of Births, Deaths and Marriages Taken from Family Bibles, 1581-1917. New York: Colonial Dames of the State of New York, 1917.
   R-REF,929,R666

CEMETERY RECORDS

1. The New York State Library is a depository for several record series compiled by New York State Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, including 650 volumes of cemetery, church and town records. The series is indexed in:
   1. Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Prepared by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter. Zephyrhills, Fla.: Jean D. Worden, 1998. 2 v.
      R-REF,929,qD23,98-005610
      1. The cemetery records are indexed in Volume 1.
         
         
   2. Vital Records Card Index – Arranged alphabetically by county and then by location in the county.
      
      
2. Cemetery records also are published in periodicals such as Tree Talks (R-REF,929.105,qT786) and the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (R-REF, 929,qN54)

CENSUS RECORDS

1. Meyers, Carol M. Early New York State Census Records, 1663-1772. 2nd ed. Gardena, Calif.: RAM Publishers, 1965. 178, [66] p.
   R-REF,312.09747,M613
   
   
   1. "[Material] edited and rearranged ... in a phonetic alphabetical sequence from the Documentary History of New York State, Vol. I-IV, originally copyrighted in 1850." Counties covered that are still in New York State are Albany (including parts of present-day Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties), Dutchess, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester. Two additional counties (Cumberland and Gloucester) are included that were created from Albany County in what is present-day eastern Vermont along the Connecticut River.
      
      
2. New York (State). Secretary of State. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts Relating to the War of the Revolution in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y. Albany, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1868. 2 vol. (Vol. 1 has 2 parts.)
   A and R-REF,973.3447,qA
   
   1. Massive name index in volume 2.
      
      
3. Scott, Kenneth. New York: State Census of Albany County Towns in 1790. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1975. 68 p.
   A,929.3097474,S427,76-258
   
   
4. Stemmons, John D. The United States Census Compendium: A Directory of Census Records, Tax Lists, Poll Lists, Petitions, Directories, etc. Which Can Be Used as a Census. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, [1973]. 144 p.
   R-REF,016.929373,qS824,74-8123
   
   1. New York State entries: Pp. 82-88.
      
      
5. Cemetery records also are published in periodicals; see the section on PERIODICALS.

CHURCH RECORDS

1. The New York State Library is a depository for several record series compiled by New York State Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, including 650 volumes of cemetery, church and town records. The records are indexed in:
   
   
   1. Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Prepared by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter. Zephyrhills, Fla.: Jean D. Worden, 1998. 2 v.
      R-REF,929,qD23,98-005610
      1. The church records are indexed in Volume 1.
         
         
2. Historical Records Survey. New York (State). Guide to Vital Statistics Records of Churches in New York State (exclusive of New York City). Albany, N.Y.: The Survey, 1942 2 vol.
   R-REF,974.7qH67g
   
   
3. Historical Records Survey. New York (City). Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of Brooklyn. Churches. New York: The Survey, 1942. 67 p.
   R-REF,974.71,qH672g
   
   
4. _____. Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of the Bronx. Churches. Imprint: [New York: The Survey], 1942. 26 p.
   R-REF,974.71,qH672g
   
   
5. _____. Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan. Churches. : [New York: The Survey], 1942. 73 p.
   R-REF,974.71,qH672g
   
   
6. _____. Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of Queens. Churches. : [New York: The Survey], 1942. 39 p.
   R-REF,974.71,qH672g
   
   
7. _____. Guide to Vital Statistics in the City of New York, Borough of Richmond. Churches. : [New York: The Survey], 1942. 21 p.
   R-REF,974.71,qH672g

CITY DIRECTORIES

COURT RECORDS

1. In 1626 Peter Minuit arrived in New Netherland to become director. He was assisted in his duties by a council and a provincial secretary. The council served as a judicial panel, hearing all cases in which capital punishment could be invoked and reviewing decisions of lower courts on appeal, as well as serving as the local court for the New Amsterdam area. The council minutes, therefore, are of importance for the study of criminal activity in the province. The registers of the provincial secretary contain court depositions, bonds, deeds, leases and other legal declarations and agreements which had to be filed with the secretary; they also provide the legal basis for land titles.
   
   
   1. Van Laer, Arnold Johan Ferdinand, 1869-1955, comp. New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974. 5v. A and R-REF,974.702,V259,74-6594
      1. Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1638-1660 (Volumes 1-3). Council Minutes, 1638-1649, 1652-1654 (Volumes 4-5). Each volume is indexed.
         1. Many names mentioned in the documents are not listed in the indexes.
            
            
2. In 1653, on the orders of the Dutch government, a court was organized. It consisted of a schout, who prosecuted cases and executed the court's orders and judgments, two burgomasters and five schepens (aldermen).
   
   
   1. New York (N.Y.) The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1976. (Reprint of 1897 edition) 7 v.
      R-REF,974.71,N541 1976
      1. Translated from original Dutch manuscript records; edited by Berthold Fernow. Includes administrative minutes, March 8, 1657 to Jan. 28, 1661. Volume 7 is the index. Immigrants and their occupations are sometimes listed.
         
         
3. The Court of Assizes for the Colony of New York was established in 1665. It served as the colony's high court through 1683, hearing major civil and criminal suits both as a court of first instance and as a court of appeals. The few surviving records of this court are in the New York State Archives (Series A0271, available on microfilm). In 1683 it was replaced by the Court of Oyer and Terminer (1683-1895), which met in each county at least once a year to "hear and determine" major criminal and civil cases. The court's jurisdiction was the same as that of the Court of General Sessions except that Oyer and Terminer had jurisdiction over crimes punishable by life imprisonment or death. (Any surviving records of the Court of Oyer and Terminer are held by the county clerk.
   
   
   1. Christoph, Peter R. and Florence A. Christoph, eds. Records of the Court of Assizes for the Colony of New York, 1665-1682. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. Part of series: New York Historical Manuscripts, English.
      R-REF,974.702,N533
      1. The records contain appeals, some probates and divorce records.
         
         
4. The Court of General Sessions (1683-1847) was a county-level court having jurisdiction over all felony cases not punishable by death or life imprisonment. Certain city courts had equivalent jurisdiction. Surviving minute books and indictment files are usually held by the county clerk.
   
   
   1. Scott, Kenneth. New York City Court Records, 1684-1760: Genealogical Data from the Court of Quarter [sic] Sessions. Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society, 1982. 161 p. Includes index.
      R-REF,929,N269 no. 50
      
      
   2. _____. New York City Court Records, 1760-1797: Genealogical Data from the Court of Quarter [sic] Sessions, Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society, 1983. 244 p.
      1. Records contain names of persons involved in cases of stealing, assault, battery, counterfeiting, riot, extortion, keeping a disorderly house, maintaining a billiard table or permitting card playing in a tavern and illegitimacy. The court also dealt with complaints of apprentices, appointment of guardians, manumissions of slaves, etc. -- Introduction
         
         
5. The Mayor's Court, created in 1665 (also known as the Court of Common Pleas after 1686), replaced the Dutch magistrates with a mayor, five aldermen and a sheriff. The Mayor's Court of Albany was established in 1686 and continued during the colonial period. The records are at the Albany County Hall of Records. (The Mayor's Court of Albany replaced the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady, which in turn had replaced the Court of Rensselaerswyck and the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck.)
   
   
   1. New York (N.Y.). Mayor's Court. Minutes of the Mayors Court of New York, 1674-1675. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1983. 87 p.
      R-REF,974.71,N532n4
      1. This book lists probates, marriages, lawsuits, licenses, names of freemen and persons taking allegiance oaths.
         
         
   2. Albany (N.Y.) Court of Albany, Colony of Rensselaerswyck and Schaenhechtede. Minutes of the Court of Albany, Rensselaerswyck and Schenectady, 1668-1685. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1926-1932. 3 v.
      R-REF and A,974.743,A323
      
      
   3. Beverwyck (New Netherland). Kleine Banck van Justitie, Fort Orange. Minutes of the Court of Fort Orange and Beverwyck, 1652-1660 . Albany: University of the State of New York, 1920-1923. 2 v.
      R-REF and A,974.743,F73
      1. The … court … was … for the trial of civil and minor causes. The jurisdiction of the court comprised Fort Orange, the village of Beverwyck, Schenectady, Kinderhook, Claverack, Coxsackie, Catskill and, until May 16, 1661, when a court was established at the Esopus, also the region around Kingston. Excluded was the colony of Rensselaerswyck, which maintained its own court until 1665 when the two courts were consolidated. – Preface.
         1. This publication has been superceded by: New Netherland. Inferior Court of Justice (Beverwyck, N.Y.) Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652-1660 ([Syracuse, N.Y.]: Syracuse University Press, 1990).
            
            
   4. Rensselaerswyck. Court. Minutes of the Court of Rensselaerswyck, 1648-1652. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1922.
      R-REF and A, 974.742,R414
      1. The court … corresponded to the usual courts of schout and schepens … a court of limited civil and criminal jurisdiction. – Preface.
         
         
6. In 1691 the Supreme Court of Judicature replaced the Court of Oyer and Terminer. It is a statewide court which holds terms in each county and possessed all the civil, criminal and appellate jurisdictions of English common-law courts.
   
   
   1. New York Historical Society. Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year …
      R-REF,974.7,N552
      1. "Minutes of the Supreme Court of Judicature, April 4, 1693 to April 1, 1701". (Vol. 45, 1912)
      2. "Minutes of the Supreme Court of Judicature of the Province of New York, Oct. 6, 1691 through Oct. 12, 1692 and Aug. 11, 1701 through Oct. 14, 1704". (Vol. 79, 1952)
         
         
7. For more information on courts in colonial New York State:
   
   
   1. "Courts" in Encyclopedia of New York City New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press,1995.
      
      
   2. Goebel, Julius and T. Raymond Naughton. Law Enforcement in Colonial New York: A Study in Criminal Procedure, 1664-1776. Montclair, N.J.: Patterson Smith, 1970.
      R,345.74705,G593,95-14665.
      
      
   3. Greenberg, Douglas. Crime and Law Enforcement in the Colony of New York, 1691-1776. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1976. 259 p. C,364.9747,G798,77-24701.
      
      
   4. New York State Archives. List of Pre-1847 Court Records in the State Archives. (Albany, N.Y.: Office of Cultural Education, 1984)

EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION RECORDS

1. Epperson, Gwenn F. New Netherland Roots. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1994. 147 p.
   R-REF,929.3747,E64,95-8739
   
   
   1. Discusses passenger lists of the Dutch West India Company, early Dutch marriage registers and other records of New Netherland, plus steps to follow and research aids to use in establishing families in Europe.
      
      
2. Baird, Charles Washington. History of the Huguenot Emigration to America. [S.l.: s.n.], 1966. 2 vol.
   Z,284.5,B16a
   
   
3. Finnell, Arthur Louis. Register of Qualified Huguenot Ancestors of the National Huguenot Society. 4th ed. Bloomington, Minn.: The Society, 1995. 337 p.
   R-REF,929.30882,qF514,94-81026
   
   
   1. This edition includes the current compiled list of Huguenot names recognized by the National Huguenot Society.
      
      
4. Jones, Hank. The Palatine Families of New York: A Study of the German Immigrants Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710. Universal City, Calif.: H.Z. Jones, 1985. 2 v. (1298 p.)
   R-REF,974.7,J77p
   
   
5. _____. More Palatine Families: Some Immigrants to the Middle Colonies 1717-1776 and Their European Origins Plus New Discoveries on German Families Who Arrived in Colonial New York in 1710. Universal City, Calif.: H.Z. Jones, 1991. 592 p.
   R-REF,974.7,N532,92-3850
   
   
6. Dobson, David. Directory of Scottish Settlers in North America, 1625-1825. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1984-1986. 6 v.
   R-REF, 929.3089916 D635 84-35407
   
   
7. _____. The Original Scots Colonists of Early America, 1612-1783. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1989. 370 p.
   R-REF,929.3089916,D635,89-25279
   
   
8. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1981-
   R-REF,929.373,qP287,81-26439,1981b2
   
   
   1. "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index (PILI) was first published in 1981 in three volumes which indexed more than 300 published lists covering about 500,000 persons. PILI and its 27 supplements now cover more than 4,056,000 persons" – Introduction to Passenger and Immigration Lists Index ... 2003 Supplement.
      1. The 2003 supplement is a bibliography of sources indexed for all volumes published and is a good place to look for titles of genealogy-related books of lists.
         1. Filby, P. William. Passenger and Immigration Lists Bibliography, 1538-1900: Being a Guide to Published Lists of Arrivals in the United States and Canada. Supplement with Combined Index to Basic Volume and Supplement. 1st ed. Detroit, Mich.: Gale Research Co., 1984- Physical description: v. Includes index.
            R-REF,016.92933,qP287,82-20465
            
            
9. Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987-1993. 4 v.
   R-REF,973.0042,C688,88-28777
   1. "A comprehensive listing compiled from English public records of those who took ship to the Americas [between 1607 and 1776] for political, religious, and economic reasons; of those who were deported for vagrancy, roguery, or non-conformity; and of those who were sold to labour in the New Colonies."
      
      
10. _____. The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614-1775 Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1988. 920 p.
    R-REF,929.373,C688,89-4854
    1. Rev. ed. of: Bonded Passengers to America. 1983.
       
       
11. Lancour, Harold. A Bibliography of Ship Passenger Lists, 1538-1825: Being a Guide to Published Lists of Early Immigrants to North America. New York: New York Public Library, 1963. 3rd ed. Revised and enlarged by Richard J. Wolfe.
    A,016.929,L25a
    1. “On the assumption that the researcher, in looking for a particular individual’s name, will know at least one of three things: the place of arrival, the approximate date of arrival, or the name of the ship, the list is arranged, first by the state to which the ship came, and second, under each state, chronologically by the year of arrival. In addition, there is a complete index to all ships’ names mentioned in the several books and articles listed in the bibliography giving exact page references to the books and articles referred to.”

GAZETTEERS

Several guides to New York place names have been published. Three of the many are:

1. Beauchamp, William M. Aboriginal Place Names of New York Detroit, Mich.: Grand River Books, 1971. 333 p.
   A,929.4,B37, 1971.
   
   
2. French, John Homer. Gazetteer of the State of New York: Embracing a Comprehensive View of the Geography, Geology, and General History of the State, and a Complete History and Description of Every County, City, Town, Village and Locality, with Full Tables of Statistics. Syracuse, N.Y.: R. Pearsall Smith, 1860. 751 p.
   R-REF,917.47,F87a (Also, in microfiche: MA,929.373,G326,86-24269,LH4397)
   1. Includes dates of settlement, early settlers, newspapers, geographical features, schools, churches and industries.
      1. Place, Frank. Index of Names in J.H. French's Gazetteer of the State of New York (1860). Cortland, N.Y.: Cortland County Historical Society, 1983. 145, 42 p. This is an index of personal names in the gazetteer.
         R-REF,917.47,F87I,1983
         
         
3. Spafford, Horatio Gates, ed. Gazetteer of the State of New-York, Carefully Written from Original and Authentic Materials, Arranged on a New Plan, in Three Parts. Albany, N.Y.: H.C. Southwick,1813. 334 p.
   R-REF,917.47,S733 (Also available in microfiche: MB/FF,810.8,E12 87-028530 no. 29836)

GENEALOGIES

The books listed in this section serve as a history of a region written through the lives of the people who settled and lived there. Generally they do not list primary source documents. William Applebie Eardeley wrote a number of books dealing with cemeteries, wills, estates, etc. for communities on Long Island and in the southeastern part of New York State. A search on eardeley william on the New York State Library online catalog will provide you with more detailed information. Helen Wilkinson Reynolds did the same for Dutchess County. A search on reynolds helen wilkinson on the New York State Library online catalog will provide you with more detailed information

1. Bergen, Teunis G. Register in Alphabetical Order, of the Early Settlers of Kings County, Long Island, N.Y., from its First Settlement by Europeans to 1700, with Contributions to Their Biographies and Genealogies. New York: S.W. Green’s Son, 1881. 452 p.
   R-REF,974.722,B49
   1. Thousands of names of birth, marriage, death, children, residence and often place of origin.
      
      
2. Collections of the Holland Society of New York. [New York]: The Society, 1891-
   R-REF,974.7,qH731
   1. This lineage society collects information about the early Dutch settlers and their descendants. Each vol. has also a distinctive title.
      
      
3. Davis, Norman. Westchester Patriarchs: A Genealogical Dictionary of Westchester County, New York, Families Prior to 1755. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1988. 325 p.
   R-REF,974.7277,W524,89-4974
   
   
4. Doherty, Frank J. Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All the 18^th Century Settlers in the Patent. Pleasant Valley, N.Y.: The Author, 1997 - .
   1. To date six volumes, covering the Abbot through Hunt families, have been published, the most recent volume appearing in 2001. Volume 6 contains of list of names of Beekman settlers to be covered in future volumes.
      
      
5. Genealogies of Long Island Families: From the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. 2 v.
   R-REF, 929.374721 G326
   
   
6. Knittle, Walter Allen. Early Eighteenth Century Palatine Emigration. Philadelphia: Dorrance & Co., 1937. 320 p.
   A,974.7
   1. Includes a good bibliography and an appendix of ten lists of names, of which the author says, “Heretofore, the largest list of these emigrants published contained only 6,000 people. The lists given here double that total.”
      
      
7. Pearson, Jonathan. Contributions for the Genealogies of the First Settlers of the Ancient County of Albany, from 1630 to 1800. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1978. 182 p. Reprint of the 1872 ed. published by J. Munsell, Albany.
   R-REF,974.742,P36,1976
   
   
8. _____. Contributions for the Genealogies of the Descendants of the First Settlers of the Patent and City of Schenectady, from 1662 to 1800. Albany, N.Y.: J. Munsell, 1873. 324 p.
   R-REF,974.744,S326 (Also available on microfilm: MA/FM,974.744,S326)
   
   
9. Reynolds, Cuyler. Genealogical and Family History of Southern New York and the Hudson River Valley: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Building of a Nation. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914. 3 v. (1480 p.)
   R-REF,974.7,qR46g
   
   
10. _____. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: A Record of Achievements of the People of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys in New York State, Included within the Present Counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Washington, Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, Schenectady, Columbia and Greene. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911. 4 v. (1847, lxxxii p.)
    R-REF,974.7,qR46
    
    
11. Riker, David. Genealogical and Biographical Directory to Persons in New Netherland from 1613 to 1674. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., [1999?]. 4 v.
    R-REF,929.37474,qR572 200-15834
    
    
12. Riker, James. Revised History of Harlem (City of New York.): Its Origin and Early Annals, Prefaced by Home Scenes in the Fatherlands, or, Notices of Its Founders Before Emigration. Also, Sketches of Numerous Families and the Recovered History of the Land-titles. New York: New Harlem Publishing Co., 1904.
    R-REF, 974.71 R57a
    1. The revised edition has an extensive genealogical appendix.
       
       

The Colonial Albany Social History 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 published and manuscript sources and includes birth, marriage and death data, as well as information concerning residency, migration, education, religion, wealth, politics and military service. Available at the CASHP Website (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/pcalhindex.html) are censuses for 1679 (Albany householders); 1697 (Albany households); 1714 (provincial census); 1756 (British army inventory of city households) and 1790 (first Federal census)

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

1. Long Island Source Records: From the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. 737 p.
   R-REF,974.721,L848
   
   
2. Mather, Frederic Gregory. Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut. Albany, N.Y.: J.B. Lyon Co., 1913. 1202 p.
   R-REF and C,973.309,Am2 (Also available on microfilm and microfiche)
   1. This book mentions thousands of families, both those that fled from Suffolk County to Connecticut in 1776 and those that remained during the Revolution.
      
      
3. Mohawk Valley in the Revolution: Committee of Safety Papers & Genealogical Compendium Franklin Park, N.J.: Liberty Bell Associates, 1978. 369 p.
   R-REF,974.7602,Am6
   1. Book I, the 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.
      
      
4. Stillwell, John Edwin. Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey.New York; [The Author], 1903-32. 5 v.
   R-REF,974.7,qS85
   1. These books contain transcripts of civil and church records primarily for Monmouth and Burlington counties, New Jersey, and for Staten Island, New York. Some volumes also include compiled family genealogies.

HISTORIES: STATE and LOCAL

Some published collections of historical documents essential for early New York genealogical research include:

1. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New-York. Albany, Weed, Parsons and Company, Printers, 1853-87. 15 v. No more published.
   R-REF and A,974.7,qD63 (Also available in microfilm: MA/FM,974.7,qD63,91-7654)
   1. Contents: V. 1-10. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New-York Procured in Holland, England and France, by John Romeyn Brodhead, Agent, under an Act of the Legislature, passed May 2, 1839. (Vol. 1-2, Holland Documents. 1856-58. Vol. 3-8, London Documents. 1853-57. Vol. 9-10, Paris Documents. 1855-58.) Vol. [11] General Index to the Documents; in V.1-10 prepared by E.B. O'Callaghan. 1861. Vol. 12 [New Series, Vol. 1] Documents Relating to the History of the Dutch and Swedish Settlements on the Delaware River, 1877. Vol. 13 [New Series., Vol. 2] Documents Relating to the History and Settlements of the Towns along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers (with the Exception of Albany), from 1630 to 1684, 1881. Vol. 14 [New Series, Vol. 3] Documents Relating to the History of the Early Colonial Settlements Principally on Long Island, 1883. Vol. 15. New York State Archives [Vol. 1] New York in the Revolution: Prepared under the Direction of the Board of Regents, by Berthold Fernow.
      
      
2. The Documentary History of the State of New-York Arranged under Direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, Secretary of State by E.B. O'Callaghan... Albany, Weed, Parsons & Co., Public Printers, 1850-51. 4 v.
   R-REF, 974.7 qD632
   1. Look at tables of contents to identify papers related to specific regions of the state. For example: Vol. 3, Chapter 9: Papers Relating to Palatines.
      
      
3. Meyers, Carol M. Early New York State Census Records, 1663-1772. 2nd ed. Gardena, Calif.: RAM Publishers, 1965. 178, [66] p.
   1. "[Material] edited and rearranged ... in a phonetic alphabetical sequence from the Documentary History of New York State, vol. I-IV, originally copyrighted in 1850." : Counties covered that are still in New York State are Albany (including parts of present day Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties), Dutchess, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester. Two additional counties (Cumberland and Gloucester) are included that were created from Albany County in what is present day Eastern Vermont along the Connecticut River.
      R-REF, 312.09747 M613
      
      
4. Johnson, William, Sir. Papers of Sir William Johnson. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1921. 14 v.
   R-REF and A,973.209,J71j (Also available in microfiche: MA/FF,929.373,G326,86-24269 PS314)
   1. Sir William Johnson was a wealthy land owner and trader, controlling most of the lands in New York State’s Mohawk Valley. In his official capacity as Indian agent or as a military officer, and in the conduct of his private affairs, he corresponded with people in all walks of life. The collection consists of documents ranging from bills and receipts to correspondence to household inventories for the years 1733 through 1808. Volumes 1-8 include the documents in the collection that survived the 1911 New York State Capitol fire. Significant numbers of documents were located while the first eight volumes were being published. These were published in two separate series: Volumes 9-12 and Volume 13. Volume 14 is an index to all the volumes. Sample entry: A letter dated July 11, 1750 refers to Teady Megin in Vol. 1, as Teady Magin in the Calendar of the Sir William Johnson Manuscripts in the New York State Library, and as Magin (McGin), Teady in Vol. 14 (Index).
      1. Day, Richard E. Calendar of the Sir William Johnson Manuscripts in the New York State Library. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1909. 683 p.
         A,973.209,J71n
         1. This calendar was issued prior to the fire and the absence of particular documents in the published collection is easy to ascertain.
            
            
5. New York (State). Secretary of State. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, New York, 1630-1664. Albany, [N.Y.]: Weed, Parsons and Company, Printers, 1865-1866. 2 parts (4 v.)
   A,016.9747,N55
   1. Part 1: Dutch Manuscripts, 1630-1664. Part 2: English Manuscripts, 1664-1776.
      1. The Preface to the Dutch Manuscripts volume notes: “The series … divides itself into two classes; one relating to Titles of Real Estate, -- the other, to the Administration of justice and of the government in general; the enactment of Laws; the introduction of Municipal Institutions; erection of Towns and establishment of Local Courts and Magistrates; the internal and external policy of the Colony; its correspondence with Fatherland and with the neighboring American Provinces, and its various wars with the Aborigines”.
         
         
6. Great Britain. Colonial Office. New York Records, 1664-1781.(MB/FM,974.702,G786,1637361) 48 reels.
   1. This collection is reproduced from the original correspondence of the Secretary of State and the Board of Trade with the colonial governors (C.O.5/1037-1078 and C.O.5/1081-1132). The original documents are located in the British Public Record Office. Many of these documents are in volumes 3 through 8 of the Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York. (R and A,974.7,qD63; microfilm: MA/FM,973.21,A5) Sample entry: Letter signed by David Abeel, March 29, 1774 (C.O.5/1078, p. 43)
      1. Great Britain. Public Record Office. Lists and Indexes. New York, N.Y.: Kraus Reprint Corp., 1963.
         C,942,qG786Li
         1. See Vol. 36, pp. 23-25.
            
            
7. Also check the bibliographies in the following:
   1. Kammen, Michael G. Colonial New York: A History. New York: Scribner, [1975]. 426 p.
      R-REF,974.702,K15,76-572
      
      
   2. Klein, Milton, ed. The Empire State: A History of New York Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2001. 837 p.
      R-REF,974.7,N532,201-12050
      
      
8. The New York State Library also has an extensive collection of local histories. Most are located on the seventh floor of the Cultural Education Center and New York State-related items have call numbers beginning with 974. Items not available in paper copy may be available on microfilm or on microfiche in the Genealogy/Local History microfiche collection.

LAND AND PROPERTY RECORDS

1. New York Historical Manuscripts, Dutch: Land Papers, Volumes GG, HH & II. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1980. 141 p.
   R-REF,974.702,N532
   1. Covers patents and conveyances issued between 1630 and 1664; also contains some "Indian deeds".
      
      
2. New York (State). Secretary of State. Calendar of N.Y. Colonial Manuscripts, Indorsed Land Papers in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643-1803. Harrison, N.Y.: Harbor Hill Books, 1987. 1087 p. "Revised reprint." Reprint. Originally published: Albany, N.Y.: Weed, Parsons & Co., 1864.
   R-REF and A,016.974702,N532
   1. This indexes the "Applications for Land Grants, 1642-1803," (A0272) commonly referred to as the "New York Colonial Manuscripts, Endorsed Land Papers," in 63 volumes at the New York State Archives. The records pertain to New York and Vermont. They give name and date and place of residence and include information about the land and people not included in the final land patent. These records have been microfilmed by the NYSA.
      
      
3. New York (N. Y.). Notary Public. New York Historical Manuscripts, Dutch: The Register of Salomon Lachaire, Notary Public of New Amsterdam, 1661-1662, Translated from the Original Dutch Manuscript in the Office of the Clerk of the Common Council of New York by E. B. O'Callaghan. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1978. 241 p
   A,974.71,N532
   1. This book contains translations of conveyances recorded in the minutes of the provincial secretary, 1638-1660. Gives name, date and location of patent.
      
      

Patents

A patent is a right to a parcel of land granted by the governor. All colonial patents and land grant applications and many deeds are in the New York State Archives.

1. Bowman, Fred Q. Landholders of Northeastern New York, 1739-1802. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1983. 228 p.
   R-REF,974.75,B787
   1. Contains list of land grants in patents in the present New York State counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Warren, and Washington.
      
      
2. Higgins, Ruth Loving. Expansion in New York with Especial Reference to the Eighteenth Century. [Columbus]: The Ohio State University, 1931. 209 p.
   R-REF,974.7,H63
   1. Includes a map and information about the larger patents. "The purpose of this study has been to trace expansion of settlement and land ownership in New York."--Pref.
      
      
3. Vermont. Secretary of State. New York Land Patents, 1688-1786, Covering Land Now Included in the State of Vermont (Not Including Military Patents). [S.l.: s.n.], 1947.
   R-REF,974.3,V519 v.7
   1. This book is volume 7 of the State Papers of Vermont
      
      

Surveys

Surveys sometimes contain descriptions, proprietors’ records, names of buyers, names of neighbors and maps. These surveys and accompanying maps sometimes show settlers or occupants of property; most of the surveys were made prior to subdivision of patents or other tracts. See collections A4019, A0452 and A4694 at the New York State Archives.

Deeds and Mortgages

1. Recorded deeds and mortgages are found at the office of the county clerk. These begin with the date when the county was set off from the parent county. Recording of deeds in county clerks’ offices did not become mandatory statewide until 1830. Deeds usually show buyer, seller, residence and dates. Sometimes they show previous residence and give relationships. See collections A4688, A4684 and A3074 at the New York State Archives.
   
   
2. Mortgages establish when a family resided at a specific place. See collection A0479 at the New York State Archives.
   
   
3. Hulslander, Laura Penny. Abstracts of Deeds and Wills of Albany County, New York, 1768-1771. Mililani, HI: Sleeper Co., 1992. 106 p.
   R-REF, 974.742 qA326
   
   
4. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. V. 1- (Jan. 1870- )
   R-REF,929,qN54
   1. Abstracts of early deeds for Kings and Westchester counties have been published in the NYGBR, beginning in volumes 48 and 50, respectively.
      
      

Manorial Records

A manor was a tract of land granted by the governor. In some cases, manors had their own courts and exercised civil and criminal jurisdiction over the tenants who leased land. Manorial records are used to establish a place of residence.

1. The largest manors were Rensselaerswyck, sometimes spelled Rensselaerwyck, (granted in 1630 and 1685), Livingston (granted in 1686), Philipsburgh (granted in 1693), Cortlandt (granted in 1697), Fordham (granted in 1671), Pelham (granted in 1687) and Morrisania (granted in 1697). The New York State Library has the Rensselaerswyck Papers (SC7079)
   
   
2. Kim, Sung Bok. Landlord and Tenant in Colonial New York: Manorial Society, 1664-1775. Chapel Hill: Published for the Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Va., by the University of North Carolina Press, 1978. 456 p.
   R-REF and A,974.7,K49
   1. The appendix describes the manorial records that exist and where they are located.
      
      

Military Bounty Land

New York granted military bounty land patents for service in the French and Indian War and in the Revolutionary War but did not grant lands to veterans of the War of 1812. Most French and Indian War grants were in the region of the upper Hudson River. In 1782, Revolutionary War veterans were issued land by lottery in the Finger Lakes region of central New York (28 townships in the present counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Cortland, Oswego, Wayne, Schuyler and Tompkins). Many men sold their grants and never settled the land. Before this, lands were made available in the Old Military Tract – located in present-day Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties – but few soldiers settled there.

1. The military bounty land patents give the name of the patentee, reason for the grant, location by township, lot number and acreage. Each volume is indexed by the name of the patentee. See collection A0479 at the New York State Archives.
   
   
2. New York (State). Secretary of State. The Balloting Book and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands, in the State of New York. Albany: Printed by Packard & VanBenthuysen, 1825 . Ovid, N.Y.: Reprinted by W.E. Morrison & Co., 1983. 214 p. Includes the general index compiled by M. Frances Ferris in 1954.
   R-REF,973.3447,qA2b (Also available on microfilm: MB/FM,973.3447,A2b,1635792)
   1. Soldiers who drew land are listed in this book, which is arranged by township, lot number and grantee name. There are volume and page cross-references to the military patent books. For lands allotted to Canadian refugees, see Calendar of N.Y. Colonial Manuscripts, Indorsed Land Papers in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York, 1643-1803, p. 797+
      (R-REF and A,016.974702,N532).
      1. New York (State). Secretary of State. Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands, in the State of New York. Index. Syracuse, N.Y.: Onondaga Historical Association, 1954. 27 p.
         R-REF and C,973.3447,qA2bb
         1. Indexes the Balloting Book and is included in the 1983 reprint.
            
            
3. The New York State Archives has Revolutionary War Accounts and Claims, 1775-1808 (bulk, 1782-1799). Collection A0200.
   1. Roberts, James A. New York in the Revolution as Colony and State. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., [1996] 2 v. (534, 336 p.) First work originally published: Albany, N.Y.: O.A. Quayle, 1898. 2nd work originally published: Albany, N.Y.: O.A. Quayle, 1901.
      RR,973.3447,qA2 1996
      1. Contains indexes to names found in the records before many of them were destroyed in the 1911 Capitol Fire
         
         

Land Companies

1. The Holland Land Company surveyed land in Western New York and then sold it to individuals. The records are described in Pieterse, Wilhelmina Chr. Inventory of the Archives of the Holland Land Company: Including the Related Amsterdam Companies and Negotiations Dealing with the Purchase of Land and State Funds in the United States of America, 1789-1869. Amsterdam: Municipal Printing Office, 1976. 75 p. (R-REF,974.79,P625)
   
   
2. Holland Land Company. Archives of the Holland Land Company. 202 microfilm reels.
   MB/FM,333.33,H735,86-25349.
   1. The 1789-1869 records of six Dutch banking houses which purchased over five million acres of land, mostly in New York and Pennsylvania, are included in this collection of financial records, land records and correspondence of both the board of directors and company representatives in the United States.
      1. Livsey, Karen E. Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824: Extracted from the Archives of the Holland Land Company. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1991. 472 p. Includes index.
         R-REF,974.79,N532
         
         
3. Holland Land Company. Holland Land Company Records, 1794-1863, 1798-1821 (bulk). 23 microfilm reels.
   MB/FM,333.33,H735,99-18512
   1. The bulk of the collection consists of the papers of Joseph Ellicott, surveyor and land sales agent for the company. In addition there are the papers about the company's legal matters collected by Henry Glowacki. Many of these concern the business dealings of Jacob LeRoy and Herman J. Redfield. There are an assortment of other letters, deeds, indentures, agreements, law cases and briefs, ledgers of accounts, death notices and survey maps of counties in western New York and northern Pennsylvania. Finding aid available at the beginning of each reel. The originals are owned by the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
      1. "The Holland Land Company and Canal Constructions in Western New York" in Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society. (Buffalo, N.Y.: The Society, 1910) Vol. 14.
         1. Many of the letters were selected from the Joseph Ellicott Correspondence and the Charles Worthington Evans Collection.
            
            
      2. Evans, Paul Demund. "The Holland Land Company" Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society. (Buffalo, N.Y.: The Society, 1928) Vol. 28.
         1. An historical study of the company's operation in the United States.
            
            
      3. Bingham, Robert Warwick. "Holland Land Company's Papers: Reports of Joseph Ellicott" in Publications of the Buffalo Historical Society. (Buffalo, N.Y.: The Society, 1937, 1941) Vol. 32 and 33.
         1. Transcriptions of the report of the Grand Survey of the Holland Purchase, related correspondence and the annual reports of the Batavia Land Office between 1800 and 1835.
            
            
4. Another large tract was purchased by Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham. The Phelps and Gorham Company, 1776-1892 Records (SC10440) are available at the New York State Library. Volume 134 is available on microfiche (MA/FF,974.703,P538,202-1722). An unpublished finding aid is available at the State Library.
   
   
5. Peter Smith Papers, 1763-1850. (MB/FM,974.7,S656) 12 reels.
   1. In 1789 Peter Smith moved to Old Fort Schuyler, now Utica, N.Y., where he established a store and bought and sold land. In 1793 he bought a tract of 50,000 acres from the Oneida Indians. The collection consists of correspondence and business and land records related to central New York.
      1. Guide to the Microfilm Edition of the Peter Smith Papers, 1763-1850, and Gerrit Smith Papers, 1775-1924. Glen Rock, N.J.: Microfilming Corporation of America, 1974. 88 p. (R-REF, 016.9747,qS656)
         
         
6. The Macomb Purchase was made in 1792. This four-million-acre tract included all of modern Lewis County, most of modern St. Lawrence, Franklin and Jefferson counties and parts of Oswego and Herkimer counties.

LAW AND LEGISLATION

Published New York Session session laws are valuable for information about such things as changing town and county boundaries, militia enrollment, land confiscation, taxation, census laws, naturalizations, divorces and poor relief.

The session laws are published in chronological order and each volume has an index. Use them to determine residence of persons mentioned in the indexes.

1. New York (Colony) Laws, statutes, etc. Laws and Ordinances of New Netherland, 1638-1674 Compiled and Translated from the Original Dutch Records in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y., by E.B. O'Callaghan. Albany: Weed, Parsons and Company, printers, 1868. 602 p. 
   A,345.12,N5485,1638-74
   
   
2. New York (State) Laws, etc. (Session laws : 1691-1775) The Colonial Laws of New York from the Year 1664 to the Revolution Including the Charters to the Duke of York, the Commissions and Instructions to Colonial Governors, the Duke's Laws, the Laws of the Dongan and Leisler Assemblies, the Charters of Albany and New York and the Acts of the Colonial Legislatures from 1691 to 1775 Inclusive Transmitted to the Legislature by the Commissioners of Statutory Revision, Pursuant to Chapter 125 of the Laws of 1891. Albany: J.B. Lyon, State Printer, 1894. 5 v.
   LAW 671-4 COLLN and A,345.12,N5485
   
   
3. New York (Colony) Laws, statutes, etc. Laws of the Colony of New York, Passed in the Years 1774 and 1775. Fourteenth and Fifteenth George III. Republished under direction of Frederick Cook, Secretary of State, Pursuant to Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-one, Laws of Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-eight. Albany, James B. Lyon, 1888. 239p.
   A,345.12,N5485 1774-75
   
   
4. New York (State) Laws, etc. Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature Held in the Years 1777-[1800]. Republished by the Secretary of State, Pursuant to Chapter Three Hundred and Forty-one of the Laws of Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-five. Albany: Weed, Parsons, 1886-87. 5 v.
   A,345.12,N55 1777-1801

MAPS

Detailed patent maps may show where early settlers lived. Some manuscript collections have hand-drawn maps that may include names of individuals living on plots of land.

1. New York (State). Secretary of State. Catalogue of Maps and Surveys in the Office of the Secretary of State, State Engineer and Surveyor, and Comptroller, and the New York State Library. Printed by Order of the Assembly and Under the Direction of the Secretary of State, 1851, and Revised, Corrected and Enlarged by Order of the Assembly and Under the Direction of the Secretary of State, by David E. E. Mix, C.E. Albany: Printed by C. Van Benthuysen, 1859. 375 p.
   R-REF,016.912747,N55 (Also on microfilm: MB/FM,016.912747,N55)
   
   
2. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. New York. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. 242 p. 
   R-REF and A,974.7,qA881
   1. Maps show when and where each county changed boundaries from colonial times to 1990.
      
      
3. Wright, Albert Hazen. Check List of New York State County Maps Published 1779-1945. [S.l.: s.n.], 1965.
   R-REF and A,016.912747,qW94c
   
   
4. _____. New York Historical Source Studies. Ithaca, N.Y.: [The Author], 1943.
   R-REF and A,016.912747,qW94
   1. Part 1. Supervisors' proceedings of various counties of New York, by A. H. Wright.
   2. Part 2. A checklist of the country atlases of New York, by A. H. Wright and W. W. Ellis.
      
      
5. Burr, David H. An Atlas of the State of New York, Containing a Map of the State and of the Several Counties. Projected and Drawn Under the Superintendence and Direction of Simeon de Witt ... And Also the Physical Geography of the State ... New York: D. H. Burr, 1829. 29 p.
   A,912.747,xB96
   
   
6. Bien, Joseph Rudolph. Atlas of the State of New York. New York: J. Bien & Co., 1895. [133 p. of maps]
   A,912.747,xB58
   1. Includes a map showing all patents and a list of names of all patents.
      
      
7. American Manuscript Maps in British Repositories. Phase I, 1763-1783: The Peace of Paris to the American Revolution. East Ardsley, Wakefield, England: E.P. Microform, 1978? 4 reels.
   MB/FM,912.73,A512,86-23082
   1. Reels 3 and 4 contain maps related to New York State, including a couple versions of "Sir William Johnson's Tract".
      1. Manuscript Maps Relating to North America and the West Indies, Part 1: The Revolutionary Era, in the Public Record Office, London. [London, England]: EP Microform Limited Publication, 1980. 69 p.
         A,912.73, qM294,86-23081

MILITARY RECORDS

1. The New York State Archives and Records Administration has some muster rolls, bounty records and pension records for Revolutionary War soldiers. However, many of those records were destroyed in the Capitol fire of 1911. The records do not contain personal information.
   
   
2. Horowitz, Lois. A Bibliography of Military Name Lists from Pre-1675 to 1900: A Guide to Genealogical Sources. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1990.
   R-REF,929.373,H816,90-14241
   
   

Colonial Wars

1. New York residents participated in King William’s War (1689-97), Queen Anne’s War (1702-13), King George’s War (1740-48) and the French and Indian War (1754-63). Nearly all original muster rolls for colonial wars were destroyed in a fire in 1911. Before the fire, however, muster rolls from 1664 to 1775 were published with a name index.
   1. New York (State). State Historian. Annual Report of the State Historian. Albany; New York: Wynkoop, Hallenbeck Crawford Co., state printers, 1896-1898. 3 v.
      R-REF and A,974.7,N556 (Also available in microfiche: HIS 050-1 7657401)
      1. In 1895 Governor Morton appointed a state historian, whose duties were "to collect ... edit, and prepare for publication all official records ... and data, relative to the colonial wars, war of the revolution, war of 1812, Mexican war, and war of the rebellion [etc.]". The 2d and 3d annual reports are lettered on cover: Colonial series. Vol. I-II. They contain as appendices papers relating to the part taken by military organizations of the state during the civil war, colonial records, 1664-1675, and muster rolls, 1664-1775. "Appendix N" of the 3d annual report was issued separately, 1899-1904, as v. 1-7 of the "Public papers of George Clinton, first governor of New York, 1777-1795, 1801-1804", issued in 10 vols., New York, 1899-1914. Herein you will find the names of members of the units of the colonial militia.
         
         

Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

1. A man born between 1730 and 1765 who lived in New York is probably listed in some form of military record. If he supported the Revolution, he may be mentioned in records as a rebel, patriot or Whig. Those who opposed the Revolution were Loyalists or Tories.
   1. For information on what the New York State Archives has relative to the Revolutionary War, go to the State Archives Website – www.archives.nysed.gov – and position the cursor on the Research Room line, which will open a window; position the cursor on Military and click.
      
      
2. Roberts, James A. New York in the Revolution as Colony and State. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., [1996] 2 vol. (534, 336 p.) First work originally published: Albany, N.Y.: O.A. Quayle, 1898. 2nd work originally published: Albany, N.Y.: O.A. Quayle, 1901. Includes indexes.
   R-REF,973.3447,qA2 1996
   1. The first volume lists some 45,000 names from regimental rosters. The second volume has lists of bounty land recipients, refugees, naval lists, prisoner of war lists, lists of suspected Loyalists, claimants for damages, and information about confiscated estates.
      
      
3. Fernow, Berthold, 1837-1908. New York in the Revolution. Cottonport [La.]: Polyanthos, 1972. 638 p. Reprint of the 1887 ed. published by Weed, Parsons, Albany, which was issued as v. 15 of Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York. (R and A,974.7,qD63)
   A,974.7,qD63 1972
   1. Lists name, regiment, company, rank and sometimes residence.
      
      
4. Muster and Pay Rolls of the War of the Revolution, 1775-1783: Reprinted from Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Years 1914 and 1915. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., Inc., 1996. 2 v. in 1 (707 p.) Originally published: New York: New York Historical Society, 1916. (Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year 1914-1915; v. 47-48. R-REF,974.7,N552). Includes index.
   R-REF,973.34,M991
   1. Lists name, regiment, company, rank, residence and sometimes service dates. Includes Canadian troops.
      
      
5. New York (State). Council of Appointment. Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment of the State of New York, 1783-1821. Albany, N.Y.: James B. Lyon, 1901-02. 4 vol.
   R-REF and A,974.7,N555
   1. Listed here are names of men who served in various militia regiments in New York State between 1783 and 1821. Vol. 4 is an index of names.
      
      
6. New York (State). Secretary of State. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts Relating to the War of the Revolution in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y., 1868. 2 vol. (Vol. 1 has 2 parts)
   A and R-REF,973.3447,qA
   1. Volume 1 includes lists of patriots and loyalists for Charlotte, Cumberland, Dutchess, Orange, Suffolk and Ulster counties in 1775.
      
      
7. Albany County, N.Y. Committee of Correspondence. Minutes of the Albany Committee of Correspondence, 1775-1778. Albany: University of the State of New York, 1923-25. 2 v.
   R-REF and A,974.742,qA321
   1. Volume 2 is "Minutes of the Schenectady Committee, 1775-1779". The index in volume 2 covers both volumes.
      
      
8. Guides to more Revolutionary War-era sources:
   1. Bielinski, Stefan. A Guide to the Revolutionary War Manuscripts in the New York State Library. Albany: New York State American Bicentennial Commission, 1976. 97 p.
      R-REF and A,973.3,qB587
   2. Klein, Milton Martin. New York in the American Revolution: A Bibliography. Albany, New York: State American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, [1974]. 197 p.
      R-REF and A,016.9733,K64
      
      

Patriot Records/Pension Records

1. Hoyt, Max E. Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications. Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society, 1966. 1324 p.
   R-REF,351.5,qH871
   1. The pension and bounty land warrant files indexed in this book are not in the New York State Library or the New York State Archives. For information on the records, contact the National Archives and Records Administration.
      
      
2. White, Virgil D. Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files. Waynesboro, Tenn.: National Historical Pub. Co., 1990-1992. 1st ed. 4 v. (5265 p.)
   R-REF, 973.34 qW588,93-43101
   1. May include name, service and application dates and places, age, birth, date, marriage date, residences and names of relatives.
      
      
3. _____. Index to Revolutionary War Service Records. 1st ed. Waynesboro, Tenn.: The National Historical Publishing Company, 1995. 4 v.
   R-REF,973.4,qW588
   
   
4. The New York State Library has the Revolutionary War Soldiers Grave Card Index that indexes:
   1. Daughters of the American Revolution. New York. Historic Research and Preservation of Records Committee. Graves of Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in New York. Rhinebeck, N.Y.: [Daughters of the American Revolution], 1922- . 15 v.
      R-REF,973.3447,qA2c (Also available on microfilm: MA/FM,973.3447,qA2c)
      1. The 15 volumes also are indexed in Volume 2 of Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes. Prepared by the General Peter Gansevoort Chapter. (R-REF, 929 qD23)
         
         

Loyalists

1. A search on the term american loyalists in the SUBJECT field of the New York State Library's online catalog will yield a number of matches. (To get to the catalog, go to the State Library's Website – www.nysl.nysed.gov – and click on the Catalog Information link. On the next screen, click on the Web-based Catalog link; on the next screen click on the All Libraries LOGIN button.)
   
   
2. Palmer, Gregory, ed. A Bibliography of Loyalist Source Material in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Westport, Conn.: Meckler Pub, 1982. 1964 p.
   R-REF and A,016.973314,B582,83-20756
   1. Index includes names of individuals listed in collections described. Includes annotated list of Loyalist newspapers published between 1763 and 1783 and annotated list of American Loyalist Papers in the Records of the Colonial Office in the Public Record Office.
      
      
3. Great Britain. Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Losses of American Loyalists.  American Loyalist Claims. [Records of Claims and Their Adjudication] 1776-1831. Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus-Thomson Organization, 1972. 30 microfilm reels (146 volumes).
   MB/FM,973.314,G782
   1. This collection reproduces records of the Exchequer and Audit Department records, (Audit Office Series I, A.O. 12) in the British Public Record Office. Series I consists of entry books and ledgers containing the evidence of witnesses, reports and other communicated documents, the examinations and decision of the commissioners, and lists of claims. Sample entry: "Dr. Joseph Clarke, Conn." Name is not in Colham's American Loyalist Claims but there are several entries for Joseph Clarke (with and without middle initials) in Bunnell's New Loyalist Index.
      1. Great Britain. Public Record Office. Lists and Indexes. Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus-Thomson Org. Ltd., 1966. 55 v.
         C,942,qG786Li.
         1. At the beginning of Reel 1 is an alphabetical listing of names showing in which volume and on what page in that volume the information on that individual will be found.
            
            
   2. Andrews, Charles McLean. Guide to the Materials for American History to 1783 in the Public Record Office of Great Britain.   Washington, D.C.:  Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1912-14. 2 v.
      A,016.973,A56,1965.
      1. Includes description of the collection.
         
         
   3. Great Britain. Public Record Office. The Records of the Foreign Office, 1782-1939. London, Eng.: H.M. Stationery Office, 1969. 180 p.
      A,016.32742,G7865r
      1. Includes description of the collection.
         
         
4. Great Britain. Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Losses of American Loyalists. American Loyalists. Transcript of the Manuscript Books and Papers of the Commission of Enquiry into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists Held under Acts of Parliament of 23, 25, 26, 28 and 29 of George III. Preserved Amongst the Audit Office Records [series I, A. O. 12] in the Public Record Office of England, 1783-1790. Reprint of 1898-1903 edition. Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus-Thomson, 1960. 29 microfilm reels (60 volumes)
   MB/FM,973.314,G782a
   1. The collection reproduces transcripts of the manuscript books and papers of the Commission of Enquiry into the losses and services of the American Loyalists held under acts of Parliament of 23, 25, 26, 28 and 29 of George III, preserved among the Audit Office Records (Series I, A.O. 12) in the Public Record Office of England, 1783-1790. The collection was transcribed for the New York Public Library by B.F. Stevens. Sample entry: "Thos. Michell, Mercht & Mariner". Name is not in Colham's American Loyalist Claims or Bunnell's New Loyalist Index.
      
      
   2. Contents of the transcript, by volume, are listed in Andrews, Charles McLean. Guide to the Materials for American History to 1783 in the Public Record Office of Great Britain. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1912-14. 2 v. (A,016.973,A56,1965).
      1. Great Britain. Public Record Office. Guide to the Contents of the Public Record Office. London, Eng.: H.M. Stationery Office, 1963. 3 v.
         C,016.942,G78gc
         1. Describes the collection.
            
            
5. Great Britain. Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Losses of American Loyalists. American Loyalists. Transcript of Various Papers Relating to the Losses, Services and Support of the American Loyalists and to His Majesty's Provincial Forces During the War of American Independence, Preserved Amongst the American manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, 1777-1783. Reprint. New York: New York Public Library, 1960. 3 microfilm reels (8 volumes)
   MB/FM, 973.314 G782a2
   1. The collection includes transcripts of various "papers relating to the losses, services, and support of the American Loyalists and to His Majesty's provincial forces during the War of American Independence, preserved amongst the American manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, 1777-1783." Transcribed for the New York Public Library in 1903 by B.F. Stevens. The collection is comprised of Audit Office records, A.O. 13, Series II, in the Public Record Office of Great Britain. It includes 140 bundles of original memorials, certificates, accounts and vouchers of the various claimants as presented to the Commission, and as such listed in volume 46 of Great Britain. Public Record Office. Lists and Indexes. Millwood, N.Y.: Kraus-Thomson Org. Ltd., 1966. 55 v. (C,942,qG786Li.) Sample entry: "Memorial etc. of Margaret Brush, widow of Crean Brush, to Col. Morris" is not in Coldham's American Loyalist Claims; in Bunnell's New Loyalist Index, there is an entry for a Crean Brush.
      
      
6. Palmer, Gregory. Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution. Westport, CT: Meckler, 1984. 959 p.
   A,973.314,P174
   1. Draws on the information found in A.O.12 and A.O. 13 described above. Generally lists the state (including community and sometimes county name) the individual emigrated from and size of property lost; may include names of wives, age, where he was born, when he immigrated to America, etc.
      
      
7. Fraser, Alexander. Second Report of the Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario. Toronto: L.K. Cameron, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, 1905. (Title on second title page: United Empire Loyalists. Enquiry into the Losses and Services in Consequence of Their Loyalty. Evidence in the Canadian Claims.) 1,376 pages in 2 parts (volumes). Part II (Volume 2) includes a surname index to Parts I and II. A,971.3,O591, 1904.
   1. "The migration of the Loyalists to Canada, which began from New York State as early as 1774, continued in varying degrees till 1789." In July 1783 the British Parliament appointed a commission to classify the Loyalists' losses and services; the commission opened its investigation in October. "Claimants had to state specifically in writing the nature of their losses … in their Rights, Properties and Professions during the late unhappy dissentions in America".
      
      
   2. A transcript of "the notes of the proceedings and evidence taken before the two commissioners sent to Canada were retained by Col. Thomas Dundas … [was] placed in the Public Records Office … The original manuscript … [was sent to] the Smithsonian Institute … and there the papers remained for some years … till an act of Congress was passed transferring the manuscripts … to the Archives of the Congress, where they have since remained."
      
      
   3. Tells where applicant lived in what became the United States; frequently tells when he came to America and sometimes lists names of family members and describes the land and other property lost.
      
      
8. Bunnell, Paul J. The New Loyalist Index. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1989-98. 3 v.
   R-REF,929.373,B942
   1. Names of over 9,500 Loyalists listed in published and unpublished sources. Information provided for each may include where they lived before emigrating from the United States before, during or after the Revolutionary War, where they settled, birth and death dates, number of children, etc. Volume 2 includes names of many widows.
      
      
9. Yoshpe, Harry Beller. The Disposition of Loyalist Estates in the Southern District of the State of New York. New York: AMS Press, 1967, [1939]. 226 p.
   R-REF,974.703,N532
   1. The appendices include lists of the names of Loyalists whose estates were confiscated. Lists county of residence, date of sale and awards paid.
      
      
10. New York (State). Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies, 1777-1778. Minutes of the Commissioners for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York. Albany County Sessions, 1778-1781. Albany, Pub. by the State of New York [J. B. Lyon Company, State Printers] 1909-10. 3 v.
    R-REF and A,973.314,qN55
    1. Volume 3 includes the index to all volumes. May show names, dates, residence, military service record and occupation.
       
       
11. Sons of the American Revolution. Empire State Society. Register of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution … Containing an Account of the Origin of the Sons of the American Revolution … the Constitution and By-laws of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Lists of the National, State and Chapter Officers, Roll of Members with Personal Data and Genealogies, Roll of Revolutionary Ancestors. [S.l.: s.n.], 1899.
    C, 369.133 qN54
    1. Lists soldiers and descendants.

NATURALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP RECORDS

Colonial

1. Between 1664 and 1708 aliens occasionally sought British citizenship through the King of England or by a special act of Parliament. The governor of New York or a deputy could also grant a letter of denization (similar to naturalization). Because the process was quite costly, most immigrants did not apply. Oaths of allegiance were also taken in 1664, 1673, 1687 and 1776. Most colonial naturalizations kept during the colonial period followed a 1740 Act of Parliament. Colonial naturalization records rarely give much information as age or town of origin. Most existing records are found in the session laws described in the LAW AND LEGISLATION section.
   1. Scott, Kenneth. Denizations, Naturalizations and Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New York. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1975. 120 p.  Includes index.
      A,929.3747,S427
      
      

Post-1790

1. After 1790 aliens could declare their intention to become citizens and later be naturalized in any court of record. Most naturalizations took place in the county courts of common pleas, but they also were recorded in city, mayors' district and other courts. The counties have naturalization records from 1790 to the present.
   1. Scott, Kenneth. Early New York Naturalizations: Abstracts of Naturalization Records from Federal, State, and Local Courts, 1792-1840. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1981. 452 p.  Includes index.
      R-REF,929.3747,S427
      1. The book includes abstracts of naturalizations from the Court of Common Pleas for the City and County of (1792-1840) and the Queens County Court (1799-1906). May show foreign birthplace, age or residence.
         
         
   2. Hulslander, Laura Penny. Oaths of Allegiance, Declarations of Intent and Naturalizations in Washington County, New York, 1794-1833. Alexandria, VA: The Sleeper Co., 1996. 67 p. Includes index.
      R-REF,974.749,qW319,96-16325
      
      
   3. Court Records of Washington County, New York, 1773-1895. Schenectady, N.Y.: Capitol Microfilm, 1992. 16 microfilm reels.
      MA/FM,929.374749,C862
      1. Includes some records related to naturalizations dating to the early 1800s.

NEWSPAPERS

Newspapers mention births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, probate court proceedings and other news. Few newspapers are indexed.

1. Many New York State newspapers now are available on microfilm. For more information, go to www.nysl.nysed.gov/nysnp.
   1. Early English Newspapers, 1603-1818 (individual titles NOT on the State Library's online catalog)
      MC/FM,072,E11,83-27444
      1. This collection reproduces the Dr. Charles Burney and John Nicholls collections of 17^th-, 18^th-, and 19^th-century English newspapers in the British Library and the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
         1. An online guide - www.galegroup.com/pdf/guide/early.pdf - to reels 1-121 has been produced by the publisher, Primary Source Microfilm (formerly Research Publications).
         2. Cox, Susan M. and Janice L. Budeit. Early English Newspapers: Bibliography and Guide to the Microfilm Collection. (Woodbridge, Conn.: Research Publications, 1983)
            RR,011.35,qC878,84-27585
            
            
   2. Early American Newspapers (individual titles are on the State Library's online catalog)
      MC/FM,072,E12,84-25695
      1. When complete, the collection will contain all obtainable issues of more than 2,000 newspapers.
         1. Latham, Edward Connery. Chronological Tables of American Newspapers, 1690-1820: Being a Tabular Guide to Holdings of Newspapers Published in America through the Year 1820. [Worcester, Mass.]: American Antiquarian Society, [1972].
            A,016.0713,qL352,73-1580
            1. Provides a quick picture of what newspapers were published where for which there is microform copy.
               
               
2. Indexes to early obituaries and marriage notices collected from newspapers include:
   1. Bowman, Fred Q. 10,000 Vital Records of Eastern New York, 1777-1834. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1987. 356 p. Includes indexes.
      R-REF and A,929.3747,B787
   2. _____. 8,000 More Vital Records of Eastern New York State, 1804-1850. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 1991. 287 p.
      R-REF,929.3747,B787
   3. Gavit, Joseph. [American Deaths and Marriages, 1784-1829] [Albany, N.Y.: s.n., 19--?].
      MA/FM,929.3747,G283
      1. Index cards of abstracts of some 40,000 marriage and death notices arranged alphabetically by surname which appeared in some sixty-five newspapers, primarily but not exclusively, of New York State from the Hudson River Valley north to Plattsburgh, N.Y. and from Pittsfield, Mass. west to Utica, N.Y. during the years 1784-1829, with a few through 1834. Six reels arranged in two sets. The second set (two reels) is a reduced image version of the first set (four reels) and is paginated to coincide with an every name index compiled by Kenneth Scott.
         1. Scott, Kenneth. Joseph Gavit's American Deaths and Marriages, 1784-1829: Index to Non-principals in Microfilm Copies of Abstracts in the New York State Library, Albany. New Orleans: Polyanthos, 1976.
            MA and A,929.3747,G283
            
            
3. Genealogical Data from Colonial New York Newspapers: A Consolidation of Articles from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1977. 278 p.
   R-REF,929.3747,G326
   1. Material extracted from the New-York Gazette, 1726-1744; the New-York Weekly Journal, 1733-1751; the New-York Mercury, 1752-1768; and the New-York Gazette and the Weekly Mercury, 1768-1783; published in various volumes of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record from October 1964 to October 1976.
      
      
4. Scott, Kenneth. Genealogical Data from the New York Post-Boy. Washington: National Genealogical Society, [1970], 1980 printing. 188 p.
   R-REF,929.2,N269 no. 35

OCCUPATIONS

1. New York (Colony). Calendar of New York Colonial Commissions, 1680-1770. New York: New-York Historical Society, 1929.
   R-REF,974.7,N548ca
   1. Lists office holders, their residences and dates of commission.
      
      
2. Scott, Kenneth. Nineteenth Century Apprentices in New York City. Arlington, Va.: National Genealogical Society, 1986. 474 p.
   R-REF, 929,N269 no. 55
   1. Lists occupation, age, person to whom apprenticed and sometimes parents.
      
      

PERIODICALS

Many history periodicals publish articles of genealogical value. These may include genealogies, information about local records and where to find them, census indexes, transcripts of family Bibles, church records, court records, cemetery records, land records, obituaries and wills.

The best way to search these publications is through indexes. The New York State Library has a number of indexes that cover items in several periodicals; some periodicals publish quarterly and annual indexes and some even publish cumulative indexes that cover several years and sometimes decades.

1. Periodical Source Index (CD-ROM) (PERSI) Orem, Utah: Ancestry Incorporated, 1997-.
   RT,016.9292,P445
   1. Indexes thousands of family history periodicals from around the United States.
      1. Periodical Source Index (PERSI). Prepared by the Staff of the Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Department, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fort Wayne, Ind.: Allen County Public Library Foundation, 1987- .
         R-REF, 016.9292 qP445
         1. The paper copy that pre-dated the CD-ROM copy.
            
            
2. Tree Talks. Syracuse, Central New York Genealogical Society. V. 3- (1963- ).
   R-REF,929.105,qT786
   1. A subject index for volumes 1 through 28 (R,929.105,qT786 Subj.) covers issues published between 1961 and 1988.
      
      
3. Valley Quarterlies Directory. Rhinebeck, NY : Kinship, 1997.
   R-REF,929.3747,V187
   1. Directory/Index to records of births, deaths, marriages, baptisms, etc., as found in The Capital, The Columbia, The Mohawk, and The Saratoga.
      1. Directory/Index to 250,000 entries (births, deaths, marriages, baptism, etc.) in four publications – The Capital, The Columbia, The Mohawk and The Saratoga – from 1984 to 1993. Since these publications are still publishing, you may want to look at the recent issues or determine if a cumulative index post-dating 1993 has been printed for any of them. These periodicals include information from Bible, cemetery, census, church, guardianship, justice of the peace, mid-wife, military and naturalization records.
         1. The Capital. Rhinebeck, N.Y. : Valley Quarterlies, 1986- . Annual, 1999- .
            R-REF,974.74,C244
         2. The Columbia. Rhinebeck, NY : Valley Quarterlies, 1985- . Annual, 1999- .
            R-REF,929.1072074,C726
         3. The Mohawk. Rhinebeck, NY : Valley Quarterlies, 1984- . Annual, 1999-
            R-REF,929.37474,M697
         4. The Saratoga. Rhinebeck, N.Y. : Valley Quarterlies, 1984- . Annual, 1999- .
            R-REF,929.37474,S243
            
            
4. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. New York: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. V. 1- (Jan. 1870- )
   R-REF,929,qN54
   1. Worden, Jean D. The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record: Master Index, 113 Years, 1870-1982. Franklin, Ohio: J.D. Worden, 1983. 239 p.
      R-REF,929,qN54 1870b
      
      
5. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, Vol. 1- (1847- )
   R-REF,929,N535
   
   
6. De Halve Maen. New York, Holland Society of New York. New York, Vol. 1, no. 1- (1922- )
   R-REF,974.7,qH197
   1. Quarterly magazine of the Dutch colonial period in America.
      1. Holland Society of New York. Index to Publications, 1885-January, 1977. New York: The Society, 1977. 30 p.
         R-REF,974.7,qH73i 1977
         
         
7. Early Settlers of New York State: Their Ancestors and Descendants. Akron, N.Y.: T.J. Foley, 1934-1942. 9 v. Monthly. Vol. 1, no. 5 (Nov. 1934)-v. 9, no. 4-5-6 (Oct. 1942).
   R-REF, 974.7 E12
   1. This resource covers central and western New York.
      
      
8. Lifelines: Official Journal of the Northern New York American-Canadian Genealogical Society. Plattsburgh, N.Y.: The Society. Vol. 3, no. 2- (Spring 1986- )
   R-REF, 929.3747
   1. Covers French-Canadian immigrants.
      
      
9. The Patents: The Northeastern New York Genealogical Society Newsletter. Hadley, N.Y.: The Society. Bimonthly. Vol. 4, no. 1- (Jan. 1985- )
   R-REF, 929.3747 qP295
   
   
10. Western New York Genealogical Society Journal. [Hamburg, N.Y.]: The Society. V. 1- (June 1974- )
    R-REF,929.37479,qW527
    1. Covers Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

PROBATE RECORDS (WILLS, ESTATES)

New Netherland Period

Until the 1680s, wills were probated by either notary publics or aldermen, according to Dutch law and custom. Unfortunately, the law did not require wills to be recorded at a public archives. The notaries kept these wills and other original legal documents, such as marriage contracts, guardianships, letters of apprenticeship, powers of attorney, contracts and conveyances, in their personal custody. Some notarial records of persons in New Netherland (what is now New York and New Jersey) eventually ended up at the Amsterdam Municipal Archives.

A 5,000-card index to notarial records of the city of Amsterdam from 1598 to 1750 gives information about persons in New Netherland. The abstracts give the old-world place of origin of immigrants to New Netherland. The collection is available on microfilm at the New York State Library: Notarial Records Relating to New Netherland Held by the Amsterdam Archives. (A-FM 200-I. The microfilm is held by the New Netherland Project.)

1. Some wills are recorded in:
   1. Van Laer, Arnold Johan Ferdinand, 1869-1955, comp. New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch. Baltimore : Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974. 5v.
      R-REF and A,974.702,V259,74-6594
      1. Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1638-1660 (Volumes 1-3). Council Minutes, 1638-1649, 1652-1654 (Volumes 4-5). Each volume is indexed.
         
         
2. From 1656 to 1668 orphanmasters were appointed to oversee the inheritances of minors. In 1668 the orphanmasters court ceased to exist in New Netherland. The surviving records, primarily for New York families, are at the New York City Municipal Archives and are translated and published in :
   1. New York (N.Y.). Orphanmasters. The Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam, 1655 to 1663. New York: F.P. Harper, 1902-1907. 2 v.
      MA/FF,929.373,G326,86-24269 PS290
   2. New York (City). Orphan Masters. The Minutes of the Orphanmasters of New Amsterdam, 1663-1668.Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1976. 29 p.
      R-REF,974.71,N542 1976
      1. Shows relationships and places of origin.
         
         

English Period

For a description of the probate records in the New York State Archives, see “Probate Records in the New York State Archives (Information Leaflet #3), which is available in electronic format at www.archives.nysed.gov. Position the cursor on the Research Room line, which will open a window; position the cursor on Legal and click. The collection includes wills, estate inventories and administration papers dating from 1665.

1. The New York State Library has a 12-reel microfilm copy of original wills in the Queens College Historical Documents Collection. The collection currently is housed at the New York State Archives.
   1. Queens College, Flushing, N.Y. Historical Documents Collection. Record of Wills, Albany, New York. From a Collection of New York State Court Records.
      Includes card index to testators.
      MA/FM, 974.7 Q3
      1. Queens College, Flushing, N.Y. Historical Documents Collection. Record of Wills, Albany, New York. From a Collection of New York State Court Records. Index.
         MA,016.9747,qQ3
         1. Indexes NYSA's J0038-82 Probated Wills, 1671-1815.
            Photocopy of typescript derived from card index; indicates the numerous wills not indexed in Fernow.
            
            
2. There are several helpful statewide and downstate indexes and transcripts of pre-1823 wills and other probate records held by the New York State Archives (NYSA) and other repositories.
   1. Fernow, Berthold. Calendar of Wills on File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, of the County Clerk at Albany, and of the Secretary of State, 1626-1836. New York: [Colonial Dames of the State of New York?], 1896 ([New York?]: Knickerbocker Press) 657 p.
      A history of the legal proceedings to which last wills were and are subjected: p. iii-xv.
      MA/FF,929.373,G326, 86-24269 LH3633
      1. Indexes NYSA’s J0038-82 Probated Wills, 1671-1815.
      2. Indexes NYSA’s J0043-85 Record of Wills and Probates, 1787-1822 (Cited as Vol. I and II).
      3. Indexes NYSA’s J0039-85 Exemplifications of Wills and Letters of Administration, 1783-1801 (1 vol.) (Cited as Vol. III)
      4. Indexes NYSA’s J0041-82 Record of Wills Proved at Albany, 1799-1829 (1 vol.) (Cited as Vol. IV)
      5. Indexes NYSA’s J0020-82 Record of Wills Proved at Utica, 1818-29 (1 vol.)


Kelly, Arthur C.M. Dutchess County, N.Y. Probate Records, 1787-1865: Register of Wills and Letters Testamentary and of Administration in the Surrogate’s Office, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Rhinebeck, N.Y.: Kinship, 1997. 320 p.
R-REF,974.733,qD975,97-17430

National Genealogical Society Quarterly. [Washington, D.C.: National Genealogical Society]. No. 1- (Apr. 1912- ).
R-REF,929,qN27

  “Early Original New York Wills” by Kenneth Scott. Volume 51 (1963), pp. 90-99+     Indexes NYSA’s J0038-92 Probated Wills, 1665-1787. Indexes wills in sub-series 1 and indicates those wills not recorded in series J0043-92.  
“Wills of Colonial New York, 1736-1775” by Julius M. Bloch, Leo Hershkowitz and Kenneth Scott. Volume 54 (1966), pp. 98-124.     Indexes wills in NYSA’s J0038-92 Probated Wills, 1665-1787. Indexes sub-series 2.  
“Index of Original Wills, 1776-1829” by Kenneth Scott and Leo Hershkowitz. Volume 55 (1967), pp. 119-45.    

Indexes wills in NYSA’s J0038-92 Probated Wills, 1665-1787.
Indexes NYSA’s J1038-92 Probated Wills, 1787-1829 (3.5 cu. ft.)


 
“Early New York Inventories of Estates,” Volume 53 (1965), pp. 133-38.     Indexes NYSA’s J0043-92 Record of Wills and Probates, 1665-1787 (38 vols.) Also indexes estate inventories for New York County and nearby counties for 1725-53 and 1776-86 that are in possession of the New-York Historical Society.  
“New York Inventories, 1666-1775” by Kenneth Scott. Volume 54 (1966), pp. 246-59.     Indexes NYSA’s J0301-82 Inventories and Accounts, 1666-1822 (7 rolls microfilm).
New York Historical Society. Collections of the New-York Historical Society for the Year …
R-REF,974.7,N552   “Abstracts of Unrecorded Wills Prior to 1790 on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City [i.e. County] of New York, 1665-1800” by William H. Pelletreau. Volume 35 (1902).     Abstracts and indexes only the wills of NYSA’s J0038-92 that were not recorded in series J0043-92.  
“Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City [i.e. County] of New York, 1665-1800” by William H. Pelletreau. Volumes 25-34 (1892-1901), 36 (1903), 40-41 (1907-08).     Indexes NYSA’s J0043-92 Record of Wills and Probates, 1665-1787 (38 vols.) Includes name indexes to testators.
New York (Colony). New York Marriages Previous to 1784. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1968.
R-REF and A,974.7,N548 1968   Pages 573-618 indexes NYSA’s J0043-92 Record of Wills and Probates, 1665-1787 (38 vols.)
Post, John J. Index of Wills Proved in the Supreme Court, Court of Common Pleas, County Court, and Court of Probate, and On File in the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals [New York]. New York: S. V. Constant, 1899. [49] p.
R-REF,974.71,P857   Indexes wills in NYSA’s J0038-92 Probated Wills, 1665-1787.
Indexes only wills affecting title to real property located within present five boroughs of New York City
Record of Wills, Albany, New York, from a Collection of New York State Court Records. (MA/FM,974.7,Q3) 12 reels.   Microfilm of the original records in the Queens College collection.    
Queens College, Flushing, N.Y. Historical Documents Collection. Records of Wills, Albany, New York, from a Collection of New York State Court Records. Index. Flushing, N.Y.: Queens College, 196? (MA,016.9747,qQ3)       Annotations indicate many wills on the microfilm are not listed in the Fernow index. Also, there are wills on the film that are not listed in this index.
Sawyer, Ray Cowen. Index of New York State Wills, 1662-1850, On File at the Office of the Surrogate for New York County in the Hall of Records, New York City. [New York: s.n., 1932]. 2 v.
R-REF,974.71,qS27 (Also, available on microfiche: MA/FF,929.373,G326,86-24269 LH6087)   Indexes NYSA’s J0043 Record of Wills and Probates, 1665-1787 (38 volumes)
Indexes NYSA’s J1043-92 Record of Wills and Probates, 1787-1879 (128 vols.)
Scott, Kenneth. Genealogical Data from Inventories of New York Estates, 1666-1825. New York: The Author, 1970.
A,974.7,qS427   Indexes NYSA’s J0301-82 Inventories and Accounts, 1666-1822 (7 rolls microfilm).
_____. Genealogical Data from Administration Papers from the New York State Court of Appeals in Albany. Imprint: [N. Y.]: National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York, [1972]. 506 p.
R-REF and A,929.374,S427   Indexes NYSA’s J0033-82 Administration Papers, ca. 1700-1823 (17 rolls microfilm).
_____. Genealogical Data from New York Administration Bonds, 1753-1799, and Hitherto Unpublished Letters of Administration. New York: [New York Genealogical and Biographical Society], 1969. 194 p.
Another copy in: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. Collections (H929, qN541, v. 10).
From 1753 to 1799 bonds were required when wills were probated or letters of administration were issued. The bonds often give names, residences, occupations and family relationships.
R-REF,929.3747,S427,84-32291   Indexes 1787 through 1799 of NYSA’s J0032-83, -85 Letters of Administration, 1787-1823 (4 vols.)