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books for New York State especially colonial Dutch and German

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  New York State Research Tips
NY Genealogy, suggestions for study

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

RESEARCH TIPS

Research Considerations

RESEARCH SOURCES

OTHER SITES

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Before 1880, New York had no consistent requirement for maintaining vital records. Generations of New Yorkers lived, worked and died without appearing in public records. Thankfully, they were recorded in the religious records of the state. Early churches were a focus of the community. Most individuals were involved at least enough to have important events such as baptisms or marriages recorded in the ecclesiastic records. The major churches kept the best available records.

Land ownership for large tracts of the land in the state prior to about 1840 was in a leasehold system. This was a private arrangement between the large landholders and the leasee or renter. The information was not recorded in deeds or public land records. The lease often provided for tenancy for three lives and so the leaseholder would not have had the need to make a will or probate record. Thus many of the families in the state do not commonly appear in land records or probate records.

A variety of methods must be employed to search for family information. Often the type of record which may be the most useful is dependant upon the time period being studied.

RESEARCH TIPS

1. Patronymics Patronymic names were common in the colony until after 1700. The father's name was used with a suffix to identify his children. Thus, the identifying name changed in each generation. This is further complicated by the use of various other means of identifying an individual. One man, Teunis Quick was found in different records under four different names--his patronymic (Thomassen), a surname (Quick), his place of origin (van Naarden) and his trade, (Metselaer), which means butcher. The wife's name may appear more consistently and be an aide to locating the husband.

2. Femine Suffix The feminine ending "in" or "en" was sometimes added to a surname. This should usually be considered a feminine designation, especially in the time period before 1800.

3. Name Changes & Variants -In early New York State, many name changes and variants occurred. Refer to an index prepared by Arthur C.M. Kelly for one of the records published by KINSHIP to determine which may apply. The see also entries will indicate many cases of name changes such as the name, "Goes" changed to become "Hoes".

4. Use of patronymic Middle Initial -In the 19th century individuals were often identified by a middle initial which corresponded to the father's given name. This is especially important since many cousins received the same given name and were contemporary so that the identifying initial is a helpful means to distinguish between them.

5. Dutch Naming System -Until about 1810, many New York families used the so called "Dutch Naming System". In this system the first born male and female may be named for the paternal grandparents and the second born male and female are named for the maternal grandparents. Subsequent children are named for aunts and uncles in the family. A study of names used in a family group is often helpful in identifying individuals.

RESEARCH SOURCES

1. Prior to 1810-

Since few vital records were recorded by the government before 1880, church records often provide the most complete sources of information, especially if a family was not wealthy. Refer to the KINSHIP Catalog for a list of published records available for sale and research. In this time period, most families relied on a local church for functions of baptism and marriage even if their religion was quite different.  Since there were not many churches and since there was the desire during this period to solemize these events it is often possible to find them recorded.

The research tool, "Marriage Records of New York State 1639-1916" is available on CD. It includes marriages from Marriage Licenses & Bonds prior to 1784 and from approximately 100 different early church records, including the New York Reformed Church (1639) and Old Dutch Church, Kingston (1660). It may be used to locate individuals throughout the state, eliminating the need to search through a hundred separate records, it will function with Family Tree Maker or, a free search program and can identify individuals by exact spelling or by soundex.  CD401 New York Marriages-listing of all sources

2. 1810-1850-

The most difficult period for research. Many churches were formed so there are many more records to locate and consult. Family bible records and church records provided in manuscript volumes prepared by the DAR may be the best source.  Much of the index is now online  http://members.dar.org/DAR/DARnet/grc/GRC.cfm  There is also a card file located at the New York State Library in Albany and portions of the index have been microfilmed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) for use in their family history libraries. Census records of this time period only show heads of households and age categories of those living in the household.  However, it may be possible to use a later census to fill in statistics referring to this era.  In areas where the leasehold system was not used for land, deeds and mortgages are a rich source of information.  However, in New York State large areas were maintained in the ownership of a single individual and leases given to the tenants were not recorded in public land records.  A census may be used to determine where the individual could have lived and a search for manuscripts (NUCMC) containing rentbooks and other tenant information may yield a reference to changes in the lease indicating the death of the leaseholder. Watch for the widow or a son to be named in place of the leaseholder. Few of these records have been published so research must be conducted in archives or on microfilm at LDS family history libraries.  The Settlers & Residents Series for Columbia County NY has published some Livingston leaseholders.

Newspaper Records-Abstracts of Newspaper Records such as those found in the 10,000 Vital Records Series prepared by Fred Bowman, provide information about deaths and marriages which were recorded in early newspapers. See the section, "Newspaper Compilations- "8,000 more Vital Records by Mr. Bowman and "Supplement" for listings of Mr. Bowman's books in the Kinship Catalog

Both the New York State Library, Albany and the New York Public Library have typescript copies of abstracts of newspaper notices prepared by early genealogists. The New York Newspaper Microfilming Project has attempted to preserve newspapers and is an excellant way to find obituary and news notices.  List of microfilmed New York newspapers, organized by city or county is available online.

3. 1850-1880-

Census records in this time period list both heads of household and all individuals living within the household. The State Census was taken 1855 and at 10 year intervals is more complete and helpful than the Federal Census but few of the State Census are indexed. New York's Detailed Census of 1855, Greene County, by Fred Q. Bowman is the publication of one county in the census.  You may use CD Indexes of Federal Census to locate families and then view microfilm of State Census for that locality to gain more information such as where an individual was born or how long he had resided in a particular town.

A through threatment of "State Censuses of New York 1825-1875" by David P. Davenport was published in Genealogical Journal of the Utah Genealogical Association, 14:4:172-197. This includes information which may be learned from the population schedules as well as others such as the manufacturing schedule.  The article lists the availability of the various census as well as some indexes which have been prepared.   See the Kinship Catalog for books by Mr. Davenport listed under Albany, Montgomery & Schenectady & Schoharie Counties.

The article, "One Brooklyn Block: Population Characteristics and Change, 1880-1910." by Charlotte Woods Elkind in The Long Island Historical Journal 5:2:229-47 (Spring 1993) describes techniques which may be useful in reaching conclusions based on census information.

Information about soldiers serving in the Civil War has recently become available on-line.  You may access the Civil War Research Database to search for your ancestor.

4. 1880-Present

Vital Records such as Birth, Death and Marriage Records are available. For events occurring outside of New York City, an index, prepared annually, may be found at the New York State Archives, Albany.

OTHER

Vital Records in New York State (1880+)